The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-10 00:00:00

i JANUARY 10, 1857.

at Frankfort, and his subsequent journey to Stutt-
gardt and Munich failed to engage any sympathy for
the Swiss cause. On the Ist of January the reply of
the Prince of Prussia to a deputation of the Cham-
bers was couched in firm language, leaving no doubt
of the determination to appeal to arms in the event
of the Federal Council persisting in its present course.
Active preparations continue in the war department,
and a prohibition has appeared for the exportation of
horses, a large number being wanted for the country.
The 15th of January is the day appointed for the
mobilisation of the army. A report is prevalent that
the powers whose signatures are affixed to the pro-
tocol of 1852 will address a collective note to the
Federal Government pith a view to induce it to yield
to a European pressure. Swiss deputies are made of
stern materials, steeped in, and saturated with, over-
weening vanity. Colonel Barmann has returned to
Paris, accompanied by M. Keon, a member of the
Federal Council, on a special mission to the Emperor.
A fresh proposal is about to be made to grant " an
amnesty" to the Neufchatel prisoners, with which
both parties are sure to be dissatisfied. Prussia wail
have still the same cause of displeasure, and in yield•
ing up the right to judge and to punish the insur-
gents the Swiss would be abandoning the principle
of oonfliot.

The report of the royalist prisoners having peti-
tioned the King of Prussia not to go to war with
Switzerland, is incorrect. It arose from the follow•
ing occurrence :—M. Pourtales Saladin of Geneva
went a short time ago to visit his brother, M. Pour.
tales Sandoz, at Neufchatel. He besought him to
address the King of Prussia, and to lay the Swiss
ease fully and fairly before him, with an entreaty
not to refuse an honourable compromise. To this
advice M. Pourtales Sandoz assented, adding that
his cousin Fritz—M. Pourtales Steiger—was the only
person who could apply to the King with any good
effect. The brothers obtained permission, and re-
paired to the prison of M. Pourtales Steiger. He
acceded to the proposition, and M. Pourtales
Saladin, without loss of time, repaired to Berne,
where he consulted the Federal Council on the steps
to be taken. A letter was written, submitted to the
Council, and agreed upon, and with this document
M. Pourtales Saladin, in high satisfaction, returned
to Neufchatel. But M. Pourtales Steiger was no
longer of the same opinion; he had changed his
mind, and declined to appeal to the King of Prussia
in the manner desired, or in any way derogatory to
his monarchical integrity. The affair thus ended, to
the intense disgust and mortification of the Federal
Council. It was suspected that some Prussian agent
lurked in the vicinity, and was the principal reason
of the royalists being transferred to the dungeons
of the Chateau of Chilton. The trials are fixed for
the 10th of January.
At Naples a large quantity of powder in barrels
was found in the excavated cellars of Pizzo Falcone,
placed there.according to the Court version, in order
to blow up the Jesuit College at Nunziatella. Arrests
are of momentary occurrence. The prison of San
Francisco is not sufficiently large to hold the bands
that are brought up under escort and in chains from
Salerno and Cosenza. A few days ago the police
agents made a forcible entry into the Episcopal
Seminary, and arresting a dignitary of the Church,
with several of the theological students, hurried them
into a boat, and conveyed them to the dungeons of
Nisida. A " frate" also, of the name of Davino, on
his arrival from the north of Italy, being suspected
of bringing "carbonaro" intelligence, was arrested
and placed in the underground cells of the Castle of
St. Elmo. The town is reported to be a perfect
desert, from the following circumstance :—A placard
appeared on the walls calling upon every one to
prepare for the calamity of an earthquake that was
certain to take place in visitation for the sins of the
wicked Neapolitans. At eleven o'clock in the evening
of the same day, either from accident or design, the
gas throughout the town and in the theatres was sud-
denly extinguished. The rush of all classes into the
country is said to have been comparable only to a
return from the Derby, but in lighter habiliments.
In two hours Naples was empty. C. A. H.