The Express.
London, England, 1863-09-01 00:00:00

THE FRANKFORT CONGRESS.

(mom ova over

FRANKFORT, Almon 29.

Since yesterday there are rumours in town that
the unanimity of the Congress, so much boasted of
by the Austrian journalists, is at an end, ►nd that
the more liberal Prinoes, advised by their minis-
ters, are beginning to see the danger of too much
concession to a central power under Austrian aus-
pices. To-day it is khown that the Grand Duke
of Baden was not present at yesterday's sit-
ting, having been prevented by illness. Still
the Austrian organs show to-day the real motive
of his absence. His truly liberal minister, Roggen-
bash, had advised him not to give up too willingly
the liberties of his country. The clamours in the
Austrian camp are very loud against the opposition
of this prince, who allows the interests of his own
people to interfere with his submissiveness to the
Emperor. It appears that the competence of the
Chamber of Delegates to interfere with
the legislation of the various States is the
stumbling-block which must be removed if
the resolutions are adopted by more than
a majority. The question of the presidency
of Austria has been decided in the affirmative ; a
motion of Mecklenburg, that Austria and Prussia
should have it alternately, fell to the ground, without
even having been put to the vote, as this would
involve a dualism at the moment when unity
was to be aimed at ; but it is expressly declared
that the presidency shall only be honorary, and not
entitle to any privilege. In yesterday's sitting

Ike' 'TataVta WM down for the Central
High Court of Justice were agreed to, the
MOO to be referred to the ministerial confe-
rences and committees, which are to be entrusted
at the close of the Congress with the drawing up of
the Reform Act. Reporte from the palace to-day
say that the four Kings and the Grand Duke*, with
one exception, stick fast to Austria, and all the minor
princes, of course, as they feel certain that their
very existence is bound up with Austria's plans of
a stronger Confederacy.
On the question of the Federal budget it has
been agreed that, should an understanding not be
come to, the last budget shall remain in force. The
Austrian proposal was that between the sessions of
the delegates the executive should be empowered
to raise extraordinary sabsidies ; this was thrown
out. It was further negatived that the
executive should be empowered to prevent a
breach of the public peace, as this would
have given it power to interfere, when-
ever it pleased, under some shallow pretext, in
the government of the various states. The clause
that the central legislature shall be empowered to
make alterations in the Federal Constitution, has
been referred to further examination and debate.
The proposal that two votes should be given to
delegates of the former sovereign princes of the
old empire, has not yet passed, as it met with
strong opposition. The Grand Duke of Baden
claimed a vote with the three Kings, on the ground
of the large population of his state.
The Prussian papers of all parties are decidedly in
a fix ; they cannot reproach Austria with intending
to make a close alliance within the Conter
deration, as they advocated the same right for
Prussia in 1850, so they tease her with having
negatived this claim when Prussia raised it, and
they omit to say that when an absolute government,
she held of course other opinions than she holds
now, when she at least gives herself the appearance
of a genuine constitutional government.
The assembly of lawyers at Mentz has passed
the following resolutions:

1. The organisation of the profession of lawyers
has nothing to do with the laws regulating trade,
but belongs to the administration of justice ; but
every one who bee pooped his examination must be
admitted by the courts and the authorities as a
lawyer or solicitor.

2. That the German Corute should hold their
vacations at one and the same time.

it was further resolved that capital punishment
should not be admitted in the new universal (hr.
man code, with the exoeption of the military and
naval code.

There was some misunderstanding the day before
yesterday at Darmstadt, where the lawyers had
been invited by the Grand Duke to the Opera,
but found part of their seats taken by the Princes.
The lawyers left indignantly, but it appears that
they have been pacified by some excuses.
Improvements of the laws on guardianship, and
the desirability of family councils, next came under
consideration. It was further decided that judges
should not be bound by strict rules in their opinions
of evidence ; that, with the exception of unimpor-
tant matters, all cases should be brought before
a collegiate court, and that judges could only be
distaiseed or removed to another place by a decision
of a court of justice.

FRANKFORT, Avocet 30.
In yesterday's sitting of the Congress the debate
WI brought to a close, and all questions of detail
settled. To-morrow a concluding meeting will take
piney when minutes of the whole */ the business

transacted will be read over and finally sanctioned.
It is presumed that the Emperor will then aloes
the Congress by a speech, which will have the
character of a manifesto to the German nation.
On Tuesday the Princes will leave ; the Emperor
for ROMA% to pay a visity to her Majesty Queen
Victoria, ea route for Vienna. Lord Clarendon left
on Friday evening, to report, as is stated here, to
; ministers oa the debatesand general bearings of the
Congress. _ -

The first official voice of dissent is heard today
in the Gazette of CarZonate, the organ of the Badea
government. The paper says it is in a position to
declare that the Grand Duke considers it his duty
to strictly maintain constitutional principle,and that
be is not empowered toenter intopermanent engage-
ments without the previous sanction of his Cham-
bers, or even to make proposal which would bind
him beforehand. Still this could not prevent the
Grand Duke from taking part in the debate, as
such discussions between the Princes were at all
events usefuL The Grand Duke has not canned to
urge the necessity of strengthening the powers en-
trusted to the sent& parliament ; but it is certain
that the views of the majority of the Princes differ
very much from his, so that it will be impossible
for him to swede to their resolutions. He will
nevertheless take part in the Conference of Minis-
tem, to be summoned by the two great powers of
Germany, where, if possible, the reform of the
Confederation will be accomplished on principles
securing the full appreciation of the national ideas,
and guaranteeing the constitutional rights of the
people ; so that by mutual agreement with the
representatives of the people, the new act of the
Confederation remains open to further reform.
Now this is the first open secession amongst the
Prinoes, in the sense I alluded to in my farmer
letters. The Grand Duke does not take the one-
sided view, that before all and everything, the
greater safety of the Princes ought to be provided
for, while the rights of the people are not only neg-
lected, but limited in such a way that, if reac-
tionary governments have the upper hand in the
new executive, the liberties hitherto existing
could be curtailed, with the acquiescence of
the delegates, in a legal manner. If the
reel intentions of the Princes are such
as they profess by their words, it cannot be difficult
to come to an understanding which will give the
proper guarantees for public liberty ; and the
Grand Duke deserves high praise for not allowing
himself to be carried away by new consents to
German unity and liberty, who hitherto have been
the strong supports of bureaucrats and the ultra-
montanes. The latter, by the way, are the only
party who extol the liberalism of these Princes to
the skies, and as this cannot be sincere, true libe-
rals get shy.

Ido not mention the contradictory reports cir-
culating here, about paragraphs adopted and to be
reconsidered, as all these reports are loose, and
reflect the colours of various parties. The
final result will appear by the Emperor's speech,
which is expected to-morrow. This mush is
certain, that the paragraph which would have en-
titled the executive to declare war in case the
equilibrium of Europe should be endangered in
a manner incompatible with the security of Germany,
baa been struck out, as putting too much power
into the hands of Austria ; and it has
been further agreed, that only a majority
of two to one is to compel the Confederation to
defend territories not forming part of Ger-
many, though belonging to German princes. The
number of delegates has been fixed at 302, Ham-
burg, on account of its importance, sending two
members instead of one, and one to be sent by the
principality of Homburg.