The Express.
London, England, 1852-04-09 00:00:00

GERMANY.

BBRLIN, Arm 5.
The southern states are concerting their plan of
Wsidtt "oration at the Zollverein's Conference,
is convened here for the 14th inst., but will
tot be opened till the 16th, when it will be inaugu-
rated by M. von Manteuffel in person, assisted by
the Minister of Trade and of Finance. The late
ormbeence at Bamberg was, it seems, only a first preli-
minary for the formation of the southern leaps*. To-
drys more numerous conference takes place at Darms-
tadthet ween the mi o iaters of Bavaria, Wurtemberg, the
Grand Duchy and the Electorate of Hesse, Nassau,
and Saxony. If the southern states, seduced by the
wastot principle hitherto shown by Prussia in the
sintems' union affair, endeavour, by • sort of con-
splay, to force Prussia by restraint to the adoption
of minsures which may appear to he dictated by the
adSiof Austria's plans, then perhaps the as-
troitakesere willo the critical aind rouseit tihnetocawlit
It b letting itself be drawn by renewing for twelve
years the reign of protectionism. The split between
the north and south of Germany, and the formation
or a Prussian free.trade Zollverein with Hanover
and the Hanse Towns, may, to the great joy of the
free-trade party, be brought about by the southern
protectionists, after all agitation here in its favour
had failed. The Baltic provinces will, however, as
a last effort, send up an energetic address when the
conference here opens. The Kreuz Zeitung has
played a sorry part in Zollverein matted; has
merely opened its columns to ministerial under-
lings and bought articles, blindly lauding the
wisdom of the government and railing at Austria,
without seeing that the Prussian government is
runniadoirectly into Austria's snares. To-day it
hintsgovernments
the preparing for the case,
that y and the southern states secede from the
Zollverein, when it will remove the great fair, and
the seat of the book-trade from Leipzig, and abolish
all customs duties in the little principality of Hohen-
zollern, thereby erecting • smugglers' depot in the
very centre of those states. This is, of course, a mere
bugbear; and the Krell: Zeitung ought best to
know how little the Prussian government has
hitherto been capable of contemplating any energetic
measures whatever as regards the Zollverein.
The great German protectionist union, under the
direction of Prince Hoheniehe-Oehringen, has con-
vened a meeting of ironmasters, which was
opened at Frankfort on the 3rd inst. The leading
Prussian members have published a circular, implor-
ing their colleagues to support the Prussian plan of
renewing the Zollverein on the protectionist prin-
*le but without a formal customs' union with
Ambia. They urge that any opposition in this re-
=ight render the Prussian government less
e to protectionist interests and de-
mise than it has hitherto been. Neverthe-
km, there is • strong party inclined to push
resolutely for an Austrian union; and there is also a
seance of a conflict between the producers of pig
hen and the possessors of works which make only
bar iron. The former wish the duty on pig iron to
be sabed, the latter demand its abolishment.
I Ns no contradiction anywhere given to the
nodm ea the proposed tax on railway dividends; so
I yippee that the plan, preposterous as it is, has
miff been hatched by our sagacious minister of
trade. If this be the case, it can be accounted for
only by supposing that it is a mere trial, in order to
scare the railway companies into selling cheaply to
the government.
The Prussian marine, including the late acquisi-
tions, now amounts to one frigate of 46 guns, one
corvette of 12, and ono transport ship of 4 guns;
five war steamers of respectively 440, 350, 180, 180,
and 350 horse-power; and 42 gun-boats--on the
whole 177 guns. The number of hands in time of
pears is fixed at 1,500.
The constitutional charter guarantees to all Prus-
sian subjects the right of petitioning the chambersin
their own mass, while petitions in the name of a
collective body ma only be resented by co
and official sessealika The government rrassort
declared that =WNW Napes esaecile having
_as
executive functions, Imam& dime devolve wholly
on the magistracy, cannot ad eusaaidese et
the townships, and may ad, arts peddle Oa
chambers, on pain of suspension. The props= of
reaction waxes amain!

The health of the Grand Duke of Baden is still
very precarious, even hopeless. His lineal heir being
incaps.citated by bodily and mental infirmities from
assanung the government, the question of the suc-
cession -in Baden is being earnestly discussed at
Frankfort.

At Bremen the people are wondering that no
more decrees have as yet followed those first
noticed.
The cultivation of Indian corn is very rapidly in-
creasing in Germany. The house of Poppe and Cu.,
which imports the seed from America, has this year
received so extensive orders, that it has difficulty in
effectuating them.