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

jot* an 4 dotonial 3ntelligerat.

FRANCE.
CONCLUSION OF THE CONFERENCES.

THE Conferences assembled on Tuesday at two
o'clock, and concluded the settlement of the dis-
puted points of the Treaty of Paris.
The Aloniteur of Wednesday thus announces the
terms :

The representatives of the contracting Courts in the
Congress of Paris assembled this day (January 6th)
in conference signed a protocol which puts an end
to the difficulties encountered in the execution of the
treaty of the 30th of March. The Conference, with
unanimous accord, has decided that the frontier shall
follow the valley of Trojan up the river Yalpuck, leaving

THE PRESS.

Bolgrad and Tobak to Moldavia, and that. ltussia shall retain
upon the right bank the town of Komrat, with about 300
versts square of territory. The Isle of Serpents is to be consi-
dered as belonging to the mouths of the Danube. The
Conference recognises that it was the intention of the Con-
gress to re-establish by Article 21 the territories west of the
new boundaries in their former situation ; and to conform to
the intentions of the negotiators of peace, it has decided
that these territories shall be annexed to Moldsvia, with the
exception of the delta of the Danube, which will revert to
Turkey. The Conference has decided, moreover, that the
boundaries shall be settled and take effect by the 30th of
March at the West, and that at the same date the Austrian
troops and the British fleet shall have evacuated the
Danubian principalities anti the interior waters of Turkey.
The Commission of the Principalities will then be able to
enter those provinces, and proceed to the execution of its
mission. At the conclusion of its labours the Commission
will report to the Conference, which is to meet at l'aris, ac-
cording to the terms of Article '25, in order to settle by a
convention the final agreement between the contracting
parties as to the organisation of the Principalities.
The Paris correspondent of the Nord gives the fol-
lowing version of what took place at the first Con-
ference :

The first Conference was held at half•past one o'clock, at
the Ministry of Foreign All'airs. Count Wulewski took the
chair. The second plenipotentiaries present were—Baron
Brunnow, Lord Cowley, Baron de Hubner, Count de Hatz•
fell. Marquis de Villamarina, and Mehemet Bey.
The plenipotentiaries of the four great powers alone
spoke. The plenipotentiaries of Prussia, Sardinia, and
Turkey were silent by common agreement during the whole
of the sitting.
The sitting was opened by a speech from Count Walewski.
The business discussed was the draft of the protocol and
of the tracing of the new frontier line on the confines of
the territory ceded to Russia in compensation for Bolgrad.
As regards the evacuation of the Principalities by the
Austriun troops, and of the Black Sea by the English fleet,
it was touched upon but slightly.
The discussion was calm, dignified, and courteous on
all sides.

You may rely upon the following as a correct statement
of what took place, and of the point where the dith•
culty lies.
England is ready to evacuate the Black Sea as soon as
the Special Commissioners shall have fixed upon the
ground the line of the new Russian frontier. Austria
consents to the same engagement.
Russia is happy at the equitable intentions manifested
by those two powers ; but as the Commissaries may take
an indefinite time in fixing the boundary line, ougnt not a
term—for instance, the lath of February—to be fixed for
the completiou of their labour.
Austria was the first to reply to this objection, and dis•
cussed the point at some length. If Russia could state
beforehand the period at which her commissaries would
have finished their work, Austria could nut do so. It is
mmeover impossible and imprudent to fix any stated period
for work of that description, as one can never be certain
of accomplishing it within the given time. The Conference
might be convinced of Austria's readiness to evacuate the
Principalities; it might, in that respect, place full conti•
deuce in Austria.

England ig of opinion that, considering the difficulties of
execution, the simple engagement should be taken on either
side to evacuate " as soon us possible."

Russia replies, that there WAR a time when such a decla-
ration would have been deemed sufficient, but there were
antecedents now which made a more categoric►l engage-
ment preferable.

Austria dwelt upon the difficulty of evacuating the Princi•
palities as speedily es Russia desires. In winter there are
obstacles for an army not to be encountered by a fleet.
This observation did not meet with any reply, and the
point was generally agreed to.
Russia, however, persisted in asking that some definite
period should be fixed for the evacuation of the Principali-
ties by Austria, and of the Black Sea by the English
squadron.

The plenipotentiaries of England and of Austria then
declared that they were without instructions on the point
and must refer to their respective Courts. This was
thought reasonable, and the sitting broke up. The mem-
bers perfectly agreed upon all the questions in principle,
and with the intention, or rather the firm hope, of meeting
next time to sign the final protocol.

Despite the rapidity of transinission of despatches by
telegraph, all the points of detail were nut settled un
Saturday.
ASSASSINATION OF TILE ARCHBISHOP OF
PARIS.

The Archbishop of Paris was assassinated on
Saturday last in the Church of St. Etienne du Mont.
The circumstances of this distressing occurrence are
as follows :—Monsignor Sibour, having assisted at the
service of the mass in celebration of the " neuvaine "
of St. Genevieve, in the Church of St. Etienne, after
walking in procession fro:n the chancel to the
sacristy, was in the act of turning :►t the door to give
his benediction to the congregation, when a person
near him suddenly rushed forward, lifted the cape of
his robe, and crying out "A bas los Deesses," dealt
him a heavy blow in his side with a " catalan " knife.
The prelate, uttering a frightful scream that was
beard above the pealing tones of the organ, fell mor.

31

tally wounded. He was taken into the sacristy, and,
having received absolution from the Grand Vicar, M,
Surat, died almost immediately. His last and only
words were, Ali !le malheureux." The assassin
was arrested on the spot. Upon being asked the
motive for the heinous act, he replied that " he bad
been unjustly suspended from his clerical office,"
and explained the words " pas de Deesses " by say-
ing, " I do not believe in the Immaculate Conception,
I have preached against such foul doctrine, for which
I have been suspended, and I desired once again to
protest publicly against this impious worship." (" J'ai
voulu protester une foil de plus contra ce culto
impie.") The murderer is a Roman priest, named
Verges. Ile was horn in 1824 at Neuilly sur Seine,
of uncertain parentage, and was brought up for the
priestly cflice by the cure of St. Germain
l'Auxerrois, who lavishel upon him all the
affectionate cares of a father. Having con-
ducted himself contumaciously towards his supe-
rior ho was sent for two mouths, en retraite, to
a seminary in the diocese of Meaux. Afterwards he
was appointed to the curacy of Servin. On the 11th
of November last Verges was examined as a witness
in a trial for poisoning, at the assizes of Melun, and,
taking up the cause of the accused with headstrong
violence, published a pamphlet defamatory of the
judge and jury. For this offence he was removed
from the curacy of Servin, and in revenge preached
against the Immaculate Conception, for which he
was finally suspended. Verges was taken to the pri-
son of Mara., where he is kept au secret. His con-
duct is wayward and excited. At times, when more
calm and composed, lie expresses himself myste-
riously as to some future event; whilst at others he
raves and utters the most blasphemous imprecations.
It is certain that he has no accomplices, but many of'
his irregular observations lead to the supposition of
his having been connected with what is commonly
termed " bad company." Since his suspension he is
said to have visited Brussels.

Mgr. Sibour was sixty-four years old, having been
born in 1792, at Pont Saint Esprit, in the department
of Gard. ln 1840 he resigned the benefice of St.
Sulpice to become Bishop of Dique ; and on the
16th of October, Im-Ps, he was translated to the Arch-
bishopric of Paris. The deceased prelate was most
amiable in the private relations of life, eminently
liberal in his ecclesiastical opinions, and swayed by
strong anti Jesuit tendencies. The murder has
caused a great sensation throughout France.

PRUSSIA AND SWITZERLAND.

THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH PROPOSALS ACCEPTED.

The following important communication has been
received :

" BERNE, Thursday.
" The Federal Council of Switzerland, considering
the new propositions which have been submitted to
it by the Emperor Napoleon, and supported by the
good offices of England, to be such as are acceptable
to the Swiss Confederation, has decided on convoking
the Federal Assembly of Switzerland for the 14th of
January, to receive those propositions."
A letter from Berne of the 3rd, in the Indipendance
of Brussels, says. " The following is the most trust•
worthy version of the negotiations for the pacific
solution of the question. England, we are assured,
completely Reproves of the last proposition made by
the Emperor Napoleon, which is to this effect:—
' The Federal Council is requested to release the pri-
soners solely out of regard for the friendly sentiments
of the Emperor. The Emperor, in return, engages to
endeavour to obtain from the King of Prussia the
complete renunciation of Neufchatel. Should tiro
King of Prussia refuse to negotiate on this basis the
Emperor will oppose any aggression on the part of
Prussia against Switzerland, and will defend the
independence of Neufchatel.'"
The mobilisation of the Prussian army has been
postponed till the 15th, and the trial of the royalist
prisoners, on the other hand, to the 19th.
The Governments of Wurtemburg, Baden, and
Bavaria have countermanded the formation of corps
of observation.
The Prussian Government has also addressed a
letter to the Courts of Europe, stating that so soon
as the prisoners are liberated the King is ready to
enter into negotiations as to the state of Neufchatel.
The Swiss Federal Council has issued a proclamation
to the people, in which, after giving a sketch of the
cause of the dispute with l'russia,assures them of their
earnest desire of concluding an honourable peace. It
enjoins on the army discipline and humanity, and
informs them that the country will jundertake the
protection of their families.