The Express.
London, England, 1863-12-16 00:00:00

VIENNA. Mc. 13.

The Presse of this evening says that an opinion
prevails at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs that
Federal execution in the Elbe Duchies will pass
into occupation if Denmark opposes execution. The
latter case is thought to be probable. Should it
occur, Austria will then consider herself released
from the obligations of the London protocoL In
the event of war actually breaking out, the
Austrian fleet would co-operate with the forces of
the Confederation.

DENMARK AND SWEDEN.
COPENHAGEN, Dec. 15, Evazasc.
The l'aedrelandet of this evening contains the
following despatch, dated :
"STOCKHOLM, Dec. 15, 2.30 P.n.
" Twenty-two thousand Swedes are coming. The
King accompanies them in person."
COPENHAGEN, Dec. 16, 12.1 tee.
A despatch has just been received from Stock-
holm, according to which, no resolution of the
government had transpired, confirming the intelli-
gence published by the Feedrelandet.

PRUSSIA.
BERLIN, Dic. 11

The draft of the address of the Chamber as pro-
posed by the committee upon the loan has been
published.
The address, taking as a basis the resolution of
the house of the 2nd inst., reminds the King that
the Prussian army bad pledged its honour in the
duchies of Schleswig-Holstein. The influence the
Convention of Ohnutz exercised upon the interior
affairs of Prussia and upon Germany's position as a
great power could only be effaced by the liberation
of the duchies.

The addregs continues .—" We must fear, from
the system pursued by the ministry, that in its
hands the means demanded would not be applied
in the interest of the Duchies and Germany, nor
for the benefit of the crown or the country. The
rights of the Duchies and the hereditary rights of
the Augustenburg family are one.
" We solicit your Majesty to withdraw from the
London protocol of 1852, and to recognise the here-
ditary Prince of Augustenburg as Duke of Schles-
wig-Holstein. We request your Majesty further
to use your endeavours that the Diet may render
him effectual assistance iu taking possession of and
in liberating his hereditary lands."

SAXONY.

DRESDEN, Dic. 15.

The Lower Chamber to-day, after an animated
debate, unanimously adopted a proposition brought
forward by 44 members. The motion expresses
the regret of the Chamber at the resolution of the
Federal Diet of the 7th inst., and requests that
Federal execution should be extended to an occupa-
tion of Schleswig-Holstein, nod a recognition of the
hereditary succession of the agnate branch.
Baron von Bengt, without entering more fully upon
the bearing of the motion, declared that the govern-
ment would adhere to its point of view of the
question, even after the above-named Federal
resolution.

ARRIVAL OF LORD WODICHOUSE IN
COPEN RAGES.
COPENHAGEN, Dcc. 15.
Lord Wodehouse arrived here to-day.
General Fleury is expected to-morrow.

THE ELECTIONS IN FRANC&
DIJON, Dec. 15.

The definitive result of the election here shows
that M. Magnin, the opposition candidate, has
obtained 18,929 votes, against 15,330 votes for
M. Sarnac, the government candidate.

THE BANK OF FRANCE.
PABX3, Dn. 15.

It is asserted that the amount of bullion held by
the Bank of France was this morning 204 millions.

MEXICO.
BT. NAZAIRE, Dzc. 15.

The steamer Floride has arrived here with news
from Vera Cruz to the 14th ult. Colonel Dupin's
guerillas destroyed a strong Mexican column on
the llth.

The Floride also brings to Frans Mr. Super-
vielle, a new representative from the Confederate
States, who travelled by way of Texas. A French
war frigate was placed at Mr. Supervielle's disposi-
tion, which conveyed him from Matamoraa to
Vera Cruz.

Copies of a letter from Earl Russell to the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty, and of a despatch
from the Duke of Newcastle to the Governor of the
Bahamas, on the subject of belligerent rights, are
published in last night's Gazette.

TIM INDEPENDENCZ or POLAND.—Last evening
pablie meeting of the inhabitante of Southwark, convened
by the Council of the National Polish League, was held at
the Bridge House Hotel, Southwark, in furtherance of the
above object. The large room was densely crowded, and
much enthusiasm was manifested by thus present. Mr.
I John Locks, M.P. for the borough, occupied the chair, and
having opened the proceeding., and *sneered his sympathy
with the Polish nation, he laid be was is favour of the
government acknowledgiog the belligerent rigor of the
Poles. This would not be a declaration of war, but would
m►terially aid the Poles in their present struggle. Mr. J. R.
Taylor, the Secretary of the League, read the following
letter from Mr. Layard. M.Y. for the borough :—" Forage-
offioe, Dee. 14, 1863.—Sir.—However much I may sympa-
thies in the ogre your meeting is called to advocate,
I feel certain that, in declining to attend it, my motives
will be understood by your chairman and by those gen-
tlemen who are announced to be present on the mouton.—
Yours obediently, A. H. Loped." The Rev. Dr. Hugh
Allen, the rector of St. e a, Southwark. moved a reso-
lution to the effect that the heroism and patriotism of the
Polish people in their present struggle dewaod the sym-
pathy and admiration of all friends of freedom ►nd humanity.
This was seconded by Mr. Jolla Vickers, supported by Lord
Campbell, and carried by enclaniatioo. Dr. E. B. Joust
moved another reeolutioe, to the effect that as Russia bad
violated ►he conditions of the treaty of Vienna, her Ma-
jesty's government would to justified is refusing any longer
to twofers the sovereignty and dominion of the Czar over
Poland, in seksowledgiog the belligerent rights of the more.
gear, and ie crosetiog such measures with the Emperor of
the Breech, and other European powers, se should promote
therms of Polish independence. Centro Dresser Rogers
seconded the resolution, which having bees spoken to by
Mr. Edmond Boehm, was also carried.
THE ANOLO-AUSTRALIAN RIFLE MATCH.—The
Milang company, which challenged the best English com-
pany (accepted by the Nottingham Rohr Hoods), have
fired their match. Distances, 200, 300. 400, 500, 600, 700,
800, and 900 yards, seven 'rounds at rah distance, ten men
firing. Aggreg►te marks (Wimbledon mooring), 1,149. The
English score was 1,155, so that the mothercountry is on
this occasion victorious, but only jolt seromstul. —Awe-
trelion and New Zeeland Begeette.

[Stamped, ld. AdditiosslO

HOLLAND.

--0--
SINGULAR TRIAL FOR MURDER.
(nom °us owN coituaromarr.)

ARNEIEI.II, Dzc. 12.

A criminal charge which has excited great sensa-
tion throughout the country, has just been heard by
the chief criminal court of the province of Guelder-
land. The accused, George Hornidge, alias Henry
Charles Somerset Lee, aged 71, a British subject,
was charged with having maliciously and wilfully
murdered his neighbour, Captain Van Dongen
Franke, of the Netherlands army. From the evi-
dence it appeared that the prisoner, who had been
an officer in the British army, had fought, in 1824,
a duel, in the pariah of Bleesington county of
Wicklow, with one William Wallace, and had
killed his antagonist under circumstances which
induced him to fly his country. During several
years he led a roving life, and at last settled in this
quiet town of Arubeini, entering himself in the
town-registry as Henry Charles Somerset Lee.
Here he lived quietly for many years, seldom
visiting, seldom visited by his neighbours.
His next door neighbour, Captain Van Dongen
Fraucke, had at first been on terms of friend-
liness with him ; but owing to a misunder-
standing arising, in a great measure from idle gos-
sipings, a sort of cat-and-dog feeling had gradually
arises between them. ?rendre and his wife weft,
it would seem, aware of the irritable temperament
of their neighbour, and taxed their inventive
faculties in finding out means of annoying him.
This effort was not unretaliated by Hornidge.
When the one wanted to take his nap the other
would knock at the partition wall, or work at a
pump, so as to shake the very house in which he
lived. When people study to be disagreeable there
is no limit to the means they can employ, and these
two neighbours seem to have availed themselves of
every opportunity to annoy and exasperate each
other. At length, on tbe 20thof last duly, Franck% it
seems, irritated at the abuse Hornidge had lavished
upon him a short time before, disturbed his neigh-
bour in such a way as made his blood boil with
fury. Arming himself with deadly weapons, be
went into his garden, and, forcing his way intothat
lof his neighbour, whom be found near the pump,
he inflicted upon him, such severe wounds as in
a short time after caused his death. The prisoner
pleaded in extenuation of his crime that his passion
had overpowered him—that he had been so exas-
perated by the petty annoyances inflicted on him,
more especially by the wife of the murdered man,
that he had lost all control over himself. Twenty-
two witnesses were beard for the prosecution, and
three for the defence. In a speech of three hours
the Advocate-General detailed the past history of
the accusal, and worked up into • painfully inte-
resting narrative the circumstances which preceded
the murder. At the conclusion of his speech,which
is said to have been one of the most magnificent
efforts of forensic eloquence ever heard in a Dutch
court of justice, he demanded that the court should
pass upon the prisoner 'lectern* of death,and further
inflict on him the—of course formal—fine of 50
guilders. The counsel for the defence pleaded in
mitigation of the charge that the crime had been
committed in a tit of exasperation, and that jus-
tice would be satisfied by a verdict of manslaughter.
The court has deferred sentence till the 18th De-
cember.

Throughout the trial the court was crowded ;
while the aged prisoner seemed bowed down with a
grief which won for him the commiseration even
of those who felt most strongly the condemnatory
character of the evidence elicited by the prosecu-
tion. The opinion generally entertained is that the
evidence is not of a character that will permit the
court to be influenced by the counsel for the defence,
and that sentence of death will accordingly be
recorded. The King, however, almost invariably
remits the extreme sentence into imprisonment for
life. A few years ago, too, an aged Dutch officer
was convicted of poisoning his mistress, but his
sentence was remitted into a life-long imprisonment,
and therefore it is not probable that a petition to
his Majesty in this case will be made in vain.