The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-16 00:00:00

TUE QUESTION OF THE rucuiEs.

"The contest which has been going ou f.ur some
time between the Austrian and Prussian press upon
the question of the Duchies," says the ilibuts of
yesterday, "has just been placed upon entirely new
grounds, viz., the pretension raised I.y the royal
family of Prussia to the succession of the sove-
reignty of the territories abandoned by Denmark.
To those pretensions, based upon titltas which the
Prussian papers carry back to the year 1:.;08, the Aus-
trian journal the N. er Free Pass has singly opposed
the pretensions which the royal fin/My of Austria
might bring forward to that F-atoe sccces-don by
supporting them on titles not I. ar• ut or legiti-
mate." The same journal, persietiug iu its contempt
for these pretensiuus, which it considers, and with
good reason, ridiculous, now denounces them
openly as a mauteurre intended to conceal the
plans of annexation, and to retard the decision in
favour of the Duke of Augustehburg, whoum
j the Austrian journal considers the only
serious pretender to the succession in
dispute. "If it is true," says this journal,
" t'iat people have ended by udder:standing
at Vienna that in the Sleswig-Holstein liticstiou
there was no means of arriving at anythiug with
time Prussian alliance, it must be admitted that this
truth lee. been recognised too late. Meanwhile,
better late than never, and it is not impossible to
enter upon another path, provided it is really se-
riously wished. But after what we have recently
seen, doubt on the subject of such rumours is more
than justified, anti we fear that Austria is doomed
to drink to the dry;s the cup of the Prussian alli-
sue") which always takes and never giv..s."

THE RELATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND
ROME.

The Nord of yestenlay says :—" Intend of im-
proving, the relations betwe-ii the v .0 is of Rome
and Russia aiipear to grow col.h.r a:1.1 colder ; the
Pontifical government niLe-es no opportunity
givit.g the cabinet of St. IN. ters:eirg proofs, some-
times singularly pitiful, of its ,liieon:-uttnent.
Thus a letter from Rome states that the Emperor
of Russia having otleriAl a consideral.L. soul for a
statue of Hercules recently discover...l, and the
owner of the statue having preferred t.i let the Pop-
have it for half the amount, the Liol.y.::.•c conferred
tit I. s of nobility upon the. Litter. another
letter from Rome declares that the P has deter-
mined no longer to reettiv,: at the V;:ti- .0 the Rus-
sian chargi.:d'atlaires, M. de Meyenl"r:l, which has
made that gentleman determine not to j..iu iu the
cot.gratulattous which the corps diplomatilue will
offer the Pope at Chriqir.as."

A HINT FOR LONDON.—TiIe United States Circuit
Court. Now York, bss given a verdict of 4.0004015. to s
person for damsgee sustained while crossing the rireet from
a stage. The law is that pedostrisns have the first right to
the CTOSIIDE of the street on foot. !hirers of vehicles should
make a note of this fact, and not ins person.; down in the
atreeta by fast driving around tho corners—Queo,..:
I g Chn,niele.

THE MAGNE,TrAI —A ain"iilar
circnm-
staaee was communicated to the French Plint.graphic
Society at its last sitting hp M. Phieet. The magnesium
light is so poverty!, that when Veeed at a short distmee
from the oLject•glass it will melt it. surface. An object-
glass spoilt in this way was produced by him at that titans.
Photographers had hotter take the hint, and not orieg the
light too near the apparatts.
AcTtys SmtvicE. —The American papers say that
there is a I,Zew York regiment which, during their three
years service, has travelled by sea and land more than
12,000 miles, fought twenty general engagements. marched
through Men States, and has been under Burnside, Pope,
Mode, Shaman, and (haat.