The Express.
London, England, 1864-05-10 00:00:00

ffiGH WATIZAT LONDON BRIDIIL

Imo :7/50itisoe, 4h. 503%.
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LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 10.

CONTRARY to general expectation, the third
meeting of the Conference has neither been post-
poned nor remained, like the previous meetings,
wholly barren of result. At the yesterday's sitting
of the Plenipotentiaries a temporary suspension of
hostilities was agreed upon, not on the terms
which are understood to have been those proposed
by the neutral Powers—the evacuation of Jutland
by the Germans and of Alien by the Danes—
but on the basis of the uti possidetis, although, as
usual throughout these negotiations, the acknow-
ledged principle of the agreement has been applied
in a one-sided manner, to the disadvantage of the
weaker belligerent. The Danes, yielding to the ad-
vice of the neutral Powers, which in the circum-
stances of the case were equivalent to commands,
have reluctantly consented to raise the blockade
during the suspension of hostilities, while in return
for this important concession the Germsns simply
engage to abstain from the course of indiscriminate
plunder and ruthless exaction they have hitherto
pursued in Jutland. As the whole of the exorbi-
tant sum demanded by the invaders has been
already paid, and the people have hardly anyth in g left,
this engagement amounts on thepartof the German
Powers to little more than an engagement not to re-
duce the remaining inhabitants of this Danish pro-
vince to utter destitution. For the rest, the Germans
during the cessation of hostilities hold their posi-
tions in Jutland as well as in the Duchies, while
the Danes on their side retain possession of Alien.
The German Powers declared themselves ready to
leave Jutland if the Danes would leave Alien, but
tho Danish Government preferred to let the pee-
session of its territory by the Germans rest simply
on the basis of fact, unsanctioned by the shadow
of an agreement. The suspension of hostilities
arranged on these terms i., according to
the present agreement, to last for a month,
commencing on Thursday next, the 12th
instant. It will be observed that the present
arrangement is not an armistice, but merely a ces-
sation of hadilities, although, should the necessity
arise, it is not impossible that with some modifica-
tions it might be converted into a more formal
agreement. Meanwhile, the Conference is now
free to discuss the proper business for which it is
assembled—the terms of peace between the belli-
gerents—and it will meet again very shortly for
this purpose.

The suspension of hostilities, even on terms
that are obviously harsh towards the weaker belli-
gerent, is undoubtedly on grounds of humanity
matter of sincere and just congratulation. But
the real difficulties of the Conference are now to I
begin, and it requires no great sagacity to predict
that unless the mediating Powers are prepared to
act with far greater vigour, decision, and firmness
than they have yet displayed—unless they are true
to their office as mediators, in resolutely curbing
the demands of the more powerful belligerents—
there is little prospect of these difficulties being
successfully overcome. Denmark has undoubtedly
established a fresh claim to the good offices of the
neutral Powers in temporarily giving up at their
instance her position at sea—the only signal ad-
vantage she has hitherto gained over her powerful
opponents. Attempts have, indeed, been made,
not merely in the German papers, which
is of course natural enough, but even in
this country, to depreciate beforehand the value of
the concession by representing the Danish blockade
of the Prussian porta as wholly ineffective. The few
foreign merchants and shipowners who, relying on
the statements of the German papers, have at-
tempted to run the blockade, can tell a very dif-
ferent tale, the real fact being that every vessel
attempting to enter the Prussian porta since the
blockade was established has been captured by
the Danish cruisers. No doubt the foreign
trade of Prussia is by no means wholly dependent
on her own ports ; still a considerable shipping
trade has sprung up at her Baltic outlets,
and this being wholly stopped by the Danish
blockade is undoubtedly a serious inconvenience to
Prussian commerce. No stronger proof of this
could well be given than the pertinacity with
which the German Powers have demanded the re-
moval of the blockade as the indispensable con-
dition of any suspension of hostilities, however
temporary. Left to themselves the Danes, as we
know, would not have yielded to a demand which
they regard as so opposed to their rights, as well as
BO injurious to their interests ; and the neutral
Powers are in honour bound, therefore, to see that
no unfair advantage is taken of a concession on
the part of the weaker belligerent which they have
virtually enforced.

THE COMMITTING MAGISTRATE CONTICTED.—The
following extraordinary letter appears in the Tim: of this
morning :—" I am quite sore you will be reedy to correct
any erroneous statement that may bays been inserted in
your paper. In the Times of the 6th I sae it stated that seven
gipeies were charged before me with sleeping under tents,
as their °sly offence, and were committed for 21 days inm•
prisonment in the county gaol, with hard labour. This is
not the truth ; their offence was sleeping under tents,
haring no visible meats of subsistence, and not giving •
good account of themselree. I am, air, your humble aervent,
ratan TONKIN. Lelant Vicarage, Cornwall, May 7." In
the House of Commons to-night Mr. Hunt will more an
address for copies of depositions taken before the Rev.
ti rich Tonkin, at Hoyle, in Cornwall, on or about the 25th
day of April last, in the esse of seven gipsies sentenced to
2] days' imprisonment with bard labour for sleeping under
• tent ; and of the conviction.