The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-08 00:00:00

CONFERENCE OF THE MINOR GERMAN

STATNa

KUNIOH. Fsa 7.

The Conference of Ministers of the Minor Ger-
man States, convened by Bavaria, will open towards
the end of this week, all obstacles having been re-
moved. I: •

♦USTRIA AND DENMARK.
VIENNA, F. 7.
_ _

Denmark has informed the Vienna Cabinet that
she would not place an embargo on Austrian ship-
ping if Austria would act in a similar manner.
To this the Vienna Cabinet is said to have as-
sented.

SEM i-OFFICIAL PRUSSIAN DECLARATION
ON THZ LONDON TREATY.
BERLIN, P. 7.

The aemi-offielal Norddentside Zei/nag of to-day
contains an article npon the declaration made by
Earl Ramell and Lord Palmerton in the English
Parikaiiiit." 'Me jourtaratatie that this &nitro-
Prussian domande for the fulfilment of tire London
treaty by Denmark were made before the outbreak
of hostilities ; and says that, according to inter-
national law, war annuls all treaties,

THE MAREiAGE OF THE COUNT OF
PAM&

MADRID. Fn. 6.

The Queen has formally authorised the marriage
of the eldest daughter of the Duc de Montpenaier
to the Count of Paris.

TIIRXICY.

'VIENNA, rte. 3.

Aocording to whines received here from Con-
stantinople, the Porte has obtained possession of
documents proving the existence of a secret treaty
between Idoklo-Wallachia and the &avian Go-
vernment.

THE BULLION IN THE BANK OF FRANCE.

PARIS, Fn. 6.
The specie in the Bank of France now amounts
to 191 million franca.

THE WAR IN SLESWIG.

1110 X 01711 owi

RENDSBU/10, Fifa. 3.

Field-Marshal:von Wrangel, accompanied by the
Crown Prince and Prince Albreeht of Prussia, and
attended by their numerous staff, left this town to-
day at 1 o'clock. Shortly afterwards some Danish
dragoons and infantry soldiers, captured this morn-
ing, were brought in under escort of Prussian cui-
rassiers. The garrison of this town, consisting of
two battalions of Saxons, with artillery train, &c.,
has been reinforced by another battalion of Saxon
infantry, and the commander-in-chief of the Fede-
ral troops in Holstein, General von Hake, has
just arrived here with his staff, and established his
bead-quarters in the so-called Government House.
This morning a deputation of the citizens waited
upon the Crown Prince of Prussia to welcome him
within these walls. They were headed by a clergy-
man, Pastor Schrcidter, who made an oration, in
which he expressed his hopes that the intervention
of Prussia would lead to the pacification of the
Duchies "under tile rule of their legitimate sove-
reign, Duke Frederick VIII." To this harangue
his royal highness replied as follows :
I thaak you for greeting me so cordially on my arrival
hers. lam glad to take part with our troops in a cause to
which lam devotedly attached. You will not expect as to
make say further declaration, and Weed I am bet able to
do so. I must, however, say that lam unable to recognise
the prinoe you have =ailed by Use title you have gives
him. I come here °sly as a Neither, and beg
you to consider me as such, and as a fellow-
countryman of your OIVIL I trust to the wise dispeassticos
of Providence, in wham bands the result is placed. Yoe
are aware that I have beg =cod is the most intimate rela-
tions of friendahip and 000ssegniaity with my cousin. I
shall tell my father of your having received me so warmly,
tad yon may depend upon it ha takes the greatest interest
in your came..

This morning the main body of the Prussians
advanced on the northeru road leading to Missunde,
a village of some importance, situated on the south
bank of the great fiord or arm of the sea that runs
up to the town of Sleswig, called the Schlei, and
at this, the narrowest part, it is not wider than
the Thames at London-bridge. Here, in times of
peace, the communication between the two sides of
the fiord is kept up by a ferry. The Danes had
erected with admirable engineering talent no leas
than seven formidable earthwortbs to defend the
approach to the Soblei. They bad selected strong
positions for them all, but the two most southerly
ones were on the most elevated heights, and
offered the greatest advantages for a resolute de-
fence. In each is a rough but strongly constructed
block-house, and the position not only commands
the approach from the south, but the ferry and
the-de-port on the other side of the Schlei, w the

It appears that at first only a reconnaissance
was intended, but supports being ordered up to
the front, the action soon became general, the ob-
ject of the allies being to take the earthworks and
drive the enemy across the 13chlei. If this bad
succeeded they would further have been enabled to
cross over and turn the Danes, thus circumventing
the formidable Dannewerke ; but it was otherwise
ordained.

Nina batteries of Prussian artillery of the Third
or Brandenburg, and Seventh or Weetpbslian
Brigade, weakling of howitzers, field six-pounders,
short twelve-pounders, and rifled guns, in all 75
pieces of ordnance, were by degrees drawn into the
engagement, which bawl about 11 o'clock and
lasted for four hours. The lire of the Prussians
was returned by the Danes with great spirit, the
latter appearing to be quite up to their work ; and
though they did not dismount any of the guns, did
great execution on the gunners and horses, more
than 150 Prussians being killed and wounded,
amongst whom are several officers, one a colonel of
artillery. Whether the Prussians did right in
opposing in open field an enemy entrenched behind
strong earthworks defended by guns of much
heavier calibre, is beyond my province as a civilian
to decide. Certain it is that they paid dearly for
thus exposing their men.
In the meantime the Prusaian infantry made
several atteropte to storm the beighta, although not
a single gun had been silenced, but they were re-
ceived each time by such a murderous fire of shrap-
nels and grapeshot, and were taken in flank by the
Danish rifles and infantry concealed behind hedges,
that they were reluctantly compelled to abandon
the attack for the present. But the conduct o:
the Prussians merits all praise. As if they
were veterans who had been in many actions,
instead of young lads smelling gunpowder for
the first time, they rushed lip the heights
only to be reuplsed again and again. But
all their heroism was not sufficient to take one
single entrenchment. Old Sleswig-Holstein officers
who had joined the Prussians as volunteers to
witness the action are unanimous is their melee of
the bravery and coolness displayed by the Prussians.
One man, the stock of whom casket wee shattered