The Express.
London, England, 1851-05-22 00:00:00

BELGIUM.

The only news is that it was stated that M.
Dumon-Dumortier had again been sent for to the
Palace.

GERMANY.

MEETEcG OF THE CZAR AND THE KING
OF PRUSSIA.

The King of Prussia reached Warsaw on the lßth
inst., at a quarter past eight in the evening. The
Emperor and Empress advanced to meet him as far
as Skierniwice, where the royal and imperial party
dined. They then journeyed on together to Warsaw.
Our correspondent writes as follows:
BERLIN, MAY 18.
On the final result of the Dresden Conferences the
Preussisch• &dully writes thus: " According to what we
have been able to learn, the closing act of the Dresden con-
, fereuces is well calculated to animate and to strengthen the':
hopes of the German governments anew in some further
practical consequences of their late deliberations. Specific
resolutions, having immediate efficiency, it is true, have nut
been adopted, but all the German governments so far agree
that the consultations commenced at Dresden should be
continued at Frankfort; and have pledged themselves
(rich erre/Fichte° to come to two resolutions of considerable
importance at the Diet. In reading this passage one s in-
clined to couple it with an extract from the Ilanorecische
%elbow, and to put the query, whether one of the resolu-
tions above alluded to be not the same referred to in the
Ilanover paper—namely, ' That a resolution is in train for
passing at Frankfort, to the effect that for a certain time no
confederate state will be allowed to enter into commercial
treaties with foreign nations, without including all Ger-
many therein, or at least without an unanimous German
sanction.' lam not inclined to think that the Preussische
Zeitunq does refer to this measure, though the Lloyd has
a passage from a Berlin correspondent that seems to coun-
tenance the supposition. That journal says that a
tariff and trade congress will shortly be summoned with the
view of concluding a commercial treaty between Austria
and the German 7.ollyerein, to be based on the principles
laid down at the Dresden conferences."

E ieh of the German governments stands pledged to keep
two-fifths of its military contingent continually in readi-
ness, u well to meet, if need be, foreign foes, as to repress
internal disturbances with the utmost promptitude and
energy.
The Kreta-Zeitung gives but a very few words to the
clo.ing of the conference•. It says :—" The Dresden con-
ferences arc closed. The result of the last sitting was al-
ready anticipated. Definitive resolutions were not called
for, and surprises would have been quite out of place. his
to Ix, hoped that a patriotic policy, full of foresight and
vigour, will elsewhere bring healing to the griefs and grie-
vance. of our fatherland. We go now front Dresden to
Frankfort."

MAY 19.

It is now distinctly announced, in official tcustriUn
journals, that the Emperor of Austria is to lease Vienna for
Olmutz to-day or on the 21st instant. After making a
short stay at Olniutz, he will proceed to Cracow. His in-
terview with the Crur will take elute, it is given out, on
the 29th (the day on which the King of Prussia will return
to Berlin). Prince Sehwarzcnburg will accompany the
emperor. M. ltochow has already left Frankfort for
AVArsaw.

Among the high matters that will be discussed in these
monarchical tele-ri-fetes, the Danish or Schleswig-liolstein
question will be one of the most prominent. Russia has
taken a decided interest in this que tion from the beginning.
What her particular views of it now are, under present cir-
cumstances, politicians feel a good deal anxious to know. The
Danish papers maintain that an uninterrupted, perfect
agreement exists between Copenhagen and St. Petersburg;
and, on the other hand, German papers (especially the
/Creed: Zeitutty) assert that Russia is on the best under-
standing on the subject with Austria and Prussia, more par-
ticularly with respect to the necessity of dismissing the
Cassino ministry.
A last declaration, I am informed, has been despatched
from the Austrian and Prussian court to Copenhagen, iu
which the following conditions are laid down as essential
to the re-organisation of the Duchies: Ist, that the Danish
government should make a public declaration of its relations
to Germany, and especially its position with reference to the
Diet; 2nd, that no attempt should be made to extinsuish
' German nationality in the German districts of SchlAvrig
by suppressing the German language; 3rd, that a customs
league should be concluded between the Danish monarchy
and Germany ; 4th, that the succession question should be
settled without delay; and sth, that the instruction to 31.
Winch should be made publicly known.
In reply to the lean that have been again the last day
or two expressed lest the Austrian project of a customs
league with North Germany should eventually be carried
into effect, the Kreetts Zeittm9 declares to-day, that in the
closing sitting of the conferences, all the tariff and com-
mercial propositions of Austria, although supported nut
only by the usual confederates of Austria, but also by
Hanover and Brunswick, were, in consequence of the de-
cided opposition of the Prussian minister, M. Manteuffel,
rejected.

FRANKFORT-ON-TILE-MAINE, MAY 17.
The Bundestag or Diet being now the absolute organ of
the confederation, it will perhaps be agreeable to many of
your readers to understand as clearly as it is possible to
render, the organisation of the confederation. It consists at
present of thirty-tine states, four having been merged into
others since the year 1/115, the date of the original federal
treaty. These states are; 1. Austria. 2. Prussia. 3. Ba-
varia. 4. Hanover. 6. Saxony. 6. Wurtembeeg. 7. Baden.
8. Hesse Cassel. 9. Hesse Darmstadt. 10. Holstein.
11. Luxemburg. 12. Brunswick. 13. Mecklenburg
Schwerin. 14. Nassau. 15. Saxe Weimar. 16. Saxe
Coburg. 17. Saxe Meiningen. 18. Saxe Altenburg.
19. Mecklenburg Strclitz. 20. Oldenburg. 21. Anhalt,
Dessau, and C.rthen. 22. Anhalt Bernburg. 23. Schwarz-
burg Sondeshausen. 24. Schwarzburg Rudolstadt. 25.
Lichtenstein. 26. Waldeck. 27. Hesse Homburg. 28.
Reuss, elder branch. 29. Reuss, younger branch. 30.
Schaumburg Lippe. 31. Lippe lktmold. 32. Lubeck.
33. Frankfurt. 34. Bremen. 35. Hamburg.
The representatives of there 31 states possess in the fede-
ra assemblies three different functions. They sit as mem-
bers of the Engere-Bath, in which the business of the eon-
feleration is prepared for the other assembly, and is there-
fore a sort of preparatory committee. It b, besides, how-
e'er, the executive authority; all resolutions come to by
the other assembly being earned out by it. In the Huger,-
Huh the members possess two out of the three characters ;
the third is their membership in the plenar versananlung,
the full Diet. It seems very absurd that the same indivi-
duals should sit in both these councils ; out the manner of
voting in either is still more absurd. In the Eugere-Rath
the original thirty-nine states possessed 17 votes ; whether
any decrease will be made in consequence of the demise of
four of the members is not yet settled. These seventeen
votes arc divided in the following manner:-Austria, 1;
Prussia, 1; Bavaria, 1 ; Saxony, 1; Hanover, 1 ; Wurtem-
berg, 1; Baden, 1; Hesse Cassel, 1 ; Hessen Darmstadt,
1 ; Holstein, 1 ; Luxemburg, 1 ; the Saxe principalities, 1;
Brunswick and Nassau, 1 ; Mecklenburg Schwerin, and
Mecklenburg Strelits, 1 ; Oldenburg, the three Anhalts and
two Schwarzburgs, 1 ; two Hohenzollems, Lichtenstein,
two Reuss, Schaumburg Lippe, Lippe Detmold, Hessen
Homburg and Waldeck, 1; Frankfort, Litheck, Bremen,
Hamburg, 1; total, 17.
Nothing more absurd can be imagined than this division
of votes in the Engem Rath, a system which could alone
work well if the sovereigns of Germany were all angels
actuated by holy and good intentions, in which case the
confederation would be unnecessary, but to tie a number of
small states up together, giving to each a fraction of a vote,
and expecting them to agree always as to the disposal of the
whole does seem the highest pitch of absurdity which political
constitution mongering has attained. Still worse does the
plan seem when the plenum, or full assembly is examined.
This body, in which the some individuals sit, possessed
in the original numbers 70 votes divided in the following
manner:-Austria, 4; Prussia, 4 ; Saxony, 4; Bavaria, 4 ;
Hanover, 4; Wurtemberg, 4 ; Baden, 3; Hesse Cassel, 3 ; '
Hesse Darmstadt, 3; Holstein, 3; Luxemburg, 3; Bruns-
wick, 2 ; Mecklenburg Schwerin, 2; Nassau, 2 ; Saxe
Weimar, ; Saxe Coburg, 1 ; *Saxe Gotha, 1 ; Saxe Mei-
ningen, 1 ; Saxe Hildburghauzen, 1 ; Mecklenberg Strelitz,
1; Oldenburg, 1; Anhalt Dessau, 1; Anhalt Bernburg, 1;
•Anhalt Cothen, 1 ; Schwarzburg Sonderhausen, 1;
Schersrzburg Rudolstadt, 1 ; *Hohenzollern Hechingen.
1; •Hohenzolern Sigmaringen, I ; Lichtenstein, 1; Hessen
Homburg, 1; Waldeck, 1; Reuss, elder branch, 1; Reuss,
=r branch, 1; Schaumburg Lippe, 1; Lippe, I ; Lu-
; Bremen, 1; Frankfurt, 1; Hamburg, 1. Total,
70 votes.

.-CThe state. marked thus are those which have been
incorporated into others.
In the gagers Rath majorities carry questions, but not in
all cases in the plenum. All alterations in the fundamental
laws of the Confederation must be proposed in the plenum,
and can only be sanctioned by a unanimous decision of the
whole body. Each state possesses a veto, and the smallest
of the number can nullify the four votes by auk
of the larger states. The consequence of this complicated
system kas invariably been that the confederation has
proved useless in all questions of public advantage, and

that in enacting oppressive laws alone has the desired una-
nimity of the members been obtained. A very superficial
inspection of the constitution must prove to every person
possessed of common sense that it is a helpless piece of ma-
chinery. The confederation is a republic of sovereigns in-
stituted for the general welfare, in the legislative and exe-
cutive administration of which each sovereign possesses an
independent veto ; while in the treaty which established
it the sovereign rights of each member are declared to be
inviolable, and all are bound to assist is maintain-
ing them. It is a vicious circle, and can produce nose other
than the results which Germany witnessed in 180, when
the Diet itself announced its demise. Under the present
circumstances, however, this organisation of the confede-
ration may be deemed a blessing, since it interposes
a barrier to the grasping, despotic, anti-protestant
plans of the Austrian government. Prince Schwarrenberg
will be more thoroughly foiled in Frankfort by the aid of
the complicated and absurd machinery of the Diet than he
has been in Dresden, where the conferences were free and
untrammelled. The sovereigns of the small states will
again be driven to act as the pioneers of freedom : their
motives may be selfish, but the results will be desirable.
Prussia will again be left to the gradual effects of the spirit
of the times on the education of the people, and when the
Name of revolution shall again blare forth in Germany, as
it most inevitably will, the liberal population of the small
states will again place the great state, Prussia, at their head,
and the then monarch of that country will be obliged
again to accept the post of leader of Germany or to plunge
the north of Germany into A desperate civil war. li