The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-29 00:00:00

ITALY.

The following telegraphic de,pateh has been re-
ceived from Turin :
TURIN, DEC. 26.
In the sitting of to-day, the Chamber of Deputies
elected M. Buncompagni, the Ministerial candidate,
as its president, by a majority of 74, out of 107 who
voted. The candidate of the Left only got 20 votes.
'Thirteen votes were dispersed.

GERMANY.

BERLIN, CHRISTMAS DAY.

General Radowitz died to-day at noon. His death

was tranquil and without pain. He has left a very
large circle of loving friends, and the whole German
public has long been accustomed to regard him as
one of the celebrities of the times.

Joseph Von Radowits, many years the favourite
adviser of the present King of Prussia, and some time his
recognised minister, was burn February 6,1797, at Standen-
terg, among the Hire mountains. His family belonged
originally to the numerous small nobility of Hungary, but
his grandfather settled in Germany in the middle of the
eighteenth century. His father, who had studied law at
Gottingen, enjoyed in the duchy of Brunswick the title of
State Councillor, a compliment paid him by Duke Charles.
Joseph received his early education, partly at home and
partly in a school at Altenberg, whither his family removed
a few years after his birth. His mother was a Protestant,
and until his fourteenth year the boy was instructed in the
principles of the same confession. In 1812, however, his
father, a catholic, took his education in band, and removed
him to a school where his own tenets were inculcated.

Being designed from an early period for a military career
in the service of Westphalia, then the kingdom of Jerome
Bonaparte, he was sent by his father to France, to perfect
himself in the language of the new ruler. In French and
Westphalian schools he also studied the art of war. At the
close of his academic course, in 1812, Radowitz war found
highly proficient in mathematics, upon which Bonaparte
had laid great stress as a military qualification, and was ap-
pointed an artillery officer of Westphalia. At the battle of
Leipsic he commanded a Wesphalian battery, was wounded,
and taken prisoner. Previous exhibitions of bravery had
procured forlhis name a place in the roll of the Legion of
Honour. Upon the dissolution of the Westphalian kingdom
and the return of t►e Elector of Hesse-Cassel, Radowitz
entered the service of the latter, and mule with the Hessian
artillery the campaign against France. His talents quickly
commanded the attention of hie new superiors, and in 1815,
at the age of eighteen, he was appointed first teacher of
mathematics and the military sciences to the School for
Cadets at Cassel. The return of peaceful times gave him
opportunities for the study of philosophy and history,which
he embraced with ardour. Having become profoundly ac-
quainted with human opinions by close study, he was now
to be driven, through the laxity and vices of others, into the
highly-intellectual circle of Berlin society, so favourable to
the development of real talent. On the 27th of February,
1821, the Elector William 11. assumed the government of
Hesse-Cassel. This Prince, faithful to the hereditary pro-
fligacy of his house; now took up with one Emily Orleppe, a
woman of notorious morals, brought her from the garrison
of Berlin, and in the face of his amiable and virtuous wife,
sister of Friderick William 111., of Prussia, raised her to
the diguity of Countess of lteichenbach. It was not enough
that he inflicted this cruel wrong on the princess his con-
sort, bat he treated her with personal violence. Whoever
had a word to say on behalf of the injured lady fell into dis-
grace. The Eleetress, hard pressed and without friends, one
day asked counsel of Radowits, who, as tutor to her son,
bad access to the court. The letter in which he gave her his
serious advice fell into the Elector's hands, and Radowitz
was immediately dismissed irom the Hessian service, in
which at that time he was a captain. lie now repaired to
Berlin, and entered the service of Prussia, and having the
recommendation of the King's sister, speedily obtained ad-
vancement. He became, in the first instance, mathematical
tutor to Prince Albrecht of Prussia, and was • captain on
the general staff. He published two form►l works on Geo-
metry and one on Ricochet, during the first ten years *this
new career. He was elected member of the highest military
board, a professor at the military academy, and an examiner
of artillery students. In 1828 he became major, and in
1830 chief of the artillery general staff. While thus ad-
vancing, with firm and rapid step, through the grades of
his military hierarchy, he was forming a relation of a yet
more important kind. A religious mystic and enthusiast,
his disposition agreed exactly with that of the Crown-prince,
now the King of l'russia; and this geniality of temper and
habit proved of tar greater power than the diversity of the
dog.nss, which, as Protestant and Catholic, the one and the
other held. The acquaintance here spoken of began in the
year 1821, when Radowits first met the crown-prince at
Berlin, whither he had come (torn Huse upon some military
business. In 1824 Radowits spent several months at Sans-
Souci, as tutor to PrincetAlbrecht, when their social and re-
ligious ellnities had full play, and from this time the influ-
ence of this singular man over the prince may be dated.
Resembling Frederick-William in the sensitiveness of his
nature, disposed, like him, to undervalue the present, in his
reverence for a romantic put, and ever forming some ideal

remote from the practical life of man, Radowitz had, a• the
same time, a resolute will, great penetration, and unbeiffiel •
courage—all qualities in which his royal companion :el
and, lamentably deficient. His intercourse with society disclosed-
are ts
the stronger part of his
.nature. In business affairs '
council, at the Diet, it might be difficult to detect his secret
policy, or the system of principles (rout which he stirteed
or at which he aimed ; but his opinions on the matter im-
mediately in hand were always expressed eh arly,
deed, in a somewhat defiant tone. In 1828 Radowitz
mar-
ried the Countess Maria Voss, daughter of the ambassador.
News" of 1831
He Wall now, despite of his origin, a recognised member of
the court, and without any of the cares or reepensibilitlts of
office, shared all its counsels. His .• Recent Dealogue e
Church and State" are taken from actual couversatil
with Gerlach, General von der Groben, the late Coutit
Brandenberg, and °the rs, of the old school. liadowitrs
ideas of reforming the Pr ossia of twenty years age,
be found in his pamphlets and in articles contributed by
thee,4
l k
beesi a d o
ofns then
that
him to she ...Berlin Political Weekly
historical " Nous ne Teutons pas la contre-revolution, le'
contraire de la revolution," he once wrote ; by which we
are to understand that he regerded the revolution se a mass
of abstractions existing only in the world of imagination,
Radowitz
nrete. existing, wished
to fur
be the
improved contr abr: c
non
11
ptrho this, Somethingand e 0
exissitc.4
hTeheregrarrodecidnetil
tDheit tahiso
representative system which he wished to see arise in
Prussia, not as something created, but organieally
grown. The notion of the counter-revolution he looked
upon as a mere negative principle. necessarily barren, and,
therefore, unfit to be the inspiring idea „f any statesman.
But to return to the Life of Itedowi.z. in the year 1829 he
published two Meeks, remarkable for the contrast of their
subjects. The first of these was Iconograpy of the Saints,"
containing historic notices of all the representations of the
saints which have come down to posterity in pictures, coins,
and other memorials ; with remarks on the meaning of the
emblems, attitudes, and other characteristics with which
they have been invested. The other work was called "The
Theatre of War in Turkey," being an application of strate-
getieal principles to the topographical features of the country
between the Danube and the Balkan. In 1836 Radowitz
was named Military Plenipotentiary of Prussia at the Ger-
manic Diet. This appointment, a kind of honourable banish-
ment, he owed to the influence of his opponents at court
and in the ministry, men who distrusted his opinions and
feared his increasing ascendancy over the mind of the crown-
prince. In 1840, the prospect of war with France upon the
accession of M. Thiers led to the recall of It edowitz to
Berlin, whence he was shortly after sent with General von
der Groben to Vienna, to stir up the government of Austria
to the defence of Germany. The war never came, but
Radowitz brought about a series of reforms, which greatly
contributed to the efficiency of the federal army, and also did
more than any other man towards promoting the erection of
the existing fortresses of Ulm and Rattail, and the extension
and greater strengthening eif Mayence and Luxembourg. la
his conference with Metternich he warned him that a tho-
rough reform of the Blind was necessary, sod received from
the Austrian a premise that, as soon as the impending
danger should have passed over, ho would concert means
with Prussia to that end. Security returned, and Austria,
fearful that her heterogeneous monarchy would an to pieces,
was glad to find in the smaller gevei nmenta the greatest
disinclination tea change. ltaelowez now endeavoured to
carry out, by his influence in Prussia, several reforms cal-
culated on the cautious scale already indicated. lle was the
author of the proposition for abolishing the censorship in
Prussia, which was debated in the cabinet, and declined out
of regard for the decrees of the Build. Several alterations
of the old oppressive laws were, however, introduced by
late decrees of February, 23, 1813. In 1847 the present king
called Radowitz from Frankfort, and commissioned him to
draw up a memorial upon the reconstitution of the Confe-
deration. This was done, and the memorial was handed
to the king, Nor. 20 of the same year. The next day Redo-
write went to Vienna, to make good his views with Prince
Metternich. A second journey was undertaken to Vienna
in the following March, when the revolution broke out.
The memorandum propos d a compacter organisation of the
federal army, a supreme judicial court fur all Germany, one
criminal law, one commercial and bankruptcy code, one
customs union, oce railway and post-office system, free
trade in all provisions, abolition of river-tolls and of the
censure, and, finally, the publication of the proceedings of
the Bund. The outbreak of the revolution made all these
proposed reforms seem insignificant and far below the ne•
cessities of the case : probably by this thiso they are mea-
sured by a different standard. To execute them, Radowitz
considered it of the first importance to obtain the hearty
good-will of Austria if Anglia would take them up,
Prussia would fall back into her old position ; if not, she
would with regret, but without fear, pursue them by means
of special treaties of the nature of the Zollverein. Swiss
affairs and the troubles in Italy delayed the meeting
of the Congress which had been celled by Austria
to discuss these subjects, until the revolution of March
placed the settlement of such questions beyond the power
of cabinets. In April, 1818, Radowitz retired from the
Prussian service in consequence of the outbreak and the
changed state of affairs. In the elections to the National
Assembly, which was to meet at Frankfort, he was returned
for Arnsberg in Westphalia. He took his seat in the As-
sembly, hoping that the public spirit of Germany would put
an end to the revolution by accepting the new power it had
given to the representatives of the nation, as the basis of
those tangible reforms which had, up to that time, becu at-
tempted in vain. He spoke and voted with the extreme
right, desiring to see the thirty-nine cove reignties formed
into one true state, of which, since the Austro-Germanic
provinces were members of an extra-Germanic monarchy,
Prussia must be the head. The statement of principles
drawn up by the Radowitz party on the 30th September,
1848, bears the signatures of Vincke, Detwold, Count Sch-
werin, and thirty other deputies. In the Assembly, Redo-
witz was a frequent speaker ; although no orator, his words
always had great weight. Meissner the poet has described,
as sitting in the St. Paul's church, a dark, severe-looking
man, never speaking to his neighbour, but brooding over
the cause in hand until the division, when his powerful
voice would be heard with " Sitzenbleiben," or " Auf-
stehen," according as he wished his party to vote for or
against. On the 27th of May, 1849, having, doubtless, the
miserable end of the Vienna and Berlin parliaments in
prospect, he demanded that a committee of five members
should be appointed to confer with the authorities of the
City of Frankfort, and learn what military fore • had been
provided to protect the National Assembly from molesta-
tion ; and, in the event of an unsatisfactory answer, to
apply to the nearest government for a sultkient guard.
Such a proceeding on the part of a king's companion argues
some degree of boldness. The melancholy end of thu As-
Nelibly, upon which Germany had built so many end great
hopes, is too well known. To the last, Radowitz was
faithful to the principles which had always guided him:
to the last he sought the unity of Germany by a voluntary
aerangement between the governments and peoples. When
his hopes in the Assembly had been frustrated, he returned
to Berlin by desire of the king, and became rho author of
the scheme called the Union. In accordance with this, a
kind of federal body was formed of about eighteen states,
the princes of which met in a congress, while the people
were represeated in a parliament which was convoked at
Erfurt. A constitution was formed, and the princes were
summoned to Berlin to adopt it. Redo wit! could not per-
ceive that the princes were bound to adopt the constitution
voted at Erfurt. Delays and hesitation took place ; and
when, as was to be expected, Austria opposed with growing
strength the establishmect of a league against her, the so-
vereigns of the Union states found that their conduct bad
lost them the confidence of the people. As the crisis ap-
proached, it was felt that Radowitz was bound to come for-
ward and assume the responsibility of his r sets measures. He
accordingly entered the cabinet in 18.50. The Prussian
army was mobilised, and the Landwehr called out troops
occupied the Etappen-atraase through Hasse-Cassel, in which
Austria had intervened. Shots were actually exchanged be-
tween Austria and Prunes, when the king gave way, and
sacrificed, with expressions doubtless of sincere regret, his
minister and friend. Radowitz has been assailed in this
country as an impracticable and rash man. It is, however,
clear from the foregoing narrative that he understood the
wants of his country ; and although the revolution struck
the ground from under his feet, and compelled him to work
, upon a new basis, it ishy no means certain that, had his high-
/ vented policy of placing Prussia at the bead of the German
n movement for practical and constitutional reform been car-
ried out, that country might have defied the Emperor of
.5, Angela, to whose chariot it is now bound.
of

LIABILITY OF THE PILOT SERVICE.—IMPORTANT
Isrouruv.—An inquiry was held on Tuesday before Joseph
Pollock, EN., judge of the county court at Liverpool, at
the suit of the Liverpool Dock Trust against Messrs. Brawn,
Shipley, and Co., owners or agents of the Collins line of
American steam vessels, to recover damages for injuries
sustained by the Bell Buoy, situate at the mouth of the
Mersey, which was struck by the steamer Baltic, while en-
tering that river on the 14th April last. It appeared that
on the morning of the above date, the vessel was coming in
at the rate of 12 knots an hour, in charge of a pilot, who
mistook the lights, and although a proper look-out had
been kept, the buoy was not discovered until too close to
avoid a collision. Several parties connected with the port.
were examined for the purpose of showing that the vessel
was going too quick, and that the captain should have in-
terfered with the pilot when he must have known he was
acting wrongfully. For the defence it was urged that the
owners could not be considered responsible, as the law com-
pelled them to take a pilot, and defined very clearly the
duties both of the pilot and of the captain. The accident
had arisen from a want of judgment upon the part of the
pilot, who stated in his affidavit that he mistook the lights
and considered he had passed the buoy, mail he heard the
man sing out, when it was too late to avert a collision.
The speed was not greater than usual on a clear evening,
and the captain stated in evidence, that during his last
voyage he went at the same speed, and under the tame
circumstances. Decision was deferred until the 9th of
January.
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT BILL.—The
bill for establishing a parliament in South Australia, passed
its third reading on Thursday in the Legislative Council.
On the question for the third reading being put, Mr. Dutton
moved that the bill be read that day two months. A long
discussion ensued, which ended in a division, when the third
reading was carried by a majority of four. This majority
would probably have been increased to eight had the whole
of the members been present. Yesterday, Mr. Dutton
moved " That an address be presented to his excellency the
, lieutenant governor, praying that as soon as the current
business of the present session shall be concluded, he will
dissolve the council, in order that the opinion of the coo-
, nists may be takes on the proposed parliament bill." This
motion was lost by a majority of seven.—Adelaide (Marco%
, Oct. 1.
SOUTH EASTERN RAlLWAT.—Traffic for the week
s ending Dec. 24, 1853, 14,1451.75. 4d. ; ditto Dec• 25, 1852,
l 14,1411.85. 7d. Increase in 1853, 3/. 181. 9d.