The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-12 00:00:00

SPAIN.

AUSTRIA.

The state of siege has not been repealed at Vienna,
as was expected on New Year's-day. It is doubtful
whether there is any intention at all of formally
abrogating the supremacy of military jurisdiction in
the Austrian capital, though, in fact, tho military
authorities have transferred the major part of their
judicial and police functions to the civil officials. Dr.
Scherer, Secretary of the Lloyd Company at 'Trieste,
has resigned his post and been indicted tbr transmit-
ting offensive articles on Austrian affairs to the
Cologne Gazette, and for obnoxious remarks in his
private correspondence. Ifni letters had been opened
by the Austrian post-office at the instigation of the
police. While tho north of Germany is enjoying
quite spring weather, in Austria and Hungary the
"%Yeas, Gran, and Snjo are frozen over, and in the
Thciss blocks of ice arc floating.

The new government has published its expected
law on the press, which is to come into operation at
once, but subject to future revision by the Cortes.
Offences imputed to the press are withdrawn frcm the
cognisance of juries; nothing printed may be pub-
lished before the deposit of copies with the
governor of the place or the fiscal of the press ; the
governor or elcade, in towns where there is no go-
vernor, may suspend the publication in the exer-
cise of his authority, if ho deem it likely to endanger
public tranquillity. In such a case the governor
must proceed at once to bring the peccant mat-
ter before a tribunal for judgment, but the
conductor of the publication may escape such
trial by applying to the government, and
abandoning the incriminated production. Journals,
pamphlets, and books, in which the sovereign, the
royal family, religion or its ministers, are attacked,
may be seized by the authorities, without the obliga-
tion of subsequent indictment, as also may printed
publications of any kind, in which the facts of pri-
vate life are inserted without the permission of the
parties interested, although no calumny nor injury
may be alleged. Editors of journals must be 23 years
of age, have lived and kept house a year in the lo-
cality where they publish, be in the enjoyment of
political and civil rights, pay annually 1,000 reels
direct taxes in Madrid, 800 at Barcelona, Cadiz,
Corognc, Grenada, Malaga, Seville, Saragossa, or
Valence ; and 300 in smaller towns. The courts for
the trial of offences against this law will be formed
of magistrates of premier instance. Fines cannot
exceed 000, nor be less than 1,000 resits.
The Minister of the Interior has issued a circular
to the governors of provinces, in which he states that
the government is resolved to give the nation the
liberty of examining the constitutional changes which
the last ministry proposed. There are only two
points on which all discussion is interdicted,—mon-
archy, with its symbol, the incontestible legitimacy
of the throne of Queen Isabella IL, and the repre-
sentative principle, that is to say, the right of the
nation to intervene in the affairs of the government
in the manner indicated by the laws. No attack on
these principles, direct or indirect, will the govern-
ment allow, but respecting their development and
practical application, it is the duty and intention of
the government to permit discussion.

The Grand Council of Zurich granted, on the 7th,
a concession for a railway from fikhaffhausen to
Winterthur, where it is to join the Zurich and Ito-
manthorn line.

ITALY.

The Society of Political Economy lately formed at
Turin held its first sitting on the 7th. Count Camillo
Cavour, Minister of Finance, and president of the
new society, opened the sitting with an inaugural
speech, in which, after descanting on the importance
of the science which they had united to advance, he
showed the advantages which must accrue to Pied-
mont from the application of its principles.

GERMANY.
PRUSSIA.
BERLIN, JAN. 6.

In the first chamber, yesterday, the presentation
of a petition gave rise to an animated debate on the
poor-laws. Members of the agricultural party de-
clared it as their fixed opinion that alms are the pro-
lific seeds of pauperism, and that legislative provision
for the destitute is practically the greatest cruelty to-
wards the poorest classes, because it weakens self-
reliance, prudence, and energetic labour, which alone
can secure from destitution. They demanded, not an
amendment, but an abolition of poor-laws, because
the poor-box, while regarded by the lower classes as
a refuge, is, in fact, a pitfal. There is truth
in this. The qualification for a parish pen-
sion is, want of all means, and inability to
earn a livelihood. This qualification is acquired by
neglecting to save, and letting the last spark of in-
dustrious energy sink. Considering, therefore, the
tendency of uncultivated minds, familiar with
squalid existence, to sink into inertness, what is
more natural than that for every pittance which the
most charitable liberality can proffer ten candidates
shall qualify themselves ? There could not be a mo-
ment's hesitation in passing a law that no poor per-
son shall be allowed to starve, if such law could
possibly fulfil its aim. But since it is demonstrable
that such aim cannot be effected by any human
means, it is far more humane not to hold out to the
poor a deceptive notion that they are legally secured
from starvation, and, by such delusion, lure them by
shoals into a path of improvidence, which can end
only in the extreme of misery. It will, of course,
be difficult to bring people to recognise and act on
this principle; and the more so, because the poor-
law administration forms the chief business of muni-
cipal officials, who, particularly in Berlin, aro en-
deavouring to make a job of it, by substituting paid
inspectors for the voluntary commissioners hitherto
employed. Nevertheless. it is well that the matter
has been taken in hand in a proper spirit. The
Chamber moved that the ministry be requested to
bring in a poor-bill this session, when the debate
will not fail to excite public interest, and enlighten
popular notions.
The Queen of Hanover, who has been ill for some
time, is sufficiently recovered to drive out, but is still

so poorly, that all court ceremonies on New Year's ordination, having misbehaved, in order to gp.
Day were put off. The Duke of Augustenburg has nished, and so escape from their ship to the digging,,
definitively sold his estates in Schleswig and The steamer's crew were therefore compelled to dis.
Holstein for half a million sterling. The Grand charge the coal from the receiving ship, and stow it;
Duke of Oldenburg has steadfastly refused to accede and as the Australian was short-handed it was bat
to the treaty for regulating the succession in Den- slow work. Shore labour could not be procured, gad
mark and the Duchies. In spite of earnest persua- the progress of the coaling was stopped for two days
sion on the part of Russian diplomatists, he declares by a gale from the N.. Under, these circumstance;
that though he has no means of asserting his pro- the Australian lett hang Georg!: ti Sound with a then
epective rights, he will not voluntarily renounce supply of coal, and after rounding Cape Leewin, and
them. The Danish ambassador has consequently experiencing head winds for some days, she lot, the
been recalled from the Grand Ducal court. wind altogether, and experienced a long suceNsion
of calm weather, which, coupled with the short
supply of coal, and the prevalence of foul wins,
after leaving Albany, completely broke down the
voyage. The south-east trades generally blow with
great regularity and considerable force between
Australia and Africa, within a few degrees of tha
tropics, but on this occaion they altogether
failed, and a long succession of calms so
far exhausted the stock of coal, that after
proceeding northwards nearly to the latitude
of Mauritius in search of the trade winds, it was
considered advisable to bear up for that island for a
supply of fuel. The eonneetiug rod of one of the
engines having broken, this step was unavoid.
able.
" The Australian arrived at Mauritius on the 11th
and sailed on the 13th November ; arrived at th;
Cape 26th November, sailed Ist December.
The sensation created at these ports by the antral
of a ship so richly freighted was very great, and the
display of samples of gold and specimen nuggets by
the passengers inereased the excitement.
44 At Albany the few available labourers were ae
engrossed in fishing, oystering, and other trivial par.
suits, productive of lavish remuneration from the
passengers, that no assistance in coaling could be
procured at any price. Cab hire, boat fares, and
hotel charges rose wherever the vessel touched, and
the most extravagant reports as to the wealth of
those on board led to a rise in price of every article
that was asked for.
" The Australian is command.:l by Captain Hosea-
son, R.N. ller mails are in charge of Capt. E. Bar-
nard; they arc very numerous, and were landed at
Plymouth at noon on Tuesday, about half an hour
after her arrival in the Sound. Amongst the largo
number of passengers who came home in the Austra-
lian are many fortunate gold diggers."