The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-18 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 18, 1851.

caused be the sudden escape of Bonaparte from Elba,l
the result of which was that the skelet of a confe-
deration was hastily framed and agreed to with the
intention of subsequently improving and filling it
tip; when, however, the representatives of the dif-
ferent rates met in 1820, the interests and relations
of all had undergone so mighty a change that
those proposals, which, in 1812, were agreed to with
avidity, were then sneered at, and unanimity became
impossible. Similar circumstances exist at the pre-
sent moment. The interests of Prussia are d.fferent
from those of Austria, and though the leading mi-
nisters in etch state ars guided by the ease genera
principles, parent union between the two on the Ger-
man question is impossible ; the pretensions of Bavaria
render a union eqsally impossible. The organisation,
therefore, of the confederation which shall give least
dissatisfaction to all is the best possible, but it must
necessarily be imperfic.., and, however strong and
effectual the coercive measures it shall enact may be,
they will be uselees, and the organisation of the con-
federation limit will be thoroughly disturbed by
the slightest quarrel between the leading states.
The mode in which the presidency question has
been settled is not known. _ _

lam 13, Evamixo.
The number of votes to be given to the &geese
rath, or executive organ of the Confederation, by
Prince Schwarzenberg, and accepted by Baron Man-
teuffel, is eleven; two of which will be held by
Austria. two by Prussi4, and one by each of the four
minor kingdoms. The remaining three are to
be divided among the electorates, grand
duchies, &c., in the same manner as a
portion of the votes are divided amongst the
smaller states by the existing Bundesakt. Groups
of six or seven will possess one vote, the direction of
which is decided in cases of difference of opinion by •
division when the m lority of votes carries it. Thus
constructed the Engere-rath will diff,r in no impor-
tant point from its construction under the Bundesekt.
It will be the same itiattution possessing the sass
negative and ab.urd character. Instead of being
government over eoverrinents, a great central power
controlling the acts of tne individual government on
certain points of general late' est, it will continue to
be an organ under the influence and control of the
very authorities whom it is meant to superintend.
If among the alterations contemplated in the toe-
siltation there be included one for giving validity to
the resolutions of the Engere-ratb, which are pampa
by a majority of voters—or, iu o her words, the us-
jority is in all cases to decide, the interests of Peso:,
sia will be at a sad discount in the Engere-nth, for
of the eleven ewes which it is to possess Prairie can
count only on four, or pertly- five. Baysria, Sax-
ony, and Wurtemberg, will on all important occa-
sions vote with Austria ; while the questionable
policy of the Prussian government on German
question will render it an easy thing for Austria to
find one, if not more, supporters among the
three groups of the minor states. Tr.e question
then of the method of voting is of very great im-
portance, greater importance, perhaps, than that of
the presidency in the Engere.rath. I am not yet
sere of the mode in which either of these questions is
'opposed to be settled.
The plans fur the reorganisation of the Bundestag
were laid before the conterence at the last general
gnaw, but was not discussed, as I understand. The
sitting was very short, and a resolution was agreed to
to receive the proposals, and to transmit them to
their resr vivo governments for their opinion and
decision. As usual, several of the plenipotentiaries
professed to be " without instructions."
Dr. Hock, the commercial adviser of the plenipo-
testiary of Austria, left Dresden several days ago on
•visit to Berlin, to sound the representatives of the
commercial and menutscturing districts of Prussia
with regard to the Austrian plans. He will, I doubt
not, find many ready and willirg to support them, but
the government will never consent to a general
customs union on the basis proposed by Austria.
Shortly before his departure from Dresden, Baron
Manteuffel declared respecting these plans that he
never would advise his sovereign to sanction a com•
menial union with Austria and the establishment of
a general tariff with hi4h protective duties.

VIENNA, JAN. 13.

The anxiously-awaited general meeting of Bank
shareholders took place to-day. The whole of the
Bank ditectors were, notwithstanding their abdica-
tion, re-elected. Niohnt expressions against the
press issued from this conclave of our monied aritto-
cracy--tigainat the press in general, and Lloyd in
particular.
KIEL, Jan. 14.
After an adjournment of two days the assembly
held a sitting to-day. M. Lafanrie contested the right
of the suemoly to sit after the resolution of the 10th
and 11th; none of their acts, he sad, could have any
validity; neither had Count Revenlow and his col-
leagues any right to carry on the government.
Many other members spoke in the same sense, and
many left the assembly hall forthwith. The assem-
bly then proceeded as usual, fixed their next meet-
ing for 12 o'clock the next day, and resolved them-
selves into a secret committee. Official papers were
communicated to the members respecting the late
transactions, in one of which it is distinctly etated
that no foreign troops, in the event of submission on
the part of the government and the people should
enter the country.

Beat Ix, JAN. 16.—Voluntary Loan, 106 • New LO4O,
Four-mid-a-Half per Cenis , 90 1 Nations/ Debt, 841 ;
Commercial Marini Society's Premium, 1204; Bask Shares,
964.
VIZNNA, JAN. 14. Five per Cent. Metallimes, 941.
Four.and-a-lialf per Crate., 821. Bank Shares, 1,139.
Exchange on London. 12.31.

ROME. JAN 10.
The usual results of warfare, want and brigandage,
are just now terribly devastating the northern pro-
vinces, insomuch that it is as great a matter of cons',
deration and trepidation for the inhabitants of
Bologna and Ferrara to traverse the districts of
Romagna, on their way to their capital, as it treed to
be in England, in the days of Dick Tortoni, when the
citizens of York, and such remote towns, used to
make their wills and sew their money in the waist-
bands of their breeches before setting out for London.
A friend of mine, just arrived from Ferrara, had the
fortunate inspiration to go through Florence instead
of taking the diligence which passes through Ancona
and La Marca, and so escaped being robbed and butt-
nadoed into tbe bargain, as he would have been had
he shared the fate of the diligesee passengers
that day, who, for some reason or other, were worm
treated than usual by their spoliators. The diligence
was stopped in a most populous district, in broad
day, between °AM() and Loreto, and the audacity
of the brigands on these occasions is so great,
that they turn to and fight if any of the patrols
of gendarmes or soldiers, who are continually perlue-
tracing the roads, attempt to come up and hinder
them in their operations. On a recent attack, the!
passengers of the diligence were somewhat alarmed
at being obliged to lie down in the ditches beside the
road, fearing that they were going to be murdered as
well as robbed, but the brigands courteously informed !
them that it was, on the contrary, out of regard to
their personal safety that they were provided with
temporary accommodation in the ditch, since a picquet
of infantry was expected to heave in sight every
moment, and that an action would then take plane,
during which some stray bullet might injure the nos-
combatants if they were in exposed situations. Near
the Argine, on the road from Bologna to Ferrantl
four armed robbers lately stopped the public convey-
ance and pillaged the ten passengers, besides breaking I
open the conductor's strong box, and extracting
1,500 dollars from it. Whilst effecting this, one of
the brigands placed Lis loaded musket quietly within
the grasp of the conductor, who stood looking on, and
who felt strongly inclined to seize it and blow out the
fellow's brains, and so redeem the captured dollars,
but the three levelled barrels of the other
bri4anda fortunately prevented him from executing a
pro), et so perilous to himself and the passengers.
I The Austrians have, since this robbery, stationed BO
chureurs at the village, within half a mile of which
it took place, nor is it fir lack of military patrols and
pickets that the country is not kept quiet ; nor, in-
deed, for want of military execution., the unfortunate
wretches who are coutintially being captured and
shot by decree of court martial being sufficiently
!numerous to discourage any but the most reckless or
the most famished of men. The arduous duty of
suppressing this extended system of brigandage falls
chiefly on the papal troops and gendarmerie, the
Austrians having neither the will nor the dispoiable
forces to preserve order and trangeillity in the oath-
try districts,as effectually as they do in the towns

and cities. They have, at the very utmost, 10,000
men is the Roman states—a single battalion does the
whole service of the town and forum. of Ferran, and
the city of Bologna has only a garrison of two batta-
lions of infantry, and one of sharpshooter?, with a
little cavalry and a great deal of artillery. The re-
mainder of the troops have to garrison the fortress of
Ancona, and all the oonaiderable towns from Ferrara
to Foligno.
The glory of exterminating the Parmatoce and his I
brigand followers, is therefore reserved for the second
regiment of Papal infantry, which has its bead quer- ,
ters at Bologna, but which is entirely dispersed over
' the face of the country, in parties of fifteen or twenty,
and stationed along the road to Forli at every mile oe
mile and a half, in order to patrol up and down and
keep the coast clear ; notwithstanding which precau-
tions, highway robberies are, as I have already staled,
of very frequent occurrence, and the diligence, the
usual prize, is often pillaged between two glad-
houses. One of the conductors, however, who had a
considerable cum of money to convey, and was, more-
over, very anxious to take his passengers safely to
Bologna, lately rucoeeded in eluding the rapacity of
the brigands, by making the postillions walk their
horses all the way from Forli, so as to allow the
infantry patrols to accompany him from station to
station, as far as Bologna, at which city he
consequently arrived in perfect security, although
ten hours after his proper time. The lamentable
discredit into which the military service of the papal
government has fallen cannot be more forcibly shown
than by the reluctance of these brigands, who must
sooner or later be all shot, to present themselves as
recruits. They prefer a Ida of hardship, and a vio-
lent death, to the uniform of his Holiness; nor is it
to be imagined that there would be any difficulty in
receiving them, for the extreme scarcity of men has
induced the recruiting officers to ask no questions
about the preceding habits of any one that has the
proper stature. The degrading position now occupied
by the papal army cannot certainly offer any very
glorious prospect to the scions of military ardour.
The regiment of artillery can only boast of one bat-
tery of rancour, the remainder being kindly taken
care of for it by the French, in the castle of St.
Angelo, and the Austrian. in the fortress of Accona.
The pieces entrusted to the management of the
papal artillerymen, the chief of whom here are
Swiss, are the four guns and two howitzers
which form the Swiss battery, and did such
good service against the French daring the siege of
Rome. The other companies of the regiment are ob-
liged to content themselves with mimic macceuvres,'
I without cannone, tor the sake of exercising their
horses. One naturally inquires for what purpose the
regiment of artillery is kept up, if it is not considered
sufficiently faithful to be entrusted with cannons.