The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-11 00:00:00

THE
tler
//to is

TRESH CObfPLI.CA
. received to-day AM6
scene of war adds little or nothing to our previa
information. The Prussians continue to advent
slowly, and by the last accounts the head quar-
ters of Prince Frederick Charier were at Zwittau,
a station south of Pardubita on the line
of railway leading to Brunn and Vienna.
While the proposals for the armistice are going en
the Prussians are making good use of their time,
and are so far on the road to Vienna that in all
probability the Austrian government will de-
cide on not attempting any further resist-
ance till the enemy reaches the Danube and
appears before the capital of the empire. The
fact of Cialdini having crossed the Po is confirmed,
and, as it appears, without meeting the least re-
sistance. It is also re-affirmed that the Austrian
troops in Italy are being drafted off in great num-
bers to Vienna. But simultaneously with this news
comes the announcement by telegram from Vienna,
and also from Toulon, that the French iron-clad
fleet was preparing to leave, if it had not already left,
for the Adriatic, and that Prince Napoleon was to
leave Paris yesterday evening on a special mission
to his father-in-law, the King of Italy. It is not
stated with what object, but it may be conjectured
that it is for the purpose of preventing the Italians
from pressing on the retiring Austrians. The Italian
press is almost unanimous in protesting against
any possession of Venetia except by force of arms.
This will be seen from a few specimens :
The italic' of Florence says :—" The Italian
people demand that the army shall seize on Venetia,
and that the deliverance of that province shall be
due only to Italian hands, and we are sure that
what we state will be done."

The Opinions publishes along article which seems
written under the same dictation as that just quoted,
and which terminates thus :—" Proceeding with
reflection and calmness, but with unshakeable
firmness, the King's government will save the
honour and the rights of the nation. United and
allied to Prussia, let us move onward with resolu-
tion."

The Turin Gazette desires the adoption of the
programme which Count de Bismarck summed up
in two words :—" To Vienna !"
The Milan Gazette mentions tke demands of
Prussia for the armistice, and adds :—" We think
that our government, on its side, will insist on
guarant3es, and will order its army to march for-
ward."

The Paris journals, on the other hand, employ
very different language, and express their astonish-
ment at such an invasion, at the very moment when
any act of the kind was totally unnecessary.
It would indeed be a very singular result of the
present position of affairs if Italy, disregarding the
advice of France, should determine to join her
fortunes for good or for evil with Prussia, and
endeavour to accomplish that which the journals of
both countries at one time said was the real object
of the war—the total dismemberment of the Aus-
trian empire. The Berlin proposals, it is stated,
are that Austria should be pushed out of the German
Federation, and that Hesse, Hanover, and Saxony
should be incorporated with Prussia. From another
source, said to be authentic, the Italian proposals
are :

" 1. If Venetia is ceded to the Emperor Napo-
leon the final transfer must be made by Austria
hampered by no conditions with regard to Rome.
" 2. That the question of the district of Trent
should be recognised as one to be discussed."
Suppoaing these facts to be correct, it is evident,
if the Emperor of Austria is determined to carry on
the war to the " last extremity" rather than submit
to dishonourable and humiliating terms, that there
is little chance of seeing its speedy termination.
In Vienna great confidence is felt in the Emperor
Napoleon, and if we rely on the statement of the
official Vienna Abendpust, his line of policy is
becoming more accentuated, fur it is asserted that
he is about to assume au attitude of armed
mediation.

It appears in a correspondence from Paris that
the satisfaction and confidence with which the note
in the Munittur were at first received have given
place in many quarters to grave anxiety, and ru-
mours floated of the Corps Legislatif being convoked,
of large subsidies being asked for, and of the calling
out of the reserves in the expectation of a general
war. A contrary opinion also prevailed, and it was
hoped that by the intervention of France united
with England and Russia the armistice would be
effected and peace ultimately secured.