The Express.
London, England, 1856-12-27 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(1101 001

PARIS, FRIDAY iYIII4IKO.

The belief continues to prevail that the united
efforts of the great Powers of Europe will prevent a
war breaking out between Prussia and Switzerland,
but it would be very difficult to gay on what particu-
lar facts that belief is founded. All the tangible
news points in the opposite direction. The govern-
ment journal, the Veriti, says this evening :—" Not-
withstanding some pacific news which we Rod this
morning in the Paris press, war is, perhaps,
imminent between Prussia end Switzerland," and it
proceeds at great length to justify the conduct of
Prussia throughout. The Co,u'itutio•rsel complains
of the inaccuracy of • telegraphic despatch from
London, which represented yesterday that the
French Emperor had made "reserves" in regard to
his policy towards Prussia. The despatch objected
to state that the Emperor wu not disposed to favour
the invasion of Switzerland. The Constilutthnnel
plainly means to insinuate that he is. How-
ever, an opinion is very confidently entertained,
by those who profess to be in the secret, that though
thecourts of France and Prussia meant to try the
effect of bullying to a great extent they have neither
of them the least idea of running the risk of war
for such a rotten cause.

The Manikiar do r Arnie, however, thinks to
arreogemeut will cortaialy be made, and that the
" affair ought lot to came the least unewsiaree to
the friend. of peace."

The Presse suggests that the order given to the
Berlin journals not to speak of !military movements,
instead of being gronded upon the professed motive
of not giving intelligence to the enemy, may be really
intended to conceal the fast that no very serious pre-
parations are making.

_
The Pays says teat the four Powers are agreed
upon a note to be addressed to the Federal Govern-
ment, and that Prussia has approved of the terms in
which the note is worded.

The Constifutiowl sad Petrie both say that the
Conferences will " probably " meet on the 29th.
At the Bourse it was reported that Fran°, and
England are quite agreed upon the course to be par
sued ; but, nevertheless, the Rent, fell 10e. for cash,
sad 10c. for account. closing at 66fr. 72e. and
66fr. 800. Mobilise fell 6tr. Railways were from
21r. 500. to sfr. lower.

It is reported that about 200 royalists of the canton
of Neufchatel have taken refuge is France. The
Gana, de ZATOIMAISO says that such of them am are
liable to serve in the federal army will be treated as
deserters, if they do not respond to the regular calls.
The result of the election. for the Cher are now
known, though not yet published to the Mcodetar.
In the Ilm circumscription there were found in the
ballot boxes for M. do Neale, the government candi•
date, 16,889 votes oat of 16,205 votes actually given.
The number of registered electors is 38,313, so that
according to the returns lase than half of the con•
stiteency came to the poll. Io the second circum-
scription M. Guillautain is returned cleated
by 19,306 out of 40,253 registered elec-
tors, or nearly half the constituency. There
mast have been moms mistake in the former
reline of the Jarmo! du Cher, from which it appeared
that 10,000 votes were given to other than govern-
ment candidates. A M. de hiontssulasin appears to
hays obtained 612 votes, and a M. de Valera 412.
A few score of votes were distributed among other
obscure individuals, bat that is the extent of the oppo-
sition attempted.

The Emperor has ordered the restgratke of the
home of the Bonaparte family at Ajamio,and has pro-
mised M. Mostois, the prefect of Conies, to inscribe
200,000 fr. on the civil list of 1867, for the purpose of
building a mausoleum to receive the ashes of
the mother of Napoleon L, end of Cardinal Facb.
What will M. Fould say P
The Petri* salmons.. that the Count de Moray,
who was expected this math, will not return to
Paris till the end of January.
Early in next month some fifty political prisoners,
who were arrested in the autumn on a charge of eon-
&pities to assassinate the Emperor on his return
from Biarri:z, will be brewed to trial at the Central
Criminal Court of Paris.

Madlle. Belie, the tetras who was lately acquitted
of being a commuting party to an abortion for which
her lover and a midwife were sentenced to a were
punishment. has left Paris for New York.

General Canister, limiest retuned to Paris from
a visit to M. D.Lit. hargomester of Moat.enr•Mar.
china*, in Belgium, of the coal pits of which place
the general is one of the principal abareholdsn.
Lord and Led? Cowley, on the omission of
Christmas-day, gam a diaries yesterday at the British
embassy, at which the following moons were present:
—Vitionant Canterbury, Lord and Lady Pollinate,
Viscount Wellesley, Mr. sad Mm. Disraeli, Baron
and Baroness de Lankee, Lard George Paulo, Bir
A., Lady, and Miss Woodford, Sir IL. and Lady
Dallas, Sir J. sad Lady 011iffe, General Dupuis, Mr.,
Km, and Miss Baring, Bishop Bpseeer, Lims.-Coloael
Awry, Lieut.-Colonel Morris, Mr. and Mrs. Barring.
toe, Mr. and Mrs. Marriott, Dr. and Miss Hale, Mr.
Piokford, and Mesa% Steward Stuart. Norton Forel.
Drummood, Earle, Manna. Aliso, and numb.
"M. Couture has now," says a Paris letter in the
Emancipation of Brussels, "terminated all the preli-
minary sketches required for his picture of the imps
del baptism. In addition to the four historical
portraits at fret Wended, a fifth has been added by
the command of the Resperer—semely, that of the
nuns of the young pima. This woman is to a per-
tain extent his mother,' said the Emperor, as the
people are the support of oar dynasty. It is good
that in seeiog the picture of his baptism, he should
remember that the wife of a peasant nourished him
with her milk.'"

MARSEILLES, Die. 25.
A letter from Nice, published in the 7bulonsois,
states that some of the crew of the Russian corvette
'tattooed at Villefranohe bevies left the ship without
pennissioo, to drink in a wine shop, the captain, on
their return, commanded that they should receive
each twentylve blows of a stick, and the leader one
hundred. The latter died while undergoing tie
punishment, and his body was thrown into the sea.

PRUSSIA AND SWITZERLAND.

(now ova owx

BERLIN,Dic. 23:

Colonel von Manteaffel, one of the Hing's siderde-
camp, who it will be remembered was much
employed during the negotiations which led to the
admission of Petunia to the Paris conferences, has
arrived in this city from Dusseldorf, where his
regiment is quartered, having been sent for by a tele-
' graphic message. He bad au audience of the King
to day, and is about to start on a delicate diplomatic
mission to the court of one of the great powers.
Orders have now really been given for the mobilisa-
tion of one-half of the Prussian army, which is to be
ready to march and take the field on the 2nd of
y. General von der Gioben is now dear-
Dated as the commander in-chief, and under him
the following edloers will have the command of divi.
lions: General von Werder, General von Wussow,
General von Bonin (who commanded the Prussian
troops in the Schleswig Holstein war), General von
tieback, and General Prince Frederick Charles of
Prussia.

I■ consequence of what inhere called the obstinacy
of the Swiss, the whole question has now entered a
new phase ; for the replies from Par, Vienee, and
even England (P) to the Prussian note of the Bth
inst. being favourable, Prussia conceives it to be a
point of honour not only to chastise the Swim, and
teach them a lesson fee the future, but to require a
material guarantee" for their good behaviour, and
thus to prevent a repetition of what is called here
their outrageous conduct. Under any circumstances
Prussia inked@ to make limn p►y a round sum for
the expenses of the expedition, or at least of the mobi-
lisation of the Prussian troops.
It is stated in court circles that Prices Frederick
William bas, in the name of the King, invited the
Emperor of the French to pay a visit to Berlin in
the spring, and that the invitation has been accepted.

A letter from Berlin, of the 23rd (in the Cor-
respondence Hama), contains these statements:
0 England was the only one of the great powers
whose support had not yet been obtained by Prose*
and it was even known that Mr. Gordon, at Berne,
had encouraged the Federal Council in its resistance.
Much surprise was felt that England should have
taken up such an attitude, being,u she was, one of the
powers which signed the protocol of London, and an
expression of this surprise wu conveyed to the
English cabinet. We have just learnt that in con-
sequence of this representation being made to the
e'en of Bt. James's, Mr. Gordon has now received
orders from his government to support as much as he
can the demands of Prussia. Information from
Berne does, in fact, assure us that Mr.
Gordon has declared to the Federal Council
that he is obliged to insist upon the accept-
ance of the Prussian conditions, and this decla-
ration has caused great sensation at Berne.
England his made, in her turn, an offer to the
Prussian cabinet of her mediation in the Swiss
affair, but this offer has been made without mecca.
There can be no further question of any mediation
n,w, and only the immediate liberation of the pri-
soners can present Prussia from sending her soldiers
on the march."

The Blieserareaseng of Berlin, of the 22nd inst.,
says, "It is assured that the English government his
desired its representative at Berlin, Lord Bloomfield,
to declare that the Eoglish charge d'affairee at
Berne, Mr. George Gordon, has been ordered to give
his decided support to the demand which Prussia has
made of the Federal Council, for the release of the
Neufchatel prisoners."
The New Zurich Gazette of December 22nd says :
" The amount of the information we have received,
which implies that all hope of the preservation of
peace is not yet lost, is just this, that the ministers
of England and Franco informed the President of the
Federal Council last Sunday that the powers which
had signed the protocol of London would engage up
to a certain point to obtain from the Kiog of Prussia
a renunciation of his claim on Neufchatel, if Swit-
zerland would agree to the liberation of the royalist
prisoners. It still remains to be ascertained whether
Prussia will consent to such a renunciation of her

A Beme journal, La Suisse, of the 23rd contains
this :

I• It hu been said here, for the last two days, that
the representatives of foreign powers and the Federal
Council had agreed upon a plan for the arrangement
of the dispute, which had been submitted to Prussia
for her ratification. This was the fact ; bet we are
authorised to affirm that the Prussian government
hu formally refused the proposed negotiations. A
declaration of war is therefore imminent."

"Several envoys to the German Federal Diet,"
says a Frankfort letter of the 20th," were to-day dim-
cussing the question as to whether any state of the
confederation could employ in war, without the
formal authorisation of the diet, troops, especially
German troops, when such hostilities, as in the present
case, were had recourse to for the purpose of recover-
ing rule over a country left, by the congress of
Vienne, out of the territories of the Germanic con-
federation. Other members also debated this point—
whether, if the Prussian army were to experience a
defeat from the Swiss troops, the other Federal mem-
bers would find themselves obliged to place bodies of
their troops at the disposal of Prussia, to replace her,
militarily speaking, in possession of a principality not
forming part of the said oonfederation. There appears
not to be any doubt that some envoy of a state
devoted to Austria will bring forward this question
in the Dist."

A foot not without significance is that the Prussian
army is not to be allowed the fortnight generally
given between the order of mobilisation and the
carrying of that order into execution. The troops
are to be ready to move almost instanter; and it is
calculated dist within a very few days from the
present time, by means of railway communication,
the Prussia& troops could arrive ors the frontien of
Switzerland, and commence hostile operations. It is
apparently from the apprehension of such a prooeed-
iog that the Feleral Council of Switzerland directs
to the Rhine, without losing a moment, the levy of
20.000 men just ordered, sou to defend the passages
of that river. It does this without waiting for the
meeting of the Federal Assembly, being well con-
vinced that a fall bill of iademnity will be voted
to it by that body for any step it may decide on for
the protection of the territory.
It has been stated that the Grand Council of Berne
has unanimously voted an unlimited credit for com-
pleting the military preparations of the canton.

THE UNITED STATES.

SOUTHAMPTON. FA! 2 DAT -VINING.

The United States mail steamer Arago, with the
American mails, arrived at Cowes, on her way to
Havre, this day. She left New Yoik on the 13th
ins.

The Anglo-Saxon and City of Manchester had ar-
rived out, the former at Portland, and the latter at
Philadelphia. Oa the 11th the Africa arrived at New
York.

In the United States' Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives a desultory debate on the President's
message was kept up.
The opening of the Tehuantepec route to the Pistilli)
was attrao'ing a good deal of attention. Efforts are
making to finish • carriage road across the isthmus
by the let of next February. Coaches and otter
material batre been ordered in New Hampshire, to be
ready for shipment at New York by the first of
henry.
In the House of Representatives, on the 10th,
Mr. Bevan introduced a bill providing for a con-
tract with Mr. Vanderbilt for carrying • monthly
mail between New York and Southampton ie
steamers to make as good time as the Conarders, and ,
for every twelve boars over their go time a I
redaction of one tbrrisand dollars to be made. Van-
derbilt was at Washington with all his lobby
strength, hoping to get his bill through ; it is under-
stood that he has connected himself with Sloo and
Co., and will furnish the steamers for the new
Tehuantepec route.
On the Bth the Southern Convention met at Saran-
nab. On the 10th the debate was very exciting,
being on Mr. Uoulding's resolution to re-open the
slave trade, which was warmly advocated by several
of the members, and as strenuously opposed by other..

The etiolation wu finally lost by an overwhelming
vote. Resolutiens were offered relative to a railroad
to the Pacific. The first, which declares that govern.
meet has no power to construct • railroad, wee
adopted. The second, that • road should be made
along the line of the thirty-second parallel of latitude
by States, individuals, subscribers, and grants
of land by the federal government, sm,
elicited much debate. On the 11th, Mr. De
Bow, of Louisiana, offered a series of resolu-
tions appointing a meeting of the Convention of
Knoxville, Tennessee, on the second Monday in
August next, endorsing Mr. Dudley Mann's scheme
for the establishment ot a line of iron steam ferry boats
of 50,000 tons, to ran between Chesapeake Bay and
Milford Haven,favourin g the introduction of Southern
text-books into Southern schools and colleges, and the
appointment of a committee of distinguished Southern
professors to prepare such works; recommending
Southern legislatures to order the the of said books
in Southern schools; teoommending the encou-
ragement of Southern books, periodicals, and
journals in place of Northern publications,
and recommending the encouragement of the
mining and manufacturing interests of the Smith.
All these resolutions were adopted. Mr. Semmes re-
ported favourably upon an interoceanic communica-
tion, via the Isthmus of Tenuantepec, and offered a
resolution recommending Congress to make a con.
tract with the Sloo Company for the transport of
mails between New Orleans and California by that
route.—Adopted. Resolutions far the appointment
of a committee to irquiro into the expediency of re-
opening the slave trade were debated. Mr. Albert
Pike made an eloquent speech for the opposition on
the ground of humanity. Re hoped the whole world
would ultimately be free.
The Buffalo and New York City Railroad was sold
on the 11th per order of Judge Mastic, referee, for
the account of the Wien' of the second mortgage
bonds, to A. D. Pa chin, Eq., of Buffalo, who bid
275,000 dole. for it.

Pal:*rslish the following
. - - - -
hTilictittelyNimewportYouaork
t intelligence' if Walker's success
in Nicaragua, every line o' which, it,hould be ander.
stood, comes from Walker himself :
NEW ORLEANS,Thit. 12
The steamship Texta,witk San Juan dates to the kb taa't
has arrived here. The news from Nimes "a is ',
hid
important. 0 I Walker had been summits. in • draw
of battles with the Central Americans. Oa the 10th ea.
General Hornsby, with 200 men, &CAW 1,100 of tb.
enemy under the Costa Rican General, Canes. The enemy
lost 200,while Hornsby nad fluty two killed and 11 wounded.
Four days' fighting at Massey& had ended in the entire
defeat of the enemy. G. newel Walker bad returned to
Granada, and, atter giving three days' notice of his intention
to allow time for the removal of valat7.llst, grid the place,
sot leaving a vestige of it. The imhabitatta of Granada had
removed to Rivas with all their affects, which will hereafter
be the capital of Nit:origin. A navel battle bad taken
place between the Nicaraguan war schooner Granada.
Captain Filson'', and • C.. 4.• Rican brig of war this,
time. the on of the °mai'. The C:Ea Rican vessel
was blown up, and ell on board of her perished. It fa
estimated that the enemy have last 3,000 men is the various
bottles tines October.

Christ Church, the protestant episcopal cathedrrl
in Montreal. was destroyed by fire on the morning of
the 10th. A d►y goods wore and the Nuns' building
adjoining were also somewhat injured. The church
was thought to be one ot the most elegant and costly
buildings in Clench. The damage by the fire is
estimated at 120,000 dols.—the insurance is 68,000
dole. The church possessed a magnificent organ,
nearly sa large as that ot Haarlum, in Holland.