The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-31 00:00:00

LONDON. TUESDAY, MAY 31.

TUE Diet of the Germanic Confederation hag
jest come to a resolution which at the present time
is of the first importance. About a fortnight ago the
plenipotentiary of }ignorer proposed in the Diet that
the Confederation should place an
_army on the

Upper Rhine, on the pretence that Germany
was menaced by France. This proposition,
concerted with the Governments of South
Germany, found considerable support in many
of the States, and it appeared for a time not
improbable that in the storm of perdu portion
which the appeals of the German press had raised,
the nation would be hurried into as extreme course.
That this result has been &vested is doe mainly to
the firmness and moderation of t►e Cabinet of Berlin.
The Prussian Government at once steadfastly set its
face against the proposition of Hanover, and deter-
rained to encounter any amount of reproach and
obloquy rather than betray the important in-
terests which depended on its action. It
reminded its neighbours that while France bad made
no threatening demoustrations on the Rhine, the
_ .

presence of a German corps of observation on that
river would inevitably bring a French army to its
banks, and that than the war would very likely be
diverted to Germany. It pointed to its own arrange-
ments aa a proof that it was sensible of the import-
sees of preparation, sod declared Its readiness to go
byroad its Federal obligations, and bring oat all its

- .
INN, if need should arise, to defend Germany. to d.`

sanded that the Hanoverian propositionshouid be put
and that the initiative of such military mew
nese se might be ercessery should be left Whitson.
Upon this proposition the plenipotentiaries of the
aner•l States have jest voted under instroetnos
tom thole Gonomments. The counsels of Hanover
bite been rejected, and no German corps of obser-
vation will take up • provoking attitude towards
Pesos. On the other hand, Ptomain has been
authorised to take the first step should circumstances
sake sac► • comes edvie•ble, so that Germany will
sot be taken by Burnie*. Tee fanaticism of South
Gennesy hes received • decisive check ; a foolish
and dangerous provocation has been avoided ; and
P (Wei& has token th►t lead in the affairs of the Coe-
&devotion which she is better than any other Power
Sited to exercise.

A SAD sad striking example of the is-
compatibility of the functions of a Minister
of the Crown with the irresponsibilities of
a mavivial country gentleman, oa hi. lip
IMMO" his friends and neighbour', incurred at a
City tavern so Liver than the Wet night of last week,
when the FiltsT LJRD of SLe ADMIRALTY, in return-

fag thanks for the noble Nevins over which tis pre-
eidee, spoke not only with all thenaatical relish of

a Worcrsten%ire equir., bat with all the reserve
and seriousness of a " Saturday night at sea." We
know no reason in the world why a First

(land) Lord should not amuse his Worcestershire ad-
mirers by dancing a hornpipe and doing a real
bob's shuffle on ti.e table into the bargain ;

-
telly for such a rertormanct the room should 1*
elose-tiled. Out Duelers' is to report public mew
for better or for worse, and with no mallet prepense;
but we cannot undertake to be vicariously retentive,

and discreet by peaty. Sir JOHN Protlitotes is a
lklinister to whose straightforwardness and honesty
of purpose, and Lesions activity in the conduct of a
department, we have never hesitated to do ample
justice, and we has• gladly recognised in his
public life a Tory coat with a Liberal lining. Social
Witte, was given to Turin to disguise their thoughts
en political Reform, and no can has better under
stood social science in this sense than Sir Jour
FARINGTON. We may, perhaps, without appearing
to take any unfair advantage of the present Govern-
es's', consider Sir Jolts as the fairest specimen of
its sold worth. Let se see, then, what we have to
expect from the ablest and most liberal-minded of
her MAJENT N.'S present advisers in the way of
" neutrality."
Lord Dinnt's cautious temper, and Lord
MALMESAVRT'S far-seeing sagacity, are notorious
elements in our reigning foreign policy ; but it
wanted a Worcestershire dinner to teach tie that the
old Tory virus is rankling in every department of the
administration. " With regard to the present aspect
" of affairs it might, and probably would, be very
•' difficult, if the war which had broken out in
•' Europe should unhappily be long protracted, for
" England to preserve her present neutrality:.
We thank Sir Jon,, PA OION for these timely
words; they absolve uv fully from the charge
of unjust and unfounded suspicions. In the next
sentence, it is true, Sir Jolts added, "he could,
" however, assure them that the policy of her
" MAJIAT V'S present Government was really and
" truly neutrality." We ask any reader out of his
political trios to compare the gui-iezeuse-iaccuse
tone of the latter with the foregone eon-
eusion of the former sentence. Sir Joux is
not content to assure his company, in a few
simple words, that so far as in him lies England
sba:l maintain the absolute supremacy of the sees,
for this would be simply to register the stern deci-
sion of all Eugland without distinction of class or
party ; but he echoes the silly brag of some illus-
trious Worcestershire Obscure at his aide, and talks
of being able to go in and thrash any number of
opponents. Now, we take leave to tell the FIRST
Loan, of the A DMIRALTY that this is one of those
things which as, wee said—especially by responsible
Ministers--but Joao when the time comes for doing
them, end that he wou!d do better to imitate
the rese'ute silence which distinguishes the sew
manab:p of an Fog!!sh man-of-war than the
noise and flurry of those foreign ships which he pro-