The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-26 00:00:00

matian meat, which reached Vienna early this
morning, will by this time be also known to you.
After the Italian fleet had bombarded Liam it
sailed sway. The Austrian ships then came out
to meet it. The Italian squadron consisted of 23.

ships, of which 11 were ironclads. Of these latter
one was sunk, and another blown up. The ship of
the lime Kaiser was attacked by four ironclad), but
repulsed them after losing bowsprit, foremast,
22 killed, and 82 wounded. Besides these,
the Austrians lost 10 killed and 42 severely
wounded. The wounds in the flagship were
_ . . .

caused chiefly by musketry from the sinking
frigate. The Italian crew thus fought valiantly to
the last. The squadron is fit for alreshoonteak su
trifling are the injuries the vessels have received—
the Kaiser excepted. The combat lasted two
hours, after which the enemy was driven away, and.
Lissa relieved. The day before, four Italian iron-
clad. appeared before Lissa, but were driven away
by the strand batteries, after they had directed
their fire against the Lloyd steamer Eggitto. To
prevent the enemy from carrying it away, a lieute-
nant had the ship sunk. Three attempts to land

at Comissa were all repulsed.
Thus what was least expected—a naval success
—has been obtained, defeating all previous cal-

culations.

Lissa is a small island in the southernmost part
of the Adriatic. It is not quite a square German
mile in size, with a steep rocky coast, and on
the north-east is a small bay, defended by forts built
in and made part of the rock itself. The great want
of Lissa is water.

This morning there are, it seems, some hopes
that an arrangement may be come to with Prussia.
M. de Benedetti is gone again to the Prussian camp,
and has not yet returned.
When I wrote the other day so decidedly that
there was no chance of an understanding being
corns to between the belligerents, I was quite jus-
tified in doing so ; for it was the opinion expressed
to me that same morning by the highest in autho-
rity—by the authority that, above all others, must
be best qualified to speak with certainty on such a
subject. Since then, however, changes, at that
time wholly unlooked for, have occurred. Now, a
truce is spoken of with certainty, during which
time it is believed arrangements for a peace
will be concluded. You may think that
this change of prospects causes gladness
here. If so, you are greatly mistaken. I re-
peat what I have said so often, the desire for peace
is great, but the price to be paid for it is the all-
important point. Want of confidence prevails,
and there is a mistrust of the conditions which
may be made the basis for a cessation of hostilities.
All circumstances considered, Austria has no
need to sue for peace, or to fear having once more
recourse to arms. Napoleon I. said of the Austrian
troops that they never knew when they were beaten.
He might have said the same of the state, that it
did not know how to succumb. It was never yet
Austria's wont to do so. A change has come over her
of late, how brought about I am at a loss to say.
It is the very opposite of her former policy, and
her. old characteristic hopefulness and firm resolve.
the suffered disasters enough in other times, when
the rose again and again after each overthrow. It,
therefore, can hardly be defeat which makes her
despondent now, or destroys her self-reliance, for it
never had that effect yet. On the contrary, the
more stunning the blow, the more resolutely she
gathered her remaining strength, and, again enter-
ing the lista, once more faced her antagonist. Is it
that she is overreached by those more cunning than
herself, and that craft and misrepresentation lead
her to view things over-darkly T Or has the
peculiar ill-fortune attending her impotent
struggles made her doubt at last the possibility
of success? For this ill-fortune is as peculiar as it
is extreme. How the Austrian troops fought at
Solferino all know, and none better than the
French. And although the enemy came upon the
field after a good meal, and was brought thither
comfortably by rail, the hungry exhausted Aus-
trians fought with such resolve, and so furiously,
that there was absolutely not a hair's breadth be-
tween defeat and victory. At one time the battle
went so decidedly against the French that Napo-
leon sent to Milan ordering preparations to be
made for a retreat. Yet here, though the enemy
was thoroughly exhausted, and with the fue be-
tween him and his supplies—though the Austrians
still held the impregnable Quadrilateral, and could
in a short time have received large reinforcements
from the north, in an over-hasty moment the
peace of Villafranca was concluded. Napoleon
well knew how perilous was his position, and mag-
nanimously made offers of peace. The same thing
may take place now. Up to this moment, it is
I true, the course of the Prussian army has been
one victorious march. Wherever they came,
kingdom, principality, electorate, fell to their dis-
posal. But now it is the forces of Austria which
have a right to rely fully on their strength, their
position, and their leader.
In reality Koniggratz no more necessitates a
hasty peace, unless it be a most honourable one,
than did the battle of Solferino. It may be tEat
fortune proves again unpropitious. On the upshot
of a battle no one can predict with certainty, as
there are so many eventualities which even
the most experienced cannot take into calculation.
But what I wish to inculcate is this, that the posi-
tion of Austria at this moment is not so
desperate a one as many assert ; that she is able,
with very fair chances on her side, to risk another
struggle ; and therefore there should be no haste
in coming to terms which in all probability would
endanger her position as a great European and
German power.

WHITEHALL, JuLY 23. —The Queen has been
pleased to tract unto Robert Pipon Seq., the
dike sad plain at procurstae-generel Lin, Wand of
Jersey, is the roma of John William Dupre, req.,
demised. The Queen hse also been *meal to grant unto
George Helier Korman, 1+4., the office and la et
of
Advocate-Gene:a of the Wend of Jersey, fn hep
lace
Robert Plpos llsrett, Fag., appointed PreoarateteNserea
of link istand,—Gionte.