The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-02 00:00:00

DIOR WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
- _

TIM Doi —Morulng, Oh. lft AlteWoon. Oh Wm.
ro4lolllloW—Morning, Oh 50m Atterumm, lh 1M o.

LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 2.

THE unofficial reports which have circulated for
a week or more respecting negotiations between
the King of HOLLAND and the Emperor NAPOLEON
for the cession of Luxemburg to France acquire
great importance from the grave, though guarded,
language in which Count BISMARCK yesterday
referred to the subject in the North German Par-
liament. From the first it was obvious that those
negotiations would not be prosecuted without rais-
ing a question of the first importance between
France and Prussia. It is difficult to conceive
how any one who had watched the course of
European events since last Juno could suppose
that Germany, which had held her territory
intact, and had even increased it during her days
of division and weakness, should signalise her
increase of strength and her advance towards unity
by the surrender of one of her great fortresses.
Luxemburg has from immemorial times been an
acknowledged part of Germany, and the King of
HOLLAND, it% Grand Duke, was in that character
a member of the Germanic Confederation. This
potentate appears to have imagined that when the
Bund was shattered at Sadowa, Luxemburg
ceased to owe any obligations to Germany, and
that he was at liberty to make it Dutch or French,
or whatever ho pleased. But the claims of Ger-
many upon her Princes and States were prior to
the Bund, and were its cause ; they survive the
particular organizations which have at various
times represented and expressed the common
rights of Germany, and their assertion would be
clearly the duty of any Power pretending to de-
velop the unity of the Fatherland. The GRAND
DUKE'S rights were always subordinate to his
duties to Germany, and ho could hardly have
supposed that he would be allowed to hand over
to France a fortress which has hitherto been
maintained to defend Germany against that Power.
It does not appear at present to what extent the
Emperor NAPOLEON is prepared topush his claims,
and while the question is pending there is cer-
tainly no reason why any among us should betray
susceptibility on a subject which so little concerns

us. If the Germans think they are so strong
that they can very well spare Luxemburg,
and if the people of the Duchy desire to be-
come citizens of the great French Empire, we can
have not the least objection. On the other hand,
it is not for Englishmen to be the first to palliate
the sale of a whole population like cattle, at so
much pe.r head.

The question which Herr VON BENNINCREN put
to Count Bismsitra yesterday was, " Whether
" Prussia was prepared, in concert with her
" Federal allies, to secure the connexion of the
" Grand Duchy with Germany, and the right of
" Prussia to garrison its capital permanently, and
" against every danger ? " Count BISMARCK re-
plied that the question well became a patriotic
representative of the nation, but was not diplo-
matic. The Prussian Government d;d not know
that an arrangement for the cession of the Duchy
had been concluded between Holland and France,
but, he said, "the Federal allied Governments
" believe that no foreign Power will endanger the
" undoubted right of Germany." Count BISMARCK
added a remark to the effect that the unity of
Government and people must be so exhibited in the
debates in Parliament as to show that no
designs against Germany would prosper. It
would be impossible to imagine anything more
studiously moderate and inoffensive than the lan-
guage of the Prussian Minister, while at the same
time the inflexible resolution of the Prussian
Government is made clearly apparent. The less
decisive was Count BISMARCK'S language, the more
he seemed to invite a patriotic pressure upon Prus-
sia which he knew most certainly would be applied.
A moment's consideration would show that Prussia
could not yield on such a point. All her preten-
sions to be the leader of Germany depend on her
readiness to defend every inch of its sacred soil.
The hold of the King of Pitt SHIA on the reluctant
governments of North and South Germany would
be gone if the Prussian army were not at all times
ready to resist designs upon the integrity of the
national territory. The Confederation of North
Germany and the treaties with Bavaria and Wur-