The Express.
London, England, 1859-04-12 00:00:00

AUSTRIA AND FRANCE.

RUMOURS OF THE DAY.

The Nord of this morning hes the following :

" While all the advice. are of war, and while the
situation is regarded everywhere as all but despe-
rate, we receive from Paris a piece of news which
will be taken as a last ray of hope—or, at least, as •
proof that diplomacy has not yet abandoned its
work. Our correspondent informs us that Austria
has at length decided to drop the SIN* qua
mos which she had put upon her partici-
pation in the congress, viz., the previous dis-
arming by Piedmont. She has substituted, it is
true, another condition—one of so delicate a nature

that our correspondent hes not judged it seeming to
reveal it to-day. It remains to be seen whether this
new condition is more acceptable than the one she
has renounced ; at all events it is at this
moment submitted to the appreciation of
the cabinets. Such is the lut difficulty which

opposes—not the meeting of the congress, for, as
we have already stated, the congress will open on
the 30tb,with or without Austria—but the participa-
tion of that power—the most interested of all. We
may be permitted, then to set, faintly in this last
concession the chance of a general peace." The com-
promise referred to by the Nord is probably that
which is mentioned in our Paris correspondent's
letter of last evening.

The Paris Pays contains the following article in
large tYPe. •

Plathi;ths last toasty-four hours a change, as happy as
usaapected, ham taken place in the state at affairs. If oar
information is cermet, the difficulties which food in the way
of the rusetisi at the copper of the fire meat powers are
dadaltlvely roamed. The conditimas of a simultaneous d -
'

aramateathave, it is said, beau weed upon; sad Austria
hes given her dedakive adhealco, and the congress may now
saremble within the shortest possible delay. In publishing
this sews—under all reserve, but with that empressmeast
which its measuring character raiders natural—we am
bond to dealer, that, without being able absolutely to
gusesalaa the truth of tbie intelligence in all its details,
we has. strong reason to believe that it is the veritable
ezpreadrin of the present situation. This important news
salleiently explains the sudden departure of Lord Cowley for
Leedom, where he will meet Mr. Hudson, the liaglish mi-
aides at Turin. This radical change in the eitustion de-
prives the other news which reaches la in the ordinary
course of all interest.

The Brussels Ittapendanee of yesterday evening
states that the despatches received on Friday by
Lord lllalmesbury announced the rejection by
Austria of the last concession offered by France,
and supported by the mediating powers, relative to
the question of the disarming of Piedmont. At the
request of these powers, the Emperor Napoleon,
according to our ootemporary, replied by a counter
proposal by which this point would be sub-
mitted to the Congress before any other and so
become, instead of a preliminary condition to the
meeting of the plenipotentiaries, a preliminary to
their deliberations. This middle course Austria
refused.

In a letter from Vienna to the Borsenhalls we read

"There are serious rumours to-day of calling out
the reserve of the whole army. The reserve on-
places the former landwehr. It is said also that the
whole army will be put upon a war footing,
that two corps will be immediately concentrated

near Line, that the Western Railway has already
received orders to be prepared to transport them,
and that all the country battalions of the border
regiments will be mobilised. By these means
Austria, in the space of four weeks, will be trans-
formed into one vast camp, and I do not exaggerate
in placing the number of her moveable forces at
1700,000 men."

The [sheering telegram was received this day at
Mr. Reater's office :

" VIENNA, MINDAT, Aran. 12.

" Tha official Ash:trios Correspondence publishes
an article, of which the following is a summary :

" Austria, has given undeniable proof of her love
of peace by the manner in which she met Lord
Howley.' mission, and afterwards by accepting
the proposals fora congress. Willingly would
Austria make sacrifices in order to preserve
peace, but she cannot do so merely to grant
others delay before the commencement of war. The
disarming of Piedmont has been stated as • pre-
liminary condition, which condition was supported
by England, whilst Austria, on the other hand,
proposed a general disarming as the first act of the
congress:, thereby adding • fifth preliminary point
to those already proposed. France did not think it
possible to make Piedmont disarm alone, and
Austria thereupon proposed a general disarming
before the congress began, in order to ensure essen-
tial guarantees for the maintenance of peace.
" The article concludes thus :—' How could it be
thought possible that Austria would join the con-
gress unless substantial proofs were given that the
spirit which actuates her prevails also in all the
other cabinets ?' "

PRUSSIA.