The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-23 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

mos ova 011111 ooaaisroirmarr.)
THE BATTLE OF MONTEBELLO.

PARIS, SUNDAY EVENING.

- -- ---
There appears to be now scarcely a doubt that the
Battle of Montebello was really a brilliant victory
gained by the French. When the Austrians admit
that they retreated after a desperate combat against
"superior numbers" they souks. to a defeat. The
question of the numerical strength of the forces
engaged on either side must be reserved for future
elucidation. As far as oar present information goes
it hardly seems possible that the Austrian allegation
can be true. The French despatches merely speak
of General Forey's division and some Piedmontese
cavalry as having taken part in the combat. It is
possible, however, that the entire corps d'armee
under Marshal Baragnay d'Hilliers may have been
opposed to the attacking force of the Austrians (esti-
timated by the Monaco at 15,000), and that the
number of Austrians who actually fought may
have been inferior to those of the French
commanded by General Forey. At this moment
I am aware of two laconic Austrian despatches,
both of which treat General Stadion's movement as
a " forced reconnoissance," and one of them says
that it resulted in "compelling the enemy to de-
velop his force." Whether this result is an advan-
tage to the Austrians after their "orderly retreat"
is a question which I must leave to military men.
This evening's Pays says:
The that bulletin of the army of It4y brings us the news
of a viceory. After en interval of fifty-nine years the village
of Montekele for the second time gives Its name to •
glorious feat of arms. General Ferry's suoceoe agalast the
troops of Ocean.' Stadion his led to ;be entire retreat of the
Austrian line, the extreme left of which haanow re-crossed
the Po by the bridge of Stella. While we were
beating the enemy at Montebello, General Cialdini, with •
Piedmontme corps cremes, succeeded in forcing the passage
of the before Vercelli, after a desperate combat which
also terneMated in a defeat of the Austrians. This ask
must entail similar consequences for the Austrian right wing
ss that of Montebello did for the left. They will now, in ell
probability, ev_icuate Lowellina by way of Buffalors, unless
they should be disposed to risk a second battle of Novara,
under eircumqencee very different indeed from those of the
first. The probable consequence of duos two combats, so
glorious for Fronm and her heave allies, will be the hams-
Mate cremation of Piedmont by the Austrian army,
It was mid tbet Garibaldi is to attack the enemy et
Arena on Lego Maggiore—that is to say, on the
extremity of his line ; but we now learn that the Austrian
have abet:doped the neighbourhood of the lake. After seek
erects as there, which have filled every heart in Paris with
joy, it la curious to reed the comments of a professional
journal, the Military Gowned Vienna. This journal re-
presented the Austrian army es being firmly established at
Vercelli with the firm Intention of holding that well•relected
position, and "resisting to the lest extremity." It was
only on May 18 that this bold resell:aim was published is
Vienna, and now, on May 22, we know that the Austriaea
have evacuate' Vaecalli and failed to prevent the passage of
the Serie by the Piedmcmtese army. This signal dispens-
atory of tto Military (lintel( conveys a lemon by which
the journals of belligerent countries would do well to profit—
namely, that it to dangerous to mike prophecies about
military operations.

The Nene is not so cautious as the Pays, for it
evidently assumes a defeat of the French to be im-
possible. It exclaims, " This is the first victory,
because it is the first bsttle." It treats the asser-
tion of the Austrian despatches that the French
were superior in numbers as "evidently faint
but adds " such subterfuges have in all times been
resorted to by the vanquished."
General Beuret, whose death at Montebello is
recorded by the Moniteur, commanded the first bri-
gade of General Forey's division, composed of the
74th (not 73rd) and 84th line regiments. He
fought with distinction in the Crimea, where he wan
colonel of the 39th regiment, and he was promoted
to the rank of brigadier-general on January 10,
1855. He afterwards commanded a brigade in the
army of Paris. The bloody nature of the combat
at Montebello may be inferred from the fact that,
be►ides the loss of one brigadier-general out of two,
no lees than three out of the foar colonels in General
Forey's brigade were wounded.

A note in the Patric states that the Sardinian
minister in Paris has agreed with the cabinet of the
Tuileries upon measures for the protection of Tuscan
commerce. The French government takes the
maritime flag of Tuscany under its protection, and,
it we are well informed, the French navy has
already found an opportunity of executing Admiral
Ilemelin'e orders on this subject.
The Anti de la Religion, which, in its number of
the 21st, had stated that a rupture was imminent
between France and Bavaria, publisher, in a supple-
ment, the following " cormitunicated note" from
the Minister of the Interior:

The .dasi do la Religion annoutom that the Bavarian
minister bad received orders from his government to hold
himself in readiness to aloft Paris, sod that be had demanded
hie pas-p-ate. This j Atraal adds that a rupture between
Franca and the court of Munich appears to be imminent.
Th,ee amertions are totally devoid of foundatiun.

MONTENEGRO.

The Times publishes the following telegram:
VIENNA, SCNDkY. Noos.

" The Nlontenegtins are destroying the Austrian
telegraphs in the Sutorina, thereby cutting off coup
munication between Uttar° and Ragusa."

THE AUSTRIANS AT ANCONA.

The following is an extract from a letter to a com-
mercial house in London, from their correspondent
at Ancona:

• ANCONA, MAT 12.
Matters have reached such a point that we must
all retire into the interior. In a few weeks the Aus-
trians have constructed fortifications to appalones
and continue their works, notwithstanding the neu-
trality of the Papal States. Fatal sign ! Poor An-
conians : we now only want a bombardment to com-
plete our miseries. In the teeth of the remonstrances•
of the consuls, the lighting of the lighthouse cond.
noes to be forbidden by the Austrian general.

The NI tocheater papers publish a letter regarding
the position of the port of Trieste, fr mn Mr. E. Hammonds
Under Secretary for Foreign Afftirt, in reply to a question
addressed to him by Mr. J. A. Turner, M.P. Our governments
it it est I, have ree sired no assaranoss fr. the French govern-
ment that the free p,rt of Triers will be Cu neidered
ingirg to the Germanic oonfeder.iiiith, or that, cor.
'fluently, chips under the English flee and not cants,
owatthbani of wee, will tis allowed to enter that
poet num:death!. Nu in.ireation, it is sada, has been ter
wised of the blockade of TriesM.

TRIESTE, MAY 16.—The steamer 1)oora, which
&frivol here gastenley from Alexandria. reporie that the
Frenda squadron, entishig off the Island of Steeeo, had
lying sear them antral own heel TONA.'I,, and it was thought
that the Erteinta P. (Austria' bar.tot% from Hansellke,
bound to this plsee in ballast, and the to (Austrian brig).
from Taiping to Solution, with salt, were reooguniel amongst
them.