The Express.
London, England, 1850-05-13 00:00:00

ROMAN STATES.

The Journal de Rome, of the 3rd, states that the Pope
had remitted several persons from the punishments in-
flicted by the councils of censure, and had appointed
a commission to inquire into the circumstances of
other cues of greater gravity, with a view of ex.end-
jog his clemency towards the offenders.

GERMANY.

PRUSSIA.

The Prussian go!ernment has forwarded the fal-
lowing reply to the circular notes from Austria, on
the subject of the congress at Frankfort :
The Austrian ambassador at this court, Von Proktsch,

• written document einanating from din

government, according to wbicb he is commirsiOned to in-
vite the government of his Majesty the King of Prussia to
take pan in the proceedings of a collective assembly of the
German Bund, at which it is proposed, in the first instance,
to make inordinate, relating to the Interim, and afterwards
to make such alterations in the constitution of the confede-
ration as may meet the necessities of the situation.
The government of his Prussian Majesty regrets that the
negotiations carried on between it and the government of his
Majesty the Emperor of Austria should have been hitherto
without result. At the same time it expresses the conviction
that it is the duty of every member of the Confederation to
exert itself, in order that the affairs of the collective body
may not remain longer without a common guidance, and that
since it is no longer possible for the German states to remain
in their present relations, they must endeavour to e ffect suck
changes in the constitution as are acknowledged to be neces-
tare in the only right and lawtal way, name, that of a com-
mon agreement. The government of his itlejesty the King
of Prussia has already made each proposals to the Austrian
cabinet as appeared adapted to the actual state of thing..
It must now decline all responsibility, if through the non-
acceptance of thine propositions the present Interim
expires, tearing Germany without an inheritor of its power.
It is from the same actual state of relations that the decision
arrived at by the Prussian government on ice questions
which concern the revision of the constitution have proceeded.
Without the recognition of those facts, can no agreement be
arrived at respecting the principles on which the work of
revision should proceed, of the want of which in all the
preceding experiments the Austrian government has not
cozen:lathed without reason. These facts are not only the
events recited in the resolution of the Bond adopted in IBIS.
On the one aide stands the constitution of the Austrian
empire promulgated in October, 1848, which aimed eta more
intimate connection of the various portions of that empire,
and thus bound up closely the Germanic with the non-
Germanic states; and on the other side the close union of
a large number of princes of the confederation in a narrower
bond than that which was recognised in the constitution of
1815. It is thus at the same time upon rights
solemnly guaranteed by treaties, and on the actual state of
relations that Prussia desires to take her position in coming
to a resolution on her present course. As to that which
Austria has proposed, concerning the congress to be called at
Frankfort, in which the princes united with Prussia in the
treaty of May 26 are concerned, his Majesty will advise
with his allies. For this purpose his Majesty has already
issued invitations to those princes, who will meet at Berlin,
each attended by a responsible minister, on the Bth of this
month, and there consider of how the common want of Ger
many may be supplied. The further decision of the royal go-
verament will depend on the remit of those deliberations. The
government of his Majesty, the King of Prussia, cannot,
however, omit on the present occasion to protest against
the assumotions contained in the despatch addressed by the
imperial government to the several German states. In that
document the right of Austria to summon a congress of the
States of Germany, is based en the 4th and .sth articles
of the Benda Act ; and thereby the summoning of
the Frankfort congress, becomes a resumption of the
former presidial right of Austria to call a plenum. But
the Diet itself was abolished in a legal manner in 1848, and
therefore the right of calling it together perished in the same
moment. The Prussian government can, therefore, regard
the summons calling on the governments to send plenipoten-
tiaries to Frankfort as an invitation to individual govern.
ments. It considers that the Austrian government is
perfectly entitled to invite the states to such
a common consultation on the general interests,
should, however, a :pretension be in any quarter
raised. In any OW, however, can no disadvantageous
consequences milt from the participation of the govern-
ment united with l'russia, since an usurpation of the hero
padres of the old diet by such a conference would have no
application to them. These principles the Pruesian govern-
ment has considered it to be its duty to set forth with plain-
' nen, while it reserves its further resolutions and declaration
for deliberation with its allies.
Berlin, May 3, 1850.
To Count Bernedoff.
A telegraphio despatch from Berlin, dated the 9th
of May, announces the despatch of the above circular,
• adding that the question as to whether tho constitu-
tion of the union shall be considered u decided was
still to be decided by the Princes' Congress. Nor was
it decided how thel union will partake in the act of
• revising the said constitution.
• A subsequent telegraphic despatch, dated the 19th,
I gives the account of the sittings of the Princes' Con-
greys on the 9th and 10th of May. It is u fallow.:

SCHLHINITZ.