The Express.
London, England, 1850-05-18 00:00:00

SWITZERLAND.

Mr. Stephenson, the English engineer, was lately
invited by the federal government of Switzlerland to
go to that country to lay out certain lines of railway;
but he has just notified that he cannot accept the in-
vitation before the end of the month of August ; and,
in consequence of this. the department of public
works has engJered Mr. Gooch, another English en-
giner, to go to Switzerland in June.
The new Grand Council is convoked at Zurich for
the 23rd of this month.

GERMANY.

TILE CONGRESs AT BERLIN.

The Constitutionne,le Correspondeea ef the Lith
inst. gives a summary of the late transactions of
Le Berlin Congress of Princes. The negotiations
were chiefly. directed to establish three points,
viz. : —To limit, and consequently to create,
the functions of the President of the League;
to defino the position of the Board of Princes;
and to create the Cabinet of the League. As to the
relations of Prussia in her quality as President of
the League, they were fully diseus,ed on the occa-
sion of the debates on the military power of the
' League. A wish was expressed, and, as it appears,
seconded, by almost all the Prietes, that Prussia
should, before the publication of a definitive law
on the subject, take the lead of the military fcroes
of the League, and provide fur the recruiting
and the efficiency of the various cmtingents.
It was thought desirable that I'russis, instead
of concluding military conventions with the mi-
nor states, should make her army the com-
mon centre and model of the tro,ps of the
League. Meek le nb urg- S t rel z alone ;vote ed against
the sweeping character of these views, inasmuch as
they tended to abolish the m litary convention be-
tween Prussia and Mecklenburg-Strelitz, which the
latter power insisted on preserving inviolate.
With respect to the Board of Princes it was pro-
posed, on the strength of article 6 of the Additional
Act, to establish that board on a bro.lder basis by the
creation of " cur:as," so as to cause a distribution
of votes, according to which Prussia should ccunt
as one, Saxony as half, and thee other states of
the second curia as half; Hanover half: and
the other states of the third curia halt ; Baden,
as the fourth curia, is to have one vote, as well u
Electoral Hessen and the other states of the fifth
curia. But the most impor ant question relates to
the creation of the Cabinet of the League, and on this
question there are two conflicting views. Baden and
some other states are of opinion that this is not the
time C:r the creation of a separate and responsible
Cabinet for the League. They protest that the
original treaty of the 26th of Mar, 1319, ought to bo
adhered to, according to which document the
League ought to comprise all Germany, with the
sole exception of the German provinces of Austria.
Baden protests that the league ought not to be hur-
ried into a definitive conclusion; for, if this were done,
the German states which have rot yet joined it would
be effectually prevented from taking that step. The
prolongation of a state of transition is thus advocated,
with a view to the confirmation and extension of the

league.
The Prussian view:of this queston is in favour of the
appointment of at least one minister for home affairs,
acd eventually of two other ministers for war and
finance. This view is supported by the evident pre-
cariousness of the position of Prussian functionaries,
who, as such, would undertake to administer to the
stfiirs of the League, and who would be a prey to all
kinds of suspicions as to the ultimate intentions of
the Prussian government Acting up to this view,
Prussia has declared that the minister for home
atfsirs ought not to be• a Prussian functionary.
AUSTRIA.

VIENNA, 11[.+i' 1:.

Telegraphic advice' announce the arrival of the
Emperor and suite at Laibech on Friday evening,
where he was met by Field-marshal Prince Radeteki
and General Bendel-. The former bad travelled ex-
pri ss from Milan to meet the Emperor. The journals
devote columns to accounts of the rejoicings, illumi-
nations, festal arches, deputations, and add•essca with
which the emperor has been received at the various
stations en route. In Gratz the Emperor was wel-
comed by his uncle, the Archduke John, who reside.
there. While in Gratz his Majesty was overtaken
by a special courier with despatches, said to have
come from Prussia, on the German question.