The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-03-12 00:00:00

APRIVAL OF THE BLACKWALL.

The Blackwall has arrived in the Downs, from
Melbourne, with 80,678 ounces of gold. Her dates
have been anticipated.

FOREIGN INTELLIG ENCE

FRANCE.

PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING.
There was no Neufchatel Conference to-day,
and I believe no day is fixed for the next meeting.
Tt is much to be feared that the King of Prussia
is again suffering under an attack of his old
malady of vacillation. M. de Hatzfeld says he
is waiting for instructions, or for an answer to
his despatch communicating the fact of the
Plenipotentiaries having proposed the renun-
ciation of the sovereignty in Neufchatel as
the base of negotiations. M, de-Hatzfeld seemed
as if that fact was then for the first time
known to him, whereas, from the long corre.
spondence that had previously taken place, he
as well as everybody else, had long been aware of
it. An understanding was originally come to that
all diff,Tenees should be previously arranged by
means of diplomacy, so that when the Plenipoten-
tiaries met it should be as a matter of form, and
merely to sign conventions or protocols. Since
then new difficulties have arisen which rendered
so speedy a solution impossible ; and though an
arrangement without an appeal to arms is still very
probable, yet I fear much more time will be con-
sumed in effecting it than was supposed.

With respect to the terms of our treaty with
Persia, it was said erroneously, as I am given to
understand, that Persia recognised purely and
simply the independence of Herat. What Persia
agreed to do was to restore Herat to the reigning
Prince, on condition of his ex,cuting in future the
conditions on which his ancestors obtained the

sovereignty of it. The city of Herat and its terri-
tory were given to the family of Suddozees in 1711
by Nadir Shah, in recompense for the great services
rendered by the chief of that family to him during
his campaign in India. Among the conditions
imposed at that period on the Suddozees, and
which are binding on their successors, is that of
recognizing the Shah of Persia as spiritual pro.
teeter of the Mussulmans of the sect of Ali ; and
the late war is attributed to the persecution by
the Prince of Herat of these sectarians. But the
Shah of Persia will have no right or power in the
government or the administration of Herat ; he
will merely preserve his character of religious
protector of the dissenting Mussulmans of Herat.
and whatever influence he may retain is exclu-
sively in that capacity.
It appears that the Sultan, who had already
made a present to the Emperor Napoleon of the
church of the Nativity at Jerusalem, has, in order
to render the gift complete, also given him the old
palace of the Knights' of St. John of Jerusalem,
which is annexed to St. Peter's prison. The Greeks
had long ‘plieited the same building. These ruins
have been surrendered to France on the ground of
her considering herself as the representative of
Catholic interests in the East.
A letter, dated St. Petersburgh, the 2nd instant,
announces that Prince Gortschakoff had read with
surprise the despatch addressed by Count Buol to
Count Paar, by him to be communicated to Count
Cavour. The Prince observed that he could not
understand the conduct of the Austrian Govern-
ment, nor could he approve of it. The Debat3
considers that it is probable the Cabinet of St.
Petersburg will unite with the British and French.
Governments in representing to the Emperor of
Austria that he ought not to
:pursue further his
demands against the Sardinian Government, and
that consequently Count Buol will stop short in the
course he was pursuing. News had been received at
St. Petersburg from the Caucasus, where an expedi-
tion on a grand scale was being prepared against the
great Tchetna tribes. There had been some skir-
mishes between the Russians and the Lesghians.
The Russians had occupied the defiles on the Persian
frontiers, and were preparing an expedition against
the Turcomans. The Emperor Nicholas had ap-
pointed a commission to examine and report as to
what improvements might be introduced in the
existing military system. General Plantin is
named President of the commission, and the Grand
Dukes Nicholas and Michael are among the
members. The steam fleet at Cronstadt had been
increased since the peace by nine frigates, 12
corvettes, and 100 gun boats.
A letter from Parma of the Ist inst., states that
the Carnival in that city was but a dull affair, the
public being more occupied with serious subjects.
After the departure of the Austrians, which was
ardently desired by the entire population, it was
hoped that the Grand Duchess Regent would have
published a complete amnesty. The people saw
with deep disappointment a proclamation which
aggravated rather than mitigated the sentence of
imprisonment passed on many political prisoners
by converting it into banishment to America.