The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-01-10 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, JAN. 7.
The little information that is to be picked up
here about .the progress of the Neuchatel negocia.
tions is, although indistinct, of a decidedly
improved pacific character. The theatre of these,
negocations is exclusively Paris, and the reasons,
given for more confidently expecting a peaceful
solution of the difficulty are not of a nature to be
particularly agreeable to Fni.3lish ears. In the
first place, it seems to be pretty evident that the
Swiss will have to give way as regards the
preliminary stipulation of the liberation of the
prisoners ; in the second, the Emperor Louis
Napoleon is described as giVing himself a great
deal of trouble to bring the matter to a settlement,
and as having already communicated to Count
Hatzfeld, the Prussian Minister in Paris, his
confident hope and expectation that his exertions
would be crowned with success; and, thirdly, last
not least, that our Government and diplomates
have withdrawn from taking any prominent part in
the matter.

There is a version in circulation here as to the
flying visit lately paid to this Court by Mr. Fay, the
American Minister in Berne, which is probably
not far from correct. According to it he arrived
hereon the last evening of the year, accompanied
by Count Muline, a nobleman of one of the
highest patrician families in Berne, for the purpose
of striving after means for arranging the difficulty
with Switzerland. The mission was one undertaken
by, both gentlemen of their own accord, and partook
in no degree- of an official 'character. The result of
an audience which they had of the King in the
presence of Baron von Manteuffel was that the
King assured them that in the present stage of the
affair the point of honour was the only point at
issue on the side of Prussia, and that nothing could
satisfy this but an unconditional and preliminary
liberation of the prisoners ; but that as
.soon as
thiS satisfaction had' been given he would be ready
to show his genorsity, and would then be
willing to release the, Principality of Neuchatel
from its dependence on the Crown of Prussia. A

letter from Berne, in the Frankfort. Pos- tun;
states that Mr. Fay had returned from Berlin
highly satisfied with his trip ; at the same time, it
states very distinctly that this mission bore nothing
of an official character, but was one undertaken
solely at the dictates of a hearty desire to be of
good service-to both countries. This declaration
of the King, which we need have no difficulty in
assuming to have been really made, does not ad-
vance the matter much farther than it was before ;
those who know the King believe that he would be
willing .to act very frankly and generously by
Neuchatel if the Swiss will give in on the one paint
that he insists on, and so spare him the necessity
of resorting to military measures ; but, at the same
time, it does not supply what the Swiss seek to
obtain, viz., a valid security that he will act up to
these good intentions promptly and fully.
It is our duty in politics to know what are the
sentiments of a people towards its ruler, present or
future, I shall be justified in adding a few particu
lars to my late narrative of the grand doings that
distinguished the Prince of Prussia's Jubilee on
New Year's Day. In addition to the cost of the
silver and gold helmet, the contribution from -the
Land wehr covers a sum of 14,000 thalers, which is
to be appropriated to the maintenance of old
invalided veterans, with the liberty of nomination
vested in the Prince. Other contributions to the
extent of 6,000 thalers had been sent to His Royal
Highness for this purpose, so that in the total
20,000 thalers form the capital that this new fund
commences with. The Aachen Munchener Fire In-
' surance Company put also 5,000 thalers at the
Prince's disposal for any charitable purpose he
might select. The two representative bodies of this
municipality (aldermen and common councillors)
voted also 2,000 thalers, to be distributed among
old veterans in honor of the occasion. The Pots-
dam municipality voted 1,000 thalers as an addi.
tional contribution to the fund they had raised at
the Prince's silver wedding, under the name of the
" Wilhelm Augusten-Stiftung." These exhibitions
of liberality have an unusual worth, because the
nation is far from rich, and it is not the fashion to
print a list of the subscribers in any journal of
world wide circulation; it is a very high tribute

a.
indeed in a country where Princes are plenty an
pennies are few.

PROCLAMATION OF THE FEDERAL;
COUNCIL .OF.. SWITZERLAND TO THE'
SWISS PEOPLE.

Dear and Faithful Confederates—On the nirernio
of S eptember 3, last year, Switzerland'W-aS surprise
in the midst of peace 'by-the. news, equally strange.
and unexpected, that a royalist conspiracy ht.
broken out in the canton of Neuchatel. " Hower
incredible this news might appear, it neverthcle
was only too true.
A band of partisans of the old order. of thing'
had, during the night, taken possession of the et!'
arid the edifice in which the government of Ne
chatel holds its sittings. The members -014181
State Council had themselves been arrested, 01
the re-establishment of the old order of thing
set aside for the last nine years, was announced W
a proclamation.
As might have been foreseen, this insurrection'
„-Lich had not the slightest chance of success, ifttl
stifled in its birth. When the great majority t)i,
the inhabitants of the canton of Neuchatel
recovered from their surprise, the citizens of
, parties in the canton collected under the rep" b'
, lican banner; and even before the Confederatioo
could interfere, the phantom of a restoration of
principality of Neuchatel and Valangin had o'.
appeared, and the constitutional state of thing
was re-established.
The Federal. Assembly of the Confederatiev;
duly appreciating' the high significance of all;
manifestation, and, making itself the organ °
popular'opinion, resolved, by an unanimous vntei
on the 26th of September, that the republicans 0
the canton of Neuchatel had deserved well, 11°1
only of their own canton,.but of all Switzerland. ,
The victory obtained on the :4th of Septeutbe;'
over the royalists was characterised by clemene•,
and moderation. The_greater portion of tfe
prisoners were set at liberty very shortly after to;
commencement. of the inquiry, and the leaders°
the insurrection, who_ are now in a state of confiner
merit, were treated with all possible humanity.
Switzerland, however, soon found herself expo,
to demands, made upon her with no other. mots
than that of nullifying the -judicial inquiry 0131
preventing the punisment of the guilty, A 5
recognition of -the King of Prussia's rights ej 01 Neuchatel, was demanded- the immediate 013
unconditional liberation of all the prisoners. ko
We eonsidered.that.it was out 'of' our power.%
accede to those demands, without at the mime noli
• renouncing the nation's rights of sovereignty, an ,
without sanctioning the principle that it is len',
for a party to disturb the public peace with inito;
nity, 'and to overthrow in any one canton t'Lli
constitution and constitutional order guarantel
,by all the other cantons as well as by the Fedelvl
Charter.
For the duo understanding of the peculiar arli
complicated relations in which , the country
Neuchatel existed during a number of years,
necessary to give a rapid glance at the rece"
history of this country.
By the treaty of May 19, 1815, the canton
Neuchatel was, in the capacity of a sovereigti:
state, incorporated with Switzerland, and-its rigkool
.and duties were to be identical with those of well
remaining cantons. In return certain rights
that country, reserved by other European trestle;
remained with' the King of Prussia, who had beewP.
in 170 T, elected Prince of Neuchatel&
The Unnatural state of things created by
double position of canton and principality g' 01
manifested before long in- several 'instances; °to
on more than one occasion attempts were made
,bring under relations to the Confederation 10to
rational,- a eanton, the development of which 0';
constantly impeded by the inconvenience attendint
this double position.
These attempts met with the desired result o
cull
a!
in 1848. The people at that time knew hO5
make use of their- right to constitute themseiri
freely; by adopting the form, and giving them seive
,
the republican constitution, which was fully gas
ranteed by all the states of the Confederation.
,01
More than once since that period the fed,elor,
authority has endeavoured to come to an tinu'.
standing through the medium of friendly negoi,.jloit
tions with his Majesty the King of Prussia, but
these efforts failed owing to the pretension set 'ld
that the old order of things should before eve D,
thing be re established, a requirement that we coti,„g
not countenance in any event:without repudiat'd,"
the canton of.Neufchatel froin our union, and
pudiating also the principles of the new- fede'
constitution.
Such was the state of things when a solution Q.(
the difficulty, which-sould not be obtained i 0 f
Iriendly . manner, was on the 3rd of Septernu`
attempted by violence.
However disposed one might be to regret
eg
fate of men who by rash zeal and chimerical 110,1
had suffered themselves to
.be led
.on to conOto
such..an: act of . violence, it -was not pbssible
interfere with the course of judicial proceedingb,
and as it were to sanction for a certain party' 1,
the unconditional liberation of the insurgents,
privileged right to insurrection.
• Although the rights of sovereignty possessed b,91
the Confederation and' the Canton of Neuchit,'`e
did -not allow us to take into consideration t"0
pretensions that had been raised, nevertheless sisie
manifested our serious intention of setting -b;
prisoners at liberty, provided a single conditio3
was fulfilled towards Switzerland. We declare
ourselves ready to grant the liberty of the prisoner' -
in case the liberation of the Canton of NeuelleA,
from every foreign tie should be acknowledgi)
thus puttingan end to a state of things which
every day showed itself to be more and ra°'
untenable.
We declared ourselves ready to meet half Nat
any negotiation that should be calculated to brino
about the independence of 'Neuchatel. That 'co
might not wound, even in the slighest degree, tlici
susceptibilities of the adverse party, we declare;
besides our .readiness to take into.considerati°o,
the proposals of mediation made by other powero
The course taken in these long negotiations 1156
been correctly and fully explained in our mesasts
to the Federal Assembly, and the Swiss pert
will, as impartial history likewise will do hereaftco'
give us their testimony that we have refused It
means in our endeavours to bring the dispute to
an advantageous and pacific result.
All these efforts which evince our good will 1111,1
loyalty have hitherto failed, owing to the dews'
made for the preliminary and unconditional liber,gi
tion of the prisoners—a demand to which we eon' j
not submit without humiliating Switzerland 00
impairing her honour.
When our situation became more difficult, ins
our adversary prepared to support his pretensi°'d
by force of arms, it appeared to us that it was tio33
to appeal to the representatives of the nation, and
• learn from them whether the Federal Council 139
or had not acted in accordance with the nations
opinion. •
On the 30th of December the Federal Assen3bll
unanimously passed the following resolutions :
Art. 1. In order to effect a pacific solution :ii
the Neuchatel question, the Federal Council
continue to do its part, as it has hitherto done, I,
the adoption of all or any means compatible Nvi
the honour and dignity of Switzerland, and in''„ 13
10(
as may he fitting for procuring the recognition ,
the independence of Neuchatel from every foreigi
tie.

"Art. 2. The military levies orderedby ,ho
Federal Council, and likewise the other measure
it has taken, are approved.
" The Federal Council is empowered to proviZ
for all ulterior arrangements deemed necessarY7,7„
the defence of the country to the last extrenwoit
in case an -honourable and pacific solution cavil
be obtained.
"An unlimited credit is opened to defray tba
expenses.

Art 3. The Federal Council is authorised to ot
negotiate and conclude definitively, on an Roo°
the Confederation, the necessary Mew..
"Art. 4. The Federal Council is commissiogeo
to make these propositions known through tll
proper channels to the cantons and the SW'''
people."
In order to be ready for all contingencies)