Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-06-22 00:00:00

THE EXPECTED BATTLE.

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We read in the Nord of yesterday :
"We are on the eve of great events. The two armies
are -face to face. All the corps of the Austrian army are
coucentrating upon the line of the Mincio. The provinces
Of the empire have been denuded of troops, and the last
Nurans are arriving by forced marches upon the scene of
the contest. The Austrian army has chosen its position ;
It occupies a line on the other side of the Chiese, the centre
Of 'which rests upon the heights of Castiglione, before
Peschiera; the right wing extends to Lonato ; the left to
eastel-Goffredo On the 17th the Emperor Francis reviewed
the'twe corps d'armee encamped at Lonato.
t." The allied armies follow the enemy step by step, com-
'lining their movements. It is possible that the pivot of
their position will be the bourg of Monte Chiaro, evacuated
precipitately by the Austrian rear guard A French corps
is advancing by forced marches in the Valteline, where the
Austrians made a feint of descending from Bormio to
threaten the rear of the allied armies.

"The'` ground chosen by the Austrians for accepting
battle has been well studied by their generals; these posi-
tions served habitually for the grand manceuvres of the
.autumn. The latter fact is not ignored at the French
head-quarters, and precautions have been taken accordinly.

"The game then will be played with equal chances
a tereible game—without precedent in the military history

of modern times."

The Nord also says

" The day before yesterday Wince Napoleon was to enter
Modena.

" By this time the military oparations have commenced
in the Adriatic upon the coasts of Dalmatia.

"It is stated that the Austrians, while the French army
marches to the Mincio, wish to direct a body of 50,000 men
by the Tyrol upon Milan, but it is not very likely the Aus-
trian generals will try one of these bold manoeuvres to which
they are so little accustomed. In any case precautions
have been taken." _

COUNT CAVOUR ON THE
AUSTRIAN ATROCITIES.

The following is the text of a circular just ad-
dressed by Count Cavour to all the Ministers and
repiesentatives of Sardinia abroad, presenting in an
(}faeial form intelligence which has already appeared
letters of " special correspondents" with the
allied armies

" TURIN, June 12.

creiv.
'Kf'd
Tgje",

" Sir,—lna previous circular despatch I had the honour
of .making known to the legations of his Majesty, the
act, of spoliation of which the Austrian army was guilty in
the Sardinian provinces that it occupied. I ought now to
1-nforpi you that a judicial investigation has been ordered
by the government into this matter. It will prove that
.11-astria has brutally violated the laws of war, and that the
conduct of her troops is not that which distinguishes civi-
lised nations. The results of this inquiry will be commu-
nicated at the proper time to the legations. But there is
now a fact just legally verified by the judicial authorities,
and which I' ought to" point out to the indignation of the
cabinets throug,hout Europe. Published by the press, it.
Would perhaps not be believed ; the government ought,
itself to make it known, and guarantee its exact truth.
" On the 20th of May, the very day of the battle .at
Montebello, about eleven in the forenoon, some Austrian
'troops were encamped on the heights of Torricella, a small
"'lmmune in the province Voghera. A-Patrol having met
en the road the bailiff of the tribunal, and having compelled
/aim to act as a guide, entered the village, and went into the

house of a farmer named Cignoli. There, after a strict
search in every part of the building, the soldiers ordered all
the members of the Cignoli family, and every other indivi-
dual happening to be present in the farm-yard, to follow

" The search had enabled them to discover in the house
a small leathern bottle containing a very small quantity of
shot for a fowling-piece. . _

"The persons arrested were to the number-of nine, viz :
Peter Cignoli, aged 68 ; Antony Cignoli, aged 50 ; Jerome
Cignoli, aged 36 ; Charles Cignoli, aged 19 ; Bartholomew
Cignoli, aged 17; Antony Setti, aged 26 ; Gaspard Biecardi,
aged 48 ; Hermenegild San Pellegrin, aged 40 ; Louis
Achille, aged 18. There were, it will be seen, an old man
of 60 years and a child of 14.
" The patrol conducted them to the presence of the
Austrian commander, who was on the main road, on horse-
back, in the midst of his troops.

" Having exchanged a few words in German with the
soldiers who had escorted the prisoners, the commander told
the bailiff, who had served as guide, to remain where he
was; he then orderd the nine unfortunate peasants, who
could not make themselves understood and who were
g in every limb, to go down into a path on one side
of the road; they had taken but a few steps when the

tremblin

commander gave to a platoon drawn up on the road the
signal to fire.

"Eight of those unfortunate persons fell instantly dead ;
the old Cignoli, mortally wounded, gave no sign of life.
The Austrian troops resumed their march, and the com-
mander; turning to the bailiff, told him he might go ; and,
to prevent his being arrested by the troops still in the
neighbourhood, gave him a card which, in case of need, he
was to produce, and which would serve him as a safe-
conduct.

"This card was a visiting one, which bore under a count's

coronet, this name

" LIEUTENANT FIELD-MARSRAL Ti
" This card is attached to the back of the official

RBAN.'

document of inquiry

" Some time after, the inhabitants approached the spot
where this frightful butchery had been enacted. Old
Cignoli, who had regainad his senses, was conveyed to the
hospital of Voghera, where he died five days later.
" Such enormities require no commentary. That was an
assassination as cowardly as it was atrocious, 'similar
examples of which could at most be found among barbarians
and savages.
" You are requested, sir, to communicate this despatch

to the -Minister of Foreign Affairs of the government to
which you are accredited, and I beg you at the same time
to accept the fresh assurances of my most distinguished

consideration."

FRANCE.

PARIS, Monday.—We are in daily expectation of
news of a battle on the Mincio—a great battle,
which, if lost by the Austrians, may hasten the
solution of the great question at issue, and dissipate
the delusion that they can continue to hold Lombardy
as before. The famous fortresses will, we are told,
not long stand out against the rifled cannon- ; at
least, such is the opinion expressed by persons who,
were not their national feelings enlisted, would be
very good authority on such a question. Should a
battle, then, be ldst by the Austrians on the Mincio,
it is thought, or hoped, that the Neutral Powers may
try to bring about an armistice, with a view to an
ulterior grrnngement. There nrevarions versions, or
rather conjectures, as to the nature of this arrange-
ment. One is that Austria will be induced to abandon
her claim to Lombardy, which will be annexed
to Piedmont, and that Venice will be declared a free
city, With a portion of territory, as far as the limit
of Lombardy. In this manner the north of Italy
would be rescued from the Austrians from the
Mediterranean to the Adriatic. There are various
other plans spoken of, perhaps with no greater
foundation. The attention of everybody is fixed on
the expected battle of the Mincio—the Mincio, which
is regarded as the rubicon of the modern Caesar.. In
the meantime some uneasiness prevails here in con-
sequence of the accounts received:from Berlin that
the remainder of the Prussian army had been called
into active service. Advices from the same place of
the 16th speak of the departure fixed for the next
day for Paris of the Prussian Minister at this Court.
M. Pourtales' late movements have excited a good
deal of curiosity, and given rise to variety of
reports, such as his having left for the head-quarters
of the Emperor of Austria, at another time for those
of .the Emperor of the French. It is now said that
he is the bearer of a note to the French Govern-
ment on the serious consequences that might follow
if the territory of the Confederation were menaced.
Whether this be the case or not, the attitude of
Prussia is giving cause for reflection and anxiety,
though she may do little in the way of action—not
more than Austria in the Crimea. The camp of
Chalons is reported as being on the point of breaking
up, and the troops sent to Italy. The apprehensions
about Austria, however, may prevent this displace-
ment. A detachment of Austrian prisoners have
arrived at Laval, in the Mayenne, among whom are
two lieutenants of the 45th Infantry (Segismond's),
two lieutenants of the 46th (Jellachich's), one lieu-
tenant of the 37th (Archduke Joseph's) ; those offi-
cers, who appear to be well educated, express their
gratitude for the cordial reception they have met
in France. From
yt r aa pst, risoners
s otnheeri sr
was remarked that they are
way to Toulouse. It
passed through Montpe
500lltieor o6loloFrAidusa
They willingly ac-
It is said that a
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number of Austrian prisoners are to be sent to
Algeria. Three of the Paris journals give long
descriptions of the well-known square of fortresses
belonging to Austria beyond the Mincio, and in-

quire in what manner the Franco-Piedmontese troops
will endeavour to cross that river and attack the
Austrian troops at the other side.