The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-12 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

BERLIN', June 9.—The following particulars, as
derived from the Preussiche Correspondenz, will
serve to show what amount of profit has accrued
to the Zollverem, and through it to Prussia, in
consequence of the accession of trade produced by
the diversion of Russian trade to Prussian ports :
"Russia's main articles of export are, as is well known,
grain, seed for crushing, flax, hemp, timber, tallow, and
copper ; that is to say, articles whose large bulk in pro-
portion to their value renders water carriage essential.
As Russia is, moreover, ill provided with roads, it is
easily comprehensible that the export trade of that cowl-
' try almost exclusively avails itself of inland navigation,
and for the most part finde its way to the Prussian
Baltic ports. The Niemen conveys to Memel and
Konigsberg the products of the Governments of
Wilna and Grodno, and the northern part of Russian
Poland, as well as, by means of the Oginski Canal,
those of the Governments of Minsk, Mohileff, Tscher-
nigoff, Kieff, and Pultowa. Along the water line of
the Vistula, together with its tributaries, the Nareff
and the Bug the export of the greatest part of Russian
Poland, as well as of the Government of Volbynia
and Podolia, is effected at Dantzic. From the western
portion of Poland merchandise finds its way along the
Warthe into the Oder, and thence to the sea at Stettin.
There is thus an area of 11,000 geographical miles, or
about the 10th part of Russia in Europe, which by the
necessities of its position is at all times dependent on
the ports of Prussia for the export of its products.
" It is almost impossible to arrive with anything like
certainty at the extent of the Russian transit trade in
Prussia. Of the articles above-mentioned there is a con-
siderable quantity produced in the Prussian Baltic pro-
vinces, and in Galicia. Of the whole quantity exported
from the harbours of the Baltic, only such articles are
susceptible of a proof of their origin, whether as Russian,
Prussian, or Austrian, as are subjected to Customs' re-
vision on passing the Prussian frontier, as for instance,
tallow, copper, and partly grain ; while on the other
hand, seed for crushing, flax, hemp, and timber are free
of all
.revision from the time of their crossing the
frontier.
The experts of the above-mentioned produce from the
Prussian Baltic ports during the last two years aro as
. follows :

1853. 1854
Flax, hemp, tow, and hards (cwts) 238,746 ... 1,386,814
Grain, all sorts (bushels)
Oil for crushing (cwts)
Timber—logs
Timber—planks, boards, laths,
ship lasts
Copper
Tallow
"The increase in flax, hemp, and tallow is consider
able, and yet it does not amount to one-half of the ex-
port which, before the war' took place from the neigh-
bouring, ports of Russia, Libau, Riga, Pernau, Revel,
and St. Petersburg. From the above tabular statement
it will be evident that the increased export from the
Prussian Baltic ports is no newly-acquired commerce,
but is only the development of commercial relations of
long standing, the activity of which depends on a variety
of conjunctures.
" As regards the suppos.ed profit made by Prussia out of
the increased traffic in her Baltic ports, an increase of
about 1,500,000 cwt. on the exports can hardly be any-
, thing very momentous, according to British ideas of
over-sea trade. Russian flax pays five silver groschens
(6d.), and Russian tallow three-and-a-half silver gros-
chens (4d.) per cat. The increase of export of these
two articles in 1854 brought into the Treasury of the
Zollverein something less than 250,000 thalers, of ~hick
amount, after deducting the shares of the other States,
about the half falls to Prussia, say 18,750."
Two fresh incidents have contributed within the
last few days to exacerbate still more the feeling,
here that was already bitter enough against Aus-
tria. The first is, that in spite of Austria's having
addressed a special note to Prussia on the 17th ult.,
to request her not to make any motion at the Build
to take into consideration the bait lately thrown
out by Russia, nevertheless, the note of the
25th, in which Austria lays down the course
sho shall take after her proposals have been re-
jected by the Western Powers has not been de-
livered to this Cabinet. The other is the circum-
stance that a Bohemian Catholic priest, who had
lately resided a short time in Prussia for the pur-
pose of entering tho Protestant Church, and had
complied with all the requirements of the Austrian
lawon the subject, has been treated with an amount
of cruelty and injustice, which will go far to eclipse
the Madiai case. He was fetched by police agents
at night out of bed and out of his parents' house at
Prosnitz (in Moravia), and escorted back to his
former monastery' in Prague. As neither promises
nor threats were effectual in prevailing on him to
return to the " true" fold, his sufferings in his
prison there were gradually but regularly increased;
this torture being epa'lly ineffectual, the monks
at length pronounced him insane, and confined him
with divers madmen in a dungeon close to the sewer
of the building, where he still lies.