The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-13 00:00:00

According to all accounts affairs are progressing
most satisfactorily regarding the Congress at Frank-
fort, which is fixed to take place on the 16th of
this month. The Emperor of AUSTRIA has worked
wonders so far, and it is to be hoped that he will
go on prospering in his good work, and by uniting
divers interests and joining severed links in unity,
he may succeed in his grand design and realiee his
noble project of rehabilitating the state of Germany.
Of course there have been some contretemps to en-
counter, and some difficulties that would not be
surmounted, but that is to be expected in the
natural order of things when an important national
undertaking is set on foot, and where so many
rivalries and jealousies are perforce awakened. The
King of PRUSSIA has evidently aspired to the
honour of becoming the Marplot on this grand
decision, and is determined that if any progress is
made no one shall say that it is his fault, or that he
bad any share in the plot or plan. The interview
between the Sovereigns at Gastein, from which
event so much was expected to accrue, and of
which so many beneficial results were predicted,
seems to have been a failure. Count BISMARK is
certainly King WILLIAM'S evil genius, he haunts
him like a shadow, and is ever on the spot to do
away with any good impressions made by others
and to insinuate his own views in contradistinction
to the opinions of new and better advisers. The
EMPEROR, it i 3 said, invited the KING personally
to attend the Congress. This circumstance
certainly renders the refusal the more
ungracious, and gives a more marked charac-
ter to the already too significant denial. Of course
in a verbal explanation so much more could be said
and treated of than in a stiff and formal dispatch, and
therefore it can be from no lack of comprehension
regarding the object and intentions of the EMPEROR
that the unwise and unexpected denial was uttered.
The excuse given for the KING'S absence is most
absurd, and of course M. BISMARK figures promi-
nently as the cause. He, it is said, desires the Mi-
nisters to have a conference before the Sovereigns
do so. If the object of this unexpected alteration in
the programme be to preclude the Prussian Minister
from using any power or exercising any influence
in the deliberations that take place, and the plans
that are resolved upon, certainly the resolution to
decline the invitation is a wise one, and likely to
prove conducive to happy results. It is to be pre-
sumed that the enlightened statesman whom some
doubtless consider as a heaven-born minister pri-
vileged to make or mar the fortunes of States, and
the arbiter to rule the destinies of princes, is highly
indignant at the want of respect and reverence
which has been shown to his demands, and the
ignoring of his request by other Powers. Aut
Cesar atzt Nail is his motto, and since he may not
bring his skill to their counsels, and exercise his
eloquence to rule their actions, he will have nothing
to do with the affAir, and uses his potent in-
fluence to bring his master to a wrong de-
cision, and thus an adverse course adopted.
It is very shortsighted, too, on the part 3f the KING
and his Minister not to seo.the grand chance they
are throwing away so recklessly, and the glorious
opportunity that may not occur again speedily, and
perhaps never in their lifetime. If Prussia now
draws back from this conference of nations she
will lose a place she may never afterwards regain,
and forfeit the chance of giving advice and impart-
ing influence on momentous occasions. It is stated
by the .Nord Zeitung that they are in a position
to declare totally devoid of foundation the
repotit circulated that " the CROWN PRINCE had been
summoned to Gastein for the purpose of proceeding
on a mission to the Congress of German Princes to
be held at Frankfort." It is most probable that
the denial is true, for it is to be feared that the
King of Pr.ussiA is not likely to choose his son as
his representative after the serious differences That
have taken place between them on the subject of
the changes that have been made in the constitution
of Prussia. In reality there could not be a better
envoy than the PRINCE, who appears duly impressed
with the importance of free institutions, and, so far
as can be gathered from his remarks en various

occasions, to entertain very correct notions re

garding the maintenance of popular rights,
However, it is not very likely, for that

very reason, that the CROWN PRINCE
will be selected as the representative of his country,
which had better not be represented at all if the
same misguided views and mischievous policy are
to rule and actuate her statesmen and be firmly
upheld by her King. It is said that the Emperor
of AUSTRIA is not influenced by personal desires of
ambition, but is solely actuated by the desire to
benefit Germany. It is to be hoped that this is the
case; and certainly, so far, he has shown a spirit
of firmness and an enlightened policy that do him
infinite credit. His desire to improve the condition
of Germany is the more remarkable when so much
confusion reigns in the councils of the surrounding
states, and in some places there are raging such

strife and anarchy. In Prussia, for instance, there
is an universal feeling of discontent now rife among
the people, and liable at any fresh provocation to

- -
entail serious consequences. Poland is in a de-

plorablo state; and the present condition of Rus.

Sian affairs is rife with discord, engaged as is the

Court of St. Petersburg in disputes with nearly all
the kingdoms of Europe. It is at this critical

,uncture that the Emperor of AUSTRIA seeks to

restore Germany to her pristine power. The

grandson of FRANCIS the Second endeavours to

renew some of the advantages and to revive the
greatness that has been decaying since his grand-
father resigned the Imperial crown of Rome. It is
Mated that th© object proposed by the Coufmnce

two millions and a quarter of acres, and to
bring a plentiful supply of water to Calcutta,
which by the provision of the necessary water power
will be raised to the highest biddings. This will
add but little to the expense as a supplement to the
original scheme, while its advantages to Calcutta
will be incalculable. The Oude project is still
larger and less expensive from the nature of the
country. The engineers calculate that they can
readily supply eight millions of acres in this pro-
vince, so that the whole area from Rohilcund to
the Ganges and the North-Western districts of
Bengal can be irrigated ayid their produce brought
down to Calcutta for export to the foreign markets
—a result equally encor,raging to British enterprise
and native industry. We arc not surprised from
Sir CHARLES WOOD'S general policy that while the
local authorities encourage the scheme, the Govern-
ment have as yet dune absolutely nothing with these
startling facts baf,Jre their eyes. The accouets
leave the subject out altogether, though their reve-
lations might convince the most sceptical. Such
perversity grad inaction have been the bane of India.
Why should ono of the largest and most important
of our Nssessions be governed according to preju-
dicehay: s u
bNmoi t
tceedl otnoy
spuecohp pled
rule,
by Ebnugt 1 i sahamv
aennt
awgoeu lids
taken of native ignorance and indolence. Such con-
e.uct is the more extraordinary from its financial ,
effects. Sir ARTHUR COTTON, in his able and in-
teresting address, to which we shall return at an
early oppportunity, gives what may be called a
Budget of the irrigation expenditure and profit,
whose "unanswerable logic of facts" does not reflect
very creditably on the India office or the Calcutta
authorities.