The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-15 00:00:00

of the other, and therefore, if Prussia so chose, she
raight neutralise the intentions of Austria and pre-
vent her from making war upon Russia. Austria
will not yield to this, and it is expected that the
fear of isolation 'will at length overcome the last:
scruples of Prussia,' and induce her to ratify the
Convention as at first set forth.
A Berlin letter dated April 11, says :—" The
history of the present treaty of alliance, offensive
and defensive, between Austria and Prussia, which
was provisionally concluded here last Friday, but
has since met, with some objections at Vienna as
regards certain military stipulations, may be traced
thus :--Prussia, after rejecting the overtures of
the Western Powers in February of this year, and
the second edition of them as published by Austria
in the beginning of March, began soon to feel
sensible of the dangers of isolation ; for it was evi-
dent that Austria did not intend to be held back
by Prussia's determined neutrality; and that, if
the latter would not go forward with the former,
the former would not wait any longer for the
latter, but would proceed to occupy Servia, &c.,
as soon as she could arrange matters with the
Western Powers and the Porte. A despatch sent
from here to Graf Arnim at Vienna, under date of
March 6, runs pretty nearly thus :—The measures
that Austria had taken for the protection of her
interests on her south-eastern frontier had been
followed with interest here. Prussia would, it was
true, like the rest of the German States, have to
observe the particular position she should take up,
but this should offer no hindrance to her coming
to an understanding with Austria. On the con-
trary, Prussia was quite ready and willing to come
to some understanding, as far as the protection of
German interests was concerned. Information
was therefore requested-1, whether Austria in-
tended, for the preservation of the tranquillity of
her own provinces, to occupy the adjacent Turkish
territories ? or, 2, whether she intended to hold
them as a pledge until peace was attained ? or, 3,
whether she intended to take an active part in the
war ? According as the answers to these questions
turned out, Priissia would be in a position to judge
how far the prote,ction of German interests was con-
cerned in Austria's programme, and if she could in
any way contribute to alleviate the pressure that
might possibly be put upon Austria by the Western
Powers. It was with the hope of turning this slight
demonstration of goodwill towards a bolder policy,
that Baron von Hess has been sent here, after
some considerable time had been lost in fruitless
diplomatic correspondence. On the first two, the
defensive points, and the mutual assurance of each
other's territory, if attacked, a perfect understanding
has been attained, but the points on which fresh
instructions have been sent for to Vienna, and to
which Austria has already objected, are those in
which the cases are defined, in which an offensive
action of Austria against Russia would destroy her
claim to Prussia's assistance. This latter is gua-
ranteed for a variety of conjunctures in which
Austria may find her own and Germany's interests
so jeopardised as imperatively to require her to
assume an offensive attitude ; but the result of the
co-operation of the two military diplomatists so
frequently alluded to has been to introduce some
stipulations on this head to which, as already men-
tioned, Austria has objected. This opposition on
the part of Austria will, .I expect, have the result
that these over scrupulous and considerate stipu-
lations will be withdrawn, and that the co-operation
of the gentlemen above alluded to will in future
be as entirely a nonentity as the organs of the
party would make the public believe it has been
from the beginning. As an evidence of a more
wholesome appreciation of the position, I have
telegraphed to you to-day that a commission was
formed yesterday for the purpose of deliberating
on and settling the military details of the treaty
with Austria, composed of the Prince of Prussia,
General Bonin, the Minister of War, and General
Reyher, the chief of the general staff. These are
theimen who are entitled by birth and by office to
take part in such weighty deliberations at such an
important juncture. Taken in connexion with the
signing of the last Vienna protocol,' the conclu-
sion of the treaty with Austria, the vote of the
Chambers, and the continuation in office of the two
Ministers who had made the signing of the protocol
a cardinal question by which they would stand or
fall, we may now confidently consider that Prussia
is fairly embarked in an onward course of Euro-
pean co-operation opposed to the grasping policy
of the Court of St. Petersburg. General von
Lindheim has returned here from St. Petersburg
without bringing any fresh proposals, and Prince
George of Mcklenburg, who has returned hither
from Neu Strelitz, leaves here again for St. Peters-
burg next Thursday or Friday, without taking
with him anything like overtures or proposals, as
far as I have heard. The Duke of Saxe-Coburg
has on several occasions expressed a desire, as soon
as Prussia proceeds to any active military opera-
tions, to be invested with a command. The gene-
ral promotion in the army which usually takes
place at the Ordensfest, but was put off this year
in the anticipation of a more fitting opportunity
occurring soon,"will now very shortly be published.
A similar movement may also be expected in the ;
civil service."

TURKEY IN ASIA.
The following is from Erzeroum, dated Feb. 28
..‘‘ Owing to the still continued severity of the
weather impeding all military operations, I have
thought that a short account of this important
place, so little known in Europe, may not be alto-
gether uninteresting, particularly as it is probable
that Armenia and ars will be the theatre of a
sharp struggle in the coming spring and summer.
The Pashalic or Ayalet of Er-ze-Room (" Land
of the Greeks," in the Turkish language) ranks, in
point of importance, among the first of the Turkish
empire. It is governed by a Vizier, whose autho-
rity extends over the sanjaks or provinces of Erze-
roum, Tchilder, Kars, Bayazid, Van, and Moosh,
containing, altogether, a population estimated
roughly at 800,000 souls. The province of Erze-
romn is divided into 14 " cazas," or districts, con-
taining in all about 1,500 villages. It is impossible,
in this country, to obtain correct statistical infor-
mation, because the Government is indifferent to
the subject, and also because the natives are too
ignorant to afford it, or those who can do so, fear-
ing that it might be used to their prejudice, mis-
lead inquirers by erroneous statements. It is there-
fore impossible to state accurately the population
of the town of Erzeroum, but it may be estimated
as follows :

Turks
Orthodox Armenians
Catholic Armenians
Persians
Greeks
Russian subjects, consisting principally of
Armenians and a few Georgians and Jews 1,200

Total inhabitants
Add garrison force at the present moment 10,000