The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-24 00:00:00

SWITZERLAND.

The Diet has, up to this time, ♦oted the following
17 articles of the new Federal Pact :
" Art. 1. The population of the 22 sovereign cantons
of Switzerland, united by the present alliance, form to-
gether the Swiss Confederation.
"2. The object of the Confederation is to secure the
independence of the country against foreign aggression,
to maintain tranquillity and order at home, to protect the
liberty and rights of the people, and to increase their
common prosperity.
"3. The different cantons are sovereign, inasmuch as
that sovereignty does not infringe on the Federal Con-
stitution, and as such they exercise all the rights which
are not vested in the Federal Government.

___
" 4. All Swiss are equal in the eyes of the law. There
is no privilege of birth, person, or family.
"5. The Confederation guarantees to the different
cantons their territory and rights as fixed by article 3.
" 7. All separate alliances between different cantons is
prohibited; but they have a right to enter into conven-
tions among each other for legislative objects, provided
the same be submitted to and sanctioned by the federal
authority.

" 8. The Confederation alone has the right to declare
war and make peace, as well as to make treaties with
foreign states.
"9. Cantons may make treaties with neighbouring
states on local subjects provided they do not in any way
infringe on the power conferred on the federal govern-
ment.

" 11. Military capitulations are forbidden.
" 12. No members of the federal authority, or civil or
military functionaries, can receive any distinctions or
pensions from foreign governments.
"13. The Confederation cannot keep up a permanent
military establishment.
" 14. In case of any difference arising between the
cantons, it is to be settled according to the federal laws.
"15. In case of any danger from without, the threat.
ened canton is to apply for assistance to the Confedera-
tion, and to advise the Federal Government of the same.
The expenses are to be shared by the Confederation.
" 16. In cases of internal disorders i❑ a canton, an
immediate application is to be made to the Federal
Government, which will adopt the necessary measures
for their repression, and the cantons called on are to lend
their aid. The expenses are to be paid by the canton
requiring such assistance.
" 17. In a case arising as stated in the preceding arti-
cle, the cantons are to allow a free passage to the troops
marching to suppress the disorders."

ITALY.

TUSCANY, LOMBARDY, AND

VENICE.

The States of Massa Carrara, Lunigana, and Gar-
fagnana have declared in favour of a union with
Tuscany, and a decree to that effect has been pub-
lished at Florence.

The siege of I'eschiera still continues. The pro•
spects of the Italians in Lombardy and Venice are
somewhat clouded. The Constitutionnel gives the
following resume of the state of affairs in the North
of Italy :

"The Venetian provinces have but badly performed
the noble part which had been assigned them by recent
events, as the advanced guard of Italian independence
against the armies of Austria. We have, seen that the
Isonzo has not been defended. Udine yielded after a
few hours' weak resistance; Portogruaro, Pordenone,
Belluno, and Feltre surrendered without firing a shot.
Thus the line of the Tagliamento, and afterwards that of
the Piave, were delivered up to the enemy. General
Zucchi alone, shut up with 3,000 men in the fortress of
Palma Nova, maintains in that advanced post the honour
of Venice. The German journals, however, state, that
after having sustained a long bombardment, that place
is ready to surrender.
" Durando, who had advanced as far
as Bas sri
retired to Piazzola, to support Ferrari, wh fell
back o, h
oses
ATruesvtirsioa,eas t
on thheebeatthtlefeorfeed Coruthne line da./ieetvetrhtehepli;syse,
,theee
the road to Treviso, in spite of the resistance of some
a t
t a artillery
c keg, w
fheor
ees, were a f
toebrl i geepdi
ktion
g retire
t.h their
rbefores th . e solo e rtiho e
i
tlet,dthe
sAgurset inatin,s
eattacked
tTer
an
actionb
whichr
lasted
fn
ten hours.
the"
gßeetdeoeufbtss
thaTehbeemeene.raised
Theifinrfront
thoef
htheettetoriween,,snkeiair.
fully directed by the Milanese volunteers, threw disorder
into the Austrian ranks.
th e
second Three haoyrtthiees,lttahleisefirlsetgiboyn
the Milanese volunteers,
from Paris, amongst whom are a number of Frenchmen,
and the third by the Pontifical volunteers, completed
the discouragement of the assailants; in spite of this
advantage Ferrari felt that it would be impossible for
him to maintain himself at Treviso, and he therefore
concentrated his forces, amounting to 7,000 men, at
Mestre, a few miles from Venice. When there he re-
ceived orders to detach 3,000 men froni his force to pro-
tect Venice. Durando at the same time was requested
by the general in command at Venice to retreat on that
city, in order to secure it from a coup de main.
" If this news be correct, the road is perfectly opened
to Coant Nugent to effect a junction with Radetzky at
Verona unless the citizens of Trieste and Vicenza op-
pose his passage by a most desperate resistance.
" By sea Venice is still blockaded ; but the Adri-
atic is covered with friendly vessels. The Neapolitan
squadron, anchored at Ancona, has received orders to
proceed to Venice, raise the blockade, and defend the
coast. The Piedmontese squadron, composed of three
frigates, a corvette, three brigs of war, and two steamers,
will also come to the assistance of Venice.