The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-15 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, SEPT. 11.—To-day, the 11th instant, a
whole week since the news of the ill-advised at-
tempt at revolution in Neufchatel reached here,
the Preussische Correspondenz, the quasi-offiOal
organ of the Ministry, publiShes an article on 'the
:i21;':11-1
-Co connected the- affair,i—s" 1 'at
confines itself
to the historical statement of the relation which the
Principality bore to the King of Prussia up to
1848, and the steps taken by the King's Govern-
ment ever since then to reserve his rights. These
I have already laid before you. It mentions, how-
ever, that Herr von Sydow, who is accredited by
Prussia to the Swiss Confederation, but who re-
sides at Sigmaringen, in the Hohenzollern princi-
pality, took an opportunity as early as the sth inst.
to send in to the Swiss Federal Council a formal re-
servation of the King's rights, and a protestagainat
their being prejudiced in any way by the incidents
that have just taken place at Neufchatel. The
article in the Preussische Corresponden in no way
touches upon the subject of complicity or privity
on the part of the King or his advisers, doubtless
on the principle that qui s'excuse s'accuse. At

present, I imagine, it does not occur to anybody to
impute anything of the kind to the King, to whose,
principles and engagements this attempted/coup de
main by force of arm cannot fail of being very un-
welcome, more particularly as having been unsuc-
cessful ; but there can be still less doubt that per-
sons of this Court, zealous servants of the King,
have been in close and earnest correspondence with
the Royalist party in the principality or canton,
and can hardly have been ignorant that some
attempt of the kind would shortly be made. Count
Frederic Pourtales, whose name figures so promi-
nently in the affair, is not a Prussian but a Swiss
—aNeufchatelois, and probably the richest man in
Switzerland, as he possesses a fortune estimated at
30,000,000 f. He is connected by birth and by
marriage with all the patrician families of Berne,
and from his benevolent character and widely-
spread charities he was beloved and looked up to
in a very extensive circle. There are numbers of
this Pourtales family to be found at this Court
and also at that of Paris, but they all originate in
Neufchatel, where the family was founded by a
millionnaire merchant of that name.

A letter from Berlin, in the Nuremberg Corre-
spondent, says :—"lt was first intended to appoint
Leipsic for the place of meeting of the commission
which is to draw up a commercial code for all Ger-
many, but Berlin has now been chosen. The com-
mission will not be a numerous one, in order to
hasten its decisions ; the great states only will send
jurisconsults, to whom will be added a certain num-
ber of practical men."
A letter from Berlin of the 10th, in the Consti-
firtionnel, says :—" The Darmstadt bank, which
has taken the initiative of a general congress of the
German banking establishments, has just addressed
an invitation to its colleagues to send delegates to
it. The object of this congress is to come to an
understanding on the general principles of circula-
tion, as to form of drafts, the conditions of the
reciprocal acceptance of bank receipts, a common
monetary unity, d;c. This idea has been very
favourably received, and will probably be
realised in a short time." The same letter says :
" A fete is to be given to-morrow for the benefit of
the sailors who were wounded in the affair of the
Riff pirates. This affair being the first in which
the Prussian navy has been called on to fight, pre-
parations are being made to give to the fete the I
character of a grand patriotic demonstration."

SPAIN.
The Madrid Gazette of the 9th contains a circular
from the Minister of the Interior to the governors
of provinces, transmitting a royal decree which
enacts that they should commence their duties
within a fortnight, and that then the powers given
to military commanders of dissolving or replacing
municipalities should cease. The decree also sets
forth in some detail the measures which they are
to adopt for the reorganisation of municipalities.
The Epoca says
It is rumoured that the Go-
vernment has decided that the interest of the State
debt shall be paid from the Ist January in each
year, without any previous announcement, and on
the presentation of coupons, as is done in France
and other countries. This is a proof that the Mi-
nister of Finance is convinced that he can next
year completely re-establish the equilibrium be-
tween the expenses and receipts, which is the verit-
able basis of national credit." The same journal
says that, the receipts of the public treasury in
Aragon have exceeded the hopes of the Govern-
ment. It was stated the other day that the In-
fanta Dona Isabel had, like one of her sisters, and
her brother Don Henry, been ordered for " private
reasons" to reside in a small provincial town ; it is
now announced that her husband, Count de
Guroski, has left for Russia. Accounts from Cuba
and Porto Rico to the 12th, received by the Go-
vernment, represent that tranquillity prevailed in
both islands, and that in the former the sanitary
condition was improving, whilst in the latter it was
satisfactory.

TAE TRADE OP gOtTNI STAPPOBD-

SHIRE.

liiitlntaitANt, Saturday EVcning,---The general
trade of this town during the past week has been
on the whole very satisfactory, and prices conse-
quently are being well sustained. It is cheering
o read the travellers' letters from the agricultural
districts, in which they describe the abundant har-
vest prospects around them, and the increased ani-
mation amongst the large trading communities,
particularly of the north. The home trade is re-
viving in all directions, and the demand for general
[lard ware and some fancy goods is considerable. In
the home trade may be included of course the Irish
market, which is now really reviving, and evi-
dently indicating an improvement, which the most
ianguine could not have anticipated a few years
Igo. The orders from Ireland are not as formerly
(ionfined to mere necessaries, but include many of
the comforts and some of the luxuries of life, and
the accounts are well met. We have also
on the books some brisk continental, American,
and Canadian orders for general hardware goods
and jewellery, and the advices are of an encourag-
ing character as to the future. From South America
we have a good share of orders for superior jewel-
lery, and the Spanish travellers are sending home
useful order-sheets. The last advices from Sydney
and Melbourne received here are encouraging, and
we lave now at the refiners large quantities of gold
preparing for the manufacturers. The quality of
the gold is reported infinitely better than it was,
and the yield much greater.

Relative to the iron trade there is little to report.
By some it is said that the demand is increasing,
and that prices will be maintained at the forth-
coming meeting, whilst others contend that it is
injustice to the respectable houses to require them
to adhere to prices which will not be maintained by
the small makers. The demand for pig iron is not
so great as it was a few weeks ago, and prices
fluctuate according to the requirements of the
maker. In the quantity made there has latterly
been a considerable reduction, and it is only by
diminishing the stocks prices can be upheld. The
difficulty which the iron trade now has to contend
with arises from the fact of our immense powers of
production being greater than the demand. Dur-
ing the last few years an enormous amount of
capital, real and artificial, has been spent in mining
operations in this district, and anything like ordi-
nary demand is not equal to our production. Mr.
Bessemer's discovery still occupies a good deal of
public attention, and many able papers have been
written for and against it. The general opinion
seems to be, that it is impracticable in its present
state, whatever benefit may ultimately arise from
-it.