The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-02 00:00:00

AUSTRIA.

The Ost-Deutsche Post of Vienna publishes the
following despatch from the Austrian Minister of
Forign Affairs to Count Karolyi, Austrian Minister
at Berlin, dated 9th June, on the subject of the ne-
gotiation with Prussia, relative to the military or-
ganisation of the Confederation :

" Baron de Werther, at my request, has c":"

municated to me a copy of a despatch which the
Prussian Cabinet addressed to him in reply to a
memorandum of the 22d April, relative to the
revision of the military organisation of the Confe-
deration. This last explanation of the views of
Prussia arises out of an exchange of communica-
tions, which have contributed to throw light on
questions of high importance, although under a
different point of view ; and if it has not had for
its result a compromise between different opinions,
it has at least proved on both sides the desire to
come to an understanding. That is why, in
weighing with attention the arguments of the
document referred to, we think right to state
that we adhere to the conciliatory words which
terminate it. . According to this passage, the
Cabinet of Berlin desires, in spite of the diver-
gence of views existing between the two Cabinets,
not to renounce the hope of coming to an under-
standing with us on the object which it is de-
sired to attain ; and that Cabinet states that •
Prussia will state .with satisfaction the condi-
tions necessary for the purpose. On our part we
feel the strongest satisfaction in entertaining the
same hopes and the same intentions. We the
more strongly hope to find practical points for
bringing about an arrangement, from the fact that
from the beginning of this discussion we have
always shown ourselves disposed to enter, even
under present circumstances, into the path which
at other epochs, and especially in the years 1832,
1840, and 1848, led to the object sought. In this
respect we can only repeat the observations made
in our despatch of the 22d April. At the same
time we are convinced that the other German
Courts will do all they can to facilitate a good
understanding. Although these courts maintain,
as we do, the fundamental principle of the unity
of the military command of the confederation, they
will nevertheless appreciate the fact that the con-
federation has not the right to dispose of a great
part of the military forces of Prussia and Austria,and
their assent will certainly not be wanting to an
arrangement formed with the view of properly re-
gulating the conditions of the common co-operation
of the non-German corps of those forces with the
Federal army. The question as to whether such
conditions should be inserted in the organic laws
of the Federal military system, and the proposi-
tion made on that subject by Prussia in the Diet
of Frankfort, ought not, in our opinion, to
be discussed, and the Prussian Government itself
considers that question as entirely settled. We ab-
stain then from replying to the objections which
the despatch communicated to us by M. de Werther
makes to our memorandum of April 22 ; we eannot
believe that those objections are well founded either
in law or in the history of the Confederation. We
should even consider it a fortunate phase in
this affair if the question of military re-orga-
nisation on which the Military Committee
has already presented a report to the Diet
were pursued no further. You are requested
to speak to the effect here stated to Baron de
Schlenitz, and you are authorised to give him a
copy of this despatch if he requires one.—Receive,
&c.—RECHBERG."

CHINA.

HONG KONG, MAY 3.

The commander-in-chief and his staff returned on
the 27th ult., having left Chusan on the 25th. They
went from Shanghae to Kintang, found there the
brigade destined for Chusan, and proceeded at once
to Tinghai, the principal town on the island. A flag
of truce was sent on shore with Mr. Parkes, the al-
lied commissioner of Canton, who explained to the
red-button Mandarin who represented the Chinese
Government that our troops had come to occupy the
island, and that as we (lid not wish to put him or his
people to unnecessary inconvenience it would be as
well for all parties that he should shut up at once,
and offer no resistance. As this request was backed
by a force of 3,000 " red•haired Western devils," and
several ships of war, the Mandarin appears to have
thought it a very reasonable one. He accordingly
replied with the utmost politeness and a strict
observance of " the rites," that he had hoped we
bad come as his dear friends; that he had been
looking forward with indescribable longing to the
felicity of receiving us as such, and of doing the
honour of his poor island ; that it was extremely
saddening to find we considered ourseh es at war
with his country ; and that really, as he had no
sufficient force at his disposal for resistance, he
thought the best thing he could do was not to at-
tempt any ; and he therefore begged we
would make ourselves perfectly at home. Where-
upon some of the troops were landed, and
formal possession taken, and the next morn-
in the English and French flags were hoisted
on the top of the two principal " Yamuns," as the
official residence of the Mandarins are called, The
I Chinese troops, amounting to 2,000 on:paper, per-
haps 500 in reality, gave up their arms with the
utmost alacrity, and turncd their attention to the
safer and pleasanter occupation of making dollars
by trading with the troops. On examination it
turned out that Tinghai was not by any means a
suitable or desirable residence for English soldiers.
The French effected their joint occupation of
Chusan with 300 of their marines, and, I have been
told, made up for the smallness of their force by
the magnitude of the quarters they demanded to
be put it into. Their ships have been:arriving and
departing in goodly numbers of late. They gene-
rally remain a few days in Hong Kong harbour,
and then proceed onwards to Woosung, where they
are to disembark, and their expedition be orga-
nised. Some of their troop transports are enormous,
carrying as many as eleven or twelve hundred men,
besides sailors. The good state of health in which
they have all arrived, after a four months' voyage,
speaks well for their arrangements on board ship.
But few of them appear to be allowed to land in
Hong Kong, as I have seen very few in the streets
of late. Neither now nor when they came on shore
in greater numbers did I observe much fraternising
between them and our soldiers, although the French
do not appear more insensible to the charms of
" samshoo " than our own ; and drink generally
forms a close bond of alliance, in its initiatory stages
at all events.

The English army has been organised into divi-
sions and brigades. The following is the distribu-
tion :

THE IST DIVISION.

Commanded by Major-General Sir J. Michel, F. 0.8.,
comprises Desborough's battery of Royal Artillery, Barry's
battery of ditto (Armstrong), Fisher's Company of Royal
Engineers. Ist brigade, consisting of 2d battalion of the
Ist Royals, 31st Foot, and the regiment of Loodeanah
(Sikhs), all under Brigadier Staveley, C.B. 2d brigade
consists of Ist battalion of 2d Queen's, 2d battalion of GOth
Rifles, and the 15th Punjaub,