The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDOIN, TUESDAY EVENIING, DECEMBER 16, 1856.

LATEST NEWS.

CONSTANTINOPLE, DE 8

Peruk Khan, the Persian envoy, and Lord
Stratford de Redcliffe are said to be agreed, except
upon some minor points of detail. The former
will leave Constantinople shortly, and some of the
lesser questions are to be postponed until his
return:

NAPLES, DEC. 14.
The wound of the King is on the upper part of
he thigh. It is not at all dangerous.

A Vienna correspondent of the Augsburg Ga.
7.'ette writes as follows :—" The overland mail
from Constantinople conveys to us certain de-
tails relative to the approaching conferences of
Paris, which are net without interest. The Porte,
it appears, took the initiative in the question, and
demanded the meeting of the conference as the
measure best calculated to remove existing diffi-
culties. According to another letter from Con-
stantinople, Russia had promised the Ate to
desist from its opposition in respect to Bolgrad
and the Island of Serpents, but on the condition
that the Ottoman cabinet should engage itself to
insist on the evacuation of the principalities and
of the Bosphorus within 40 days of the closing
of the second conference, and also on the rigorous
execution of Art. 24 of the treaty of Paris, con-
cerning the convocation of the Divans ad hoc."

NEUCHATEL.
The Paris correspondent of the Times (second
editioa) in his letter, dated yesterday, says :
" The quarrel between the Swiss Confedera-

tion and the King of Prussia cannot be
much more serious than it is. It has gone
so far that the next step, unless prevented
by powerful intervention, can only be actual
hostility. The King of Prussia gets more
excited every day, and his resentment in-
creases as the trial of the Neuchatel prisoners is
approaching. The Prussian people were at first
said to be rather indifferent about the matter ;
they are not so now ; and from the beginning
the Prussian army, anxious, no doubt, to re-
deem its inglorious idleness during the Crimean
campaign, is not unwilling to take a turn
against the Switzer, for want of a stronger foe.
Preparations on a large scale are in progress. It
is true still more formidable preparations were
made by the King of Prussia some years ago
without any ruinous consequences to Europe.
His Majesty loves to talk loud, but he is not
really so terrible as he would lead the world to
suppose. He "aggravates his voice" now and then,
but sometimes also his roar is "as gentle as the
sucking dove's." 60,000 men is not now the num-
ber spoken of as likely to be put in movement, but
100,000, and the necessities of a campaign may
require 150,000 more. These are formidable mea-
sures, which prove that his Majesty is determined
to show that he is, whatever people may think to
the contrary, a first-rate military power. It is a
pity that this warlike ardour was not exhibited
during the war with Russia, one way or the
other. The present pretext is ignoble in com-
parison ; there was a finer field open some
short time since—a field where a chivalrous
monarch might have won renown, and perhaps
profit ; and where even the defeated would not
have come out of the conflict without glory. If
the King of Prussia push matters to an extreme
he may light a flame in Europe which it will not
be easy to extinguish."

The Paris Congress with second Plenipoten-
tiaries will meet some time between the 20th and
25th. It is believed that everything will be arranged
beforehand, majority and all, on the Bolgrad and
Isle of Serpents question, so that no more than
a few sittings will be necessary. Baron Brunow
has, it is said, asked permission to be assisted by
Count Kisseleff. The request can hardly be
granted.

The reports in circulation in the German jour-
nals relative to a complete cessation of diplomatic
relations between Prussia and Switzerland are con-
tradicted by the fact that, notwithstanding the
departure of M. de Sydow from Berne, the Secre-
tary of the Prussian Legation still remains and
transacts business as usual.

FRANCE.
PARIS, MONDAY EVENING,

By an Imperial decree of the 14th instailCM- .
Troplong has been appointed President of the
Senate for 1857, and M. Mesnard, first Vice-Pre-
sidentMpaeri si
shsai
el r C, opu nu
Duke
e B.;
or a gmu
Malakoff,
lya
kdo'
ffH i I
gli e rys
General Count Regnaud de Saint Jean d'An el '
Marshaland
d ;
Vice-
Presidents for the same period. Another decree
of the same date appoints Count d and
e M orny to be
President of the Legislative Body for 1857 ; MM.
Schneider and Reveil, Vice-Presidents,
and Gen.
Vast-Timeux and M. Hebert, questors.
It is positively stated, says the Toulonnais, that
in consequence of a large reduction in the budget
of the marine, a great number of workmen are
about to be discharged from the naval arsenal of
this place. The measure will commence by those
of the last levy.
The Assembles Nationale thus replies to a recent
article published by the Times on the strange
opinions offered by the Debats on the merits and
demerits of the English alliance :
"We will not discuss the species of division of
the world which the London journal has made be-
tween England, the universal power, and France,
the first power of Europe. This proposal contain s
nothing practical or serious : it is purely imagina-
tive. Let England maintain on the continent the
influence which belongs to her, and we shall experi-
ence neither regret nor fear. If even her alliance
with Austria is strong and lasting, we shall not feel
alarmed. This reconciliation will always appear
singular when we consider that the head of the Eng-
lish cabinet is the same minister who in 1847 des-
patched Lord Minto to Italy, who applauded the
passing success of Charles Albert in 1848, and who
honoured Kossuth in 1849 with almost an official
reception. But this does not concern us. Were
Austria ever so confident of the support of England,
she would not run the risk of giving us a serious
ground for complaint ; she is too well acquainted
with her vulnerable position and with the weight
she would occupy in the balance of a war with
France when unassisted by Prussia or Russia. Let
the Times therefore cease to imagine that we enter-
tain the pretension, which would be absurd, of de-
nying the influence of England on the Continent.
• . . Everywhere that England presents her-
self with a disinterested policy, a policy worthy of
the traditions of her great statesmen, we shall ac-
cept her alliance and offer her our own."
BOURSE, DEC. 15.—The following were the last
quotations :
Casb. fr. c End of Month.
4i per Cents
3 per Cents 66 50 66 75
New Loan
Bank Shares 4,15') Roman (a d) Bsi
Credit Mobilier 1,480 Austrian
Belgian Fives , 97i Spanish Threes
Piedmentese (5) 92 Home Debt

RAILWAYS—FOR CASH.
fr. c. _ fr. c
1,325 Western ....... . ....... E. 50
Orleans
Northern
Lyons 1,365 New Ditto ........... 755
Mediterranean 1,760 Grand Central
Lyons Geneva
Cette 757 50 Austrian Own. ..... . SO2 .50

PRUSSIA AND SWITZERLAND.
Letters from Berlin confirm the seriousm us of
the resolution which the Prussian Government has
taken and communicated to the great Powers.
Already diplomatic communications have been
opened to secure a passage to the Swiss frontier
for Prussian troops.
The New Prussian Gazette states that the Royal
army will advance into Switzerland, seize a few
important points, and hold them as a material gua-
rantee until justice is done to the King's claims.
The last Prussian note relative to Neuchatel

affairs appears to have been dated the Bth and do-
spatched the 9th. The New Prussian Gazette pub-
lishes the following analysis of its contents :
"This note commences by recapitulating all the
advarides made by Prussia to Switzerland in this
affair. Since these advances and those made by
foreign powers have hitherto remained without
success, the sole measure that remains to Prussia
in order to maintain her rights is to depend on her
own strength. If, however, within a short delay,
and during the progress of preparations now being
made with a view of ulterior proceedings, Swit-
zerland should return to better sentiments and in-
voke the mediation of a friendly power, or of one
of the powers who signed the protocol of London,
the Prussian Government will take the new propo-
sals into consideration."