The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-05 00:00:00

THE DANISH QUESTION.

The report of the Commission of the German
Diet on the question of the Duchies is ready. It is
drawn up by the Bavarian Envoy, and is said to be
a very able document. It has been read to the
Commi is on, and is down in the order of the day for
tie next sitting of the Diet on Thursday next, the
7th inst.

The New Prussian Gazette publishes the text of
a note addressed by the Russian Minister of Foreign
Affairs to its representative at Copenhagen calling
th 3 attention of the Danish Government to the
important phase at which the question has now
arrived

"Toe G,rinanio Diet," says the despatch, "has a
right to pron:'unce itself in virtue of the 31st article of
the final act of Vienna. We do not doubt, M. le
Baron, that the Diet, in the exercise of that right and
in the accomplishment of an obligation which cannot
be questioned, will observe the forms and remain within
the limits prescribed by the Federal institutions.
" His Majesty the King of Denmark, as Duke of
Holstein and of Lauenburg, has therefore ''an opportu-
nity of coming to an explanation with his co-Estates on
the different points of this much-to-be-regretted diffe-
rence and on the intentions which guido him in the
execution of engagements contracted towards the Con-
feleration in 1852.

" Toe Russian Government thinks that on these
exp:anations will depend the issue of an affair which
attracts the attention of all Germany, and which ever
keeps Denmark in suspense. It is needles., therefore,
for it to say how earnestly it hopes that the King will
take advantage of the opportunity offered to him to
follow the conciliatory views which animate him, and
to give an unquestionable proof of his intention to main-
taln the engagements agreed upon between his Majesty
and it e C tiLderation in 1852.
" Russia has abstaiaed, as she ought, from interfering
in these questions, whicti, in her opinion, come exclu-
sively under the cognizance of public law in Germany ;
Lest she could not remain long indifferent at the
piolonga'ion of a state of things of a nature to compro-
mise the peace of the North of Europe, and which cannot
in any manner serve the real interests of Denmark.
"The Russian Government hopes that his Majesty
will give such explanation to the Diet as will not close
the path to au amicable arrangement, which is as much
in hi. own interests as becoming the dignity of his
Crown. * *

" Your Excellency is authoriged confidentially to
communicate the wishes of the Imperial Cabinet, and, if
requ sted, to leave a copy of this despatch in the
bands of the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs."

CEIIIRCH RA.TICS —PROPOSIM GOVERNNIZNT MEASURE.
—lt will probably be recollected, that, at the opening of
the parliamentary session' Lord Palmerston, in answer
to a question put by Mr. Trelawny, pledged himself to
introduce a bill in reference to church-rates during the
present year. We learn from a quarter well informed as
to the intentions of Government, that the proposed mea-
sure will simply be the substitution of pew rents in the
nave, or in other parts of the edifice which will not inter
fere with, or infringe upon, the accommodation of the
poor ; and this power will be vested in the churchwardens
of large towns only, In rural parishes, where the
populstion is imited and scattered, it is not intended
to make any alteration in the law. The Government
entertain the conviction that, were the rate removed, it
would be impossib'e to maintain the churches in such a
state of preservation as is to be desired. This attempt
to settle the vexed question of church-rates will probably
not meet the views of the abolitionists, although it may
conciliate many of them in the assurance that it is a step
in the right direction. One important element in the
matter is, that the scheme will not excite strong opposi-
tion from the Church party.—Doncaster Gazette.
AMERICAN SLAVERS.—A despatch, dated Norfolk,
United States, Dec. 21, published in the New York
papers, says :—" The bark William G. Lewis, 35 days
from the coast of Africa, arrived here to-day. the was
clpturt,cl as a slaver in the Conge river, by a boat expe-
tdhiteioun,nictoemd tsaatantdeeted,,MpLeiefuwtse.rWpaalikeesr. arnrdh
eC
hurmi
gmin
Wind-
of,
willwa ward dh,
es
hueprpeo
isne d
at
foe
w bed
eay
ss. l a vTehr
e, wB ar
ist
iaelhs so
steamercaptured,
Electorand
had seized the bark Clara B. Williams, and en American
schooner about the same time. Many slavers are re-
ported to be on the African coast. Twelve had been
captured after the arrival of the Dale there. She was
to leave for St. Helena. Her officers and crew were
crying,
and
at
de
0 goingi
all well."
OACCIDENTALdaughter
etee
the death
nho,f Mary,ensrnyhnd e imme-
diately infant
ver, of Ceoston. Oa the IBth
arl
of onN vm. Friday,SpTd yße
touchingßlviNeGa—An inquest was held
.
the deceased, who was 18 months old, went out of
her parents' house to play with a cousin and a little boy
theeu surgeon,
Lt o
attend u.
named Thomas Almond in a garden adjoining. Soon
() afterznzt freely
t to
deceased'seefrewhatomher
motherdw daughter's
gthhh
teeearmr,
s heard the
rh e a
fe. childf
diately took her into the house and examined the wound,
which was shout an inch and a half in width, but not
very
h()
d ee
Pr' daughter,SliShe
thenbuctadlelesiplitMe IrtisHeffilotortn;
The boy Almond states. that the accident was occasioned
gered in great pain, and died upon Thursday morning.
by the deceased running against an open knife he had in
his band. The jury returned a verdict that the deceased
had died from the effects of being accidentally cut with
a knife by Thomas Alrnend.—Preston Guardian.
SINGULAR CLAISL—The Hartlepoel bench were en-
gaged on Thursday in adjudicating in a rather singular
case, the first of the kind ever brought before them, anl
one which was probably never contemplated by that
section of the Merchant Shipping Act which gives
power to magistrates to decide upon all claims in dise
pute for services rendered to vessels in distress, or in
dangerous circumstance On the 2Gth November, the
sea bein very rough and stormy, the Figlia Jenny, a
large fine-looking Austrian ship, commanded by Cept.
Mattel Secehnich, from London, in baba-,t, made for
the harbour of West Hartlepool, in commend of a North
Sea Pilot. The tide had fallen considerably at the time,
there being then only 15 feet of water on the bar. The
Figlta Jenny :drew 15 feet ; the consequence was that
she grounded outside of the harbour piers, and was in a
dangerous position. A West Hartlepool pilot got on
board to render hie assistance, and was requeate.l by the
captain to take him on shore for the advice of the Aus-
trian consul. The pilot did so, and at
the samo time,
as neither be nor the captain could converse together, he
took him to the house of an int-rpreter, John Bttist, who
at his request was engaged by the captain to go off to
the ship and interpret the orders of the captain and the
pilot to the crew. Betist, a landsman,
went off to the
ship at great personal inconvenience and danger, and
remained on board from 3.30 till 10 pen.. The vessel was
got off the ground in the evening, and taken into the
harbour. Betist continued Bering
the four following
doya to attend upon the captain as interpreter, and
then sent him in a bid for 8/. 5e., being 5
guineas for
1
s
pguohh
erfiei
iBordtsushesoanreeni
adrdst services
e)Eoi rochav:ai
eni "gel,
interpret,
shrlehtpauhrrdclbeeedrnto
e:badhwrereheed,revwened:twohthti
obneeuyae order
vessel,n, Bmir du. I tnri
securedas tho,
services. Toe pilet gave evidence as to the importance
l
aegwithout3l. for
krvf
eeoswsrohshmei his
osl
some
oeoff ataih ordersti
theed r:
uhave
rbeeneete
greater
obliged
expenseto t
he em-
ploy ploy an
n
Batista claim. Tee Bench decided that she services
te
, r!adievraegde bype
rßv
itetei thoughw e
re y notet e.f e n
suchtici
they deern.ei the sum claimed not au exorbitant one, and
they made an ordet fir Si. 55., stating that they could
pated in
importance the actath as t
not interfere with the land portion of the claim.
tion in a rei v work with a queint title,
Mr. Walter Savage Landor has the following dedica-
just published :—" W. S. Landor to L. Kossuth.
President of Hungary—At your' ate
e lay my fagot of
'Dry Sticks,' and go away. I Offended you by
a•tempting to bring fortune thither, whom I sever
solicited to favour me personally. my zeal was
which he has
incensi lerate, but, perhaps, it ought t.) have ciff3nded
less that lofty pride to which alone I wart ever ob equiouz.
fan attain.
. a higher station
e qtie u than
o f
Pt rmit me to offer the only amends I can—permit me
to shoe my respect and reverence toward the
man who
thfaess cwoourntthriyl..);n
occupied
at
D mosthenes failed in the support of their cause—the
same cause and the same eloquence as yours. Supply
me with your English, and I may be able at last to
express my veneration cf your virtues, Maniyltoonne and