The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-23 00:00:00

RAILIVAYS.

Cash. Account.
Orleans
Northern . 921 25 .. 923 75
New ditto. BlO .. 810
Lyons and Mediterranean 865 .. 868 75
Geneva 530 .. 535
Southern
Western 557 50 .. 560
Eastern
Sardinian

- -
Austrian
Exchange on London, at sight, paper, 25f. 12tc. ; money,
25f 10c. ; three months, paper, 241.971 c.; money, 24f. 95c.

The following is the most striking passage of an
article in the .Patrie upon the necessity of a
European congress :

" Sardinia and Austria, then, are incompatible
at Zurich. Their plenipotentiaries already decline
direct communication with each other ; they only
communicate through the medium of the French
representative. So, before an agreement could
have been come to, they won't even listen any
longer to each other. This is a situation that
greatly impedes a mutual understanding.
" France, it is true, does all she can to allay this
antagonism. She arbitrates with an authority
equal to her wisdom. She brings to the negotia-
tions a spirit of business that undoubtedly would
succeed were it not confronted by the obstinate
resistance of Austria.

" Great, however, as is the conciliatory disposi-
tion of France, she nevertheless cannot go to such
a length as to yield to Austria what she cannot
abandon, and what she has the right to consider as
the fruit of her victories.

" France wishes Italy to be independent; Aus-
tria does not wish it.

" France wishes the confederation to be Italian ;
Austria wishes it to be Austrian.

" France wishes the Pcpe to consolidate his power
by prudent reforms ; Austria wishes the Pope to
remain subject to influences antipathetic to the
French mind.

" France desires that the Dukes of Tuscany and
Modena may be able loyally to become recanciled
with their people; Austria desires to impose them
by force.

"France wants the fortresses of the quadrangle
to be occupied by a federal army ; Austria wants
these fortresses to be occupied as barracks by her
army, that this may remain as a permanent menace
against the independence of Italy.
" Notwithstanding her spirit of generous and
wise conciliation, we greatly fear that France her-
self will be unable to carry out her arbitration
between Austria and Piedmont.
" Recourse must be had, then, to another juris-
diction. Europe alone is competent to judge and
solve such great difficulties, such serious interests.
" For all these reasons, the Italian question, in
short, as it appears to us, can only be settled by a
European congres. The sword of France has cut
through the treaties that consecrated the domain
of Austria in the States of the Peninsula. It is
to the authority of Europe that it appertains to
complete the work."

The King of Sardinia has directed that 12,000 f.
out of his privy purse shall be distributed to the
poor families of Milan, especially those who have
had one of their number wounded or killed during
the war. His Majesty has likewise caused 500 fr.
to be handed over to Mme. Bacchetta, the mother
of telieutenant in the Ist Regiment of Grenadiers
of Sardinia, who was killed at Solferino.

A Vienna letter states that out of the generals
of the army of Italy whose conduct had not given
satisfaction to the Government, only one, General
Count Zodwitz, has been brought to a court-mar-
tial. He has been tried at Padua and co;ldemned.

THE PENINSULAR MAILS.

The screw steamship Sultan (belonging to the
Peninsular and Oriental Company), Captain Neil
Cook, bringing the above-named mails, in charge
of Mr. Cavell, master, R.N., Admiralty agent, ar-
rived at Southampton at 2.30 a.m. yesterday. She
left Lisbon at 9 a.m. on the 17th inst., Oporto at
7.10 a.m. and Vigo at 5.15 p.m. on the 18th. From
Lisbon to Oporto she had light northerly winds and
fine weather ; thence to Vigo variable and fine ;
and the remainder of the voyage fine weather and
moderate easterly winds.
This steamer brought 25 first-class, 3 second, and
14 deck passengers; on freight, £4,342 15s. ld.,
2 boxes of precious stones, 539 chests of lemons, 21
boxes of grapes, 47 boxes of tomatoes, 32 boxes of
apples, 108 packages of elephants' tusks, 56 bales
of mat baskets, 187 cases of eggs, 2 bags of corn,
and 7 packages of general merchandise.
On the 19th inst., at 10.15 a.m., in lat. 44 12 N.,
long. 8 59 W., the Sultan passed the Peninsular
and Oriental steamer Colombo, steering to the south-
west, all well; 21st, at 5 a.m., in lat. 49 6 N.,long.
4 30 W., the company's steamer Ceylon, steering
to the west-south-west, fore and aft sail set ; and at
8 a.m., same day, the American ship Richard Wat-
son, beating up Channel.
The Sultan left Lisbon on the 17th inst. Upon
her last voyago out from Southampton, Mr. Sala-
manca was one of the passengers. It is said that
he took with him £27,000, and that he found
other resources at Lisbon to enable him to
complete the deposit of £40,000 for the provi-
sional railway contract he had made with the Portu-
guese Government, and £20,000 deposit required
by those who desired to bid for the line from
Vendas Novas to Evora and Beja, the Government
maximum subvention being declared when the bids
are taken on the 19th of September next. The
maximum subvention upon the Salamanca contract,
also put up for public competition, is £4,500 per
kilometre from Lisbon to the frontier near Elvas,
and £5,400 from Lisbon to Oporto. The Portu-
guese seemed lost in admiration at these Spanish
proposals, and their disconfidence increased
rather than diminished by the promptitude with
which such large deposits of hard cash were made
a month before they are required by the terms of
the Government advertisements.

Lisbon exchanges by this packet are quoted, at
three months,—London, 52Z- to I; Paris, 512 ;
Amsterdam, 41i; Hamburg, 461 ; Genoa, 515.
Threee per Cent. Stock, registered, 47.4 48; ditto
Coupons, 461 461 ; ditto Deferred, 33 331 ; Bank
of Portugal shares, 61 to 7 per cent. premium;
Bank of Oporto shares, 25 to 26 per cent. premium.

EXTRAORDINARY INVESTIGATION
AT BRISTOL.

At the Bristol police-court yesterday Mark Butt,
a master tradesman, and owner of considerable
house property in the city, and Henry Baily, a
grocer, carrying on business in Newfoundland-
street, were charged before the sitting magistrates,
W. Herapath, Robert Guy Barrow, and 0. C. Lane,
Esquire,s, with having capitally assaulted Mrs. Ann
Cottle, the wife of a respectable butcher, residing
at Hill's-place, Newfoundland-street. 11Ir. Ayre
appeared for the prosecution ; Mr. Edlin (of the
Western Circuit) and Mr. Sherrard appeared for
Baily ; and Mr. Pigeon defended Butt. The case
excited an unwonted amount of interest, and the
court and its approaches were densely crowded.
The inquiry occupied nearly five hours, but the ex-
traordinary facts elicited may be briefly stated. The
complainant, Mrs. Cottle, has a younger sister named
Perry, whose husband keeps the Newmarket Tavern,
in the Horsefair, Bristol, and on Monday evening,
the Bth inst., the complainant spent the evening at
her sister's house. Just as they had done supper a
pony carriage, belonging to the prisoner Baily,
drove up to the door, and he and the other prisoner
Butt got out, entered the tavern and called for
something to drink. It happens that Butt is Mr.
Cottle's landlord, and Mr. Baily, a near neighbour
and an acquaintance of her husband, and they both
spoke to her and handed her a glass of beer, which
she drank. They chatted a little time, and then
they said they were going to drive straight home,
and she had better get into the carriage and ride
with them. She at first declined, but they advised
her to do so, and as her sister also urged her to ride
she consented. Instead of going straight home, as
they had promised, they turdd up Bury-street.
She told them they were not going right, to which
one of them replied, " We are going to drive you a
short distance for a little air." They drove her to
the Black Horse Inn, where they induced her to
take a glass of brandy and water, and they subse-
quently drove to the Bridge Inn, where they gave
her something more to drink. After that she had
remembered no more excepting that she had an in-
distinct recollection of being at the Black Horse
Inn, West-street, and seeing a niece of hers there,
until she found herself the next morning on her
own bed, with the exception of her shoes and bon-
net, in the clothes she had worn on Monday. Her
habiliments w ere soiled and disordered, and she was
very ill, and had been ill ever since. Other evidence
disclosed the fact that after leaving the Black Horse
the accused drove her to a stable yard belonging to
the prisoner Bally, where, she being in a state of
helplessness and unconsciousness, and inca able of
resistance, they successively committed the offence
charged against them. The crime was established
by the evidence of a policeman, and after an ad-
dress from Mr. Edlin, both prisoners were fully
committed to take their trial upon the capital
charge at the next Gloucester assizes. Mr. Edlin
and Mr. Pigeon applied to have them admitted to
bail. Tho magistrates said they would receive the
application as a notice, and would give it their
best consideration. The prisoners, who appeared
greatly surprised at the decision, were then removed
in custody, the prisoner Baily loudly protesting his
innocence.