The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-21 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1866.

The news from the Continent is now decreasing
in interest and importance, but still there are con-
stantly some details which engage attention, in
consequence of all that has to be done. The King
of PRUSSIA has received the members of the Upper
House, who came in a deputation to present the
address in reply to the speech from the Throne.
His MAJESTY has also been much engaged in
giving interviews to Foreign Ministers, no doubt
for the purpose of settling the various an-
nexations and changes that are to take place.
In the Lower House the cogunittee on the
Bill for the elections to a German Parliament
met, and the Government informed them concern-
ing their intentions in the future. The whole
of Prussia is to belong to the new Confederation,
and a bin is to be drawn up in conjunction with the
other Confederate Governments to determine the
completing of the new Bund. The aim of the
authorities was to send the Government Commis-
sioner to bring about a material as well as personal
union of the annexed States with Prussia. It is
some satisfaction to find that the Berlin Government
have decided not to annex any portion of Hesse-
Darmstadt, which will retain all its present territory.
The provinces to the right of the Maine will,
however, form part of the North German Con-
federation. Some modification has also taken place
in the demands for territorial acquisitions of Lich-
tenfels and Culmbach. It is indeed high time that
there should be some appearance of propriety
manifested in one direction or another, for people
bad begun to wonder when and where they would
see the end of Prussian encroachments and require-
ments.

There is no doubt that the French people are
much disappointed at the turn of affairs, and
regard the result of the war as a failure. Of
course this feeling is heightened by the circumstance
that they had expected a great deal of interest and
excitement from it, but they have seen the Power
they dislike and doubt gradually advancing to the
summit of influence, and acquiring an increase of
territory far beyond what was expected or believed
to be possible in so short a time. A very discon-
tented feeling prevails in Paris respecting the course
pursued by Prussia, and the confusion that has
arisen concerning the rectification of the frontier
question has naturally tended to increase the evil.
Some day the Prussians will better apprcciato all
this disfavour that they have drawn upon themselves
than they are likely to do now, elated as they are
by success, and puffed up by self-conceit until
they hardly know what they are about, and care
little or nothing for what is said of them. The
semi .official journal, the Pays, alludes to the circum-
stance of the discontent prevailing in Paris, that
Prussian arguments should be sufficient to outweigh
the wishes of the French people. It is there said
that "if the French people do entertain one fer-
vent wish at present, that wish is anything but for
peace. There can be no doubt that it would be far
easier at present for the Imperial Govern-
ment to lead the French people to war
against Germany, than to induce them to
Put up quietly with the changes about to take place
there to the profit of Prussia." Those who flatter
themselves that Prussia will have all the game to
herself will eventually find themselves mistaken,
because when the great gains she has now acquired
are consolidated, she is certain to push her preten-
sions to such an extent that the French, already
most irrascible on the point, will became too indig-
nant to brook the matter any longer. Under the
best management we believe that it would be diffi-
cult to avoid coming into collision with France, but
as things are carried on by the Berlin Government
it seems impossible that offence should not be taken
sooner or later.

The accounts from New Zealand are, upon hie
whole, encouraging, and the news brought by the
mail tells us no longer of siege and surrender, of
plot and counterplot, of flying columns and strong
entrenchments. If we had still the same exciting
narrative, our attention would probably be diverted
from it by the more pressing claims of European
polities, since the independence of our colonists
was never really in jeopardy. At the same time we
cannot but feel great satisfaction at the termination
of hostilities, not only on account of the present