The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-21 00:00:00

HALESOWEN AND BROMSGROVE.

A Wharncliffe meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the office, 6, Westminster Chambers,,
Lord Lyttelton in the chair, when a bill was sub-
mitted and approved empowering the company to
make branch railways and extensions of their line.

THE IRUSSIAN ARMY.

(From, the Times' Military Corre.Tondent)
NEISZE, June 16.

In this fortress, situated upon the river of the
same name, the Crown Prince of Prussia has now

fixed the headquarters of the army of Silesia. The
town itself occupies one of the most beautiful of tlw
many picturesque sites of Upper Silesia. The river
which flows past the walls has in this part of its
course much resemblance to the Thames near Wind-
sor. It is of about the same breadth, has the same
sluggish stream, and the same grassy banks, studded
with willows, while the sluices here erected for mili-
tary purposes do not fail to remind one of the lock-
gates of our English rivers. From the fortress itself
the view is charming ; in the foreground lie the
gentle undulations that mark the extreme points to
which the advanced spurs of the Riesengebirge pene-
trate into the plain ; a little beyond steeper and
more swelling slopes are seen, and in the distance,
through the hazy summer air, the eye can distinctly
trace the dimmed outlines of the Moravian moun-
tains, beyond which the Austrian advanced posts
are supposed to lurk.

Last evening Neisze was alarmed by a report that
the Austrians had broken through the mountains
and had advanced to Koppenig, within five miles of
this fortress. In the town this was fully believed,
especially as the troops who form the garrison were
seen running at full speed as to parade. This as-
sembly was, however, soon found to have been
caused only by an excessive zeal of the troops
themselves. The Crown Prince knew too well how
carefully his outposts were placed to believe such
an inflated report, and quietly went out for his
ordinary ride, while his chief of the Staff, General
Blumenthal, trotted to the front, and soon dis-
covered how little foundation there was for the
rumour. Although the report proved to be
thoroughly without foundation, an opportunity was
afforded for observing the readiness with which
the troops were inclined to rush to arms. The men
of Silesia who comprise in a great part the army
which the Crown Prince commands have strong
anti-Austrian feelings. Excited by the idea that
their native province had been invaded, having a
great affection for the Prince who commands them,
and great confidence in his Generals, they showed
an eagerness to be led to battle, which augurs well
for their success in case another report of an Aus-
trian advance should prove to be true.
We are now in the lull which precedes the storm
of war. At any moment the tempest may break
forth, but at what point no one yet can tell. It is
quite uncertain whether the first shot will be fired
on the plains of Saxony or Hanover, or in themoun-
tain frontier of Silesia. No one now entertains the
slightest hope of peace being preserved, and all pre-
parations for the contest are being rapidly hurried
on. At such a time to give detailed information of
the movements of troops or of the position of bri-
gades would not only be injudicious but might be
extremelyjdetrimental to the plans of those conduct-
ing the operations, who, as they afford every faci-
lity for a record of past events, can only in justice
expect a strict silence on the subject of combina-
tions which may materially influence the future
course of the campaign.
Yet, without entering upon the broad features of
sobriety
go
the present military landscape, there is much detail
that is of great interest in the Prussian army. The
cheerful
a t u
slight re , ready
strike every
accia obedience,it
n n
oe
os
h and nw
1,
shows
iextreme
f good
b d
u the nature,
asoldiers,
ne firstnh to o
be
hot
sight, while
uo of
t fatigue
roads
andatoilp power
of possessed,k in making o f anendurance
long marches
weather which are quite surprising. With ranks
closed up and without loss of interval, they trudge
along even under the June sun at a rate which most
men unencumbered and walking singly could hardly
hope to keep up for any distance.
The Crown Prince and the officers of his Staff
have left off their epaulettes, as is the universal ens-
tom in the Prussian army in time of war. Shav-
ingso andon
e xapnede t
altoi no
ng
fbvoeortys
campaigning kits show
has been abandotnheedir,
taking the field.

GOELITZ, June 17.
Yesterday morning before daylight the Prussian