The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-23 00:00:00

guese squadron.

FRANCE.

PARIS, SUNDAY.
There was a long conference yesterday at the
Foreign-office, between Count Walewski, Dr.
Kern, and M. de Hatzfeld, the Prussian Minister.
The conference was held on the affairs of Switzer-
land.

It is announced that M. de Rayneval, the French
Ambassador at Rome, bas been summoned to Paris,
where he will only remain a few days.
The Moniteur publishes the text of a treaty of
commerce and friendship concluded between France
and Persia, The preamble I transcribe a portion
of as a curiosity. " His High Majesty, the Emperor
Napoleon, whose elevation is similar to that of the
planet Saturn,whose banner is the sun, the shining
star of the heaven of crowned heads ; the sun of
the sky of royalty ; the ornament of the diadem ;
the splendour of the standards, imperial ensigns,
the illustrious and liberal monarch ; and his Ma-
jesty, lofty as the planet Saturn, the sovereign who
uses the sun as his standard, whose splendour and
magnificence are similar to those of heaven, the
monarch whose armies are numerous as the stars,
whose greatness recalls that of Djemschid, whose
munificence equals that of Darius, the heir of the
crown and throne of the Keyanians, the sublime
and absolute Emperor of Persia." The text of the
treaty follows, but there is nothing in it equal to
the above.

An emissary from the King of Naples has ar-
rived in Paris, with the view of persuading the Em-
peror's government to accept the recent {so called)
amnesty, as a full compliance with aIP the demands
made byFrance, in conjunction with England, pre,-
viou,ly to the withdrawal of the ambassadors.
Yesterday it was discovered that the personage is
no other than the agent of the Argentine govern-
ment, who signed the treaty with the King in
virtue of which the political prisoners whose irons
it is proposed to strike off are to be transported to
the territory of that republic. This man is a
notorious slaveholder. Serious doubts are en-
tertained not only about the fate of the prisoners
whenever they may reach their destination, but
even as to whether the majority of them will ever
go there alive. The English government has sent
a note to Naples, demanding some explanations
on this head. Some guarantee is said to be required
that the prisoners will be confided to humane hands,
properly treaed on the voyage, and placed in a
reasonably comfortable position when they get out.
We have no means of knowing in what spirit the
French Emperor receives the explanations offered
by the extraordinary envoy who comes here on the
part of the King of Naples to support a treaty
made with himself. But there is reason to fear
that Lords Palmerston and Clarendon, out of re-
gard to the Austrian alliance, are greatly disposed
to patch up, the Neapolitan businessl on terms which
the English nation will certainly not think satis-
factory.
The Constitutionnel, in a semi-official shape,
offers the following explanations relative to the
secret convention which formed the subject of the
late animated discussion in the House of Commons
between Lord Palmerston and Mr. Disraeli :
" A debate of some warmth took pine, a few
days ago, in the House of Commons, on a subject
which specially interested the French Government.
A celebrated orator of the Opposition, Mr. Disraeli,
asserted that a secret treaty existed between France
and Austria since the period of the Eastern war,
which guaranteed to the latter power the security
of its Italian possessions ; he added, that this treaty
had been signed in a regular manner, and that no
limit restricted its duration. Lord Palmerston, in
replying to Mr. Disraeli, proved the falsity of these
allegations. The following, we believe, are the
real circumstances of the case :—The treaty of the
2d December, 1854, stipulated, as is known, the
eventual concurrence of the Austrian armies in the
struggle with Russia. The Cabinet of Vienna,
however, represented that it could not enter with
security into any warlike operations in the East as
long as its Italian possessions should be menaced by
the agitation fermented by political parties in the
Peninsula; it therefore demanded that previous to
placing itself in order of battle, the security of its
Italian lines should be assured. Circumstances
gave considerable support to this demand of
Austria. It was, in fact, essential that her appre-
hensions should be calmed, and every obstacle to
the execution of the treaty removed. France, there-
fore, entered into negotiations on this pointl with
the Cabinet of Vienna, and engaged bersef in the
above-mentioned convention to employ her efforts
to maintain tranquillity in Italy during the period
of the campaign ; it was simply sought to Assure to
Austria the freedom of action necessary for her effi-
cient concurrence in the collective operation of the
l ltlirtated
motives)y so highandi an interest,
hebearingof
tthiise s. S
arrangement,uehwere dictated
but only rendered obligatory in the event of Aus-
tria
joining us in an active manner, and declaring
war against Russia. The convention was there-
fore essentially of an eventual and transitory cha-
racter ; it was an act commanded by the war, a
circumstance in a certain respect analogous to those
which were adopted by the allies towards Greece,
when the latter endeavoured to create a risina•
in
Thessaly and Epfrus in the interest of Russia. As
it is known, the eventualities provided for were
never called into existence; Attitria did not de. 4