The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-05-09 00:00:00

FOREIGN AND COLONIAL.

FRANCE.
Within the last few days immense quantities of precious
stones, sent from Constantinople to be converted into cash,
have arrived in Paris, and an extraordinary depreciation
in the market value of unset jewels has been the conse-
quence. The fall in diamonds within the space of a single
week has been no less than 25 per cent.
An imperial decree calls into active service, on land and
afloat, 80,000 men, from the 140,000 of the class of 1853.
An imperial decree, in the Itioniteur, re-establishes the
Imperial Guard. It will form a mixed division, will be
under the immediate orders of the Marsha of the Palace,
and its service will consist in guarding the person of the
Emperor. General St-Jean d'Angely is named Comman-
der of the Guard.

A picked corps of cavalry, to be called the " Hundred
Horse Guards," is also established.

PRUSSIA

The Austro-Prussian treaty or convention, recently
negotiated by General Hess, at Berlin, was ratified there
on Tuesday. It is anticipated that the treaty will be
communicated to the Western Powers. Having satisfac-
torily accomplished this task, General Hess was next to
make Frankfort the scene of his diplomacy.
BERLIN, MAY I.—The news is considered confirmed
here that a grand and final attempt is being prepared at
St. Petersburg for gaining over Prussia to the side of
Russia. The bait is to be a treaty of commerce. It is
supposed the Czar, if not from political motives, is willing
to conclude it, since the total drying up of his revenues
from import duties and the rapid growth of the smuggling
trade must soon convince him bow ruinously his com-
mercial system is acting on his own empire. No treaty of
commerce has been made between the two countries since
1826, and it was suffered to expire in 1836.
STETTIN, MAY I.—The Prussian Government, that
allows arms to pass to Russia, stops accoutrements for
Sweden. About 8,000 helmets were sent here from the
Swedish embassy in Berlin, in order to be shipped across
to Stockholm. An order has just been received prohibit-
ing their exportation.

GREECE.
The Greek government has issued a circular to the
European powers, giving its own version of the proximate
causes of the departure of the Ottoman ambassador from
Athens ; remonstrating against the expulsion of the
Greeks from Turkey ; and taking great credit to the go-
vernment of King Otho for not having imitated this
conduct. SWEDEN.
The London Gazette, of Friday, contains a despatch of
King Oscar of Sweden; laying down the rules and regu-
lations agreed to by the King and government, for the
preservation of the neutrality of. Sweden during the ap-
proaching struggle between Russia and the Western
Powers. Privateering is forbidden, and the ports of
Sweden are closed against all foreign privateers. The
document is dated from the Castle of Stockholm, on the
6th of April, 1854, and signed by his Majesty, and coun-
tersigned by J. F. Fahraens.
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
By the Seringapatatn, Gimblett, from Bombay, advices
have been received from the Cape of Good Hope to the sth
March. The Crcesus steamer, which left Southampton on
the 11th of January, arrived at the Cape on the 28th of
February, on her way to Melbourne. The Mauritius
steamer had also reached the same place on the Ist of
March, bound to India. The discovery of gold in the
Orange River Sovereignty had been confirmed. In the
especial locality of Smithfield several nuggets were alleged
to have been obtained, weighing from one to four ounces
each ; but in the majority of cases the gold is found in
minute particles. So much faith was placed in the reports
that parties had been induced to forfeit the deposit they
had paid for passages to Australia in the Falcon from
Algoa Bay. Specimens of quartz, with nuggets, from the
Sovereignty, had been exhibited in the Commercial Ex-
change.