The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-05-30 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

The first session of the National Assembly of Prussia
was opened on the 22nd instant, at Berlin, by the King
in person. The time originally fixed for its meeting has
been anticipated on account of the pressure of affairs,
political and financial. The great task of the present
Assembly is to frame this constitution, of which the form
has been already laid before it by the ministry ; it is ex-
pected that some parts of the plan will be rejected, or
greatly modified, and that most of them will be warmly
debated. His Majesty having made a speech to the se.
nators, retired, and the Assembly was declared opened.
M. Schon, an ex-Minister, was elected president.
A serious collision took place, on Sunday, between the
Prussian soldiery and the citizens, aided by the Burgher
Guard, at Mayence. Several were killed and a large
number wounded on both sides. The soldiers were
beaten into the fortress, and then General Von Huser
issued a proclamation declaring Mayence in a state of seige,
and threatening bombardment if the citizens did not
surrender their arms. Besides this measure, the trains on
the railroads *ere stopped, the steamers prevented from
departing, and ingress and egress to and from the city
compelled to cease. At the instance of the civic authorities,
the people on Monday delivered up their arms, and the
Civic Guard was dissolved. The exasperation of feeling
against the Prussians is represented as intense.

SPAIN.
The Espano of the 20th of May states that amongst the
causes of the dismissal of Sir H. Bulwer there are some
which very gravely compromise his character. The same
paper states that Sir H. Bulwer, before his departure, sent
another note to the Spanish government, declaring that
he would withdraw with the whole of the legation, and
that the reply was, that the passports which had been sent
were intended for him and for him alone ; because he alone
and not England, nor the English government, nor any
other agent or functionary of that government at Madrid,
could have given cause for the unfortunate but indispensa-
ble step which had been taken. Lieutenant-General
Comte Mirasol, on a special mission from Spain to the
British government, arrived on Thursday, at the Hanover
Hotel, in Hanover-square.

.AusrnrA.—ln Austria a most astounding event has
taken place: The Emperor suddenly left the capital on a
plea of ill health, but really because he had been filled
with mistrust as to the sentiments of the people towards
him. There were some who looked upon the matter as a
mere ruse on the part of the Emperor to test the loyalty
of his subjects ; if that be so, it answered its purpose, for
the people were clamorous for his return, and when he
made his appearance again at the Palace in Vienna, the
people were in raptures.
THE WEST INDIA MAlL.—These advices gave a melan-
choly account of the state of affairs throughout the islands.
The colonists r t Jamaica, however, are bestirring them-
selves in the defence of their property, and are at length
taking decisive means to represent their depressed and
ruined position. A meeting had been held for " taking
into consideration the alarming state into which the plant-
ing and agricultural interests of the islands are thrown by
the announcement of the determination of her Majesty's
ministers to adhere to their ruinous measures of 1845."
Resolutions explanatory of the impoverished state of the
island, the destruction of property, the decline of trade,
&c. were passed, and finally it was determined to forward
petitions and memorials to her Majesty and parliament.
The New York Legislature has passed an act to abolish
imprisonment for debt, and limit imprisonment for fines,
allowing each day's imprisonment to liquidate eight dol-
lars of the tine.
So active is the slave trade in Brazil, that 5,000 negroes
were lately landed at Bahia, within two months, while
about 7,000 others were disembarked in the neighbour-
hood of Campos, Rio Grande, and Rio de Janeiro.
THE CHOLERA.—We are informed that the Asiatic
cholera had -appeared at Constantinople. The pestilence
has also reappeared at Moscow. By prior information,
derived from the official returns, it appears that during the
last year 300,000 persons had been attacked, and about
100,000 persons had perished in Russia. In certain towns
in Russia, comprising a population of 411,245,21,295 per-
sons bad been attacked. of whom 11,361 had died, the
number attacked being 1 to 19.5 of the population. In
nearly the same towns, but with a smaller population,
305,329, the number of sick on the former visitation in the
year 1830-31, was 15,550, of whom 9,018 died, the number
of sick being then 1 to 19.6 of the population. The late
course of the disease in Russia is agreed to have been in
all respects similar to the course in 1830-31. It was then
abated by the frost, and re-appeared with the spring. It
was hoped that it had spent its force at the period when
the frost sets in, but its revival at widely distant points,
under similar circumstances to the former, is regarded
with great interest by the medical authorities. and gives
its own warning, which, it is to be hoped, may not be
needed.—Times.
PEACE POLICY.—On Tuesday, in the National Assem-
bly, M. de Lamartine delivered a long speech on the
Italian and Polish questions. He regretted the irregula-
rities that had been committed on the frontiers of Bel-
gium and Baden, as they had militated against the Polish
cause by chilling the sympathies of Germany. With re-
gard to Italy, he declared that as soon as aid should be
demanded there were sixty thousand men ready to cross
the Alps ; but unless the Italians themselves demanded
French intervention, it would be against their own avowed
principles in favour of the independence of people, and re- ,
spect for nationalities, to obtrude such aid upon them.
He then read several communications from eminent
Italians, deprecating French intervention. Neverthe-
less, although they had not as yet been (*Art upon to
swat the cause of Italy, yet they had by tbeir &aurae

of policy stimulated and animated the cause of that
country's independence. Here he went over the sys-
tem -pursued by the old Government, which tended to
crush and choke the efforts of the Italian people, and
contrasted with it the course pursued by the Govern-
ment of the Repulic. The democratic spirit had
spread from Rome through Naples, Tuscany, Modena,
and, in fine, throughout all Italy ; and he concluded
this part of his speech by declaring that, cost what it
would, Italy should be free. Coming to the Polish
question, he read the instructions forwarded to the
agents at the northern courts, and he was enabled to
state that the reply of the King of Prussia and of Baron
d'Arnim to the sustained correspondence kept on the
subject of Poland had been most satisfactory. He could
assure the Assembly that the language of the King -a
Prussia had never wavered from the commencement.
Before the revolution of Berlin the King assured the
French representative of his intention to accord to Posen
a separate organisation, and to recognise the indepen-
dence of that province. After the revolution of Ber-
lin, be held precisely the same language, and if the
King's promises had not been carried out, the blame
was to be attributed to other circumstances. Here
M. de Lamartine detailed the unhappy collisions
that had broken out in Posen between the Poles and
Germans, end which the Poles had, by their own intestine
divisions, brought about: nevertheless, the King of
Prussia had again renewed his promise with regard to
Posen, so soon as the restoration of order would enable
him to accomplish his intentions. He then turned to the
state of Germany, and dwelt on the general marks of
sympathy manifested throughout the German States in
favour of Poland, as elicited by what took place at Cracow,
and he proceeded in the most eloquent terms to point out
what would have been the consequences of an attack by
the French Republic on the German States for the sake
of Poland. He shewed that all nationalities would have
been armed against France, and that the cause of de-
mocracy would have been ruined beyond hope : and the
first victim would have been Poland herself, who would
have been crushed before France could come to her relief.
He proceeded to show that the restoration of Poland
should take place with the consent of the northern
powers, acted on by the moral efforts of the people of
Germany, stimulated by democratic France. M. de La-
martine concluded by speaking in a most energetic man-
ner in favour of moral intervention through Germany, and
showing the folly and uselessness of armed invasion.