The Express. — 1851-06-21 (London, England)

FRANK FORT-ON-THE-MAINE, JrxE 19. The several commissions or committees appointed by tho Diet are very busy. The first is a general business committee, whose duty it is to prepare all questions which are to be submitted to the cngerr-Itath ; it consists of seven members. Then there is a military committee, a naval committee, and a financial committee. The two first of these, but more particularly the military committee, are as-; sisted by military officers of experience and ability from each of the federal states, who may, in fact, be said to form a kind of ministry. The naval committee was appointed but a few days ago, and consists of four members: they are Count Thun (Austria), Baron Rochow (Prussia), M. de Schele (Hanover), and Burgermeister Brehmer (Lubeck). All these committctu meet regularly four or five times a week.  In the general committee of business nothing has been done beyond what has been already reported. The members have, it is true, discussed in an informal manner the Schleswig-Holstein and Hessian questions; but as the discussions arose in an irregular manner, they produced no result, and are of no importance whatever. Both of these questions have reached a point at which the interference of the highest German power is loudly called for. The Diet has bean re-constituted, and there is no excuse whatever for delaying that interference which was promised by both I Austria and Prussia, on the part of the Diet, both at °limit/ and Dresden. The remonstrances of Austria and Prussia have failed to curb the cruelty and arrogance of the Danes in Schleswig, while both these powers suffer the deplorable condition of Hew-Cassel to he prolonged without an attempt at relief. The ridiculous brutality of the Danish colonel, du l'lat, in Schleswig, was not terminated by the Prussian protest, as has been stated by the journals of that country. The conduct of that officer, and the general policy of Denmark, was so glaringly inhuman and impolitic that even Colonel Hodges, the British consul at Hamburg, who was sent by Lord Palmerston to Flensburg to watch the proceedings of the Assembly of Notables, was compelled to report to the foreign minister unfavourably to Inset,' friends and allies. Colonel Hodges's report made its way to Copenhagen from London, end was, as 1 am assured on very good authority, the means by which the rescinding of Colonel du Plat's absurd orders was procured, and that officer recalled. The Diet looks on quietly, and leaves foreign powers to interfere in favour of those whom it ought to protect. It may be answered that the business forms of the Diet do not permit anything approaching to celerity in its proceedings, but they do not prevent the initiative being taken. They may delay a resolution being come to ; but no more. The absurdest questions can be mooted in the Diet without notice ; but even the must inveterate enemy of the popular cause in Hesse and Schleswig-Holstein will not venture to assert that tt e condition of these two countries requires investigation. The case is glaring in both, and the delay of the Diet is inexplicable, unless caused by the desire to prolong the punishment of the advocates and combatants for national independence in the one case, and for constitu, tional government in the other. The English government might speak a word advantageously in favour 'of both. Prussia is not listened to, and Austria does not care. Her soldiers arc spread throughout Germany ; they shoot and murder inoffensive individuals because one of their comrades has been beaten in a quarrel about a street-walker. The power of Austria is permanent ; but the suffering and wretched are neglected. The Austrian commander of Altona has consented to withdraw his troops from St. Pauli, if the Senate will guarantee the maintenance of order. The same functionary has insisted on the suspension of the Hamburg civic guard.