The Express. — 1866-04-11 (London, England)

THE FRENCH PRESS ON THE PRUSSIAN PRO. POSAL TO THE DIET.  The Temps says :—" The news that Prussia had propoz.ed to the Diet the convocation of an assembly directly elected by universal suffrage from the entire of Germany, although there was a foreshadowing of it in the famous Prussian circular of the 24th March, burst upon us like a bomb. It excited for the moment onr financial world, who did not know whether it was a 'Lep towards war or peace. The intelligence from Germany to-day informs us that the Diet, on the motion of itz President, resolved that the proposition should be at once communicated to the respective federal governments, and that, in conformity with usage, it should be discussed in a week's time. Herr von Bismarck cannot delude himself as to the reception which his daring motion will get from the official organ of the old Germanic body. The replies of the secondary States are known beforehand, the governments to be consult:d will not commit suicide. Herr von Bismarck knows this as well as any one, but yet such is his confidence in himself that he perhaps imagines the German people will, in the presence of the brilliant vision of national unity, forget the examples of his internal policy, his attacks on the liberal party in Prussia, his attempts upon the constitution and liberties of that country; and that he will produce in Germany a public opinion so general and so powerful that it will carry with it the recalcitrant governments, or if not, that he will be able to pursue his designs without them. If he is not already deceived in his hopes, he soon will be. We learn, indeed, from Frankfort already that his motion has been unfavourably received, and that no one is taken by the snare which he has set. The committee of Thirty-Six, even before the proposition was laid before the Diet, 'anticipating the move, agreed to a declaration on the 7th of April, in which they protest strongly against the danger of a civil war, which would bring the foreigner into Germany, and ruin upon public liberty and prosperity. It denounces the manner in which the two great German powers treat the Elbe Duchies, dealing with them as if they were a booty and a subject for forcible annexation. It points out the weakness of the Confederate states, and demands an entire revision of the federal constitution, but at the same time energetically rzjects the initiative of Prussia. Any government,' it says, which, disregarding the rights of its own people, should present projects of federal reform with the intention probably of obtaining allies in a civil war would not possess, owing to the want of confidence of the German people, the guarantees requisite for ensuring the success of the great work of national unity.' " The Debate remarking on the promptitude exhibited in  taking the Prussian proposition into consideration. says : " In this energetic style of treating questions we can no longer discover the proverbial slowness of Germany. With regard to the proposition itself, it appears, from the declaration of the Committee of Thirty-six, that the proiects of Herr von Bismarck will meet with strong opposition from the Liberal party, who, while anxious to see the unity of Germany, will not give their support to the  absolutist policy of Prussia." The Arenir National regards the proposition of Prussia as a proceeding to which Herr von Bismarck was driven in onler to get out of the fix into which he was forced by the diplomacy of Austria, who probably intimated in her last note that she would submit, in virtue of Article 11 of the Federal pact, the difference between the two powers to the arbitration of the Diet. The Independance Beige asks :—" What will be the result of Herr von Bismarck's appeal to the aspirations of the German nations for a revision of the organisation of I the Federation ? Will this appeal procure him that popular support which his policy has hitherto failed to obtain Can he who is so unparliamentary at Berlin become parliamentary at Frankfort! Will the populations follow him against their governments, and if they do will he be able to maintain in their face the rule which he has carried out in Prussia r The Nord regards the Prussian proposition as a coup de theatre, which Herr Von Bismarck has been holding in reserve for the last month, and that it is of the same character as the proposal of a European congress made by the Emperor of the French, when France, Naglsotand Austria were driven into an impasse in consequence of their intervention on the Polish question.  Sir Jervoise Clarke Jervoise will ask the VicePresident of the Committee of Council on Education tomorrow when the third report of the Cattle Plague Comminion will be published•