12 MAY 1849, Page 7

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FRANCIL—The Italian intervention, and the sudden check given to the French expedition under the•walls of Rome, are the engrossing topics of French discussion.

In the National Assembly, on Monday, the subject was brought forward by M. Jules Fevre, in the shape of a motion for a Committee to be ap- pointed "seance tenante," to examine the instructions given to the Com- mander-in-chief of the expedition, and send in a report at once. He reminded the Assembly, that the explained object was to prevent Austria from interfering alone; but the expedition had acted as anything but a friendly force. The Prefect of Civita Vecchia had been deposed by General Ondinot, and the populace were told by bulletins that if the French had not met with a peaceable admission they would have made a forcible one. The responsibility for the blood of those Frenchmen who have fallen must rest on the Minister who di- rected the march to Rome. (Immense cheering from the Left.) The situation is extremely grave,—French troops in Italy looked on as intruders, foreigners, nay robbers; those troops acting at variance with the course engaged for them by the Ministry when the means of the expedition were voted; the character of the army sullied. It would appear that the expeditions of the Monarchy In be- half of liberty were infinitely more worthy of praise than those of the Republic. It is announced that more troops are to be sent: he refused his confidence to the Ministry in any such contemplated course.

M. Odilon Barrot assured the Assembly that Government possessed no more intelligence than what was published: the most likely solution was, that the troops had fallen into a snare. General Lamoricibre and other Members agreed that the instructions should be examined by a Committee; and the Chamber adopted the motion.

A Committee was chosen, and it proceeded at once in its duty. At nine o'clock in the evening, M. Senard, the reporter, presented its conclusions. The Committee had found that when Ministers demanded the means of inter- vention, the Roman Republic was represented to the Assembly as being on the point of falling to pieces, partly under the attacks of Austria, partly under counter-revolution which was internally brewing. The proposal was to oppose any violence which might arise from such a change. The report ooutinned. "It was also declared, that, though the French expedition did not certainly go to de- fend the Roman Republic, yet it had no design to attack it. Also, it was said that the troops were to laud at Civita Vecchia; but they were not to march on Rome except as arbitrators, invited by the population. Yet it now appeared that, without any foreign intervention, and without any coouter-revolution at Rome, the French division had marched to that city. The result was, that the expe- dition had been turned aside from the end proposed; and that the Roman Repub- lic, which was neither to be defended nor attacked, had in reality been attacked." The Committee therefore laid before the Assembly the following resolution-

" The National Assembly invites the Government to take without any delay such measures as may be necessary to effect that the expedition in Italy be not any longer turned aside from the object which had been assigned to it."

M. Drouyn de Lhuys read the instructions to the Assembly itself, that it might judge of the alleged discord-

" General—I have already informed you of the object of the expedition which the Government of the Republic has intrusted to your direction. You are aware that an internal reaction and a foreign invasion menace the existence of the Ro- man Republic. Your mission is to arrange for the reestablishment ia the Roman States of a regular order of things. Although you have not to intervene directly, you are authorized to receive communications and propositions from the authori- ties; avoiding, however, to recognize the authorities from whom they proceed—" (Violent interruption on the Left.) He could not conceive why any surprise should be felt at what he had just read. (Renewed interruption.) It had been repeatedly declared in that Assembly, by the Government, that it did not recog- nize the Roman Republic. What the Government would not do itself, it could not authorize General Oudinot to do either. (Renewed agitation.) He would read on. —"At Civita Vecchia, you will be received by some as a mediator, and by others as a liberator. (" Oh, oh!") If, however, contrary to all appearance, any inten- tion to prevent year entering Civita Vecchia be manifested, in the name of a Go- vernment which no one in Europe acknowledges, and which maintains itself at Rome contrary to the wishes of the immense majority of the population—(Loud exclamations on the Left)—you are authorized to force a landing. You will also place yourself in communication with M. d'Harcourt, our Ambassador now at Gaeta. You will send to Rome one of your officers, who will inform the heads of the Government that you are not in any way authorized to defend the present state of things, but a regular order of government. Your march on Rome, if necessary, at the head of your troops, will, without doubt, faci- litate such a denouement in giving courage to the persons who are well in- clined. You are to go to Rome, if circumstances are such that you may be cer- tain that there will not be any serious resistance, and you are sure of being so well received there as to show that you are responding to the wish of the popu- lation. ("Ok, oh! It is shameful.") At the moment when a regular govern- ment shall have taken the place of that which now weighs on that country—(Re- newed marks of indignation on the Left)—yon will aid it as much as you can whilst confining yourself to the accomplishment of the wishes of the well-inclined portion of the population." (Cries of " Treason! Shame!" were now heard) M. Drouyn de Lhuys defended these instructions. The French Govern- ment had already declared itself to have no confidence in the present Go- vernment of Rome, which is evidently not regular, and the downfall of which is daily expected. He defended General Oudinot till he knew more: the probability was, that he advanced on the invitation of the Ro- man populace, and was attacked by the foreigners who had flocked thither, and whose character was of the worst description. M. Senard said, he had seen a copy of a letter from General Ondinot, declaring that he marched to overcome an obstinacy that seemed like de- fiance. M. Goudchaux quoted the letter of the Consul, stating, " Everything is prepared for resistance."

After a stormy scene of comment and altercation, a division was taken on an amendment to pass to the order of the day. This proposal was ne- gatived, by 328 to 241; and, amidst clapping of hands and cries of " V ive Is Republique," the motion of the Committee was declared to be adopted. A step taken by the President of the Republic has added to the exaspe- ration of the violent party in the Assembly, and has provoked some cen- sure from even moderate politicians. He wrote a letter to General Oudi- not, in which he expressed grief at the telegraphic news; declared his opinion that the national honour is engaged, pledged himself that he would not suffer it to be attainted, and promised that "reinforcements shall not be wanting." This letter, of a somewhat imperial tone, got into the news- papers. It is defended stoutly by Ministers. They declared it to have been private and unofficial; but, on the arraignment of MM. Grevy and Ledru-Rollin in the Assembly, expressed their full concurrence in its gene- rous language and sentiments. The Government has despatched M. Lesseps to Rome, on the professed mission of ascertaining the true state of feeling there. The elections for the new Assembly are to take place on the 13th in- stant.

In Paris the list of candidates who have been fixed upon by the electors places MM. Dufaure, Passy, and the Moderate•Republicans, very far above the Bonapartist and Legitimist candidates. M. De Tocqueville, and M. Le Verrier the astronomer, are indicated by the electors of Cherbourg. The Prince de Joinville is likely to be returned in the department of the Marne. M. Guizot is thought unlikely to be returned by Calvados.

ITALT.—The interest of the Italian news centres on the movements of the Civics Vecchia expedition. The proceedings of General Oudinot's force are but scantily reported. The force set out on the 27th of April, and arrived under the walls of Rome on the 29th; an attempt to enter the city was resisted, the French force retiring; a second attempt was made, which met with more strenuous resistance, resulting in the repulse of the French with considerable loss. The force had retired on Polidoro and Palo, and at those places awaited reinforcements on the 4th instant.

Letters from Rome to the 29th describe the proceedings of the Assem- bly, and the acts of the Government; the Assembly instructing the Go- vernment to resist, the Government energetically carrying out these instruc- tions by the disposition of its armed forces, and by barricading and fortifying the approaches to the city; and the populace generally resolving to fight knee-deep in blood rather than submit to the dictation of the foreigners or receive back the temporal rule of the Pope. A remarkable fact is vouched from several quarters—that a company of some fifty of the French soldiers deserted from General Oudinot's force, and entered Rome, to join in its defence; crying that they would not be used as the Pope's Janissaries.

The Austrians entered Ferrara, 6,000 strong, on the 1st, and Lucca on the 4th. The King of Naples crossed the frontier, in personal command of 5,000 men, on the 29th of April.

The accounts of the French loss are very discrepant, but they all agree in making it very serious. French accounts state that the killed were 47 officers (!) and 187 men: another account says that a French steamer has taken some 180 wounded men to Gaeta. But the brief Roman accounts swell the numbers to 1,500 in killed, wounded, and prisoners.

Ausrau,.—The Austrian news is scanty and ill-authenticated. Ac.- counts from Vienna to the 3d state, that on the 14th of April, therMagya Parliamentrumulimously Ixsolved on a declaration of thettncohditibnal de- position of 'the house of Hapsburg, and the establishment of the independ- ence of the state of Hungary as a Republic, embracing Transylvania, Croatia, &c., in alliance with the reestablished Polish nation. But other accounts state that the report of the proceedings has been falsified by the Imperialists, to inflame the Austrian mind; and that the abdicated Em- peror Ferdinand is still regarded as the legitimate and actual King of Hungary.

The Magyar army continues its advance beyond Buda: it nowpossesses Raab, and is said to be close to Presburg. It is stated that the army of the Ban Jellachich has been annihilated, and that he is shut up in the fortress of Esrizeg. The accounts of the Russian advance are officially confirmed; but it is not certain that any portion of Russian troops has ac- tually crossed the frontier. It was stated early in the week that a division bad entered Cracow, and that three others had entered by the Northern and Eastern frontier passes: but there are rumours now that British intervention and internal troubles in Russian Poland have arrested the movement.

GER-MANT.—The Frankfort Assembly, on the 4th instant, passed a series of resolutions calling on the Governments, the Legislative bodies, and mu- nicipal bodies of all single states, to bring abdut the acknowledgment and validity of the Imperial Constitution published under date the 28th March; convoking for the 15th August the first Constitutional Parliament of the Empire at Frankfort, the elections for which are to be on the 15th of July; and making this special declaration— "Should Prussia, in particular, not be represented in that Parliament, and therefore not have acknowledged the Constitution either expressly or de facto, then the Sovereign of that state which has the greatest number of inhabitants among those represented shall enter upon the rights and duties of the Emperor under the title of Regent or Stadtholder of the Empire. . . . The Emperor shall take the oath upon the Constitution before the National Assembly, and then open the Parliament. From the moment of this act being performed, the National Assembly shall be dissolved."

In the course of the debate, Baron Gagers referred to a sentence in the last circular note of the Prussian Government, promising the exertions of Prussia " to subdue revolution within her own territory and out of it throughout Germany ": he declared that, according to the law which called the Provisional Central Government into existence, the duty of preserving order and peace in all different states devolved on that Government. The Central Government therefore will expect the ready help of every state in the execution of that duty; but it cannot allow the claim of any particular state to the general direction of common measures for the maintenance of public order and the peace of the empire. The declaration was received with " an indescribable burst of applause."

The Prussian State Gazette published the resolutions of the Frankfort Assembly passed on the 4th instant, and together with it the comment and reply of the Berlin Cabinet, under date the 7th instant, signed by all the Ministers. The Brandenburg Ministry declare the provisions fixing the elections to be an usurpation; and state that the King's government cannot in any manner recognize or execute them. The National As- sembly exposes itself to the danger of being understood to threaten the completion of the Constitution without the sanction of the Govern- ments,—that is to say, by violence and revolution: but the King's Govern.. ment is prepared to meet any illegal manifestations, and orders its own Presidents of Provinces to be prepared quickly and energetically to suppress all illegal attempts at the effectuation of the Frankfort Constitution.

The dissolution of the Saxon Chambers has produced an insurrection in Dresden. Serious riots occurred on the 3d instant, and the military were called out and brought into action. The populace erected barricades,. and got possession of some strong points. On the 4th, the King and his Ministers retired to Konigstein; their departure being effected with much difficulty under a powerful escort of troops. This was made the pretext for declaring a Provisional Government, with Tzschirner, Henbner, and Toth at the head; and a Commander-in-chief of the insurgents was appointed. An armistice was agreed on, during which the Communal Guard were ad- mitted to a joint occupation of the arsenal: but nothing resulted from the negotiations; so the joint occupation of the arsenal was terminated, the troops resumed exclusive possession, and the fight recommenced. A large body of students and citizens from Leipsig arrived, and joined the insur- gents; who gained a stronger military hold of the city. On the 5th, the King published a proclamation protesting against the establishment of a Provisional Government; and the troops made energetic and combined movements, which placed a large portion of the barricaded districts in their possession. A regiment of Prussian succours arrived from Berlin; and the struggle was successfully prosecuted against the insurgents till the morn- ing of the 7th, when, it is said, the insurrection was totally put down. But this result is not quite certified.

This intervention has, however, incensed the Saxon populations to a high degree. Leipsig and several large towns are said to have put them- selves under the orders of the Provisional Government.

The movement in support of the Frankfort Government gains strength in South Germany, and is becoming serious in the Prussian Rhine pro- vinces. At Durkheim, Frankenthal, and other places in Bavaria, the Ba- varian arms have been torn down. At Cologne, a meeting of 500 dele- gates of municipal corporations was held on the 8th instant; they declared their adhesion to the Frankfort Constitution, and called on the Provisional Central Government to adopt energetic measures to consolidate the popular opposition in the individual German states. Furthermore, they declared their opinion [being Prussian subjects] "that the dismissal of the Cabinet of MM. Brandenburg and Manteuffel, and the issuing of writs for a ge- neral election, without any change or alteration of the electioneering law, is an imperative necessity."