POSTSCRIPT.
SATURDAY;
The propositions which the Federal Council of Switzerland submitted' to the Federal Assembly for the settlement of the Neuchatel dispute were yesterday finally adopted by that body. They were separately discussed in the Council of States and the National Council, the two bodies which collectively constitute the Federal Assembly; and were then carried, after a long and animated debate, by 82 voices to 4.
The Emperor of Austria who has been proceeding onward towards Milan by easy stages, halting at Padua, Vicenza, Verona, Mantua, entered Milan at half-past two on Thursday. The telegraph barely reports the fact, and says nothing respecting his reception.
Twenty-five political prisoners have contrived this week to break out of the prison of Valencia.
A remarkable letter appeared in yesterday's Mon iteur, dated from the Tuileries. It is published in the Times of to day, but without a signature. It asserts that France never had any idea of separating its cause from that of Switzerland ; indeed "for us Switzerland is the same as France." • "Though we do not entertain the idea of incorporating you with our Empire we cannot separate your interests from ours. Moreover, the misunderstanding which the first time caused the mediation of the Emperor to be rejected appears to have ceased, and you shall for ever, and at little expense*. be rid of the Prussians."
Prince Napoleon gave a banquet on Wednesday to the general officer§ in Paris engaged in the war in the East. Neither in the speeches of the Prince nor those of his father Jerome, of Marshal Canrobert, nor the Huke of Malakoff, as reported in the Moniterw, is any mention made of the English troops or generals. There were present at the banquet nine' officers of the former Empire, "nearly all of them Waterloo men." Prince Napoleon closed his speech with this remark—" The immense advantage of the war, I say it with pride, is that you have proved that France still has her grande armee.' " The overland mail, which arrived in London yesterday afternoon; brought, besides the usual Indian advices, files of journals from Hongkong to the 24th November—nine days later than the last mail. From them we learn, that Admiral Seymour had undertaken no new naval or military operations, beyond intrenching the foreign quarter, and protecting the shipping from fire-rafts by sinking junks and extending booms across the navigable channels. The novelty of the aspect of affairs at Canton is the entry of the Americans and French on the scene of active operations. The French, it is stated, have withdrawn their men-of-war from the factories, which seem to be entirely guarded by the British, and have taken the Liptat forts on one of the branches of the river. The Americans were forced to attack the Chinese. It appears that, on the 15th November, the Chinese garrison of some forts between Whampoa and Canton fired on the first cutter of the United States ship Portsmouth. Thinking they might be mistaken, the Americans waved their flag ; it was answered by a volley of grape and round shot. Under these circumstances, Commodore Armstrong determined to seize the offending forts, and theta to inform Yeh that he had done so. On the 16th, accordingly, the Levant and Portsmouth were towed up to within some hundreds of yards of the forts, when the Levant grounded. The Portsmouth continued her course to within 4,50 yards, and then opened fire. The action lasted nearly three hours ; the Chinese fighting their guns well, but giving in at dusk before the Americans. At this stage in the contest, Dr. Parker, the United States Commissioner, caused further operations to be suspended while he demanded immediate satisfaction from Yeh. This, however, would appear not to have been forthcoming ; for on the 21st the boats of the Levant, Portsmouth, and San Jacinto, successively attacked and captured three forts—Barrier Fort, Fidler's Reach Fort, and Island Fort—and destroyed their guns, 124 in number. At dawn the next morning, they stormed another, called Square Fort, and destroyed its 41 guns. The loss in these operations is not clearly stated, but it seems to have been about six men killed and six wounded. Yeh had appealed to "the people" of the Two Kwangs. In the last edict issued he says " The barbarian rebels have raised disturbances, attacking our heavenly dynasty, destroy ing forts, burning the shops, and making war on the city. The anxiety on this account has entered into my verybones and marrow ; and your united wrath, too, has been aroused. Now, I have received the Imperial commands, 'firmly to hold and resolutely to fight and maintain the war from the public treasury, to blockade the river and sea, and to sweep out every fragment.' You must, in behalf of the empire, exert your strength as brave soldiers, in order that not a fragment of the foreign robbers may remain. In case there should be any speaking of peace, the speaker shall be dealt with according to martial law. Did I not love the people as children, the barbarian rebels certainly would deceive them." The latest date of the advises from India is Calcutta the 8th, and Bombay the 17th December. The news of the fall of Herat had reached both those cities, and seems to have caused some sensation. Brigadier Chamberlayne, described in a previous mail as advancing on the great road to Cabul to overawe a "refractory tribe," was on the 21st November at Suffeid Koh, six marches from Cabul ; whither, says the Calcutta correspondent of the Times, the force will go to garrison that city while the boat operates on the frontier. Sir John Lawrence and the Afghan chief were about to meet, "probably near the Khyber, to arrange the terms on which further assistance will be rendered." It does not seem quite clear whether the Persians were or were not advancing on the road to Candahar, but it was rumoured that Hyder Khan had been defeated at Ottrisk.
The Queen will hold an investiture of the Order of the Bath on Saurday the 24th instant, at 'Windsor Castle, at half-past two o'clock.
Prince Albert has appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Frederick Ponsonby, Grenadier Guards, to be one of his Equerries.
The two Princes of Gude, attended by Major Bird and Colonel RawEason, paid a visit of ceremony yesterday to the Board of Directors at the East India House.
Some items of "election intelligence" come to hand this morning. A meeting was held at Maidstone on Thursday, to take steps for securing the return of Mr. Wykeham Martin for West Kent, in the room of the sate Sir Edmund Filmer. A Committee was formed to conduct Mr. Martin's election. On the same day, Alderman Langworthy addressed the electors of Salford, and explained his views : national education by local rates ; extension of the franchise, and vote by ballot. The explanation gave satisfaction.
Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton was installed as Lord Rector of the University of Glasgow on Thursday ; whenhe delivered what has now become customary on these occasions, a long and eloquent address to a delighted audience.
At the Central Criminal Court, yesterday, Leopold Redpath and Charles James Comy-ns Kent were tried for their share in the frauds on the Great Northern Railway. B.edpath, however, was first tried on a separate indictment, charging him with forging and uttering a forged deed of transfer. The defence was an attack upon the Directors of the Railway ; "the ....gambling and speculation that exist in the offices of the Great Northern Railway Company," The verdict in this case was "Guilty." Then Redpath and Kent were tried on another indictment embracing a similarcharge; Kent's share in it being the attestation of the forged transfer. It was shown that at least one other clerk had done a like act, and that he is still in the service of the Company; and many gentlemen gave Kent a good character. This second trial ended in a verdict of "Guilty' against Redpath, and in the acquittal of Kent. There were several other indictments against both: It was suggested by Mr. Sergeant Ballantine, for the prosecution, that the charges against Kent should stand over, and that he should be liberated on his own reeognizances. This was objected to by the prisoner's counsel, Mr. Hawkins ; and the trial was about to proceed, when Mr. Beckett Denison -entered the court : then Mr. Ballautine stated, that as he had now been authorized to proceed or not on his own 'responsibility, he willingly accepted the responsibility and withdrew the prosecution against Kent. This statement was cheered by the audience. Mr. Justice Wiles, in passing sentence on Redpath—who, he mid, had aggravated his crime by irrelevantly attempting to asperse the character of his employers—summed up the prisoner's misdoings with force —"Looking only to the facts in this case and upon the depositions, it appears that you haveforged no less than twenty deeds. You have ob-Mined by means of those forged deeds between 20,000/. and 40,0001.; how much more, one may imagine from the statement which has been made on your behalf. You are therefore a person who has forged on a large scale ; you have played for heavy stakes; and you must have been aware all along that if your iniquities were discovered you would be called to a heavy account. That account it is my duty now to close by pronouncing upon you the sentence of the Court, which is, that you be transported beyond the seas for the term of your natural life."
Early in the morning, Mr. Baron Martin made an order that the Turkish Rends, worth 2,5001., taken from Pierce, should be delivered over to Fanny Kay.
John Paul was yesterday committed by the Lord Mayor to take his trial :upon charges of extensive forgeries and frauds upon the Poor-law Union of the City of London.
The screw-steamer Briton, belonging to the Union Steam-ship Company of Southampton, foundered in a heavy gale on Sunday last, off Cape Ushant Fortunately, the crew were rescued by the intrepid conduct of Captain Blampied, master of a Jersey schooner, the Wave Queen.
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