22 FEBRUARY 1851, Page 7

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Faaaecz.—The journals in the interest of President Napoleon state with some parade, that he has commenced a rigid economy in his house- hold and personal expenses, to bring them within the limit prescribed by the Assembly in its refusal of the dotation. His receptions have been stopped, and the sale of a great number of his saddle and carriage horses has been advertised. The idea of a national subscription having been persisted in by some of his most ardent friends, he has again, by the pen

of the chief of his household, explicitly forbidden the project—" sacrificing himself without reservation to the repose of the country."

Reports have appeared that the Ministry of transition proves too little complacent to the hand which improvised it. The Home and Foreign Ministers are accused of a devotion to the usages in which they have been trained, that interferes seriously with the plan of imperializing thoroughly the staff of the home and diplomatic services. Public opi- nion is concentrated much on the German question, and its new deve- lopment in reference to the interests of France in Italy and on the Rhine, by the agreement of Austria and Prussia to draw all of their non-German territories into the Confederation. The Journal des _Debate declares the question to be extremely grave for France : "any motive causing an Italian war would now be one that would cause a war by France with all. Germany." The Government is said to be strengthening its army of occupation in Rome, and preparing to concentrate great masses of mili- tary on foe frontiers of Germany, Switzerland, and Piedmont.

SWETZEREAND, PIEDMONT, AND ITALY.—A well-informed correspond- ent of the IfOlner Zeitung asserts that the Central Federal Commission at Frankfort is preparing for a serious diplomatic joust with the Swiss Can- tons, and that the demands of the Federal agents will be supported by a powerful army. The Berlin correspondent of the Times adds—" Ru- mours of this kind, which are confirmed by similar statements from al- most all the courts of Germany, obtain an almost unquestionable authen- ticity by the frequent, vehement, and well-directed attacks of the Minis- terial journals at Berlin and Vienna against the treatment and protection which political fugitives from all parts of Germany receive at the hands of the Swiss Cantonal Governments." The plan of a war with Switzer- land is said to be, however, by no means popular with the Germans them- selves.

The Croce di Savoia lately drew the attention of the Sardinian Govern- ment to the concentration of large bodies of Austrians on the line of the Ticino, and the formation of magazines at Pavia and other places, me- nacing the Sardinian frontier. The Paris Constitutionnel says—" Letters from Geneva state that the Italian refugees place great hopes in the efforts making by Garibaldi to cause a rising in a part of Italy which he has recently penetrated."

GERMANY.—One of the points of German policy agreed to by Austria and Prussia at the Ohniitz conferences has assumed an European interest and importance—that which related to the admission of the non-German provinces of the two great states into the Confederation. It was not hitherto assumed in this respect that Austria would do more than claim as a set-off against the admission of the Germanized half of Prussian Po- land, claimed by the Berlin Cabinet, the admission of a portion of her numerous non-German territories bearing some relation to the Prussian demand in its extent. It is now announced, however, that the claim has been extended so as to include all the non-German dominions of Austria, from the Prussian frontier in the North to the Sardinian and Papal frontiers in the South; and the more important statement is added, that Prussia agrees to the demand, and Russia ratifies the agreement. The danger that Austria should extend the appliances of power given to her as one of the two heads of the German Confederation into Italy, and to the Adriatic coast of the Mediterranean sea, over which France claims peculiar rights of preponderant influence, has thrown the French Government into a state of serious alarm • and the threat of a disturbance to the " balance of power" has inspired the British Government with new diplomatic energies. The Times announces, that " the French Government lost no time in protesting at Vienna, explicitly and firmly, against any such ex- tension of the Germanic Confederation beyond the Alps, both as a mate- rial alteration of the treaty of Vienna and as an important addition to the political strength of states contiguous to the French territory and fre- quently rivals of French influence." The British Government, it ap- pears, " did not directly participate in the diplomatic measures actually taken by the Cabinet of Paris " ; " but it is understood," says the Times, " that a courier was despatched from London last week, who conveys to Dresden and Vienna the remonstrances of the British Crown against an arrangement which can only be legally effected with the assent of an Eu- ropean Congress, and which threatens, by so extensive a change in the relations of Austria with Italy, to be the germ of future differences, or even hostilities, in that country."

The Hanover Gazette gives what appears to be an official communication of the drift of the remonstrant despatches-

" On the 3d of December last, Lord Palmerston addressed to the Cabinets of Vienna and Berlin a note, in which he stated, that having learned that Prussia and Austria had agreed to enter the Germanic Confederation with the states not included in it by the treaty of Vienna, he was called on to de- clare, that the territory of the Germanic Confederation was not formed solely by the voluntary union of the states which constitute it, but by an European treaty ; so that the territory could not be modified without the consent and accord of all the powers which signed the treaty of Vienna. In forming the Germanic Confederation, the principle was admitted that it should only be composed of German elements. This fundamental principle had been abandoned in the convention referred to. The British Government, how- ever, not having received positive and complete news on this affair did not

at the moment think it right to pronounce formally on the projected ; but it is hoped that the Cabinets of Vienna and Berlin would, before taking any definite resolution, give precise explanations on the nature and object of the projected modifications, and on the motives which might appear to render them desirable. It especially demanded explanations on the point as to what sort of intervention one or several members of the Germanic Confederation proposed to exercise in the interior affairs of states which might belong to it, and in any differences which might arise between the sove-

repThsandesubjects. French Government, having received the official news that Austria proposed to enter the Germanic Confederation with all her states, hastened to declare to the Cabinet of Vienna that the French Republic would consider the projected extension of the territory of the Confederation as an affair which should be treated by all the parties who signed the treaty of 1815."

TIMELY AND EGYPT.—The Cologne Gazette announces the receipt of telegraphic news from Vienna of important if authentic character. It is stated that the Ottoman Porte has categorically demanded of the Viceroy of Egypt that he reduce his army to:+20,000 men, and place his fleet at the entire disposal of the Porte ; reduce the land-tax by one-third ; ac- cept a resident Turkish general inspector, and regulate the revenues of the Egyptian princes on a fixed scale. The report proceeds to state, that Abbas Pasha replied to the demands with an immediate order to levy 40,000 land troops and 15,000 seamen, in opposition to Turkish aggres- sion. CANADA.— A despatch from Earl Grey to the Earl of Elgin communi- cates the important fact that the Imperial Government have abandoned to the Colonial Legislature the disposition of the clergy reserves. The Earl of Elgin's despatch communicating the address of the Canadian Assembly on the subject was received in July last, after the session of the Provincial Legislature had already closed, and on the eve of the close of the Im- perial session ; it was therefore reserved for mature consideration by the Government. Earl Grey's despatch in answer is dated the 27th of Ja- nuary. Her Majesty has been pleased to receive the address " very graciously?' Lord Elgin will inform the House of Assembly, that while her Majesty's. servants "greatly regret" that a subject of so much 'difficulty should, after an interval some years, have again been brought under discussion, "it has appeared to them, on mature deliberation, that the desire expressed by the As- sembly in this address ought to be acceded to." They will accordingly bepre- pared to recommend to Parliament, that an act should be passed giving to the Provincial Legislature full authority to make such alterations as they may think fit in the existing arrangements with regard to the clergy reserves, pro- vided that existing interests are respected." Great as would be the advantages of leaving undisturbed the existing arrangement devoting a portion of the pub- lic lands to the creation of a fund for the religious instruction of the inha- bitants of the province, " still the question is one so exclusively affecting the people of Canada, that its decision ought not to be withdrawn from the Provincial Legislature, to which it properly .belongs to regulate all matters. concerning the domestic interests of the Province." It has appeared to her Majesty's Government "impossible for them, consistently with the principles on which they have always held that the government of Canada ought to be conducted," to advise refusal of the prayer. They have acted on that con- clusion with the less difficulty from observing that the Assembly in their address recognize the claims of present incumbents of the fund, and have not asked authority to interfere with the incomes during the lives of the parties enjoying them.

CEYLON.—By the latest advices, extending to January 15th, affairs in this colony appeared to be progressing more favourably than for some time past. Sir George Anderson had adjourned the Legislative Council, on. the 20th December, after voting the necessary supplies : the financial statement, presented by the Colonial Secretary, showed the revenue for the first three quarters of 1850 to amount to 311,4791. 108. 9d., against. 307,1701. 2s. 9d. for the like period of 1849; whilst the expenditure had been 291,7931. 38. 5d., against 312,537/. Is. 6d. in 1849. Sweeping re- ductions were talked of : amongst other changes, one of the Puisne Judges was to be dispensed with, the offices of Civil Engineer and Com- missioner of Roads were to be amalgamated as of old, and several Staff appointments were abolished. The weather, which had long been adverse to the preparation and shipment of the crops, had changed, and exporters were busy. Exchange on London was seriously against the shipper of produce. Freights remained steady at 31. 10s. and 41.