25 OCTOBER 1845, Page 2

Marshal Soult threatens to retire; and, although it is said

that he has been persuaded to remain in the Cabinet for the present, there are circumstances which make his speedy retirement pro- bable. His health fails. Age does not modify a natural crotchety frowardness ; but Louis Philippe's will is at least as strong as the Marshal's, and the veteran has had to gulp frequent mortification. He disapproves of the policy pursued by Marshal Bugeaud in Algeria—a true Rhodamonte, all ferocity and noise, as cruel as boasting ; but the noisy Bugeaud has been sent back to rule and roast the Algerians. As was the case with Wellington, the name of Soult lent an essential aid to the present Ministry on its forma- tion; but by this time, Guizot, the French Peel, with the force of his own character has established an independent position, and can now stand by his own merits. Or if he must fall, the Marshal cannot save him.

The report of Queen Isabella's marriage with the Count of Montemolin is contradicted; and Spain is again restored to un- settled rumours on that fertile subject, and to renewed riots in the towns.

The Empress of Russia has gone to Italy for her health : her lungs are affected, and St. Petersburg is not a Nice. The Em- peror is not accounted uxorious ; but he has been posting after the Empress as precipitately as M. Dupont after his virgin wife. We hear of the Empress at Genoa : the Count of Molina alias Don Carlos also comes to Genoa; item, one General Elio, a Car- list General : Sardinia, ever the depository of Absolutist opinions, still in public proceedings styles the Count "his Majesty." Also, the Emperor of Austria has gone to the same quarter. All these facts mean nothing, perhaps, except that Italy is as salu- brious and pleasant to royal as to ordinary travellers ; but there is a "curious coincidence," which may cause some speculation both in Italy and Spain.

The King of Prussia has been playing the part of controver- sialist with the Corporation of Berlin. The Municipality asked him, rather dictatorially it must be allowed, to recognize the new " Reformation" ; whereas King Frederick William will recognize nothing but what is established. He will adopt an improvement, but it must have been duly registered and patented. He will not speculate in new inventions. He is not the man to go into the water before he can swim, nor to suffer any one else to do so. He condescended however, to return the Municipality lecture for lecture. Imagine the late King of England in controversy with the Lord Mayor of London on Tractarianism

Holland presents an opposite spectacle. It has the shadow of a representation in their High Mightinesses the States-General. The States formerly proposed to tell a piece of their mind to the King ; but, not being quite agreed on the awful enterprise, they last year made no answer to the speech from the throne. Happy idea! This year, the King improves upon the notion : he makes them a speech, and finishes by a long and earnest ex- hortation to them not to answer. By this means, he not only has it all his own way, and can say what is or is not, just as he pleases, without a chance of being belied, but he steals a tremen- dous march on their High Mightinesses—they cannot even sig. .nify some displeasure by not answering his speech, for he has begged them not to do so. "How charming," he cries, "our unanimity ! but, for Heaven's sake, don't answer me, lest we fall out."

Russia, busy in the North as well as South, is about to abolish the customs on its frontier with Poland, expunging the distinctive boundary of that country. There has been a good deal of false sentiment about the fallen nation; as if it had had no slavery, no political corruption, no barbarisms of its own—as if "the people" were really "free." If the Poles have any enlightened and far-seeing views, they will no longer waste their energies in the hopeless task of repealing that Antion mad reconstructing mo-

dern geography, i but will look to the greet Sclavonic empire as the object of their political. .aspirations. The greater includes the less : they might emancipate Poland by emancipating Russia. Do not let us be supposed to allude to silly assassinations or vulgar riots : we refer to the progress ef opinion among the Russian gentry, to more mistily and deliberate views of the social state and political organization.

We have some scanty intelligence from the seat of war in New Zealand ; for Captain Fitzroy-was still carrying on his very "little war" with John Heki. The British troops, we are told, were "partially successful " ; as if it were possible for British arms to be " partially " successful in a contest with a gipsy chief, even on his own lands. " Partial " success, in such circumstances, is total failure.

The actual hostilities in the Rio de la Plata have not struck conviction on the souls of the belligerents ; and the merchants, who cannot understand the homceopathic treatment of curing war with more war, are in an agony of trepidation at the prospect of losing something in the transaction. Indeed, the topographical difficulties of the place do not promise a very salient progress in coercing the semibarbarians to be amenable to reason—even to the ultinza ratio.