5 MAY 1849, Page 7

ffortign anti Colonial.

Faarrca.—A tendency to dmeute showed itself on Sunday and Monday, arising out of the officious interference of the police at public meetings of the advanced Republicans. Some arrests were made on the one baud, and a prudent moderating of the official zeal was effectually enjoined on the other; and the tendency towards disturbance has faded away. Some members of the Assembly were among the first arrested; but they were liberated as soon as they were recognized by the authorities.

ITaar.—The French expedition was landed at Civita Vecchia on the 25th of April, without-opposition or accident; the local authorities open- ing their gates at the first summons, and the people receiving the troops with sympathy.

The Roman Government received notice of the appearance of the flotilla On the 24th of April, and ordered resistance to the last; but their orders armed too late. The reactionary movement last week announced at Leghorn did not occur: that city held out against investing Tuscan troops on the 23d, and there was no prospect of its succumbing.

The fortress of Alessandria was opened to an Austrian garrison on the 24th; and is now heldjointly for the belligerent nations under the stipula- tions of Novarra. The Sardinian Ministry, however, protests against the severity with which Austria presses the negotiation, as an abuse of the pre- ponderance that existing circumstances have given her; and the Sardinian plenipotentiary has warned Austria that if her obstinate perseverance in exaggerated pretensions should change pacific intention into simple truce, it has hope in the national spirit of its populations, and will again defend the independence of the country.

GEastowr.—The Brandenberg Cabinet has suddenly dismissed the Prussian. Parliament. On the 26th of April, the Second Chamber per- sisted in its declaration that the state of siege was illegal. On the 27th, the Ministers entered the Chamber, and Count Brandenberg read an ordi- nance whereby the Second Chamber was dissolved and the First Chamber was prorogued. In the coarse of the afternoon, crowds assembled in the Donhof-Platz, and showed a disposition to raise barricades. The police at- tempted unsuccessfully to disperse them, but the military did it with ease. It is said that five men and one woman were killed. Next day the people were quite tranquiL

On the 29th, the King of Prussia sent a long letter to M. Camphaueen, his plenipotentiary at Frankfort, stating at its close, that . . . . "his conscience would not allow him to call upon his people to make the sacrifices that would be required to support him in his new position; and he, therefore with the advice of his Ministers, has resolved to decline accepting the Imperial dignity in connexion with the constitution voted at Frankfort."

Nevertheless, as the appointment of a German empire is not indispensable to the establishment of a comprehensive unity, the King cannot think that his de- clining the office can endanger that unity. He invites the Frankfort Assembly to meet him with patriotism, and give such a direction to the business as will ren- der cooperation possible, and insure by peaceful means the adoption of a modified constitution.

The Commons House of the Kingdom of Hanover was dissolved, by special message, on the 25th of April; the Royal proclamation declaring that the Frankfort Diet most obstinately insisted on the execution of its decrees in an unconstitutional manner.

On the 30th, the Frankfort Parliament resolved to censure the Prus- sian and Hanoverian Governments for dissolving their respective Diets; to summon those Governments at once to issue writs for new general elec- tions ; and to express to the remaining legal organs its expectations that they will candidly and speedily inform the Government of the sentiments of the people.

Differences exist between the ad-interim Regent and his ad-interim Cabinet.

HUNGARY.—So marked a change has occurred in the aspect of the Hun- garian war, as almost to demand a brief recapitulation of the great move- ments which have brought about the change; movements hitherto con- fusedly and imperfectly explained in the accounts received.

Our last summary of the campaign presented the Austrian army, at the end of March last, on the Western banks of the Theiss, resisting the at- tempt of the Hungarian army—then first seen to be numerous and well- appointed—to cross that river, and remove the seat of war to the Western frontier. The efforts of the Austrians were not successful. In the first week of April, the Magyars were so fortunate in all their operations against the Northern wing of the Austrians, under General Schlick, and the Southern one, under the Ban Jellachich, that the centre had to bear the force of their whole attack. Battles were fought at Gyongyos, Hatvan, and Godollo• in the course of which the Austrians sustained demoralizing defeats, and lost many pieces of artillery and many thousands of prisoners. The result of these operations was, that the Austrian centre was forced under the very walls of Pesth; and that the left wing was forced back upon Waitzen, a fortified town at the angle of the Danube where it flows South towards Pesth after having flowed Westward for several days' march from Presburg by Comorn and Gran; while the extreme right, under Jells- chich, was driven over the Danube, South of Pesch, and forced to retire on Stuhlweissenburg—a position so much to the rearward of Pesth, that if it were abandoned the communications of the centre with its line of opera- tion from Vienna would be cut. On the 9th of April, a series of mancea- vres was executed by the Magyar army under Dembinski, which engaged the main attention of General Welden, the Austrian commander, towards his own centre and right wing, and drew off portions of his force. On the 10th, profiting by this intended result, the Magyar right, under General Georgey, attacked Waitzen, and routed the force left there by General Schlick under General Gate; Glitz himself falling in the fight. This gave command of the left bank of the Danube above Pesth towards Comorn, and made Gran the key of all operations. Some days seem to have been spent in tactical combination here; the Hungarians having a preponder- ance of numbers, and outflanking General Wolgemath,—who now became their opponent,—by marching in a Northerly and Westerly detour. The result was, that on the 20th and 21st a decisive battle was fought on the right bank of the river Gran, which ended in driving the Austrians in routed masses to the North and South, part of them escaping towards Neutra, and part retiring over the Danube into the town of Gran; where they fortified themselves against pursuit. The consequences of this battle were that Comorn, beleaguered since last autumn, was relieved, and the fortress converted into an advanced and most threatening position of the Magyars; that the water communication between Pesth and Presburg was cut off to the Austrians; and that the Austrian centre was left In an exposed position at Pesth, in danger of being quite isolated by attacks from both the South and the North. On the 22d of April the Austrian centre abandoned Pesth, and retired across the Danube to the fortified city of Buda, on its Western bank; General Welden issuing a proclamation that he must bombard Pesth and destroy its suspension-bridge if he were mo- lested in his operations by the citizens. The Magyars entered Pesth as the Austrians retired from it; and thus Kossuth will actually be in condi- tion to hold there the Parliament which he convened for that place a month ago.

INDIA.—The mail from Bombay of the 4th of April has brought crown- ing news from the Punjaub. Our last account left General Gilbert in full pursuit of the remainder of the Sikh army under Chatter Singh, towards Attock. He crossed the Jhelum with the last body of his force of 15,000 men and 40 guns, on the 5th March; and discovered that the Sikhs were one day's march in advent*

bin, more numerous than had been thought-16,000 men with 41 guns, but in a state of disorganization. The pursuit was maintained; Rhotas avas not occupied by the enemy, and his flight was continued to the passes in the hills beyond; messengers coming in with hourly offers to treat. On the 8th, Shere Singh himself came into camp, and endeavoured to secure an advantageous capitulation; but was Bent back with a notification that nothing but an unconditional surrender could be accepted. There was division in the Sikh camp; the majority of chiefs being for one final strug- gle. General Gilbert pressed forward, however, and approached so near as to be in condition to force an engagement. On the 14th, the Sikhs lost hope: thirteen chiefs came into the British camp and submitted; and im- mediately after the whole Sikh force halted and laid down its arms. The artillery was immediately secured, and the disarmed men were disbanded: each soldier was allowed to take away his horse, and was given a =all sum for subsistence on his way to his own home. The moment the Sikhs were disposed of, the march was resumed, in order to intercept, if possible, the Affghan force which had occupied At- took, but was retiring in consequence of the Sikh defeats. The Indus was approached by forced marches—one of forty-six miles—with such rapidity that the neighbourhood of Attock was reached in the forenoon of the 17th. Geoeral Gilbert and General Mackeson hurried forward at a gallop with a small escort to an eminence near the bridge of boats, and discovered a body of the Affghans in the act of destroying that means of pursuit. "The sight of the British officers, supposed to be two days' march distant, set them scampering," and the best boats of the bridge were left unimpaired. A larger force of Affghans showed themselves; but our artillery arriving, they took to flight, and operations were instantly commenced for crossing over on their track. They were to retire to their own country through the Khyber Pass; but negotiations with the mountaineers were opened to close the pass, and it was possible that Dost Mohammed and all his force might fall into General Gilbert's hands.

Canana.—The Montreal advices, received through the United States by telegraph, extend to the 11th of April. The Rebellion Compensation Bill was maintaining a spirit of violent agitation among the people. Sixty- nine meetings had been held up to the 6th, at which resolutions had been passed strongly condemning the bill, and urging the Governor to refuse the Royal assent. The United States papers make the topic their chief subject of comment.

A movement had been made in a new and ominous direction. The first steps have been taken at Montreal towards calling a "National Conven- tion." On the 10th, about thirty-five persons had formed themselves into an association with the name of the " British League," to consider the con- dition of the two Canadas, and the propriety and necessity of changing their existing form of government either into an independent federal union of all British America or annexation to the United States. Large num- bers of subscribers joined the society on that and the following day.

The New York Courier has a letter dated from Montreal on the 10th of April, and written in a grave and trustworthy tone, which throws light on the state of enlightened opinion in Canada itself.

The writer states that he is himself clearly of opinion that annexation to the States would be the readiest solution of all differences, though not the most pala- table. Persons like himself, who were born and have lived long in England, retain a strong attachment to her supremacy. To such the struggle would be ebre sad painful; for he has no idea that annexation could be accomplished peacefully. He goes into the question whether Great Britain could assent to a peaceful abandonment of Canada, and concludes not, for the following reason. At ',resent the British population hangs back from loyalty to the Mother country; and the French population does not reflect that annexation to the States would more effectually destroy its nationality and its incidents—a gigantic and wealthy church establishment, seignorage, and the ancient "cus- tom of Paris" in civil and criminal jurisprudence—with the supremacy of the Canadian English. But if the latter should once go for annexation, the French will immediately turn and oppose it; and then the Mother-country would have to give up the colony, if she did so at all, on the expressed wish of the Bri- tish population alone. He asks on the other hand, whether Great Britain would assist the French population against the British, if the latter rise in arms: if not, the matter would soon be settled. He cannot think the troops could be brought to act with the French against their brothers; they wonld desert by hundreds. Then there are not enough regiments in Canada to pat insurrection down,—at Quebec, only two, and some artillery; in Montreal, two more, and a field-battery; on the South shore, only one, scattered from Sorel to St. Helen's Island. Suppose ten thousand men rose in the Eastern Townships, and took up a position there, they could be provisioned and drilled before Government had means to en- counter them. The South regiment is barely sufficient for its posts; and not a man could move from Montreal, or a thousand Orangemen would be up there and form a nucleus for the people to rally to. The French would be left to them- selves, therefore, and would be beaten, though the most numerous ; for they have not a man who knows anything of military matters, while the British have many gentlemen able and ready to make a good figure in command; and of course sym- pathy from the States could not be effectually prevented.

WEST Istnies.—The mail-steamer Medway arrived at Southampton on Wednesday night, with papers from Jamaica to the 9th, Trinidad to the 7th, Barbados to the 9th, and Demerara to the 5th April.

The accounts from Demerara are those alone of any political interest. On the 2d of April, Mr. Barkly met the Combined Court, and recom- mended it to proceed with the estimates. They agreed to this course; leaving the question of the civil list as it stood by the vote of July last, which reduced it 25 per cent below the sum guaranteed by ordinance till 1854. This vote would reduce the salaries by 26,0721. By the tact and conciliatory conduct of the Governor, a good understanding had been re- stored between him and the Combined Court; and this, with the resump- tion of the financial business of the colony, had occasioned general satis- faction. Mr. Barkly had made an important statement, to the effect that he intended to instruct the Attorney-General to prepare two bills, one for enlarging the privileges of the Mayor and Town-Council, and the other for establishing parochial assessments throughout the colony under vestries to be elected by the inhabitants. The Combined Court had adjourned to the 11th of April.