fortigu Oaf Colonial.

cf r alit f.—The Moniteur has published a decree reducing the standard of height for recruits.

A telegram has been published purporting to be the summary of M. Thouvend's circular to the Powers of Europe en the annexation of Savoy and Nice :-

"IL Thouvenel has informed the representatives of the Powers who signed the Final Act of Vienna of the nature of the reception France will give to the circular note of the Swiss Federal Council of the 5th of April respecting the convocation of an European Conference.

" It was not until the King of Sardinia had formally taken possession of Lombardy and the treaties of Zurich had been signed and ratified that France and Austria jointly addressed an invitation to the Powers who had signed the treaties of Vienna to assemble at a Conference, in order to make known to them the territorial arrangements which had resulted from the cession of Lombardy to Piedmont, which cession was freely consented to by Austria. No Power having then objected, France will follow the same course. When, therefore, the cession of Savoy and Nice, freely consented to by Piedmont, shall have been sanctioned and by universal suffrage of the inhabitants, and by the vote of the Sardinian Parliament, France will take possession of those provinces. Immediately afterwards, she will consent to the assembling of a Conference for the purpose of receiving a communication of the treaty concluded on the 24th of March last between Napoleon IIL and King Victor Emmanuel.

"France will likewise be willing that the said Conference shall examine

the following question In what manner are the rights of France, irre- vocably acquired through the cession of Savoy and Nice by the King of Sar- dinia, to be reconciled with the guarantees stipulated by the treaties in fa- vour of Switzerland ? ' It being, however, well understood that the Con- ference shall leave the treaty of the 24th of March intact" The Moniteur reports the vote at Nice on the question of " Yes " or "No," that is annexation or not, as follows—

For annexation .... 6810 Against 11 Nor is this wonderful. The Governor Lubonis acted openly in the exclusive interest of France. A circular was sent round to the Mayors to warn them that France would know how to treat each commune ac- cording to its votes ; they were ordered to report to the central authority the opposers of annexation. The Bishop issued a circular, in which he proclaimed it a duty to vote for France. The Empress of Russia, who is now staying at Nice, having been asked by Napoleon III. to select a guard of honour from the elite of his army, wade choice of the Zouaves of the Guard. In consequence, four companies of that regiment, forming a force of 360 strong, left Paris for Nice by express-train.

As to Savoy, after his journey in the North, M. Laity arrived on the 17th, at Aix and Annecy. At the banquet given in the evening by the Governor of Annecy, a toast was drunk to the Emperor and France. M. Laity appeared at the bah:Tony of the Governor's house, and read a de- spatch announcing that the Emperor and Empress will visit Savoy in May or June next. Several houses were illuminated. The .Moniteur has reported a debate in the Legislative Body on a mo- tion to fix the contingent of 1860 at 100,000 men. The debate turned on the Emperor's Italian policy, which was attacked by 'Viscount Le- mercier from an 1Jltramontanist, and by M. Jules Fevre from a Demo- cratic point of view. M. Lemereier desired to fix the contingent at 80,000, "sufficient, if peace were certain." M. Jules Fevre described the policy of the Emperor as turnabout and contradictory. The only justification for the late war was that it was undertaken for the emanci- pation of Italy. That policy has been abandoned. He would call upon the organs of Government for explanations, if they had any to give. He was well aware that the President of the Council of State, exalted as was his position could only appear before the Corps Legis- latif as the organ of ideas not hi:own. Under constitutional Governments, Ministers might sometimes speak their own opinions, but it was not so with regard to the representatives of power at present. He trusted that what he had said might sink deep into the heart of Frenchmen, so that the nation might be alive to the fact that, in giving up its rights, it became the sport of every caprice."

M. Baroche, President of the Council of State, made a singular speech .—

" He taunted the Government of 1848, the members of which were among M. J. Favre's friends with having done nothing for Italy, and insisted upon the superiority of a regime based upon universal suffrage above all others. Explaining the policy of Villefranca, the President of the Council of State said that the Emperor saw in Europe more dangers and cora lica- tions than were generally known, special perils in Italy, and that not wish- ing to have the revolution for an auxiliary, he preferred to modify his pro- gramme, 'at least ostensibly.' Apologizing for the break down of the Em- peror's promise, that Italy should be free from the Alps to the Adriatic, he said that words politically spoken were not inflexible, and that Govern- ments must not be tied down to them regardless of intervening circum- stances. He contended, in conclusion, that the Emperor had houestly in- tended to preserve the temporal power of the Pope in its integrity, but that he was in no way responsible for the successful insurrection in the Ro- magnas. "Viscount Lemercier (interrupting) referred to the famous pamphlet, The Pope and the Congress. "3L Baroche declined to recognize that pamphlet as an official docu- ment which he was bound to defend. He did not hesitate, however, to say that he entirely agreed with all that the pamphlet said on the subject of the temporal power." In answer to various questions, M. Baroche positively refused to say what might be the eventual course taken by the French Government in regard to Rome. The French army would not be withdrawn until the Holy Father felt sufficiently confident in his own forces to do without it. He would not say whether, under any circumstances, the French Go- vernment would guarantee to the Pope any part of his possessions. Guarantees, he remarked, implied reciprocity, and if the Ronan Govern- ment persisted in repudiating the advice tendered to grant reforms, how could it ask for a guarantee ?

The debate was brought to a conclusion on Saturday, the Government proposition being carried by 238 against 8.

Communiqués are the order of the day. The Union and Gazette de Prance have one for calling the Count de Montemolin "Charles VI." In giving him this royal title, " thesejournahi deny the constitutional rights of the Queen of Spain, which all Europe has recognized, and with whose government France keeps up the best relations. It is, therefore, useful to remind these two journals of the respect due to those international courtesies which are reciprocal guarantees of peoples and governments."

The Minister of Public Worship has just addressed a circular to the Presidents of the Consistories of France, which, in quoting the organic articles of An X. and the decree of the 26th March, 1862, orders that for the future no pastoral conferences can be held except in virtue of a Min- isterial authorization' given at the request and under the surveillance of the eonsistory in the chief town of the locality in which the conference is to be held. The members of the consistory, both laymen and eceleeias- tice, will have a right to be present.

Bishop Monrad, the new Premier of the Danish Ministry, has had a pri- vate audience of the Emperor of the French.

Baron Dirkink Holmfeld, formerly Danish Ambassador at Paris, also had a private audience of the Emperor, who presented him with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour.

The pamphlet entitled "La Coalition" has appeared in Paris. It is a furious attack on England, grotesque indeed to us. Supposed to be of official manufacture, the Con.stitutionnel, on authority, declared it to be the work of "a private individual," and the Moniteur of Thursday stated that the pamphlet served "as a pretext for Bourse manceuvres, and endeavours to maintain a feeling of uneasiness in the public mind. The law does not give to Government a right to stop the publication of a pamphlet containing no particularized offence ; but the Minister of the Interior has brought under the notice of the Minister of Justice the Bourse manceuvres on the occasion of the publication of the pamphlet La Coalition,' and a judicial inquiry will be held."

SI1111--King Victor Emmanuel and Count Cavour entered Florence on the 17th, attended by 110 Deputies.

The King received the Archbishop and Clergy of Florence on Thula- day. A deputation from Rome presented to him a sword of honour offered by the city of Rome. The Turin Parliament has been prorogued 'until theist of May. Sone of the incidents during this short sitting are of interest. On the vers- ant day when the Chamber was duly constituted, Garibaldi brought the question of Nice before the Houma Reading the fifth article of the Constitution which declares that no part of the state can be sold or bartered without the consent of the Parliament, he stigmatized the vote then about to be taken in Nice as illegal. He said the treaty of the 24th March, is an infraction of -the old charter of Nice, and a violation of the right of nationality. The sale of a people is a deplorable transaction. Speaking of the bribes and intrigues of the French agents, and citing the manifesto of Lubonis the Governor, ending with Vive la France ! Vive l'Empereur ! he said the appeal to universal suffrage under such circumstances is a mockery. He moved that the vote should be post- poned until the Parliament had voted. Count Cavour said :— " The treaty of the 24th of March is not an isolated fact ; it belongs to a series of great political transactions, some of which have been accomplished ; others are now in progress. To give the honourable general a satisfactory answer, I should have to enter into explanations as to the whole of our poli- tical system. This I must beg to postpone till the treaty with France comes on for discussion before the House. I may then lay the state of affairs before a committee of the House, and give all satisfactory informa- tion. The House knows I have invariably wished to have our policy freely canvassed before the House. What I have to declare at this moment 111 simply that this question of Savoy and Nice is merely a continuation of that policy which led us to Milan, Bologna, and Florence. Had we refused the treaty, we might have imperilled all our most glorious results. For the present, this is not a discussion to be brought before Parliament. The vote of the provinces is no unconstitutional proceeding. Parliament cannot be bound by the vote of the population. That vote can always be rescinded by Parliament. The sanction of the Chambers has always been one of the foremost conditions stipulated in the treaty. A clause of the same nature was introduced into the treaty of commerce lately concluded between France and Great Britain, and the freest Parliament in the world has been satisfied with it. Our national representatives ought not to be more jealous of their paramount authority than the Lords and Commons of England. The Go- vernment is not accountable for the intrigues of the party agents. They will see that the vote is given free from all undue pressure. The appeal to the suffrage in those provinces is made on the same principle adopted for the States of Central Italy. Some of the acts of the provisional rulers in Nice are greatly to be regretted. The Governor Lubonis not only exceeded, but altogether departed from his instructions. The man enjoyed a good character as a fair and impartial magistrate. All his previous conduct au- thorized the Government to expect a different behaviour on his part. He has been gravely reprimanded for his conduct."

Robandi, deputy for Nice, arranged a host of facts to show that the electors were subjected to pressure. "There was a French committee taking upon themselves official authority. The priests prayed ' Domine salvum fac Napoleonem,' &c. The bishops de- clared a vote for France to be matter of Christian duty, &c. There were French regiments, not passing through, but actually occupying and garri- soning Nice ; a cavalry regiment ; three French frigates, with their sailors landing and setting up clamours of Vive la France ! ' &c. The impression has gone forth among the people that all is over—all is settled ; that France expects every man to do his duty, and will reward according to merit." ifellana, deputy for Casale, was equally emphatic.

"Even with the consent of Parliament, the proceeding would be illP.g-al ; for where is there any mention of universal suffrage in our laws? Cavour says the question of Nice is bound up with that of Italian nationality ; this is an appeal to the principle of expediency ; I stand on honour and right. I also turn round upon this House, crowded with deputies from the newly annexed provinces, and I will tell 'them. In 1849, we had the Austrians west of the Ticino ; we had them on the ramparts of Alesaandria. Yet we were bidden-to sign a treaty derogatory to our honour; and what answer did we then make ? [Here the omtor was overpowered by choking emotion.] We are reminded of the gratitude we owe to France, but no feeling of that nature should interfere with what we owe to our honour."

Parini said that the French were only passing through Nice "On the voting day, Nice shall be free from all soldiers. There will only be the Royal Carabineers. The Government wish they might trust the Na- tional Guards; - but there are party divisions among them, and public order would not be safe with them."

Mamiani, Minister of Public Instruction, defended the Government on these grounds :—

"This is no time," he said, "to subtilize on points of legality. The treaty is dictated by necessity; we must be resigned. In all sublunary matters, but especially in politics, we must always look to the end. It is sometimes necessary to lop off a limb to preserve a diseased body ; Nice must be amputated. The Nizzards have great sympathy with France • that nation attracts them as a strong Amazon, whose charms are irresistible. Italy has numberless enemies. Should she partwith her only ally, and follow a policy of isolation? Read Lamoriciere's order of the day. Do you wish to undo all that has been done? Shall we suffer Central Italy to fall under the Pope, the Austrians, and Neapolitan:3, fill the prisons, drench the scaffolds with blood, rather than Nice should follow the destinies which a great number of her population deem most propitious for her ? "

The debate went on, several of the preceding speakers rising again. Mancini, a Neapolitan, and a friend of the Government, stated that he could, on personal observation, assure the House that nothing could be more evident than the strong attachment of Nice to its Sovereign and to Italian nationality. Nothing like a fair vote could be obtained under the present pressure. He moved that the vote for Nice, no less than for Savoy, should be postponed to the 22d, and that two commissions of three deputies for each should be sent to see that the vote should be carried on in a fair manner.

Count Cavour, with great vehemence, rejected this motion. He said he had enjoyed great popularity, and saw the present crisis would de- prive him of it. He, nevertheless, wished all the responsibility of the present transaction should rest on the Ministers alone, and would neither screen himself behind Parliament nor let the responsibility weigh on it.

The different resolutions were then put to the vote, and the House de- cided in favour of that moved by the Ministerial member, Boggio, who only "resolved that the Ministers should see that the vote of Savoy and Nice was given in all sincerity and freedom."

The next day, the Chamber was asked to sanction the bills for the an- nexation of Tuscany and the Amilia. The results were these :— For the annexation of the .2Smilia—members present, 215; voters, 214; for the Bill, 214; against, 0. One deputy, Chenal, a Savoyard, abstained from voting. For the annexation of Tuscany—deputies present, 213 ; voters, 212: for the Bill, 211; against, 1. Chenal again refused to vote.

At the sitting. of the 14th, a question was put to the Minister respect- ing the events III Sicily. Count Cavour in his reply considered a dis- cussion on the subject both useless and dangerous. He further stated that the Neapolitan Government was occupied in the interior, and con- cluded by saying "our fellow-citizens are continuing the struggle."

On the report of the committee in reference to a petition from some

inhabitants of the Northern province of Savoy, requesting liberty and latitude in voting upon the question of annexation, the Chamber by a large majority passed to the order of the day. The Chamber was then prorogued until the 1st of May.

A despatch from Turin says that " the cession of Nice to France was an absolute necessity for Piedmont, in order to obtain from Napoleon ILL the guarantee of Lombardy and the Duchy of Parma. This gua- rantee appears to be expressed in a secret article of the treaty of the 24th of March last relative to the cession of Savoy and Nice. France has however, refused to guarantee to Piedmont the other annexed provinces —viz., Tuscany, and the Legations."

The Papal Government, in its temporal capacity, had addressed a pro- test to the European Powers against the annexation of the Legations to Piedmont.

General Lamoriciare, in his quality of Commander-in-Chief of the Papal troops, only relieves the Pope, and not Cardinal Antonelli, of the Presidency of the War Department. The Cardinal having, however, insisted on leaving the military administration, is about to be replaced. by a French General, a friend of General Lamoriciere. The following is the text of Lamoriciere's famous Order of the Day :— Rome, April 9. "Soldiers,—Our Holy Father the Pope, Pius IX., having deigned to call me to defend his ignored and threatened rights, I have not hesitated for a moment to resume my sword. At the sound of the venerable voice that not long ago proclaimed from the summit of the Vatican to the world the dangers besetting the patrimony of St. Peter, Catholics were moved, and their emotion spread rapidly from one end of the earth to the other. In fact, Christianity is not alone the religion of the civilized world, but it has been the principal and the life itself of civilization, since the Papacy has been the centre of Christianity. All Christian nations now show that their conscience feels these grand truths which constitute our faith. Revo- lution, as Islamism formerly, now threatens Europe, and now, as then, the cause of the Papacy is the cause of civilization and of the liberty of the world.

"Soldiers, have confidence, and be sure that God will uphold our courage, and raise it to the height of the cause, the defence of which he has confided to our arms.

"The General in Chief, De LAMORICIkRE."

The Neapolitan refugees at Turin, and among them the famous Pearl°, held a meeting a few days ago, and almost unanimously pronounced for the union of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies to Piedmont, under the constitutional sceptre of King Victor Emmanuel. They moreover nomi- nated a commission charged to take measures for effecting the union. Little authentic news has arrived respecting the struggle in Sicily. All we know is that the families of Neapolitan officials have quitted the island ; that there have been bloody combats in Palermo and Messina ; that at both places the insurgents were driven off; and that the Nea- politan government had sent large bodies of troops into the island. The accounts from Naples via Genoa would lead one to suppose the insur- rection to be serious and sustained; the official accounts from Naples, on the other hand, while admitting that there had been sharp fighting, in- sist that the insurgents had been quelled in the towns and pursued in the country. It is said that the insurrection had extended to Trapani, and that the National Guards had joined the revolters. Rumour also mentions movements in Calabria and the Abruzzi, but with no air of certainty. Nevertheless, it is clear that the whole of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies is shaken by the tempest. Several nobles have been brought to Naples, condemned to death.

A resident at Naples gives the following story derived from eye wit- nesses :—

" I was en route from Girgenti," says the first, "when the revolution broke out, and I met many people flying from Palermo. That the revolt was to have taken place, seemed to be generally understood. On getting near the capital, I was stopped by a party of six cavalry, but, on explana- tion, I was conducted to the commanding officer, and got permission to go forwards, arriving in Palermo at four o'clock in the afternoon. The city was then perfectly quiet. Outside, a cordon of military was drawn round it, so that no one could enter or leave. There had been hard fighting and much bloodshed, but I was much struck by finding how difficult it was for a person even on the spot to get at the truth. The appearance of the city when I left it was as if a Scotch Sunday had come down upon it. The shops were all shut ; people were in the balconies, and many in the streets. I saw not a single uniform, though I believe that there were many of the police in undress present. As to the soldiers, all were outside the city so as to prevent ingress or egress. My other informant was in the city during the whole of the time, and his report is of great value. I had been forty miles in the interior on the day before, and on re- turning found that it had been decided to commence the revolution on the following morning. Accordingly, I was awakened by a volley of mus- ketry at five o'clock, and, on looking out of my window, saw a party of sol- diers running down the street, firing right and left without any apparent object, and then stopping to reload. Not far from my hotel, they heard a slight noise, and, turning back, fired twenty shots at the Palazzo Petro- cells, where an American gentleman, Mr. Gardiner? is residing., and killed a servant-girl, who was drawing the bolt of a window to let in daylight. Not far from me, I saw five of the insurgents together taking aim at the soldiers. Indeed, I never saw more together, but then I did not go into the streets. The fighting took place in several parts of the city, but more especially near the Monastery della Givancia, which was sacked, and I believe that the adjoining church suffered as well. The Consul told my friend that he distinctly heard the officer in command of a body of troops tell his men to take the monastery, and sack and plunder it, which they did with a vengeance. Three of the monks were bayonetted or shot on the spot ; one died of his wounds directly after, another has been mortally wounded, and the others have been imprisoned. I was standing later in the day in the street, when a soldier came up to us and offered some books for sale. I bought two; one was a work in Greek, printed in 1605, and another was a novel, full of details which we might not have expected to find in a monastery. My friend bought the books as reminiscences. The soldier offered us a ruler as well. His knapsack was full of articles of plun- der. Are there many of the military killed ?' I asked. ' Not one,' was the reply, thank God.' Towards the evening there was much fighting at in- tervals, and indeed all round the city, and — said he saw a cartload of dead bodies of soldiers brought in. On Thursday morning, I watched from the top of my house the Neapolitan frigate coasting along towards Bajaria, and firing broadsides so as to prevent people from coming up to Palermo. It appeared to me to fire for two hours off and on, and a regiment of infantry was sent down, so that there must have been very hot work in that direction. The viceroy came in at three o'clock, p.m., on Thursday, and at five o'clock I went on board the Elettria to come up to Naples, but I distinctly heard

firing going on at the back of Palermo, somewhere between Mamie and Bajaria, and I believe that they were fighting all round the neighbourhood of the city. The shops were all shut, and nothing could surpass the sad appearance of the city. There were many passengers on board, of whom many were ordered out of Palermo, whilst some were flying."

The Count of Syracuse has addressed an interesting letter to the Xing, his nephew, in which he boldly describes the existing relations of Naples to foreign powers and to Italy. Ile urges the King to recognize as a fact the idea of Italian nationality. He pictures France as deter- mined to increase her influence in Italy, and England as seeking a counterpoise to the French ; while Austria is portrayed as feeling her power going away, but not yet abandoning the hope of recovering.

"What way remains then, of saving the country and the dynasty, threatened by so great dangers? One only. The natural policy which, re- posing on the true interests of the state, naturally leads the kingdom of Southern Italy to unite itself with that of Upper Italy, a movement which Europe cannot refuse to acknowledge as it is an action between two por- tions of the same country, equally acknowledge, and equally independent on each other. In this way only, by withdrawing yourself from all foreign pressure, and by a political union with Piedmont, will your Majesty be able to be the generous arbiter of the development of those civil institutions which the renovator of our monarchy conferred, when, after the kingdom had been rescued from the vassalage of Austria, he created in the fields of Velletri the most powerful state of Italy. Shall we prefer an ill-advised municipal iso- lation to a national policy ? A municipal isolation exposes us not only to foreign pressure, but worse still; for, by abandoning the country to inter- nal discords, it will render it the easy prey of party. Then force will be the supreme law. But the mind of your Majesty undoubtedly revolts at the idea of repressing only by the power of arms those passions which the loyalty of a young king can moderate instead and turn to good, by substi- tuting oblivion for rancour, extending the hand of friendship to the Bing of the other part of Italy, and consolidating the throne of Charles III. on a basis which civilized Europe either possesses or demands."

A letter from Naples gives an interesting amount of a visit paid by the Court to the churches on the 5th of April :—

"For the first time, I believe, since 1848, the Court sallied forth in state to visit the churches. The young Queen was in full dress, with a large train of black velvet, and a dress covered with black lace, and wearing on her head the Spanish mantilla. She walked by the side of his Majesty, pre- ceded by the chief officers attached to the Royal service, civilians and mili- tary, all in full costume ; a large display of the body guard, and uniforms of every fashion • the gay pages in their Spanish attire ; and all the ladies of the Ccuirt following close in attendance, with their black velvet trains, in honour of the day, but with coloured ribbons or flowers in their

i

hair, n order to mark the absence of Court mourning. It really was a gorgeous sight. The cortege issued from the Palace on the square, followed by a certain number of old-fashioned sedan chairs, which were carried along in reserve for the Queen and Princesses in case of fatigue. The whole pro- cession, describing a semi-circular curve, moved along one side of the square up to the Church of San Ferdinand°, where the people subsequently had a sight of the decoration of the chief altarpiece. It was a transparent paint- ing, a copy of Raffaers magnificient Transfiguration, very well lighted up from behind, and producing a fine effect.

"There was, of course, a large concourse of people on the Place, but not half so many as one might have expected on such an occasion. There was not one cheer, nor did the bystanders take off their hats as the royal cortege passed, with the exception of the occupants of some of the balconies. The royal pair looked sad enough; it might have been in honour of the day, but the news from Sicily that morning was surely of a nature sufficiently de- pressing."

ta tirrlanir.—The Federal Council has sent another circular to the Great Powers, protesting against the proceedings in regard to Northern Savoy, which have taken place without consulting them. They de- clared that the rights of the neutralized provinces of Savoy cannot be cancelled by a vote. They complain bitterly that their reasonable de- mands for the maintenance of the status quo have been passed over :—

"A most important political and moral act is to be proceeded with with- out the concurrence of one of the principal parties interested, and without any previous understanding with the Powers, whose participation in con- cert with Switzerland, has been positively solicited by the note of the 5th of April. In the presence of this fact, showing an open contempt of their rights, the Federal Council feel anxious to declare positively that they can- not look upon the result of the coming vote as decisive and that they must explicitly protest against any inference that will be drawn from this act to invalidate the rights of Switzerland. The Federal Council can all the less admit the validity of the voting that, whilst on the one hand, the free ex- pression of the will of the people of North Savoy, which has been constantly asked for, is not insured, on the other, the voting will be proceeded with without previous understanding with Switzerland. Finally, the Federal Council have no means to control the voting, whilst it is notorious that French agents, having Senator Laity at their head, are at work in Savoy in the interest of France. The Federal Council find themselves thus in the position of renewing, in the face of all Europe, their protestations to the .Powers guaranteeing the European treaties. They earnestly recommend to them to deliberate seriously and impartially upon the present reclamation, and also to take into due consideration the nghta of Switzerland, and to take prompt steps to maintain the status quo." • The Federal Council has proposed a Conference, and England, Prus- sia, and Russia have accepted the proposal, Russia, Prussia, and Eng- land being emphatic on the necessity of preserving Swiss neutrality. Austria will not enter a Conference unless France and Russia are repre- sented there and the programme is arranged beforehand. The following are said to be the views of Austria :—

" The fundamental intention of the Congress of Vienna, in neutralizing the districts of Chabla/s and Faucigny, was to protect Switzerland and Sar- dinia from the preponderance of France. The moment the whole of Savoy is incorporated with the French empire there is no further reason for the neutralization of Chablais and Faucigny, and the guaranteed stipulation by the treaties of Vienna can no longer be applied. The only real way by which the difficulties of the question could be removed is by a direct under- standing between France and Switzerland, for which the other Great Powers would offer their good offices."

It is said that England has suggested Brussels as the place where the Conference should sit, while France and Russia prefer Paris.

Sir Robert Peel has been to Geneva, and on Saturday a deputation, representing all parties, presented him with a testimonial, consisting of a cup and a rifle. The most cordial expressions were exchanged. Sir Robert Peel promised the support of England for the preservation of the independence and neutrality of Switzerland. The deputation expressed their thanks to the English Ministry and Parliament. The agitation upon the question of Savoy is increasing. On Saturday and Sunday, nu-

merous meetings took place at Thun, Winterthur, and other places. The most important were those held at Olten and Lausanne. M. Thouvenel having stated in a despatch of the 13th of March, to M. Tinos, that the Federal Council had proposed a secret treaty for a partition of Savoy, the Federal Council has given an official denial to the statement of M. Thouvenel.

A telegram from Berne, dated Wednesday, says that the Federal Council had received favourable news. The signs of a favourable solu- tion of the pending questions are increasing, and existing fears will, without doubt, soon be rembved.

instria.—The following almost incredible telegram has been pub- lished -- " Vienna, Thursday. Archduke Albert retires provisionally from his functions as Civil and Military Governor of Hungary, and is replaced by General Benedek, who is commissioned to regulate the municipal laws, to reorganize the comitats on the basis of the old institutions, to submit his propositions for a central representation (Diet) in Hungary, and to unite the five administrative sections into one single administration at Buda. The Emperor has resolved to abolish the five great subdivisions of Hungary, which have existed since 1848, and to reestablish the comitats, which will be called upon to make propositions destined to bring about the assembling of a Diet, composed according to ancient custom. Orders have been given to settle immediately the question of the communes. The appointment of General Benedek will be very popular in Hungary, and the Imperial decrees will, it is hoped, be *ell received by the Hungarians. The rumours of Ministerial modifications are unfounded."

VT115 Sit —A letter from Berlin announces the arrest of the Directoa of Police, Stiber, by order of the Procureur General. He had been die missed from his post some time since, and will now be brought up fo trial for having abused the power intrusted to him, which was almost un. limited.

JiS faith—The Carlist insurrection has been entirely quashed, and only one of the partisans is at large. It is supposed that the Count of Monte- molin has been allowed to escape, but it is doubtful whether he ever landed in Spain. Carrion has been shot at Palencia ; Ortega has been tried and shot ; Elio is in custody ; Cabrera, if he landed in Catalonia, has got away. The first to congratulate the Queen was Carillo Archbishop of Toledo and formerly confessor of Don Carlos. M. Thouve-

nel has also congratulated her Majesty in the name of his master.

The following extract from a letter forwarded to the Paris corres- pondent of the linws by a writer whose "perfect good faith" he guarantees, will be found to corroborate the views expressed by our Paris correspondent in last week's postscript :— "Just two words to inform you of a letter from Ortega, addressed to M. —, dated at Alcaniz, and received here (Madrid) yesterday, the 11th. M. — wished to publish this letter, but he considered that he ought pre- viously to inform the Ministry of it. The Ministers, however, thought proper to refuse their consent. Nevertheless, a short paragraph in the Oecidente proves that they consented to allow him to do his beat to acquit himself of his duty towards his friend. This paragraph, however, is not sufficient to give a just idea of Ortega's letter. Here is the substance of it :—Ortega declares that he did not come to Spain to initiate a movement, but to second one in which general officers and political personages of importance were to takb a part immediately after the abdication of the Queen, which was to take place precisely on the 31st of March. This abdication had been announced to him as certain for that day, and it was with that conviction that he embarked at Palma for Valencia. Once arrived at San Carlos de Rapita, he was surprised to find that nothing had taken place in Spain, and he therefore abstained from unfurling his flag."

ttntral Indieateur Beanomique of St. Petersburg pub-

lishes letters from Orenburg, dated at the end of February, which give the following news from Central Asia :— " The Emir of Bokhara has taken the field against Dost Mohammed, the Khan of Cabal, and recovered from him the towns of Koundouze and Tchar- jaon, which Dost Mohammed had captured about two years ago. The Emir of Bokhara and the Khan of Cabul have been irreconcilable enemies since the conquest of Cabal by the English. At that period, Dost Mohammed sought refuge with his family in Bokhara, but when he had made peace with the English and had become the faithful agent of them in Boktiara, Khiva, and Kokan, his relations with the Emir changed. The latter ill-

treated the son of Host i Mohammed, who had remained at Bokhara after the departure of his father ; so that, n addition to political reasons, which cause great animosity between these two personages, there is also a feeling of personal vengeance, which renders it very improbable that their enmity will ever end except with their lives. Among the Russian and Bokharian caravans sent off last autumn, one with merchandise belonging to merchants of Bokhara was pillaged by the Turcomaus at the third station beyond the river Djamy-Daria and about 250 versts (5-8ths of a mile each) from the Russian fort of KLaly, and 350 from Bokhara. According to some ac- counts, this caravan was composed of 33 camels, while others state the number at 80. It is a very long time since an outrage of this kind has taken place in the steppes. How the Turcomans could have crossed the territory of Khiva to the spot where this attack took place, it is difficult to imagine, and it only proves the weakness of the government of that part of the country."