POSTSCRIPT.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
"Thursday 5th April.
"The excitement created by the late events of the past week has been of short duration, and the irritation has made way for a more steady and calm appreciation of the situation. The complications, however, though not dan- gerously imminent, have not disappeared. "Further protests on the Savoy question have made their appearance, and Switzerland remains backed up by Prussia and England. The expelled Archdukes have attempted their last diplomatic effort in the shape of a pro- test not likely to play any part in the definitive settlement of the Italian af- fairs.
" Austrian Ministerial organs have done their best to take advantage of the ephemeral rupture of the entente cordiale,' but the natural good sense of both the French and English people has not been affected more than it was necessary for national dignity's sake, by inconsiderate Ministerial ma- noeuvres or Parliamentary proceedings.
"The recent explanations of Lord John Russell, and the acceptance by France of a congress or rather of conferences, with a view to regularize the position of the neutralized districts of Savoy, give sufficient ground to the hopes for an amicable settlement of the question. " With regard to the new Italian kingdom, which, by the way, has not yet a name, its position remains the same. The Bull of excommunication has produced slight or no effect; and it seems to be now a mere question of time, and of slowly progressing consolidation for the new state of things to be accepted, or at least left materially unopposed by the antagonistic parties.
"The Routes which had experienced a sensible depression, have gradually and firmly recovered, and the market is daily improving. "Industrial securities begin to gain favour, and among the recently in- troduced enterprises, the most patronized one is the Pampeluna Railway, of which the shares, jointly issued by Mires and Salamanca, are already nego- tiated at 20 francs, say 47 premium.
"Next week another great affair will be introduced, also under the aus- pices of the great Spanish banker and these of the Credit lndustriel and Commercial. I mean the Portuguese railway shares, guaranteed, it is said, by the State, and issued by the successful competitor of S. Morton
"Another rumour is current, that an American undertaking the 'At- lantic and Great Western Railway,' connecting by a continuous wide gauge New York and St. Louis, will also be at an early date introduced simultaneously on the London and Paris markets. "The contractor of this great work is again, we are told, the enterprising Spanish capitalist, whose name has not yet been connected with an unsuc- cessful enterprise. "While mentioning a Spaniard, I may as well call your attention to the strange and thus far unexplained event, which has just taken place on the coast of Catalonia.
"General Ortega, the Governor of the Balearic Islands, has landed near Torten, with 3000 of his soldiers, and proclaimed Count de Montemolin as King of Spain. The attempt was immediately checked, and the revolu- tionary general put to flight. Newspapers hasten to say that the plot had no ramifications. The mere fact of this hasty declaration, and the folly of General Ortega, had he not expected to find support, arouseauspicions to the contrary. How is it, besides, that a revolutionary manifestation took place at Burgos a very few days before ? To those who are well acquainted with 8nanish political affairs, there remains no doubt that the Carlist party, which foreigners imagine has died away, has, to the contrary, extensive and highly prominent connexions. In Madrid, even at the Royal Palace, there are persons, and I am told, the King himself at their head, whose views are secretly but constantly tending to a return of legitimacy.
"Ultimate information will, I feel confident, throw some unexpected light on the facts connected with this late attempt.
One of your contemporaries has recently announced that negotiations were taking place between the French and DanishGovernments, with a view to a defensive and offensive alliance. I much strongly dnnbt the accuracy of the news, which I suspect to be intended merely to irritate other countries. Besides, had the Danish Government expressed to ours such dispositions as are supposed, they would, no doubt, have seized a re- cent opportunity offered to them of meeting the views of the French repre- sentative on the Iceland fisheries question. On the contrary, I am assured that Denmark has made such difficulties in this secondary question, that the negotiation has been left off, the Danish Government haying expressed itself unwilling to withdraw the customs-duty on all fish cured by the French on their territory.
"Two English plenipotentiaries are now in Paris, discussing the New- foundland fisheries question. Their presence is the cause of the delay in the departure of Capitaine Montaigne° de Chauvauce, commander of the French squadron at Newfoundland."
Previous page
