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Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 694, 2 July 1859, Page 3

The' Munich Gazette ' publishes officially the application of M. yon der Pfbdten for his dismissal from the post of the President of the Bavarian Ministry.

A grand review took place at Chatham on Friday. The whole of the troops were inspected by the Duke of Cambridge. The Grand Duke Constantine of Eussia has arrived at Naples with an escort of four vessels. The King of Prussia is expected oh the 28Ui inst.

The 'Presse' has completely changed its policy, and is now completely favourable to a pacific solution of the Italian question. It observes:—"England assuredly i 3 a generous nation. A few years ago she maltreated General Haynau in the name of humanity outraged in Hungary. To-day she raises a subscription for the benefit of the Neapolitan exiles. But at"the same time she is a sensible nation, and no one would propose to her to wage war against Europe, or even against Austria, for the cause of Italy; the most generous Englishman would not dare to bring forward such a motion in the House of Commons ....We address the following question to politicians of all opinions:—Does there exist in Europe an alliance greater than that of England, or that of Russia? Assuredly not. Well, if England were to say,—'ln order to obtain my sincere and complete alliance you must wage war against the remainder of Europe,' we should consider that alliance valued at a heavy figure. Were Russia to offer the co-operation of her 800,000 soldiers on the condition of engaging in a war against all Europe, we should look,upon the bargain as a bad one. What, then, can be replied to Piedmont, when she proposes her alliance in order that she may obtain possession of Lombardy ? Let us boldly and frankly declare that there exists too small a chance of improving the destiny of Italy by a. general ;war. And yet it .is a general war which must be the;consequence of the ambition of Count Cavour."

The 'Debats' devotes an article to the debate in the House of Commons on the Naval Estimates. It concludes thus:—" The great fact to be remarked is the immensity of means commanded by the English navy. To add in a single year to the fleet 26 large vessels, of which 15 are line-of-battle ships, is au extraordinary exertion which England is alone 'capable of making, and w.hich could not be executed by the dockyards of all the other Powers of the old and the new world, were they even to combine their efforts. The French steam fleet comprises spl«ndid vessels, which can bear advantageously any comparison with those of England, and the First Lord of the Admiralty spoke perhaps with greater truth than lie expected when he admitted that fact in full Parliament; but he laughs at the public when he pretends that the number of these vessels causes him alarm. He is too well aware that in this respect England still possesses no rival."

American Legislation and Maskers.—ln general politics there was nothing new, but the usual examples continued to be furnished of the results of those democratic arrangements recommended for imitation on this side. In the Illinois legislature, upon a message from the Governor being brought down, immediately after prayers, a scuffle ensued, in which the document was kicked backward and forward, and finally knocked to the floor by the Speaker, whence it was picked up and pocketed by one of the disputants. In the State Senate at New Yoik a lengthy report had just been presented "on the management of the metropolitan police, which the 'New York Times' terms a'"startling disclosure of corruption and crime." With regard, to the breaking up of Congress at Washington, the same paper says, "Everybody has come to the placejtq enjoy the fights, rows, and disgraceful scenes which- are the sure accompaniments of every such occasion—scenes which everybody deplores, as they should, hut which everybody enjoys immensely, nevertheless." Full details are also given of the late political difficulty in the Court-house at Hawesville, inu Kentucky. A Mr. Maxwell and a Mr. Lowe assaulted each other, and about a hundred shots were forthwith exchanged by their respective partisans. Lowe, who appears to have been the unpopular person, was wounded in the thigh and had his thumb shot off. He was afterwards taken to gaol, but on the following day the building was burst open by the mob, six of whom, armed with revolvers, despatched him on the spot. The murderers were nominally arrested, but, according to the ' Cincinnati Gazette,' the grand jury of the county declined to find a bill against them.— Times Correspondent.

Kefohm in Congress.—Prebably one of the best things done by the House of Representatives during its session, however, was the passing of a resolution instructing the clerk to have the desks of the members removed from the floor. All your readers are probably informed that every member of Congress in America has a capacious desk, with a lock arid key, in front of his seat, and the stationery and ink thereon supplied to him by the public, and that the members go regularly every day to the House not to listen to or participate in the debates, but to write their letters, compose articles, despatch printed speeches and reports to their constituents, &c. The result is that to most of them it makes very little difference who is " on his legs" or what lie is saying, or how long he takes to say it; whether it be stupid or sensible, prosy or lively. Tke continual and unavoidable consequence has been that the art of debating, properly so called, of viva voce attack and defence, of impromptu assault and impromptu reply, has been almost lost in American legislative assemblies. The desks once removed, every member, when he enters the House, having no other occupation, will be compelled to listen, and when all listen a prosy speaker is doomed; and the oratorical qualities which keep up attention, entertain and amuse, will once more become of some importance.—Letter from New York.