COLONIAL AND FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. (From the Home News.)

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 308, 12 July 1848, Page 3

COLONIAL AND FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. (From the Home News.)

Canada. — The results of the elections have come with the last news. The Opposition have secured no less than fifty-two seats, against the nineteen seats gained by ministers ; seven seats being held by neutrals. M. Lafontaine was unopposed at Terrebonue, and has also been returned by a large majority, with his colleague, Mr. Holmes, for Montreal. The excitement at Montreal was alarming; every citizen had provided himself with fire-aims. Lists of new ministers were all of the Pfipmeau fabrique.

United States and Mexico. — In the States, all minds were occupied with the presidential election ; General Taylor is strongly supported. The Mexicans are doing nothing to redeem the discredit of their conquest.

Turkey. — The Government of Greece has made full atonement to that of Turkey, for its insult to Missurus. The Nuncio of the Pope has been received most graciously at Constantinople.

Spain. — The Duchess de Moutpensier, in May, is expected at Madrid. Her Royal Highness is encicnte. The Queen was in better health, and had been acting as a Jewess at a masked ball. Espartero was in the country ; Servano had returned from the Zafferinas; Narvaez was ill ; the Carlists in Catalonia were resuming their boldness. Switzerland. — The Diet has resolved to grant an amnesty in the states of the Sunderbund, excepting only those who ruled at Lucerne, and who are accused of inviting foreigners to invade their country. Having replied very firmly to the joint note of the three powers, the Diet adjourned. The Emperor of Russia, in a communication to Prussia, approves of the line of policy pursued by the powers in Switzerland, but declines to co-operate till their measures are more efficient and energetic. He has declared himself discharged from his obligations under the treaty of Vienna.

It alt. —Every state of Italy may be said to be io revolution. We can give a few details', but the main features are enough to show what is working beneath the surface.

Naples and Sicilt. —The political convulsion which promises restoration in Sicily has been matched with a physical one whose character is ruin. Intelligence comes from Syracuse, by way of Malta, that the city of Augusta has perished by an earthquake. Startled by the first shock, the inhabitants fled from their homes —but were too slow for .their destroyer. A few minutes and- of tU

the city twenty-seven houses only remained erect. Where formerly stood the mole -liere is no bottom now at fifty fathoms. The earthquake, had been felt at Malta; and has done mischief also at Noto, Syracuse, and Catania. The share of Messina in the horror of the day was .confined to the panic which it occasioned., On the 6th instant, Lord Minto presented to the King of the two Sicilies, his credentials as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Queen of England. General Busaca is under arrest for the bombardment of Messina. It was stated that the Prince of Syracuse was detained at Paris, on the suggestion of the Ring of Naples, and that Cavetto, the odious ex-minister of polite, had sent to Austria to demand aid. But however hypocritical the king may be, he lias at least, in appearance, conceded. He has granted to Napes a constitution with which the people, unlike those of Sicily, are content { and in appearance at least, he is popular. He goes among the people as one of themselves : and like Louis Pbillippe in 1830, and King William when he dissolved the Parliament of England, js accepted as a reformer, and cheered wherever he appears. He has an army of 100,000 men. But the wretched remains of the army withdrawn from Sicily entered Naples in a state of utter wreck. It was a miracle that a single man escaped. Sicily holds out, and will do so unless its constitution of 1812 be fully restored. The Austrian Minister had protested against the concessions made by King Ferdinand. Russia is said to have applied to Austria for leave to march troops through Lombardy to assist Naples. Tuscany. — The Neopolitan war steamer Nettuno put into Leghorn on the 29th instant for coal, but such was the rage of the people at the sight ,of the Neopolitan flag, that the vessel was compelled to put to sea again in a storm and without fuel. The constitution was formally proclaimed at Naples on the 12th instant. On the 11th the Grand Duke Leopold of Tuscany spontaneously ordered a representative form of government for his states. Sardinia. — The king has made further concessions and has granted a constitution. He has also, it is said, invited Poles to take rank in his army ; in that case he has defied the powers of the north, and as he has at the same time lent officers to the Tope, the motive of the Polish invitation cannot be mistaken.' Prince Czartovisky has, however, publicly denied that his son is among the Poles invited ; but he plainly hints that such an in.vitation would not be refused. It is the belief in Sardinia that Russia and Austria will combine in the coercion of Italy. But it is stated that Lord Minto has shown a despatch from Lord Palmerston to Austria in which he states that any act of hostility against Italy will be regarded as a declaration of war.

Lombaedy. — A letter from Venice, of the 2nd instant, states that the Volcano steamer had left that port, having on board a number of men to complete the crews of the Austrian fleet in the Adriatic. The captain of the steamer sailed under sealed orders. There has been a terrible collison at Padua between the students and the Austrian soldiers. The Patria of the 10th instant gives these details : " For some time the provocations of the Austrian soldiery had become so intolerable to the people, that the students of the University were forced to call upon the authorities either to put a stop to them, or allow the inhabitants to arm themselves. The commandant of the troops and the local authorities refused all satisfaction ; and the day before yesterday, the police sent a commissary to the university to signify to the students the result of their step. On' leaving, they found two officers posted at the gate of the establishment, who, with their cigars in their mouths, insulted and defied the young men of the schools. The students rushed upon the two officers, and blows were interchanged. When the assemblage collected by this affair came to disperse, it was found they were caught in a trap, for both ends of the street were guarded by strong detachments of cavalry. Every one then sought refuge in the Cafe Pedrocci. Into this the troops pursued the students, and entering after them fired upon them. An engagement ensued ; our young men defended themselves like heroes, wresting the arms from the, hands of the soldiers, aud using them against them. But the combat was too unequal. Four students soon fell mortally wounded. One of these, as he was expiring, wrote with his blood upon the wall of the cafe — "Brothers, avengo us!" The massacre was continued for three hours. From the commencement the tocsin was sounded the peasant* from the surrounding country came in masses to the gates, but found them barricaded, and guarded by artillery. There was a struggle, nevertheless, and ten dragoons were made to bite the dust. There were a hundred .killed and wounded. Several citizen* and about 40 students were wounded, four of

whom htve died. On the side of the troopf there is said to hare been killed six officer!, one of whom was a major, another a captain. The Itali soldiers in the service of Austria were confined to their barracks from the morning. The National has letters confirming these accounts, and stating that there has been blood shed at Pavia, Brescia, and Como. The Liga Italiana states that the police of Milan to Treviglio would be closed for the 29th, 30th and 31st January, being exclusively used on those days for the conveyance of Austrian troops. Field-Marshal General Radetsky has been replaced, as commander-in-chief, in Lombardy by General Schrabouski. The Austrian Observer says the desires of Lombardy will be considered ; but, it adds, " Let the Italians not forget the example of the more warlike Poles in the struggle againit the Russian empire, and let them tremble 1" Meantime, the local authorities at Milan show a firm determination of putting down every .attempt at an outbreak. Further news, from Lombardy is anxiously « expected. , I

Rome. — Letters from Rome say that the greatest excitement prevailed in consequence of the military preparations in Lombardy and Piedmont. On the morning of the Bth, a deputation, composed of the Prince Aldbrandian, Count Pasolini, and the advocate Bendetti, had an audience of the Pope, to lay hefore him a representation of the state of agitation in Rome. The Pope replied that in the course of a week he would secularize the ministry, and that he was in negotiation with the grand Duke of Tuscany and the King Sardinia, with the view of forming an Italian political league. "I expected," added Pius, "an answer from King Charles Albert, with permission to} take into my service some Piedmontese officers, and place them at the head of my troops." Notwithstanding the publication of these assurances of the Pontiff, the people assembled in great numbers along - the Corso, in a state of very alarming effervescence, shouting, " Away with all moderation ! Down with the Ministry 1 We want cannon ! Viva Pio Nono solo .'" The same state of things continued at the departure of the mail. On the 10th, the Pope published -». proclamation, iv which he promises all reform, and peremptorily refuses all that is contrary to his people's happiness." Thus all Italy heaves on the edge of the volcano.