EUROPEAN NEWS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 630, 16 August 1851, Page 4

EUROPEAN NEWS.

[From the Liverpool Mercury, April 11.] xRAKC&a Commercial affairs in Paris have recovered in a slight degree from the depression which was so jemarkable last week. In general, however, the great establishments seem to be preparing for any contingency which may arise during the approaching debates on the revision of the constitution. The Bank of France is restricting its discounts, and the manufacturers are not working except for special orders. The trifling activity observable is caused by the arrival in Paris of several provincial shopkeepers to purchase their summer stock. Fortunately for the tranquillity of Paris the cabinetmakers and joiners have suffered less than other trades, and the population of the Faubourg St. Antoine is in full employment, and with a considerable amount of orders still unexecuted. Several orders have likewise been received within the last two or three days for porcelain, bronze ornaments, and jewellery. Letters from the agricultural districts state that the rise in the price of wheat, which was announced during the month of March, has not been maintained. Flour is difficult of sale in the Paris market, with a tendency to decline. The best marks are quoted at 42f. and 44f. the sack of 157 kilogrammes. Accounts from the provincial cattle fairs are favourable. Raw silk continues to fall in price in the southern departments. The mill-owners, however, declined to purchase, and there is scarcely any business doing. The accounts from Lyons and St. Etienne are most discouraging. The manufacturers declare that they ’have nb orders to execute, and that the price of the raw material is still too high. The wine market at Bercy continues to be plentifully supplied from the Loire, Burgundy, and Auvergne. Accounts from Bordeaux state that that market is overstocked with brandy, for which there is little demand. TURKEY, Advices from Rhodes, of the 20th ultimo, state that the earthquakes had*re-commenced. In Bosnia, Omer Pacha continued to defeat detached parties of the rebels, AUSTRIA. The Wiener Zeitung publishes a telegraphic despatch from Venice, from which it appears that the Emperor is prolonging his stay in that city, where his presence causes great festivities. Negotiations have been entered into between Austria, Tuscany, and the States of the Church for the construction of a railway from Rome and Sienna, which will give an uninterrupted railway communication from Rome to Bologna. Austria will undertake the line, provided the projected uue num Bologna to Rome via Ancona and St. Umbria, is given up. By this means the harbours of Trieste and Leghorn will undertake the transport of goods to the Roman States from the railway communication with the northern and midland provinces. Advices from Vienna of the sth, state that the Emperor had returned to the capital. The Lloyd says that the new Marriage Bill is drawn up, and that civil marriage is entirely abrogated by it. PRUSSIA The Prussian Chambers have voted the new penal code. The punishment of death for the heaviest offences is retained, but the executions are to take place in private. GERMANY. Berlin, April 4.—lf a skilful retreat is as creditable in politics as in war, M. Von Manteuffel must have the praise of having accomp/jshed it. With the old Bundestag behind him as a refuge, he has skirmished with Austria, through notes, despatches, and conferences ; but not having driven in even the outposts, he has at least ascertained the strength and determination of the foe, and is at the present moment in full march upon Frankfort. Without waiting for the final answer from Vienna, which could perhaps be pretty nearly anticipated, Prussia has determined to enter the old Confederation, and thus reconstruct h in all its integrity. This resolution had been intimated to the other powers at Dresden; the summonses to the States which are more particularly the allies of Prussia have also gone forth, and they will also send

their representatives to the old imperial city. In no quarter is an opposition made or expected the Hanse towns are as ready as the small States to join in the retirement from the weary and barren contest. Though not yet an accomplished fact, for all purposes of argument or calculation of political probabilities, the old confederative constitution of 1815 may be considered as re-established. Berlin, April 5. —The determination of the Prussian Cabinet to return to the old confederation, and render the incomplete body that has continued to sit at Frankfort in its name legally capable of acting for all Germany is the close of a long series of intricate negotiations, and the commencement of a totally different policy. Prussia will carry with it all its allies, and the readiness with which the several States have accepted the proposition to resume their position in the old Diet, forms a strong contrast with the doubtful allegiance they displayed to the Union, and the celerity with which they abandoned it the moment Prussia itself wavered, and it became evident its scheme was “ impracticable.” The representative of Prussia is not yet named ; but [ the step is taken. The only question now is whether the Dresden conference will continue to sit after the Bund is legally constituted. The ministerial party states that they will not do so. The various commissions will be allowed to draw up their propo als of modifications in the constitution of the Bund, as if that work was still intrusted to their hands ; but if any such.proposalsare agreeed on, they will only be “ suggestions” to be laid before the renovated Frankfort Executive for approval or rejection. The conference will become a mere advising body, not a legislative or deciding power. They have broken the fall of Prussia to the old system, and have served their purpose. Saxe Gotha. Some difficulty appears to have arisen in the proofs of “ Prince Albert v. the Administration,” in regard to the patrimony of his mother, and which has been decided in favour of the Prince. Objections have been raised by the Treasury, and it is supposed that the case will stand over for arbitration.— Anseiger Zeitung. Bavaria. Bavaria is in a very disturbed state, in consequence of the presentation of a memorial to the King from the bishops. A letter from Munich says : “That ‘memorial* is a compound of the most extravagant assumption and arrogance against royal and legal authority, and contradictory to almost all our civil laws. If all the things which the Bavarian bishops require could be granted, they would not be fathers in the Church, but domineering despots in our country, and the King their servant. They, without abandoning their rank, pay, royal privileges, or standing in the state or in society, categorically demand the entire abolition of the Placetum Regium, and ask full power and the right to appoint and dismiss at their pleasure not only the subordinate c J er gy, but also the professors in the Universities, and the teachers in all other schools. They require also full and undisputed nower of instituting new Catholic universities, seminaries, schools, monasteries, and nunneries of every order and kind they please, and to send Jesuits and Kedemptionists as missionaries into their dioceses. Priests justly or unjustly judged by the bishops or their subordinates are to have no appeal to the King’s courts of justice. If that memorial were to be granted, the subordinate clergy would become as outlaws, or negro slaves, losing all natural right as Bavarians, and delivered up to the arbitrary cruelty of the Jus Canonicunv, as in the time of Gregory VII. It is by such means that the bishops think to regain their lost spiritual influence. The Bishop of Augsburg alone signed it, with a protest added to his name ‘ The concordat, nothing but the concordat, and the whole concordat.’ Now, the concordat is an integral part of the Bavarian constitution ; so the bishops have thrown the firebrand of division into their own house. Our Parliament, now assembled, begins already to grumble, and to abuse all ecclesiastical orders, and the people do the same. One furious pamphlet has already appeared, calling upon the people to put an end at once to all priestcraft and kingcraft by cudgels, &c.” Norway, More communist disturbances have taken place in Norway. At Drontheim, on the 16th ultimo, about 300 persons assembled in front of an hotel, in which the respectable inhabitants of the town were having a ball, in honour or the Queen’s birthday, and began crying ‘ Down with the burghers J” They afterwards sent a volley of stones against the windows, and not only broke every pane, but injured several persons in the room; one lady was seriously cut in the head, another in the breast. The rioters then attempted to force their way itito the ball room, but the oentla- * w

men resisted them, and succeeded in driving them into the street. A detachment of soldiers came up, and arses ted some of the rioters. The latter dispersed about town, and broke the windows of several houses. It was not until two o’clock that order was completely re-established. The next evening the disturbances were renewed, and were of a more serious character. About 1000 persons assembled, and were proceeding to different acts of violence, when the police and military appeared. The former summoned the people to disperse, and caused the Riot Act to be read. The crowd, however, refused to go away, whereupon the military charged them three limes. The people resisted, and four national guards were cut in the head with sharp instruments. Several regiments of cavalry and artillery were accordingly marched into the town from the adjacent garrisons, and, after some time, succeeded in re-establishing order. All suspected houses were minutely searched, and about 350 rioters were arrested. At Meldal, three leagues from Drontheim, there were also serious disturbances, but they were put down.