EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 350, 1 March 1861, Page 3

EUROPEAN INTELLIGENCE.

ITALY.

{From the Home Ncics.) The past month has been one of suspense rather than of action so far as the development of the Italian question is concerned. •In the Home ftews of the 26th November we described the progress of affairs down to the shutting up of Francis 11. in Gaetai and the commencement of the siege of that' fortress by the Sardinian army. Gaeta is a place of enormous strength—fortified by nature as well as as by every contrivance of art ; X and it was necessary for the besiegers to. go systematically to work, an attempt to take the place by coup de main being wholly out of the question. It will thus be seen that the Sardinians have had considerable difficulties to contend with at a very unfavorable season of the year;- but their diligence and courage have never relaxed or wavered. Early in December they had got Cavalli's big guns in position and had opened a steady and destructive fire on the fortress, while every sortie made by the Royalist soldiers was repulsed with ease. On the other hand there is no doubt that Francis's men —whose number, at the highest estimate, cannot exceed 15,000 or 18,000—have behaved with more spirit than could have been expected from their -exploits in the earlier part of the recent campaign. As we poiuted out in our last, the Sardinians would not have found it necessary to wait long before the walls of Gaeta, had not the Emperor of the French interposed with his fleet and prevented the bombardment of the fortress by sea. It has been given out that the reason for this interference was merely to keep open for the exKing of Naples a way of escape, and to prevent such a fresh complication as might have arisen from his being made prisoner by those who have driven him from his throne. ;;But whatever end Napoleon may havelm^yiew, it is an undoubted fact that he has" now intimated to Francis that he can no longer sanction his continuance at Gaeta or °the further prosecution of an utterly hopeless defence. Chiefly through the mediation of France, with the aid also of England and .Russia, an armistice was agreed to between the belligerents on the 11th of December; and the, Emperor Napoleon gave the ex-King of Naples to understand that if he did not come to terms with the Sardinians at once he. would withdraw from him the protection of his fleet. Nevertheless it is now reported that Francis is determined to hold out and has rejected the advice tendered to him. The armistice, according to this news, is at an end: and it is therefore expected that the French fleet will immediately leave Gaeta, in which case the: siege will not last very long. The batteries of the Sardinians were to have resumed fire on the 19th; but heavy rains have greatly impeded the siege works and may probably have postponed the attack. TOth regard to Italy's other difficulties, these remain pretty much as they were. The reactionary movements, the outbreak of \ which in the south was noticed in our 'previous number, have continued. The copious extracts of letters from? Naples which we subjoin will show that the state of that city,, and the surrounding provinces is anything but satisfactory. The Roman question is as grave and as perplexing as ever. Diplomacy is busy with Venetia. England and France are said to have used every endeavor to induce Austria to "cede" that province—a pecuniary indemnity being.j proposed; but Francis Joseph, it is reported, will not listen to the scheme. Meanwhile Garibaldi has repeated from Caprera his j demand that-half a million of Italians shall be ready to take the field in March 1861.

- The Seniinetta, in referring to the present state of Verietia, says:— We learn from a letter from Treviso that collisions between the military and civilians continue. A few days ago _ a company of peaceful artisans met near the bridge of Mussolini a number of Austrian soldiers, who began to insult them. A sanguinary conflict ensued, and 18 of the soldiers and 14 artisans received severe wounds. Two gentlemen of the neighbourhood of Treviso, overtaken^ by the night, put up at a village inn near Oastelfranco. They were shown into the kitchen, and invited to sit down at a table at which was seated two Austrian soldiers, a sergeant and a corporal: These men directly began in their own language to curse Italy and* the Italians, and to make insulting remarks on the new comers. O«e of the gentlemen, understanding their language, quietly begged them to desist from this unprovoked insolence. The sergeant immediately spat in the speaker's face, arid the corporal threw a jug of wine at his head; upon which the outraged travellor seized a heavy wooden chair that was standing by, and gave the sergeant a blow on the head that killed him instantly. His friend, in the meanwhile, wrenched the corporal's sword from him^ and. gave him a severe wound with it. It is said that the two gentlemen have managed to escape across the frontier. Every one hopes so; but at present it is not known what has become of them. : -General Benedek has made an inspection of the fortresses on the Venetian coast. He has also assembled the officers at Venice and addressed them in a speech, telling them to «*prepare for the probability of,an. energetic defence." The Perseveranza ofMilan, of December 16j published the text of an important pamphlet, " The Emperor Francis Joseph I. and Europe," the publication of which has been.anpounced in Paris, anq! which is understood to be approved by the Emperor Napoleon. The author of the pamphlet laments the state of things in Venetia, and pays it is impossible to stop the Italian movement which aims at its deliverance. The possession of Venetia is the permanent cause of the financial and military weakness oi/Attstm* The Ueaty of Kamrjo, FQrmio

disposed of Venice against law and right. The sacrifice of Lombardy was more injurious to Austria than would be the Joss of Venice. The author concludes that the interest of the peace of Europe demands the cession of Venetia by means of compensation as the only solution of the question, and that Europe would be grateful to the Emperor of Austria for such a solution. sgjkA report which reaches us from Frankfort says that "Lord Bloomfield and A. Loftus. English Ambassadors at Vienna and Berlin, have been summoned to London on account of deliberations on the question of Venetia."

The Paris correspondent of the Morning Post, who has excellent means of obtaining correct information, writes as follows on the 20th December :—"You may expect rrfore confusion in Southern Italy. lam assured on high authority that Austria will not long delay an attack on new Italy. The friends of Francis Joseph boast of having secured under such circumstances the neutrality of France. Agents from the Dukes of Tuscany, Moderjar and King Francis 11. arrived in Paris last night, it is supposed to procure funds for Austria to commence hostilities."

It is said that 2000 pontifical troops are about to march against the town ofPonteCorvo, "to overthrow the Provisional Government establised:- there in the name of King Victor Emmanuel." A despatch from Rome, December 8, Ba ys;—"Colonel Masi has evacuated Orvieto, which, it is said, will be occupied by the French. The enlistments for the new Papal army are being actively carried orii Half the Neapolitan army who had taken refuge in Roman territory, have quitted the country. Most of them joined the insurrectionary bands in the Abruzzi. Many of their officers have joined the army of King Victor Emmanuel. 16 bishops of the Marches, five of whom are cardinals, have protested against the presence and the measures of the Sardinian Commissary in those provinces." Letters state that the mass of the population of Rome is now suffering great privations, owing to the high price of bread, and that expedients of all kinds are being adopted by public and private charily to supply food for the poor.