REUTER'S EXPRESS.

West Coast Times, Issue 333, 17 October 1866, Page 2

REUTER'S EXPRESS.

London, August 26. The Australian June mails were delivered ia LouHon via Panama on the 12th, via Marseilles on the 19th, and via Southampton on the 25th inst. Her Majesty the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Duke of Edinburgh, are in Scotland. The African traveller, Mr Raker has been knighted, and nominated a Companion of the Bath. The correspondence which took place respecting the constitutional dispute in Victoria has been published. In a despatch dated April 18, Sir Charles Darling criticises the Colonial Secretary's reasons for his recall. He maintains that he acted by the advice of his responsible law officers, and denies the charge of occupying a position of personal antagonism to .almost all who would be likely to be available to him in the event of a chauge of Ministry taking plaoe, and continues—-" I mu.6t beg \m* wtiwly to deny that in «x«

pressing to you fully and unreservedly my opinion of what appeared to be the treacherous and un-English conduct of the Executive Councillors I did more than submit my own views on the point. I never hinted at an intention, under any circumstances, beyond their suspension, although I possessed by coramispion the power to remove them from office. I must equally repudiate the statement, that by any act of mine you were placed in the position of having to determine whether I should continue to represent the Queen in Victoria. That question could not, I think, fairly arise until I had shown that spirit of doubt and distrust which had led me to reject the services of any gentleman referred to when the observance of the constitutional principle would require me 'to accept those services. It might as well be\ said that, Because your recent decisions would lead me to distrust and doubt my preseut advisers, I may therefore be expected to act unfairly and unconstitutionally towards them by seeking an opportunity for removing them from office I have not been unmindful of my first duty — yiz., to keep myself as far as possible aloof and far above all personal conflicts. I have not- been in personal conflict with , any of the inhabitants of the colony ; and I will go further, and sa) r that I have not given any of the inhabitants cause to regard me otherwise than with personal respect. I have hitherto been in a position to act freely with all those whom the course of Parliamentary proceedings might present to me as conn ■ dential advisers. The colony knows I am able and willing to give to any new advisers, whoever they may be, a fair ' and just support. I must think the remarks your previous despatches contain \ were for the most part characterised by a severity entirely to be explained by their having been dictated under a defective knowledge of the facts. You will look iri vain through these defpatches for what I regard as an adequate justification for the course pursued towards a high public officer and an approved servant of the Crown. All I have asserted in my defence I am prepared to establish, to the satisfaction of any tribunal before which I may be afforded an [opportunity of explaining niy public cohduct " . . The consecration of two colonial bishops took place, at Canterbury Cathedral, on 24th August: — Rev. Dr. Andrew Salter, for Nelson ; Hey. Henry Jennar, for Dunedin. The Rev. Samuel Wadlow, titular Bishop of Grafton and Arinidale, was prevented from appearing at the ceremony by illness. The Great Eastern left Newfoundland on the 9th, for the purpose of grappling for the cable of last year, but found that the Terrible and Albany, which had started a week befor.e her, had already picked up the broken line. The British Association has commenced its session at Nottingham. Sir ( William Eyfe, ex-Governor of Jamaica, arrived at Southampton lastweek, where he was entertained by the inhabitants at a public dinner. In the course of a speech Sir William justified his proceedings in Jamaica, on the score of the unavoidable necessity of crushing the rebellion at its outset. Hostilities on the Continent are nowended. A treaty of peace befoyeen Prussia and Austria was signed on the 24th August, at Prague, in accordance with the basis laid down by the Nikolsburg preliminaries, and it now only awaits formal ratification. ' Its main main features are — the retirement of Austria from exercising influence over Germany, her payment of a war indemnity of twenty millions of thalers, the dissolution of the old, and the formation of a new confederation of the Northern Germanic states, under the leadership of Prussia ; the electorate of Hanover and the Duchies of Hesse, • Nassau, Frankfort, and the Elbe, to be annexed to Prussia; Austria to cede Venetia to the Emperor of the French, who is to hold it for Italy, Austria only stipulating that Italy shall pay a portion of the Loinbardy and Venetian debt. has concluded peace with Bavaria, Wuuteniberg, and Baden. She is still negotiating with Saxony, and is actively pushing on the elections for North Germany. Parliament was convened, in. order to settle the terms of the future confederation. The King opened the Chambers in person", his speech chiefly related to home affairs. He expressed his desire to come to an agreement with the representatives in the constitutional dispute, and acknowledged the right of the Chamber to vote tbe budget, aud admitted that the Government had carried on 'for several years without this legal basis. He announced* his intention of asking the Chambers for a bill of indemnity. Addresses have since been presented to both Chambers, expressing a cordial desire that the representatives should come to an agreement with the Government.

Prussia lias refused to allow Beust to negotiate *on behalf of Saxony ; the Minister accordingly resigned. The King accepted his' resignation with much regret. The Empress of Mexico has arrived at Paris, on a visit to the Emperor Napoleon. The object of her journey is believed to be an attempt to induce the French to leave their troops in Mexico for another year. It is stated that her mission has completely failed , the Emperor replying that his engagements with the United States, and the financial position of France, rendered compliance impossible. The Italian Government has issued an amnesty in- favor of all political offenders, An insurrection has broken out in Candia, the Christian population having rebelled, and taken up arms, against the increase of taxation imposed by the Turks.