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    October ^ , 1856 . ] THE LEAPE R . 941

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    the inhabitants in possession of the field—and of their money . The Pope has received from the Emperor of the ISurr aans rich presents brought to him by a missionary . Those presents consist of a chalice of aolid gold , a cross enriched with precious stones , and valuable rings , accompanied by a letter in -which the Catholics inhabiting the Burman Empire convey to the chief of tieir Church the expression of their attachment . The cardinals and prelates belonging to the Congregation of Extraordinary Catholic Affaire have

    lately met at Rome to consider various questions connected with the religious affairs in the East . The Sultan has made propositions to the Pope , through the medium of Monsignor Hassoun , Latin Archbishop of Constantinople , for establishing diplomatic relations with Rome , which woiild be extremely advantageous to the Catholics of the Ottoman Empire . The Governments of Parma and Modena have signified to the Cabinet of "Vienna their intention to withdraw from the Customs League , ¦ wh ich will expire in the course of the present month .

    The re-examination of Captain Acuti in connexion with the statement he had made that the King had authorized the illegal lashing of some of the Neapolitan political prisoners , took place on the 23 rd tilt ., * when the ¦ witness said that either he had misunderstood the court , or the court had misunderstood him , but that it had been his intention to say exactly what the court had said . His meaning was , not that lie had received a direct order from the King , but from the Minister in the name of the King , and that such an order was called a " rescript of the 4 th class . " The political trials have at length been concluded , the Attorney-General summing up the case for the Crown on the 24 th . Against three

    of the prisoners—Mortati , Avitabile , and the priesthe declared the proofs to be insufficient . " The others , " says the Times correspondent , " will probably be condemned to perpetual exile ; but this will remain for the consideration of the judges . Already , however , be it remembered , they have suffered fourteen months ' imprisonment . In the course of his speech , the Attorney-General denounced twice , as revolutionary in its character and tendencies , - a work by Massimo d'Azeglio , entitled / Lamenti del Lombardi . This book had been found in the cell of Padre Ruggiero . " \ Vheurever the term ' liberal' was introduced , it was evidently as a term of opprobrium . "

    Orders have been sent to Verona for several regiments and some batteries of artillery to bold . themselves in readiness » tq march at a moment ' s notice . T hese troops are destined to reinforce those now in the Legations . The Swiss troops employed by the Pope are said to be greatly disaffected , and several desertions have recently taken place . This is not the only source of uneasiness to the Papal Government . The all-powerful position of Cardinal Antonelli is viewed with great jealousy by a great many of the Cardinals , who object , among other things , to his upholding the monopoly of corn , by which the price of bread is made exceedingly high . Some of the malcontents recently brought their grievances before the Pope , by means of Cardinal d'Andrea ; but he would not listen to the complaint , and sharply reproved the Cardinal .

    A regularly organized confraternity of depredators has just been discovered in Velletri , a large town eight and twenty miles from Home , on the high road to Naples , and situated between the forest of Fajola and the Tontine marshes , both traditional strongholds of brigands . It is rumoured that , should France and England persevere in sending an expedition to Naples , Austria will secretly get up republican insurrections in various parts of Italy , in order to show the Allies the danger of rousing the populace !

    SPAIN . The Government has determined to re-establish the original limits of the Spanish territory Tound the presidioj and fortifications still retained by Spain on the coast of the Iiiff . An expedition will shortly be sent out . A Cadiz journal announces that the sequestration on the property of the Queen-mother is to be shortly removed . It id now stated that all the ministers at first agreed to the project of law with respect to Church property which the Queen has successfully opposed , and that it was only on hearing of that opposition that Hios Rosas , and the ministers who acted with him , resolved to separate themselves from the policy of O'Donncll and Cantero .

    ike yellow fever has been committing great ravages in Cruiana in an epidemicyorm " AUSTRIA . A monetary panic exists at the present moment in Austria , owing to a decline in all kinds of Austrian stock , and to certain measures taken by the Credit and National Banks , the former of which has made a call on the shareholders for a further payment of the seventy per cent , of the capital subscribed for before the time at which it was stipulated that tlie demand should be made ; while the latter ( the National Bank ) has notified that it has raised the rate of interest " on all discount and loan business" from four to five per cent . The Emperor has been travelling into Hungary , as far as Temesvar . A squadron of eight Austrian -vessels has arrived at Malta .

    The intentions of Austria with respect to tlie affairs of Naples are not precisely known ; but it seems probable that she disapproves of the contemplated interference of France and England in the internal government of Kin £ Ferdinand , and that slie has notified this disapproval to the Cabinets of Paris and London . The Emperor and Empress go to Venice , aud probably to Milan , in . the beginning of November . The Emperor has commenced Ms travels in Hungary , and is said to have been well received at Pesth .

    PHUSSIA . The Royal Bank of Prussia has again raised its rate of discount by one per cent . A great drain of sil \*« r specie from Prussia to England and Russia , by way of Hamburg , is now taking place ; and it has been resolved "b y the directors of the Royal Bank not to take in any bills for discount , the proceeds of which there should lie reason to believe would be exported in silver . Tlie bankers of Leipzic , Cologne , and Frankfort have also made the same stop , and have advanced their rate of discount . The latter course has likewise been pursued by the National Bank of Austria .

    The late war in the East , while it brought Prussia no profit by any increased consumption of her manufactures or otherwise , caused her ah outlay of I 6 , 000 , 000 out of 30 , 000 , 0000 thalers for the mere support of her army in a state of " preparedness for war . " The whole of those 30 , 000 , 000 were raised , in hard cash , and the unspent 14 , 000 , 000 are supposed to be still in the hands of the Government . To defray the interest of these 30 , 000 , 000 , the nation has been for these two years and a half paying 25 per cent , increase on its entire direct taxation , the income-tax itself being , as must be borne in mind , of very recent introduction . It was also one of the results of the war , that , while various branches of industry and adventure were crippled , breadstuff ' s were made dearer by the abstraction of large quantities of

    grain for the wants of distant armies ; then came tad harvests and inundations at home , so that in several parts of Prussia , and in the north and west of Poland , the scarcity has amounted as closely as possible to a famine , while the facilities of railway conveyance and steam navigation , by carrying off the best of meat and all other sorts of provisions , have fearfully run up the price of all that remained , no matter how inferior in quality . This deamess has pressed most severely of all on the subordinate officials of the Government , whose salaries , - without exception , are unconscionably low . The excellent character for integrity and incorruptibility

    which the Prussian officials have hitherto justly enjoyed has of late years been impaired under tlie pressure of high prices and insufficient salaries , as has been more particularly evidenced in the service of the post-office , where the theft of inoney-letter 3 some little time back had reached an incredible height ; so that the Government sees itself compelled from this cause , as mucli as from the efforts of tlie majority of the House of Deputies , to prepare a bill , to be brought in next session , for improving the pecuniary position of its worst paid servants ; This will cause a very considerable increase of State expenditure , for their name is legion . —Times Berlin Correspondent .

    are of course not reliable , though worth a passing notice . Russia and Austria have recognized the alleged right of Prussia to the territory in question . The trial-of the insurrectionists by the Swiss Federal authorities has not yet taken place ; but , " for the sake of the prisoners , " says a writer from Berlin , "it is very desirable that their fate should be decided without delay , for they are at present , to the number of about threehundred , kept in confinement in a church , without fife , withtmt ventilation , and without any accommodation for the necessities of nature ; while the peasantry at liberty , who are only suspected of Royalist sympathies , are being ruined rapidly by numbers of Swiss Federal troops quartered upon them . "

    BELGIUM . The Belgian Government is at present engaged in a series of scientific inquiries , with a view to a vigorous prosecution of the deep-sea fishery on the east coast of Scotland . Beyond certain limits , foreigners are permitted to fish on the British coasts , and Belgium is determined to take advantage of the ( racks by which the herrings reach the Scotch shores in order to deposit their spawn . A few weeks ago " , the officers of the Atalanta , in pursuing their inquiries off the Orkney Islands , fell in with a shoal of herrings ; information was speedily communicated to the nearest Belgian boat on the coast , the fishermen in which proceeded to the spot where the fish were seen , and at the first haul their deep-sea nets got sixty barrels of fish of the finest quality . The Belgian Government is determined , therefore , to take advantage of the wealthy mine thus opened .

    DENMARK . All the Ministers of the King , with the exception of BL Scheele , have resigned . The real cause of this split in the Cabinet is not yet known , but it is very generally rumoured that it is connected with certain proposals for changing the law of succession in order to unite eventually the three Scandinavian kingdoms under one dynasty . ¦ * . * . ;¦/ i . . *¦ ' ¦ ' \ ¦ SWEDEN . * . - ¦ ' : ' ¦*¦¦ , ¦ ' .. ' ¦ A mixed commission of six Swedes and six Norwegians ha 3 been appointed to meet at Christiania , under the presidency of the Norwegian Viceroys for the better determination of the act of union between the two countries . Among other uncertainties , the mutual obligations of the two countries in time of war are still undefined . This might prove a serious danger in the event of hostilities .

    . . . * ¦ .. * .. "*¦ , ' KUSSIA . . ¦ . . ' ¦¦ ¦ . ¦ The first division of the Russian squadron of evolutions , under Vice-Admiral Schantz , has received orders to be ready for sea . Its destination is said to be the Bay of Naples , and its presence there is no doubt intended a ' s a demonstration in favour of the King and against France and England . .. -. ' The disagreement with Russia respecting Bolgrad and the Isle of Serpents has led to the adoption of some rather hostile movements on the part of England . Admiral Houston Stewart is to return to the Black Sea , and the squadron of Admiral Lyons is to receive reinforcements . The dinner of the Czar to the people has taken place .

    ITALY . It is said that a schism has recently manifested itself in the councils of the Viceregal Government at Milan between the civil and military authorities , the former being advocates of mild government and conciliatory measures , while the latter maintain the necessity of holding Italy as a conquered country . The Papal Government ( says the Times Turin correspondent ) is taking active measures to suppress all such expressions of opinion as lately emanated from tho municipal councils of Bologna and Ravenna . Monsignor Bernardi ; the friend and undcr-secretary of Cardinal Antonelli , who was lately sent to Bologna to aid Monsignor Amici , the delegate thero . with his advice , has

    The Government has determined to enforce on tho recruits in foot regiments , their full term of three years ' service , which for some time past has been commuted , in effect , to one year and a half , an injustice being thus done to the cavalry , the men in which were not similarly indulged . Tho army will not be reduced to its condition before tho war , tho Government choosing to maintain it in a state of effectiveness on a large scale . Tho King has also decreed , without proposing any reference to the Chambers , that tho retiring pension of generals shall be higher than the three thousand thalers at which it was fixed at the time of the revolution .

    now started on a tour through the Romagna and the Marches , charged , as I understand , with the mission of counselling the delegates to preve-nt or postpone by any means in their power tho meetings of the municipal councils , and on no account to recognizo officially such addresses as tho councils of Bologna and Ravenna presented . At Pcsuro , a small town on tho Adriatic , a curious scene is reported to have occurred a fe \ v days ago . The delegate had received orders from Rome to collect the taxes on trades and professions in his district , and , in conformity with those instructions , lie caused notices to be posted up on the walls of tho town , warning tlie inhabitants that they would bo called upon to pay tlie

    tax . forthwith , together witli tho arrears due from former 3 'ears ; for it appeaw that , although the tax linn been decreed for sonic years past , it has not been possible to collect it on account of tho violent opposition of the people in soran instances , ami on account of their utter inability to pay in others . On Una occasion , the people of Pesaro seem to have como to tho detorininntion of offering a passive resistance to the demnnds of tho Government , tlie only active demonstration they mnrio being tho taking down of Homo of the notices and biasing the troops ( part of a Papnl Swiss regiment , but not those in motley ) that were called out to assist the tax gatherers ; and so effective did this opposition prove witli tho delogato , that ore midday ho withdrew his forces , and left

    In connexion with this strengthening of the forces , there arc various rumours to tho effect that Prussia debignsto march an army into No . ufchu . tcl for the recovery of that territory , -which belonged to her up to the r « volutionary era of 1848 ; and it is added tliat the object of Count Hatzfeldt ' s visit to the Emperor of the French at JJinrrita is to procure his permission for Prussian troops to march through Frencli territory in order to occupy the disputed province . Another rumour ( fathered by Jji Nord ") states that Count llatzfoldt ia negotiating for a cession of Ncufchfitel to Franco in exchange for a portion of land of similar extent adjoining tho Prusso-French frontier at SaarbrUcken ; but these statements

    The commission appointed to draw up the project of law on tho Council of State lias completed ito tnsk . Tho project , unanimously adopted by th < s committee , will be shortly submitted to tho approbation of tlie Government , It fixes the number of Councillors of State at thirtythree . The Government will be authorized to dispose of one-sixth of that number , to employ them on diplomatic missions abroad , or avail itself of their services in the interior . Tho council it to be divided into as man } sections as thore arc ministerial departments . The Spaniards on tho African coast have had an en counter with the Riff pirates , provoked by the savage themselves , who were signally defeated , with a loss o forty-two killed . Tho Spanish loss was very small . A person named Mora has been arrested and ini

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 4, 1856, page 941, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2161/page/5/