The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1866. NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 147, 24 August 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 1866. NEWS BY THE MAIL.

The Ministry were defeated in committee on the Reform Bill, by a majority of 10. on a Conservative motion for introducing some anti-bribery clauses into the bill. Mr. Gladstone accepted the addition. The Tories were beaten- on a motion condemnatory ofthe redistribution '''scheme. The £14 county franchise was voted. Mr. Gladstone triumphed by seven, in u house of 553, on a motion by Mr. Hunt to base the country franchise on rating not rental. The Government gave waj- on a motion to do away with the necessity of there being buildings on the land, to the great disgust of the Radical party. The fatal wound was given by a Liberal nobleman, Lord Dunkellin, son of the Marquis of Clanricarde. This nobleman, member for Galway, moved that in regard to the borough franchise, the rating and not the rental, should be tlie basis. The Ministry declared this to be the vital point, the Conservatives gathered all their forces, and a fierce and fatal 'conflict ensued. On Monday, the 18th June. Government were placed in a minority of 1 1. The following night Mr. Gladstone announced that it had been resolved to communicate with the Queen, and Parliament was adjourned for a week. Ministers tendered their resignations to her Majesty, who was in Scotland. On the 25th Earl Russell -stated in the House of Lords that in the present state of affairs on the Continent, the Queen had hesitated to accept theni. . The same intimation was made by Mr. Gladstone in the House of Commons. A personal interview was to take place between the Queen and her Ministers the following day. The assumption of office by Lord Derby, and the announcement of an anti-reform policy is stated on some authorities, but it.is hardly likely .the Conservatives will oppose tlie people if, .they-, are really in, earnest. The Home News says the country does not understand why a Liberal Parliament which gave the Government a majority of 70 at the making u-> ofthe returns, should be sent to the right about by another election, because in the exercise of its functions it has altered one clause in the Reform Bill. Earl Russell is obstinate and Mr. Gladstone earnest, but perhaps the House will be allowed, in the first place, to finish the business of the session. A dissolution is possible, but the Conservatives protest against it, and the Radicals denounce any transfer of power. Public meetings are being held in favor of tbe Government, and it remains to be seen whether the pressure without will, as in 1861 and 1802, compel the Conservative party to make concessions under the influence of fear, wliich tliey would never have made willingly and with a good grace. The official report of the Jamaica commissioners has been presented to Parliament. The total number of deaths caused by those engaged in the suppression of the rebellion, amounted to 439 ; the total number of dwellings burned to 1,000 ; and the number doggod to 600. According fo the report, the disturbances were owing to a planned resistance to lawful authority produced by numerous causes. Praise is due to Governor Eyre for the skill, promptitude, and vigor, which he manifested during the early stages of the insurrection. The military and naval operations were prompt and judicious, but the continuance of martial law was longer than necessary. The punishment of death was unnecessarily frequent, the floggings reckless and at Bath positively barbiirous. The burning of 1,000 houses was wanton and cruel ; and there was no evidence to support the charge upon which Mr. Gordon was condemned to death, •and for which the Governor is censured and superseded. The public accept the issue. The claims of Princess Olive in the Divorce Court have caused a great sensation on June 1, the petitioner prayed that her mother Olive Wilmot Serres may be declared to be the legitimate daughter of the late Duke of Cumberland and of Olive Wilmot his wife. Some extraordinary revelations were made, which induced the Lord-chief-Baron to complain that such scandals should be raked up without necessity. The Attorney-General declared the whole matter a tissue of fraud, fabrication and forgery, and that the only excuse for it would be found in insanity. The_verdict.of- the jury was, that no such marriage as that alleged between the Duke of Cumberland and Olive Wilmot had ever taken place, and that the so called Princess Olive was not their legitimate daughter. -< The great European war has begun. The Conference was given up, because Austria in terms, and Italy by implication, made such conditions of debate as would have made all proceedings a farce. It was felt that the quarrelling powers must be left to themselves. England 6tands apart in good faith, haying nothing to lose or to gain, but honestly deploring the conflict. France stands apart, but " with a difference " into which it is" not now necessary to go, further than to say that she is wronged if she does not improve the occasion. Manifestly, should Italy be worsted, it will be for Erance to see that the arrangements at the end of the list war are not overthrown — has she not been paid with Savoy and Nice ? Russia is reticent, but has moved troops where they may be heard of when wanted. And the " warlike

'dance;?' as Marshal Benedek. is]plea's'ed*to call-it, .'has ijeen opened "by Prussia, who^'took the, anniversary^ Waterloo for her. day of declaration of war. 'Gouinfc Bismark was prompt) and before a shot could -be fired thei Prussians .had seized Saxony, Hanover, and Hesse, and these are now in their hands. -At the.-present writirijg. we have, ho . trustworthy news. of the Austrian movements, ; but Benedek's strand army is on its way 1 to the strife.- Italy has declared war. and is raging forfight; the King.and his two sons have gone to the front, Cialdibfahd La Marmora are in tiieir places, and Garibaldi has sped from his rocky isle, to Genoa, and thence to Como, whence it is thought he will, dash into the Quadrilateral. Of the chances of the conflict it would be absurd to attempt prediction. It is. more to "the purpose to note, on . the eve of the battle, the feelings with which. Englishmen regard the situation. These are singularly mixed, Strictly, Ave should go back to the Schleswig-Holstein war, and look at tliis one as the Nemesis. But the guilt, even here, has to: be apportioned in unequal parts. Austria was wrong in joining in the spoliation. But since that time she has been insulted and defied by Prussia, who . has at last ejected all the troops of Austria from Holstein, which, under the Gastein treaty, she .was to occupy. The Emperor of Austria proclaims and protests to the 1 last that the war was none of; his seeking, and that he draws his sword in self-defence. Prussia lias made a treaty with Italy. Englishmen, except a .few ultra-Tories and ultra-Mori tanis'ts, wish to see Venice a part of Italy, and therefore must wish success to the arms of Victor Emmanuel. But we do not wish to see Prussia victorious. These feelings however may be "called sentimental.; iThere is one consideration. which must not be overlooked. The, success of Prussia means the consolidation, in " North Germany, of a great Protestant Power, which, absorbing half-a-dozen small kingdoms anclstates, will be a bulwark avainst whicli, as in- other days, certain other Powers may dash themselves to pieces. We b.ught not to forget this, or that the maintenance of a strong Protestant kingdom so near us may be a good thing in the days that are. coming. Nor should we forget who made a wing of the army that crushed Napoleon. We add further details of. the war in .Germany. On the failure of negotiations .the Prussians entered Altona oh the llth June.' The Austrian commander, General Von Gablenz, was instructed to retire because the Prussian troops were six times superior in number to his own. On that day the Holstein estates summoned by Austria, were dispersed by General -Von Maunteuffel. On the 12th the Austrian and Prussian ambassadors received their passports from their respective courts. The resolutions adopted by the Federal Diet for mobilising the Federal forces were regarded by Prussia as a declaration of war on the part of those States who voted for them. Within a few hours Prussia invaded Saxony and Hanover, and both monarchs retired before the advancing troops. The treasury of Saxony has been removed to Bohemia. The summary ofthe despatches of June 23, is as follows. The Prussians are reported to have entered the Austrian territory, in Upper Silesia, to- have burnt the town of Zettau, in Saxony, and they have taken prisoners in Cassel, the Elector of Hesse, and his Minister oi W_r. The Austrians had made some reconuoisances in Upper Silesia, and the Saxon army had completed its junction with the Austrian army. Venice and Trieste have been placed in a state of Siege. The King of Italy had arrived at Cremona, on the 22, and took command of the army about to commence operations on the Mincio. The King of Hanover and the Crown Prince set out on the night of June 16, for the camp. of the army, which is being concentrated near Gottingen. The Prussian troops soon after., entered the capital of Hanover. The King having gone, to Gottingen, issued a manifesto which amounted to. nothing. . If, however, he could not save his capital, he contrived with miraculous celerity to save his treasures, for even before the enemy advanced upon him he sent off a cargo of gold, which is now safely lodged in the Bank of England. The Prussian Government justifies its invasion of Hanover, Saxonv, and Electoral Hesse. The. commanders of the various corps received the strictest orders to observe the most friendly attitude towards the populations of the invaded States, and in the event of their coming into contact Avith the troops, to avoid bloodshed as much as possible, by endeavouring to induce them to lay down their arms, on "account of their numerical inferiority. A motion has been carried.by. lo. against five in. the Federal. Diet, that in consequence ofthe entry ofthe Prussians into Saxony, the Diet should request Austria and Bavaria to adopt measures necessitated by that act of violence. Prince Charles, of Bavaria, is commander of the Federal forces. Each ofthe two great powers charges its opponent with being the originator, of this fratricidal war. The Iving of Prussia has affixed his signature to the treaty of alliance with Italy. The Prussian ambassador in Paris had an audience ofthe Emperor, to express to him the thanks of the King of Prussia, for the effort, made by France for the preservation of peace. A popular meetiug attended- by over 5,000 persons was held at Oberingejheim, near Mayence, *on the 4th of June, at which four resolutions werepassed, denouncing civil war amongst Germans j. demanding a national Parliament for all Germany;, asserting the right of the' Confederation. to. settle,. the question of the Duchies, ; and protesting -energetically, against any foreign interference, in the settlement of the internal affairs of Germany. - -.7 7...-. • • The Vienna journals . state. .that during; the , late financial panic inl London, Earl. Cowley, by, order of the government, solicited ,tjie7en.ergetic, mediation of the Emperor Napoleon in .f_vor of peace, and received from .his majesty the following reply :-*f_ ■; ' " y ' In tlie years 1859 aiid 18(34 England opposed my proposals in reference to the settlement 6f the'Vene-

tian and SchleswigrHolstein questions. Now England wants . peace* I also desire peace, but, as the most favorable opportunities have been frittered away, and 1 as the conflicting interests have been permitted to reach a point at. whichthey must clash, I can no longer assume the responsibility of events. The position ofthe Italian army thus described. Cialdini, with the 4th army corps "is in Bologna, is in front of that- part of Venetia which is outside of and to the right ofthe Quadrilateral. The 3rd corps, under Delia Rocca, is extended midway between Bologna and Piacenza, which is the head quarters of the army. Cucchieri's corps is in its former position, and the lst corps, under Giovanni Durando, is extended from Lodi to Brescia. General Cevale, with his division, occupies the latter. Lalo, Lenarto, Menechiaro, aiid Bergamo are occupied bridges. The divisions ofthe Neapolitan General Pianelli and the Garibaldian General Sirtori, are distributed in the centre at Crema, • Soregina, Orzinova, arid Sodeino. A division is also posted at Pizzighettonne, Casale, Pusterlenzo, Codogno, St. Angelo, and Borghetto, so as to form a junction between Lodi and Pizzighettone. Thus the advanced guard of the army is facing the Quadrilateral between Verona and Mantua, while the rear guard for the present rests on the Adda and the Po. By this arrangement the post of honor and of danger seems to be reserved for the lst corps under Durando, an old and tried soldier who fought with skill and bravery- in the two previous Italian campaigns, and defended Vicenza against Radetzki with great obstinacy though with a greatly inferior force. Prussia now occupies all Germany north of the line of the Maine, and is opposed by a large Austrian force under Benedek, in Bohemia; by the Bavarians, under Prince Charles; and by the remainder of the Federals, under Prince Alexander of Hesse, and these are constantly increasing as fast as forces can be mobilised. The fleet left Taranto for operations in unknown quarters. The first battle was fought on Sunday. The King of Italy, with ten divisions, crossed the Mincio on the 23rd, and advanced uponThe Austrians in front of Verona. A. desperate engagement followed, ending in the repulse of the Italians, with loss of several guns and about 2000 prisoners. The losses on both sides are -reported to have been severe. The Italian Prince Amadeus was slightly wounded. The Italians recrossed the Mincio. Another army, under Cialdini, now occupies the banks of the Po, From European telegrams published in the Mel-bourne-Argus of the 13th, and now to hand, we learn that the Prussians had been successful in Bohemia, and that the Hanoverian army had surrendered to them. Bohemia appeared to be the battle-ground for the contending armies, and some success had been claimed by Austria. Tlie conflicting nature of the reports renders it difficult to say which party was likely to be eventually successful. The steady advance of the Prussians into Bohemia was confidently asserted, as well as the failure of all peace negotiations. Garibaldi was said to have been wounded in an unsuccessful attack on the Austrian position, but no particulars are given.

We copy frora the Wellington Fveuing Post of the 22nd instant, the latest reliable information in reference to the formation of a new Ministry :— At 230 this evening, in the House of Representatives, Mr. Stafford announced that if- the House would consent to an adjournment until Friday, he hoped by then to have obtained his Excellency's sanction to the following gentlemen, who, together with himself, would form the Ministry : — The Hon. Johnson, Colonel Haultain, Major Richardson, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. J. Ci Richmond, Mr. John Hall. The House then adjourned. It appears that WiUiam Thompson, when recently examined before a Select Committee, said he wanted the whole of the Waikato to be handed back to him. He was told that the English, having taken the Waikato in war, would hold it; but if he and his people wanted land for' cultivation, the Government would have them on favorable terms as returning rebels. , A Sydney telegram says : — The commission appointed to inquire into the circumstances attending the massacre of Mr. Wiseman, on Tanna islandj severely censures the conduct of the missionaries and , Mr. Wiseman, The report of the commission will shortly be published. The evidence of Captain Fraser, ofthe missionary barque Day Spriug, shows, that many of the natives on the island were murdered by the colonists.