The Continental news is more unpleasant than surprising. In France,
the law of the press has at last been promulgated, to take effect on the first day of August ; after which, the publication of a real newspaper will be so hampered with restrictions, conditions, taxes, fines, and limitations, that it seems to be impossible except by committing an offence at law. It is found by calculation that the new electoral law will cut down the constituency to much less than half—converting universal suffilige to general disfranchise- ment.
In Sehleswig-Holstein, the London protocol has had its expected result in the renewal of hostilities; Germans openly engaging arinst the Danish Government—of course not without the con- nivance of their own Governments.
The Pope has placed the Cabinet or St. James's in a "fix." In the public Gazette he has denied the report that Lord Minto had been invited to Italy by the Papal Government—has directly contradicted the statement of our Ministers in Parlia- ment ! To this contradiction the semi-official Globe professes to give "the lie," by publishing the correspondence on the subject. But as that correspondence is only carried on between the Foreign Office and its own representatives in Paris and Rome reciting their version of conversations with the Pope's Nuncio and the So- vereign Pontiff, it is very imperfect evidence. If it establishes anything, it proves that Lord Minto did not receive any direct in- vitation. Delicate insinuations, indeed, appear to have been thrown out on both sides—so delicate, that the publication is rather delicate. It may be said that priests never do set about these things in a straightforward manner,—which would have been a very good reason to the F.nglish Ministers for not engaging in the commerce at all ; but once engaged, the same nice honour should have been observed that gentlemen are understo.od to maintain with the confiding fair.
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