T H E WEEK ABROAD • FRANC:E.—The extraordinary budget has
been presented to the Legislative Body, and amounts to 5,554,800/., of which sum 3,210,220/. is placed at the disposal of the Minister of Agriculture, Commerce, and Public works; 680,000/. is assigned to the Minister of Marine, and the remainder distributed in smaller sums. Resources to meet this expense will be found in 73,000,000 remaining from the Trentenary Bonds, certain payments to be made to the State by the Lyons and Orleans Railway Companies, 400,000/. expected from China, and two temporary taxes, one upon salt, and the other upon
zurar. Paris seems occupied, politically, with the return of M. Lavalette from Rome. It appears from the most authentic accounts, that M. Lavalette disapproves of General Goyon, who interferes between him and the Papal Court, and nullifies the effect of his representations. Ile declines to return, unless this grievance is remedied, and it is reported that the Emperor has given way, and that General Goyon will be succeeded by General Ladmirault, a good officer but little known.
An English Company, with a capital of 1,000,000/. sterling, have determined to commence the cultivation of long-staple cotton in Algeria. The French Government has made them a grant of 70,000 acres in the plain of Habra, including 30,000 acres of marsh which they are to drain. They intend to cut a deep boat canal, construct a harbour at Port aux-Ponies, and lend money to the„peasantry at five per cent., on condition of their cultivating cotton. For their own cultivation, they will employ steam ploughs capable of ploughing 20 acres a day, and will lay flown Amerman tramways throughout their immense estate. We fear they will find the interference of the local Government intolerable; no French official can bring himself to let Colonists alone.
ITALY.—M. Rattazzi has partially remodelled his Cabinet on a plan described in another column, and for the rest we have nothing from Italy but rumours, and a Papal allocution. The drift of the rumours runs this way. Garibaldi has been travelling in the North, and intended to go to Naples, but has stopped short in his journey. The armament,lowever, goes on, and it is said that M. Rattazzi has quieted Garibaldi by promising an effort for Venice. At the same time he warns Napoleon that unless some concession is made at Rome he cannot avoid the alternatives of declaring war or letting loose the Revolution. All these statements are rumours merely. The Papal allocution was delivered on 25th March, on the canon- ization of three martyred priests slain in Japan. It is as spiteful as usual. Some good canon, with eyes in his head, had written to the Pope to warn him against declaring the temporal power a dogma of faith; and the Pope calls him "an ecclesiastic who'calls himself a canon," and "this poor priest, whom we should like better to call good priest." His Holiness, however, admits that the temporal power is not a dogma. "We should reply," he says, "Rest assured that the Holy See does not maintain the temporal power as a dogma of faith, but it declares that the temporal power is necessary and La- dispensable, so long as the order established by Providence shall endure, to sustain the independence of the spiritual power." We should say to this priest : 'Think of the very holy martyrs who did not fear to give, and who did give, their blood and their life in defence of the church.'" Some sanguine Italians see in these words an indi- cation of a wish to temporise.
Thirty thousand Italians have signed an address to the Emperor 'of the French, demanding that he should quit Rome. "In the name," they say, "of eternal right the Italian soil belongs only to Italy." They have also addressed the British House of Commons, de- claring that the occupation of Rome will "force them sooner or later to a war with a nation they love," and begging the House, "by a decisive manifestation" to put an end to this foreign intervention.
Pnassre.—The Berlin correspondent of the Times gives a sarcastic sketch of the new reactionary Cabinet, in which the Premier, M. Von der Heydt, appears to be the only able man. He is a strong Conservative, with a tendency:to change his opinions when necessary to retain office. Count Bernstorff is a diplomatist of the old school ; General Von Roon (Army) a soldier with the ideas of an old corporal, M. Jag,ow (Interior), an old employe, lately President of Police at Breslau, Count Lippe (Justice) a Chairman of Quarter Sessions, and M. Mahler (Ecclesiastical Affairs) a small Anacreon chiefly known by a clever drinking song. They are all, however, devoted to royalism, and are preparing the elections, we suspect from sundry hints, with considerable ability. The primary elections take place on 28th April, and the selection of Deputies by the electors on 6th May. The Liberal party are confident, and have but one programme, the re-election of the Parliament lately dissolved. There is not the slightest probability of disturbances.
herne.—The Bombay mail brings an unpleasant rumour that the commanding officer of one of the hill regiments in the Punjab has been murdered by a private, but the story is wholly without details. The Friend of India states on official authority that the Government know the Nana to be alive in Nepal, and are about to demand his surrender under the treaty. The Indian budget has not yet been published, but it is understood to be exceedingly favourable. The license tax, which was to have yielded 600,000/., but which produced excessive discontent, has been remitted, and the collections returned, and the cash balances have risen to above eighteen millions. Three are required for remittance to England, but the balance has risen by three millions in twelve months. This is satisfactory as far as it goes, but it does not go very far. Most of the money called " balances " in the Indian treasury is money already appropriated to current expenses which are met monthly:, while the revenue comes in half-yearly. The monthly expenditure is 3,250,0001. sterling, and the reserve absolutely necessary to meet inevitable payments, cannot be less than three months expenses or, say, ten millions sterling, and ought, owing to the difficulty of concentrating specie in the Presi- dencies and the great camps, to be nearer five mouths, or seventeen millions.
AIISTRIA.—We have no news from Austria of any moment, but the Hungarian exiles have, it is said, resolved on constituting Hungary a separate kingdom, in alliance with the Danubian States. A new pretender has, it appears, declared himself, Prince Crouy, a French- man, but representing a line of Hungarian sovereigns, and Klapka thinks it necessary to publish a letter repudiating his pretensions.
Mexteo.—All kinds of rumours have been circulated during the week, but the few facts known appear to be these : A convention was signed on 19th Feb. between General Prim, acting for the allies, and Michael Roblado, as representative, of Mexico. This convention merely arranged preliminaries, and moved the allies to the more healthy highlands, but it was understood that Mexico would meet her debt and give satisfaction. The British troops are, therefore, to retire, and it is reported the fleet will also depart. Neither Spain nor France, however, approve of these preliminaries. The Maniteur denies that the Emperor has demanded the recall of General Prim, but admits that he has disapproved the convention,una superseded Admiral de la Graviere, who signed it. He is replaced by M. de Salim. It is understood, both in Paris and Madrid, that the Emperor insists on entering the capital, and that if England with- draws, a new convention will be signed between France and Spain. General Lorencez, appointed to the command of the French expedi- tion, reached Vera Cruz on the 5th March, and materiel is still being sent forward from Toulon. There are reports of great sickness in the camp at Vera Cruz.
AMERICA.—We have news from America to 2.-2nd March. Gen. McClellan is still close to Washington, having, it is currently reported omitted to take his artillery with him. A very large section of his force, 40,000 men, is being embarked on the Potomac, it is believed for an expedition to Texas. Gen. Burnside had, however, gained an important victory at Newberne, in North Carolina, carrying a long line of earthworks defended by eight regiments of infantry, 500 cavalry and eighteen guns, and capturing the town. He reports the seizure of 46 heavy guns, 18 light guns, two steamers, a number of sailing vessels, a camp equipage, a large quantity of stores, and two hundred prisoners. The .Federal loss was 91 killed, and 466 wounded, many severely. The victory at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in which Gen. Curtis completely defeated Gen. Price, after a battle in which the FederaLs lost 1,100 men, is confirmed. The Confederates in Virginia have fallen baek -behind the Rappahannock, where they are throwing up earthworks, and intend, it is believed, to make a final stand. The point of interest, however, for the momentis Island No. 10, an island in the Mississippi, where the Confederates have erected strong fortifications, which are supposed to contain nearly 90,000 men. They were attacked on March 15th by a fleet of gun- boats, and shelling continued up to the night of the 16th without mach effect. The heavy mortars employed are, however, reported most efficient, and as the enemy cannot reply effectually, the attack must ultimately succeed. The possession of this island is indis- pensable to facilitate the descent of the Mississippi. Fort Marion in Florida has surrendered to Commodore Dupont's squadron.
Nothing further has been accomplished by the Ironsides, the Monitor waiting for the Merrimac to come out.. Considerable alarm is still felt in New York as to the chance of the Confederate vessel beating her rival, and suggestions are offered for a subscription amougthe merchants to be employed in constructing a fleet of small Monitors, which Captain Ericsson believes he could have ready in forty days. Captain Ericsson in a public letter declares that he will soon be able to say to the allied fleet in the Gulf of Mexico, depart or perish. Congress has ordered twenty Monitors to be constructed immediately, and one is nearly ready. On the other hand, it is re- ported on slight evidence that the Confederates have nine iron vessels nearly ready. They are known to have one at New Orleans, and one at Mobile, but these are said to be failures..
Nothing of political interest has been reported during the week, but the opposition to the Tax Bill in the House of Representatives has failed. It was proposed to abolish some of the minor tares, and increase the excise upon beer, spirits and tobacco, but the motion was defeated. It will be renewed in the Senate, where Mr. Chase's own 'bill will be diussed. The Secretary to the Treasury proposes, it is said, to tax but few articles, but tax them heavily. The House has been principally occupied with an enquiry into the way in which the Censor of the Press has fulfilled his duties, and the report of the committee is unfavourable. The Censor, of course, devoted himself to suppressing all criticism upon tire acts of any member of the Executive.
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