The Week.

bardy accepting their wishes for a union of the two kingdoms , and at the same time praising the disinterestedness of the Emperor of France . The Patrie , however , states that Victor Emmanuel has positively refused the offered dictatorship of the Roman States ; assigning as his reason that the Pope had not , like the sovereigns of Parma , Modena , and Tuscany , abdicated his temporal authority . Some accounts say that even at Milan the annexation to Piedmont is not popular . M . Paoli , chief of the secret police , has left Paris for Milan on a secret mission ,

" to ascertain what are the real wishes of the Milanese as to their future government . " A large number of promotions have taken place in the Prussian army . In addressing the new generals just appointed by him , the Prince Regent expressed a hope that they would serve him successfully and victoriously ou an occasion perhaps not far distant . From Paris we learn that the attitude of Prussia and tho Germanic Confederation continues to excite much uneasiness there . It is , however , stated that Count Pom-tales , who has just returned from Berlin to Paris , is the bearer of

a jiroposal from Prussia for a termination of the war . A telegram from Vienna of Saturday states that Count Rechberg had started for Verona , and it was stated thatM . AVerther , the Prussian Ambassador , was to leave for the same place . It is conjectured that their journey is with a view to a mediation . It is rumoured that Baron Hess is to be commander of the Austrian army , General Benedek his adlatus , and General Ramming his quartermaster-general , but the only reliable news received from Verona is that Hess , as commander-in-chief , is

now engaged in reorganising that part of the second army which was opposed to the allies on the 1 th and 5 th . The official Wiener Zcitnng contains the following : — " The Emperor Francis Joseph will forthwith assume the immediate command-in-chief , and has ordered a new position for tho army , which will be taken up iu the best manner possible . " The Austrian empire , as anticipated , is alread y driven to extraordinary measures of financial expediency . The interest of the national loan will not any longer be paid in cash , but at the option of the holder , either in bank-notes , on which he will receive a premium of twenty-five per cent ., or in exchequer bonds , redeemable five years after tho coupon of the loan for which

they are paid has become due , with compound interest , amounting altogether to twenty-eight per cent , for this period . The coupons will , however , continue to be received in payment of taxes . This simply means that the government will give one paper for the other , which it is at present unable to redeem . This is virtual bankruptcy , as far as concerns the relations of the Austrian government to one part of its creditors , who , being subjects of the empire , will for the present have to look on the capital they have invested in the loan as a sacrifice demanded from

thenpatriotism . A recent letter from Naples contains the following : — " If my information is correct , an amnesty is already prepared , not signed , which will liberate one hundred and eighteen political prisoners . There will be an abolition of the aitendibili , who amount to , perhaps , sixty thousand in the kingdom , and are liable to be arrested at any hour by order of the police . The exiled will be permitted also to return on their demand . Such is the report of what is likely to be published this evening or Monday , and which comes to me from a good source . Other in the

changes ministry are expected , and the king seems to be yielding to the influence of Filangieri . " Nevertheless arrests continue for political offences . By the overland mail we have dates from Bombay to the 23 rd May . The chief point of interest is the discontent of the East India Company ' s troops at bem ° - transferred , without re-enlistment , to the Queen ' s service . The feeling of disaffection had greatly extended , but Lord Clyde had issued a general order on the subject , which was considered in every respect a judicious measure , and it was hoped will lead to settlement of the

a satisfactory question . The insurgents in ifu » gur Parkur had been dispersed by the force sent against them . The pressure on ° the money market was gradually relaxing . AA illiam Moore , against whom a verdict of murder was returned , at the inquest on the body of his wife , a short time ago in AValworth , was captured at Notting-hill on Saturday . The reputed murderer absconded at the time , and a reward of £ 100 was offered for his apprehension . Fifteen months ago , the entire British fleet comprised but twenty-five screw steam ships fit to take a place in a line of battle , while there were but three more , making twenty-eight in all , which were so far advanced as to be ready for their engines ,