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    June 2 , 1860 . J The Leader arid Saturday Analyst . 527

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    this last greeting of farewell ; and while the train remains in sight , I can see the king bowing kindly to the crowd . 011 either side . Even while I write the pomp and pageantry of the Royal progress is at end , and the stern work of war has begun again in Sicily may the pageant be an omen of the future ! Never , I think , in the world ' s history was the promised land entered with more of promise .

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    Hanover , May 29 th , I 860 , The great event of the week has been the prorogation of the Prussian Parliament by the Prince Regent in person , on which occasion his Highness read the following address : — <¦ " The debates of this session are now terminated . With regard to the questions which occupy the attention of the Cabinets of Europe , my Government is employing its' most earnest efforts to effect such a solution as the balance of power demands . The principles which guide my Government in its relations with the Germanic Confederation , and in the important affairs submitted to the Federal Diet , have been declared to you during the course of the present session . My Government will adhere faithfully to those principles , and will continue to view in the acknowledged rights of others the

    safeguard of its own right . In spite of the differences of opinion which exist relative to weighty questions , the sentiments of all the Governments , and of all the people of Germany , are in accord with mine and the Prussian nation ; those sentiments which I give utterance to with the highest satisfaction are to maintain an unwavering loyalty to our common country , and the firm conviction that the independence of the nation and the integrity of its territory are considerations before which all internal dissensions sink into insignificance . Several laws relating to agriculture , commerce , and handicrafts have obtained your constitutional approval . These laws will produce results beneficial to the nation . The transfer of landed property has in some respects been facilitated , the postal duties have been reduced in favour of trade , mining " operations have been freed from all restrictions not absolutely required in public interest . __ ___ _ ,...., , and the at

    obstruct ! veness with so good a grace , apparently , that doubts are excited as to the sincerity of his liberal views , while the people have endured the opposition for fear of endangering the stability of their newly acquired and very fragile parliamentary institutions . Whether the Regent is playing a part or not , the conduct of the liberal party , I think , will meet the approbation of all lovers of rcivil liberty in and out of Germany . They have found , at last , a place where the voice of all Germany can find utterance and make itself heard , and they are resolved to keep it in spite of all princes and feudalists . The fear of France , and the consequences of internal dissension at this

    juncture , have tied the tongues of the liberals this session , but should Europe be relieved by next session from the pressure exercised by Louis Napoleon , the feudalists of Prussia will hardly dare to present so bold a front . Although the Regent has shown himself very passive—which , by the way , maybe owing to his not being King—and the Chambers have done nothing actively to further the popular desires , yet the great general questions of German Unity , Schleswig-Holstein , Federal Reform , and the Hessian Constitution , have found clever and ardent elucidators and promoters during the session , and the Prussian Parliament has thereby established itself

    as the Parliament of all Germany . The journals have been much occupied during the week upon the subject of a letter said to have been written by the Prince Regent to Prince Albert , the contents of which have come to the knowledge of the French Government , through the indiscretion of parties in London . The Dusseldorfer Journal gives the following account of the matter , derived , as it declares , from a source deserving the most implicit faith : — " Towards the latter part of last month , the French Ambassador at Berlin , Prince De 11 Tour d'Auvergne , called upon the Minister for Foreign Affairs , M . von Schleinitz , and after some diplomatic common-places , spoke of the high value which the Emperor Napoleon set upon the friendship of Prussia . he sted

    Merely to prevent any change in these sentiments , reque M . von Schleinitz to afford him some information with regard to the authenticity of a letter , a copy of which he held in his hand . This was a letter asserted to have been written by the PrInce Regent of Prussia to Prince Albert . It was chiefly upon family affairs , but contained also some remarks upon the politics of the day , with certain comments upon _ ie conduct , &c . of the Emperor Napoleon III . M . von Schleinitz said , in- answer , he could impart no information whatever oil the subject , because he was riot admitted into the family confidences of those royal personages . De la TouR ^ rejoihed th at , nevertheless he was obliged to insist upon an explanation . His Emperor was sincerely attached to Prussia ,

    and had- believed that the feeling was reciprocated by the Regent , but the assurances of Prussia and the sentiments expressed in this letter were totally at variance . To this , M , von Schleinitz replied , that he was the Minister of a Constitutional State , in which Ministers were responsible for ' all political transactions , and all correspondence with foreign Governments , and if information were sought upon any such official transaction or letter , he would not hesitate to afford it , unless forbidden by State reasons . It was , however , very different with the private correspondence of the Prince Regent y the Minister of a Constitutional State did not possess the power ot controlling the private communications made by the Prince to Ins

    ¦ nroyal-relativetnrT ^ official character orvalue . TheFrench Ambassador quickly rejoined , that the reasons advanced for non-compliance with his request were rather of a formal nature , and could not be put in the balance against the friendship of France . As the contents of the letter were so diametrically opposed to official assurances , it would be an easy matter for ' M . von Schleinitz to prove that the letter was a forgery . M . von Schleinitz responded that the gist of the matter was , not whether the letter was a forgery or a fact—upon this he could offer no opinion , because , as he ha d already stated , he was not in the family confidences of his Royal Highness—but whether ha . as minister , possessed the power to examine tho letters

    which tho Prince interchanged with his royal relatives ; he was very certain he had no such power , and could only , therefore , decidedly refuse to take any steps in the matter . For the rest , Prussia highly valued a good understanding with France , and had , indeed , acted in no way to induce tho Emperor to doubt the sincerity of tho sentiments expressed by the Government . The French Ambassador hereupon said , that as M . von Schleinitz so positively declined giving him tho information desired , ho had no other resource but to demand instructions from the Cabinet of the Tuileries . Tho subject has sinco been continued , and 1 rjnee de la Tour d'Auverone has hinted that if M . von Schleinitx persists in his refusal there yet remains a way open to remove all mgiiuow

    doubts , to wit , a personal greeting between nu iwyui and the Emperor Napoleon . Doubts have been cast upon this account , but it has not been officially contradicted . Indeed it would bo surprising if a Prussian journal were to venture upon publishing a false account of this nature . Tho Prusaum press is ^ Oib ^^ concession to the Hungarian Protestants . By an Imperial note , dated May 15 th , the Imperial patent of September 1 st a trans ation of which appeared at tl . e time in your columns , ^ ' ^ yjJjS annulled , n id a general pardon has beon granted to all persons charged with resistance to ^ the Patent . Tho Austrian journals are peSted to state that a second Imperial note w 11 shortly , appear KShiih tho Hungarian language' will be re-mtroduced as the auei

    med urn of instruction at the University of Pestli , ana n . u . « j Hh rd note may be expected , by which the . H'W'r . J " 'J' ^ J " ^ summoned to moot . The motives of tins grout concession and these

    * ' The construction of the Rhine-Nahe Railway bridge Coblentz have been assured by your votes . You have likewise approved of several financial measures . The essential points in thelaws relating to marriage settlements in the province of Westphalia have also been adopted . The two GhamberaJiave approved the law prescribing the electoral circles for the Chamber of Representatives ; the constitutional liberty of the press has been guaranteed afresh by tjhe law of the 21 st April ; the bill relating- to the organization of the provincial circles not having been framed in-time , this important measure will be presented next session . The reform so urgently demanded of the marriage laws has again been deferred , and thereby the ardent wish which I expressed at the commencement of the session has not been fulfilled . 1 still entertain the hope that the views upon this important subject will undergo a change , and that the conviction of the necessity of this reform will lead to its adoption next session . and tlie introduction

    The bills upon the regulation of the land-tax , of a ¦ general house tax , have unfortunately not obtained the constitutional approval of the two Chambers . My " Government will stSSd ^ fastly keep in view the object sought to be attained by _ the four bills in question , and next session measures to this end will again be hud before you . After a careful examination of the budget for 1860 , you have placed at the disposal of my Government the means necessary for the public service . To my profound regret , the resolution adopted with regard to the law upon general military service has prevented the passing of the most important of all the measures brought forward . The wide range of this question , the difficulty of arriving at an unprejudiced appreciation of it , have procrastinated the state of

    the debates upon it to a degree which , considering affairs in general , might not have been without danger , bad you not granted my Government the means of augmenting the forces of the country . I thank you for the unanimity with which you have voted this supply . It affords me a guarantee that the necessity of a reform of the army will in time be duly appreciated , and that this question , for the present deferred , will ht length obtain that solution demanded by the common weal . Although it may be indispensable to retain the additional taxes which have been imposed , I am glad to be enabled to state that the disbursements which these additional taxes were intended to cover , will be meb by the surplus of the income of 1859 . Much as the results of . this legislative period leave

    to bo desired , I nevertheless perceivo that I may rely _ upon the patriotic spirit of the nation , and upon the confidence which exists between Sovereign and people . Upheld by this unanimous confidence , by tho loyalty of the people , by the increase of tho army , Prussia may , with the blessing of God , calmly wait for tho coming © rents . " With this prorogation an epoch in the parliamentary government of Prussia is completed j for though this session may bo termed a very barren one as far as the internal improvement of Prussia itself is concerned , it has been on example , and great enconragement to the liberals , or Constitutionalists , of the rest of Germany . It has proved that nothing is wanting in the people themselves to prevent the fullest success to representative , Or self-government , as opposed to despotic , or police government . T , he poor results to Prussia itself from tho session just closed were entirely attributable to the

    obstructive opposition of the Upper Chamber , or the represent , atives of the feudal proprietors . The feudalists have resolutely opposed both prince and people in every measure that tended in any way towards liberal proirro 6 » . Tho Prinoo has token their audacious

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), June 2, 1860, page 527, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2350/page/19/