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taken is the sincere expression of the sentiments of my heart. Fidelity to the institutions which we have the privilege to possess ensures to us tranquillity for the present, and promises us happiness for the future. May Almighty God make the reign which is commencing merit the blessing of Heaven and the national sympathies. I depend much upon the enlightened co-operation of the

representatives of the nation in promoting the public interests and in facilitating the execution of the mission which has been confided to me. The gratitude of the Portuguese people, a. worthy object of the highest ambition, will be the just reward of such a noble solicitude."

The President of the Cortes then proclaimed Dom Luis I., King of Portugal.

CHAPTER X.

PRUSSIA. Opening of the Session of the Prussian Chambers-Royal Speech-Question of the Constitution of Hesse Cassel-Dissolution of the Chambers-Change of Ministry-The Military Budget-Meeting of the New Chambers-Speech of the President of the Council of Ministers-Reply of the King to an Address from the Chamber of Deputies-Change in the Cabinet-Adverse Vote of the Chamber on the Military Budget-Collisions between the Two Houses-Dissolution of the Chambers-Royal Message-Answer of the King to an Address from the Provinces.

MEXICO.-Proclamation of Commissioners of the Allied Powers—The British and Spanish Governments refuse to co-operate with France in the Expedition against Mexico-Earl Russell's Despatch on the Subject-Proclamation of the French Commissioners-Failure of the French to take Puebla-Reinforcements sent from France-Letter from the French Emperor to General Lorencez.

HE Session of the Prussian Chambers was opened in the middle of January by the King, who delivered a long speech, in which he said :—

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Illustrious, noble, and dear Gentlemen of the Two Chambers of the Diet,-Your labours commence at a serious period. The decrees of God having placed upon my head the crown, with its duties and its rights, I have consecrated my royal right in a holy place. The participation of my people in that festival has proved that its love and fidelity, which constituted the pride and the strength of my predecessors, have been transmitted to me with the crown. Such manifestation could only strengthen my intention of fulfilling my royal duties, in the spirit of my ancestors, for the happiness and

greatness of Prussia. Prussia has, with me, thanked the Almighty when His hand deigned to turn aside the crime which threatened my life. To-day you deplore with me an irreparable loss which Providence has inflicted upon a great and friendly kingdom, united to mine by the dearest bonds of relationship. The condition of the country generally is satisfactory. Agriculture, industry, and commerce display a progressive activity, although, to my great regret, certain hands suffer from a disturbance of the usual relations abroad. . . . . . . The finances of the State are in a satisfactory condition. The increase in various receipts leads to the hope that a portion of the extraordinary credits for the organization of the army for the last

year will be covered by the surplus. The Budget for the present year, conscientiously drawn up, presents a new surplus of receipts. We are thus furnished with the means for providing for new outlays admitted as necessary, and to reduce the excess of expenses necessitated by the reform of the army. Insomuch as this excess remains necessarily distinct from additional taxes which cannot be dispensed with until the regular property-tax has been levied, the means to cover it will be found in the still untouched remnant of 1860. Thus, to all appearance, there will not be any reduction this year in the public treasury, any more than there was in the two preceding ones. The most strict economy has been observed in regulating the army estimates. To go beyond this would be to compromise its perfection, consequently the safety of the country. Carrying out the reorganization, my Government will submit to you a project relative to some modifications of the law of the 3rd of September, 1814, concerning the obligation of military service..... My interview in the course of last autumn with the Emperor of the French has only served to strengthen the friendly relations which actually exist between the two States. The negotiations for a treaty to settle the commercial relations between the Zollverein and France are still pending. My serious and incessant efforts to effect a proper revision of the military constitution of the Germanic Confederation have not, as yet, to my great regret, been attended with any satisfactory results. Meantime my Government is endeavouring to open

the way, by separate conventions with individual States, to a greater uniformity in the military institutions. . . . . . . The want of a general reform of the Federal Constitution has recently been admitted in an expressive manner by various German Governments. Faithful to the national traditions of Prussia, my Government will incessantly work in favour of reforms, which, responding to the real situation, will more energetically concentrate the strength of the Germanic people and put Prussia in a position to favour in a more efficacious manner the interests of the common country. To my sincere regret, the difference relative to the Constitution in the Electorate of Hesse has not yet been settled; nevertheless, even in presence of recent events, I entertain the hope that the final result will not be out of keeping with the efforts of my Government, always directed towards the re-establishment of the constitution of 1831, with the modification of articles contrary to the federal laws. My Government and that of the Emperor of Austria have entered into confidential negotiations with the Danish Government on its desire to obtain a provisional basis of agreement between the Germanic Confederation and Denmark on the question of the Duchies. We here uphold firmly the federal rights and international treaties, and it is a lively satisfaction for me to see the best feeling existing on this subject, not only between me and the Emperor of Austria, but also between us and other German Confederates."

A long and vehement discussion took place in the Chamber of Deputies on the question of

the affairs of Hesse Cassel. The object of the Liberal party was to induce the Prussian Government to interfere and force the Elector of Hesse to re-establish the Constitution which had been granted to that kingdom in 1831, but had been suppressed by the armed intervention of Austria in 1852.

On the 15th of February the Prussian Government, in conjunction with other States of the German Confederation, forwarded to Vienna a note, in which it said :

"Should the views, on a reform of the Federal Constitution, hinted at in the latter part of the Austrian note, in favour of the establishment of a constitution for the whole Confederacy, with an efficient executive power at its head, and aiming at a political consolidation of a wider extent, comprising non-German territories, as already stated in the Austrian note of the 8th November, be realized, the Prussian Government would be compelled to see in such realization a far greater peril to the continuance of the Confederacy than in the reforms indicated in the Prussian despatch of the 20th December." A Resolution, binding the Government to interfere, was carried in the Chamber of Deputies, by a majority of 241 to 58.

On the 11th of March the Chambers were dissolved. The reason of this was, that the Ministry and the Lower Chamber were at variance, and the King, thinking that the Chamber of Deputies did not represent the wishes of the nation, resolved to appeal to the constituencies. The cause of quarrel was this. The Chambers, being strongly op

posed to any increase of the army, and wishing, in fact, to reduce its numbers, demanded that the Ministry should submit the Budget for consideration, item by item, but the Ministry refused, alleging that the state of Europe rendered the measure inexpedient. A Resolution was, therefore, carried by a majority of 171 to 143, embodying the wish of the Chamber, and the Ministry resigned. The King, however, instead of accepting their resignation, dissolved the Chambers; and a general election followed soon afterwards.

But, in the meantime, the Cabinet fell to pieces from internal discord. The Liberal members of the Ministry, M.M. Schwerin, Von Auerswald, and Bermuth, resigned, and a new Ministry was formed, with Prince Hohenloe as President, Count Bernstorff Minister of Foreign Affairs, and M. Von der Heydt Minister of Finance. On the 20th of March, the King issued a proclamation, countersigned by the new Ministry, in which he said :

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It is my duty and my earnest wish to insure the complete effectiveness of the Constitution to which I have taken an oath, and of the representative rights. of the country, but also in the same measure to maintain the rights of the Crown, and to maintain them in that undiminished strength which is necessary to Prussia for the execution of her mission. The weakening of the Crown would be greatly injurious to the Fatherland. This conviction also lives in the hearts of my subjects. It is only necessary for me to explain clearly and

openly to them my real thoughts for their welfare. As regards my foreign policy, especially towards Germany, I maintain without any change the policy which I have followed up to the present time."

While the elections were going on, another royal proclamation appeared, in which the King said:

"In so far as concerns reductions in the military budget, I willingly consent, in conformity with my previous declarations, to sanction at the present moment any savings which may be provisionally effected. I must, how ever, most positively repeat my former declarations, that in the department of the military administration such reductions must be avoided as would endanger those principles the maintenance of which is necessary for the strength and effectiveness of the army, and consequently for the safety and independence of the State."

In the beginning of April, a confidential letter from M. von der Heydt to the Minister of War, General von Roon, found its way into print, and showed how anxious the Ministry were to deprive, if possible, the Opposition of their chief cheval de bataille by reducing the expenses of the army. In it he said:

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"It is of the highest importance to the Government that the elections for the new Chamber of Deputies should have a favourable result, so that it may be able to count upon a majority of the Assembly. With this object it will endeavour to keep away from the Chamber all elements hostile to the Government, according to the recent experience

of the past. It will not have escaped your Excellency's observation that two objects especially

the increase of the army estimates and the project to continue to levy the 25 per cent. additional on the income, class, meal, and slaughter taxes-were made use of at the last elections by the self-styled Progressist party as a means of agitation against the Government throughout the country, so as to gain over public opinion, and to cause the choice of the electors to fall upon members of their party. The composition of the Chamber recently dissolved has proved how successful they were. At the present moment those questions are still turned to account to influence the elections; and there is reason to fear that if suitable measures are not taken the result will be the same; the organs of the self-styled Liberal party declare that the latter party can only give its assent to the army estimates under certain conditions, and that it must pronounce against increased taxation. . . These considerations convince me that to push the elections in a Government sense we must renounce, from the 1st of July, the levy of additional taxes, and make positive promises on the subject before the time fixed for the elections. It is true that it is giving up a net receipt of 3,700,000 thalers. Although I hope it may be possible to find the means to cover a portion of that loss by an increase of the other resources of the State, it will always be very small_as compared with that sum. The greater part of the latter can only be economized by a diminution of expenses in the War

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