The Sun. — London, England, 1848-12-09 00:00:00

THE NEW NOVELS Now Ready at all the Libraries, MKS. GORE'S NEW 'NOVEL, " THE DIAMOND AND THE PEARL." 3 vols. 3XBS. TROLLOPE'S NEW NOVEL, " THE YOUNG COUN TESS." $ vols. M. A SECOND m EDITION OF " THE DISCLI TLDTE OF LIFE. " 3 ya. A. SECOND EDITION OF " MIL IT DRED VERNON." 3 vols. Henry Colburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street. PRICE HALF-A-CROWN EACH, B Now r ENTLEY'S C ABINET LIBRARY. vol. I. The CLOCK3IAKER. Ist series. Vol. IL The CLOCKMAKER. 2d Series. ToL The CLOCKMAKBR. 3d Series. Vol. IV. CHINESE LEGENDS. By G. H. Sealy. Vol. V. MAIVirELL'S CZAR ; his COURT andPEOPLE. Each Volume is complete in itself. Richard Bentley, New Burlington-street. 118 EDINBURGH REVIEW, No. CoLXXIX., will be published at Christmas. ADVERTISEMENTS for insertion are requested to be forwarded to the Publishers before Thursday, the 21st ; and BILLS by Satur day, the 23d instant. London: Longman and Co., Paternoster-row. THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. Mr. B. Webster, Sole Lessee and Manager, Old Brompton. The publio is respectfhlly informed that this Theatre has, during the recess, undergone very extensive repairs and alterations and the wkole re-decorated. THIS EVENING, Wil be performed the Tragedy of THE GAMESTER. Beverley, Mr. Charles Kean ; Mrs. Beverley, Mrs. Charles Kean. To conclude with THE WONDER. Don Felix, Mr. C. Kean Donna Violante, Mrs. C. Kean. THEATRE ROYAL, ADELPIII. Under the direction of Madame Celeste. During the Recess this Theatre has been entirely re-decorated, the •riginal designs by Digby Wyatt, Esq., executed by Mr. Sang. A sew Stage, Curtain, Act Drop, and Chandelier. An approved sys tem of Ventilation, &c., &c. The Private Boxes enlarged, Backs added to the Seats, and Stalls rendered more comfortable. THIS Will be performed ST. MARY'SEVE. A Story of the Solway. Tom Bagga, Mr. Wright ; Madeline, Madame Celeste. To be followed by THE ENCHANTED ISLE. Aionzo, Mr. Paul Bedford ; Prospero, Mr. O. Smith ; Ariel, Madame Celeste. After which a new Farce called SLASHER AND CRASHER. Mr. Slather, Mr. Wright ; Mr. Crasher, Mr. Paul Be dford . To conclude with JOHN JONES. Guy Goodluck, Mr. Lambed ; Mina Melton, Miss E. Chaplin. ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE. Under the Management of Madame Vest's. Sole Lessee. S EVEN IN Mr. Charles Mat °z s. THIG. Will be performed A PECULIAR POSITION. After which USED UP. To be followed by an APPEAL TO THE r 1713LTC. T. conclude with MY FATHER DID SO BEFORE ME, in which r. John Reeve will appear. Dress Boxes, 55.; Upper Boxes, Is ; Pit, 2t.; Gallery, Is. No half-price to any part of the house. The New Box-office, No. 2, Wellington, Ore 1, is open to the pubis every day, from Ten till Six. PRINCESS'S THEATLZ,E. Mr. J. M. Maddox, Sole Lessee and Manager. During the Recess this Theatre has been re-decorated and embel lished in a superb and costly manner by Mr. Hurwitz. A new Chan delier has been fitted, and the best arrangements hare been raade for the due Ventilation of the Theatre, and the coullort and cenvedience of tke audience. THIS ENING, Will be perform e d a new lilaßad VE Opera, entitled ROBIN GOOD ruLow. To be followed by a New DIVERTISSEMENT. To conclude with the comic Opera of LOVE 1.2 f A TILLAGE. Hawthorn, Mr. Charles Braham ; Young Meadows, Mr. Allen ; Hodge, Mr. Oxberry ; Madge, Miss Emma Stanley; Rosetta, Miss Julia Harland. ST. JAMES'S THEATRE. DIIMBOLTON'S SERENADERS. This celebrated Troupe, whose performances hare excited aniver- Cal admiration throughout the United States, will repeat a short Series of their popular ETHIOPIAN ENTERTAINMENT at the above Theatre THIS EVENING, December 9, and on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, during the ensuing week. The Programme will include a 'rariety of original Songs, Glees, ic.,entirely new to this country, written and composed expressly for his company. Doors open at Eight, the Entertainments to commence at Half past Eight Bones, 43. ' - Pit, 2s. Boxes and Stalls at Mr. Mitchell's Royal Li brary, 33, Old Bond-street ; and at the Box-office of the Theatre. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Flo communication can be attended to unless autheati. cated by the name and address of the writer. Rejected communications cannot be returned. THE WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, DECEMBER 9. THERMOMETER, Lowest, 48; Highest, 56; Noon, 55, BAROMETER, 30.24. WIND S.W.; fine sunshiny weather. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE THIS DAY. Morning .. 14 min after 12 1 Evening .. 38 min. after 12 u brinlin i' Situ. LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1843, Democracy on the Continent has recently learnt by experience that SHAKSPERE was right, in more senses than one, when he declared that misfortunes come in battalions. RADETZICT has illustrated the truth to Milan, WRANGEL to Berlin, and WINDISCH GRATZ to Vienna. Before long JELLACRICR may administer the same instruction to Pesth, unless the heroic followers of KOSSUTH vindicate the character of the Hungarians. Precisely at this junc. ture, when the retrograde party is rejoic ing in the recollection of its late successes, when the ambition of the German revolutionists affords an evidence of its abatement, when the noisiest amongst the boisterous legislators at Frank fort-on-the-Maine are beginning to nod over the deliberations of the Imperial Parliament, two occur rences startle the agitators of the German population into a renewal of their efforts for the furtherance and development of the Democratic movement. Those two occurrences are big with the destinies of Chris tendom. They eclipse all others, for the time being, by their magnitude. They are a fitting consumma tion of this year of political miracles. They concen trate upon themselves the attention of the Euro peans —an attention which had until now been distributed in so many opposite directions. Pope Pius IX. is forgotten for the moment in his banishment at Gaeta, and the multitude regard with a somewhat diminished interest the conflicting ru mours afloat as to the place of the venerable PONTIFF'S destination —according to the Times, Malta; accord ing to the Herald, Barcelona; according to the Chronicle, Benevento. The brilliant exploits of CABRERA in Catalonia, the Court jealousies of CABRAL and SALDANHA, the anticipated dismissal of NAn 'TAU through the intrigues of the Duchess DE RIANZARES, the skirmishes already taking place in the French departments between the ultra-Democrats and the Bonapartists, the conspiracies of MAzzlici amongst the lakes of Lombardy, and of CANINO amidst the desecrated palaces of Rome, the Croatian forays of TELLACHICH, the preliminary measures adopted by ABBAs PACHA to form a new Egyptian Government—all sink into momentary oblivion and comparative insignificance when contrasted with the two extraordinary events to which we are now making allusion. So momentous, indeed, is the Character of these occurrences, that the imagina tion has not leisure to revert eastwards to Asia, where the Seikhs and English are collecting their Opposing forces among the brick-kilns of Moultan and tinder the battlements of Lahore, or westwards to A merica, where th e Whi gs an d the Locofocos are P re paring to meet the difficulties consequent u pon the recent ele c ti on of a President. Nothing is of com parable i n attraction s .the world of p o liti cs w ith t h e facts which h ave palatial seclu s i on of si multaneously transpired in th e former, FREDERIC W IL ouct and, Olmutz. In th e IV has dissolved hi s P arliament King of Prus s i a , , d has proclaimed a new Constitution! I n the latt an er f s.rm 1., th e Emperor of Austria, has abdie ft nephew, the Archduke FRANCIS Joms-rnavltir of his of the latter, the Archduke FRANCIS CnAna.ms,4 f4 ,,, t7 : waived, in favour of his son, his own right to the b: reditary succession ! Of the arbitrary proceeding, ; of the Prussian Charlatan we shall speak on a sube e .. quent occasion. At present our allusions must be re stricted to the wonderful changes effected in the po sition of Austria. The new Emperor FRANCIS JOSEPH the FIRST ascends the imperial throne of Ho- DOLPH'S when the year of his age is the eighteenth—a time of life which severally marked the commencement of the reigns of NERO and of HENRY VIII. May the destinies of the Austrian SOVEREIGN be the direct antithesis of those which have covered the names of NEB.() and of HENRY with everlasting infamy! May his counsels be directed by a wisdom 31 sage as that which emanated from the lips of SINECA and WoLsEy ! If the proofs which have already been given by the young Prince of valour, circumspection, and intelligence, may be regarded as the portents of his manhood, we may augur well for the progress of a reign which has opened at a period so peculiarly troublous and alarming. It is in solemn language that the first proclamation of the youthful EMPEROR closes. "It is an awful time," says he, " in which we ascend the throne of our fathers. Great are the duties of our office, great is its responsibility. May GOD protect us." Appreciating in this manner the solemnity of his position, it is to be hoped that FRANCIS JOSEPH the FIRST comprehends in like THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 9, 1848. manner the exigencies of the great age which wit nesses the coronation of his temples with the imperial diadem. If he recognises the necessities of the epoch, his administration may be long and prosperous. If otherwise, he himself will be doomed to misery and his countrybto destruction. As a soldier, the young EMPEROR fleshed his sword on the plains of Lom bardy, when fighting, during the late cam paign, under the banners of Marshal RADETZKY. As an administrator, he revealed no ordinary capacities (considering his inexperience) when acting a year since as Viceroy of Bohemia. A rising cap tain, an embryo statesman, a scholar ripe beyond his years, a linguist of surprising ability, a youth of precocious courage, a prince of propitious intellect— FRANCIS JOSEPH I. has ascended the throne at 011mutz as Constitutional Emperor of Austria. All his accomplishments, however, will prove of no ac count unless accompanied by a genius of suffici en t scope to comprehend the requirements of an age more marvellous in all respects than any that the world has yet witnessed. On Monday we directed the public attention to the alterations effected in the law of libel by the 6 and 7 Vic., c. 96, and the attempt so recently made by the Bishop of EXETER to defeat the wholesome provisions of that statute. It is a matter of the utmost importance that the law should be clearly understood, and that there should be no possibility of doubt as to the practical working of its enactments. The spirit and determi nation of Mr. THOMAS LATIMER, the respected editor of the Western Times, will in all human proba bility speedily settle one important question, viz., the liability of a defeated prosecutor to defray the costs incurred by a defendant in protecting himself from an unfounded charge. We cannot conceive on what grounds the legal advisers of the Bishop can hope to deprive the defendant of his costs in the present instance. The words of the statute are per fectly clear and explicit ; there is: no ambiguity of expression on which to hang a doubt. It is enacted that, "in the case of any indictment or information by a private prosecutor for the publication of any defamatory libel, if judgment shall be given for the defendant, he shall be entitled to recover from the prosecutor the costs incurred." It cannot surely be denied that this was an indictment by a private prosecutor for the publication of a defamatory libel. That judgment was given for the defendant (surely no additional evidence is necessary to con vince the Right Rev. Prelate of that great fact) what pretext then can be set up to defeat the ac quitted man of the costs to which he is not only legally, but justly mid equitably entitled ? And yet we find the attempt made on the last day of No vember, nearly eight months after the termination of the trial, and it was intimated that a further appeal would be made to the full Court for the order which Judge PATTESON so properly refused at chambers. Meanwhile further delays take place and additional costs are incurred. The honest verdict of the independent and impartial jury who tried the case, triumphantly acquitting the defendant, and finding the truth of the justification which he had placed upon the file, was returned in March last. A considerable portion of the costs had been previously incurred, and yet eight months subsequent to that verdict those costs are still unsatisfied, and the defendant is not only compelled to remain without his money, but he is threatened with further litigation before he can establish his rights. This is not the conduct we should have ex pected from a Christian Bishop. It savours strongly of a persecuting spirit, of a desire to crush a bold and manly opponent. Had the Right Rev. Prelate sub mitted with a good grace to the decisive defeat he had sustained, had he speedily satisfied the demand to which he thereby became liable, his conduct would appear in a better light, and some slight allowance might be made for the exasperated feelings that in duced him to institute his abortive proceedings ; but his tardy and impotent attempt to slefeat the wise intentions of the Legislature, show that he is still animated by the same spirit in which the charge was conceived, that he refuses to recognise the justice of the decision of twelve independent and high-minded gentlemen, sworn to return a true ver dict according to the evidence, that he still endea vours to injure and annoy a conscientious opponent, whose only fault was, that he told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Some estimate may be formed from the case above referred to of the risks and annoyances to which a public journalist is exposed in the exercise of is arduous duty. The benefits conferred upon society by a free press are now perfectly understood. It stands forth the fearless exposer of all abuses. It protects the weak and helpless against the aggres sions of the strong and powerful. Many a petty tyrant is kept in check by a wholesome dread of its withering denunciations. If these denunciations are uncalled for and unwarrant e d, th e y recoil with ten fold force upon the assailant ; but, if founded upon truth and justice, they enlist the public sympathy on behalf of the victim, and the oppressor trembles before the mighty organ, and perhaps refrains from further persecution. It is not alone in these respects that the public press exercises a salutary influence. In seasons of political excitement it acts as a safety-valve, through which the evil passions of the multitude escape. The unrestricted freedom of discussion that: prevails (the freedom of the press in its widest and most compre hensive meaning) has preserved our beloved country from the anarchy and confusion which has prevailed in other nations, where that blessing was practically unknown. It is, therefore, the duty of the public to reciprocate the advantages they receive, and to , protect journalists from any persecution they may un dergo in the discharge of their arduous vocation. Let it be borne in mind that it is not sufficient merely to plead the truth of the charges alleged to be libel lous. The truth will constitute no defence unless it ...... was for the public benefit that the matters should be published, and as we have already stated the particular fact or reason establishing the public benefit must be set forth. A person who has thus acted for the public benefit fearlessly and unflinchingly, who has braved all the serious consequences that might have resulted, should be saved harmless from every risk, and receive the tribute of public approbation. Mr. LATIMER has done this, and he should at least be protected from all pecuniary loss, and receive some fitting testimonial of public gratitude. THE FRENCH REPUBLIC. -- - We have received the Paris papers of yesterday. As the day fixed for the election of President of the Republic approaches , the Monarchical reaction dire*, from M. T RIERS down to M. EMILE DE Gut- ARDIN, become more and more audacious in their efforts to damage; the candidate of the " honest" Re public, General CAVAIGNAC. The withdrawal by M. DUFAURE of the proposition for conferring national recompenses on those who had fought or suffered for the Republican cause during the last reign afforded too favourable an opportunity to these wholesale dealers in calumny to be passed by, and accordingly, on Thursday, a grand attack was made on General Ca VAIGNAC by the combined forces of the reactionaires, and an attempt made to prove that he had been lending x ebruar himself to the proposition for granting pensions to the assassinst, and thieves who were the coadjutors of scrai, ALIDAUD, and LECOMTE. The history of ttheo naafftaioi affair is a i ls r t e h e is c :lmmediately after the revolution of monarchies for 37, the Provisional Government appointed a COrntnittee to consider the claims of those citizens p . cnses who had suffered under the Ms the presidentaot ciples. present a prisoner in Vincennes, Atutatheir adherence to republican prin. 7,000 appli cat i ons wer th at committ ee . U pwar d s of been disp ose d of, :Z e ade, 3,000 o f which have considered. After the was thus con- Gi3Eknixuselrzresentative), 12000 remain to be ALBERT was committed ath t (re r(representa of May, when els,eenbrtative), Committee of National Recom °e Vincennes, the stituted :—M. AUDRY DE PYRE honorary president ; Colonel of a t il li d e tive), president ; M. VIGNERTR FORTE (merchant, and wounded i rk P TRELAT (representative), LESSERRE February), wounded in February), and FENANY (officer Republican Guard), members. This Commission, after sitting for months, drew up a report which was given in to M. SENARD, and which was by him pre sented to the Assembly, and on which he founded the following projet de loi: " Art 1. National recompenses shall be granted to the citizens who have fought, or who have suffered for the Republican cause, under the two last Governments which have fallen. "Art. 2. The - Children of citizens having a right to national recompenses, but deceased before the promul gation of the present decree, are adopted by the country. The widows and descendants will be succoured or pen sioned by the Government of the Republic. "Art. 3, The national recompenses shall consist in annual pensions, in indemnities paid in the lump, and in honorary distinctions. That these pensions were to be considered in the light of honorary distinctions is evident, from the fact, that none of them exceed 251. a year, a sum which to such men as ARMAND MARRAST and JULES BASTIDE can be of no importance except as a mark of the approval of their countrymen, and that the Ministers knew nothing of the names of those in cluded in the list is evident, because MARRAST and BASTIDE, who are.both Ministers, and of whose sanity no one has ever expressed a doubt, could not knowingly have ever consented to the appearance of their names in juxta position with those of thieves and murderers. The fact is, the lists were lists of claimants for pensions drawn up by the committee, and handed in to the Assembly for their decision. The instant the Mi nistry discovered the nature of the recommendations the project of law was withdrawn. On its with drawal M. DE LAROCHEJACQUELIN thought proper, as we stated yesterday, to denounce the Ministers of the Republic both past and present in no measured terms. At the sitting of the Assembly on Thursday, M. Senard, ex-Minister of the Interior, was the first to ascend the tribune to explain the causes of his absence when a motion, in which he felt personally interested, had been mooted. Had he been present when M. Dela rochejacquelin spoke of the manner in which money des , tined for national recompenses had been diverted from its purpose, he would not have protested against the na tural movement of indignation that had seized the As sembly. He should declare, for bis part, that he knew nothing of the documents referred to, and he was sorry that some discussion had not taken place calculated to throw light on the subject. It could not be for the in terest of the past or present Government to lie under the suspicion of having contemplated the accordance of pen sions to robbers and murderers. He did not blame the remarks that had been made among individuals, or in the press, for they rose from a laudable feeling.—(Ex clamations on the left.) M. Senard then proceeded, at some length, to state the origin and composition of the committee that after the revolution had been formed, with the view of recompensing pure patriotic Republi cans who had been made victims under the monarchy. M. Guinard had nothing to add in the way of details to what had fallen from M. Senard relative to the la bours of the committee of national recompenses. Yet he could not agree in the opinion that had been ex pressed relative to the conduct of the citizen Albert, who had presided over that committee. He declared that he had been actuated by the noblest sentiments— that of recompensing the men who for 20 years had en deavoured to overturn a Government which, it was now acknowledged by all, had deserved its fate. It was now sought to be made believed that these had been mere assassins and murderers. Yet such was the object of such men as M. Thiers, for example, who had kept them his prisoners. At this apostrophe, addressed directly to M. Thiers, there was a burst of indignation on the right of the As sembly, mingled with cheers from the left; the whole rising into uproar of the most tremendous kind. M. Thiers rose amidst cries of " To the tribune," on which he ascended the tribune, and apologised for having interrupted the orator, which he would not have done had he not been personally addressed in a way so un usual, and so little in accordance with usage. He would now reply by saying that M. Guinard had not been his prisoner, but that of the law; and he would say, to all appearance justly.—(Loud cheers from the Right.) M. Guinard resumed—He had named M. Thiers, be cause, during the political struggles that had torn the country asunder, he had ever considered M. Thiers to be the enemy of their efforts. A Voice from the Left—He is so still. M. Guinard—As to documents, he would deny that there had been any proof of their authenticity. Ho called on the Minister of the Interior to say bow such documents could have issued from his office, without any marks to show their authenticity. Ho would propose that they be deposited in the archives, for general in spection.—(Cheers from the Left.) M. Dufaure should declare that the documents were perfectly authentic, and had b een s i gned by the secretary of the original committee and one of the members. Until yesterday he had been in complete ignorance of the character of these documents. They consisted of three classes. First, returns of those who bad been wounded in February; secondly, of those who had suf fered on account of th e i r op i n i on. But these documents contained no proposition from the committee appointed to report on the project of law for according national recompenses. They were only indications or minutes of names and circumstances submitted to the committee. The lists that had been given in the journals were correct copies, but bungling, as they did, the names of political prisoners with robbers and murderers, they should more properly be called returns from the registers of the prisons of Paris .—(Murmurs.) -Yes, such they ap peared to be; and hence it was that the names of honourable persons had been found in the same category with criminals. M. Vignerte wished to know how such lists had been given to the public. The object was to create a false impression, and to injure General Cavaignac.—(Much clamour.) He denounced the circumstance as a scanda lous manoeuvre of the reactionary party.—(Uproar.) General Cavaignac said he was quite sure that no Member of the Assembly could for a moment suppose that be or any member of the Government could have prepared, or caused to bo prepared, a list of persons en titled to national recompenses, composed partly of rob bers, and partly: of men of honourable character, —(Loud cries of assent.) Such attacks could not, how ever absurd, be passed over; and it was really with a feeling of strong emotion he had witnessed the manner in which the matter had been taken up. Most certainly he could never be a party to giving recompenses to any other than those who have served their country. He therefore repelled the charge, that the Government had brought the list of names that had been submitted to the Committee. If he deceived himself, and that there really was any Member present who believed the Government capable of such conduct, he would beg him to come for • ward and state so openly.--(Cheers.) M. Baroche, as president of the committee to which the bill had been submitted, would declare that no one could for a moment suppose that General Cavaignac or M. Dufaure had anything to do with the preparation of such lists, but still he could not agree that they had not been seriously prepared, and that with the view of pro posing recompenses to the persons who had been stig matised properly as the worst criminals. As to the publication of the lists he could not account for it. A sub-committee had had the lists in their hands, and they had passed under many eyes. General Cavaignac said the committee had acted, in regard to the lists, precisely as the Government would have done in their place. He had also to repeat, what he had before said—that the Government could have known nothing of the composition of those lists. M. de Larochejacquelin protested that in bringing the matter forward, he was influenced by no motive beyond that of expressing the indignation, so generally felt, at discovering that there had been a serious intention of according national recompenses to assassins and cri minals. M. James de Montray expressed his concurrence in the sentiments of M. Guinard, who had attacked the mi nisters of the monarchy. M. Fresnan said he )bought that copies of the lists had been taken by some members who had assisted at meet ings of the committee, but denied that the committee were parties to the publication. The Minister of the Interior--I have in my hand the lists communicated by the committee on national recom penses to the committee of the Assembly, and I feel bound to state how they are drawn up. At the back of the list there is written, " Vise le 25 Novembre —signed Rouen." At the end there is no signature. It has been stated that the lists mentioned the pension demanded by each person, but that is an error. These lists are, as I have before stated, divided into several columns, the last of which, for observation, is left blank. With regard to the lists, which were connected with the com batants of July, that is not the case; the column of decisions is filled up, but that list has nothing to do with the discussion, for, as you are aware, none of the documents published by the journals concern the com batants of February.—(Marks of surprise.) This is all I have to say on this point. I shall add nothing to it. It is an admitted fact that copies have been taken of the lists deposited in the hands of the committee, and I am convinced that those copies were made at the time that the cabinet of the committee was invaded by a number of the members of the Assembly. One journal has as serted that the copies were furnished to it by two mem bers of the committee, but that journal states a false hood .—(Marked indignation.) Ne member of the com mittee has given a copy to any one. As Ido not wish to exaggerate anything, but to explain facts as they have taken place, I will add that certain members of the Assembly have considered that they were at liberty to take copies and communicate them to the journals, and I am convinced that in so doing they never imagined the disgraceful abuse which would be made of them- Unless the room of the committee had been thus in. vaded, explanations would have been made. I do not seek to discover what is the interest which actuated the person who gave these lists to publicity; but as the idea that they might contain errors did not arrest him, it is to be supposed that his intention was to fling forth an accusation against the Government, by affirming that it knew all that the lists contained, and that it desired to recompense robbers and assassins. But that is not all; it seemed necessary to personify the Go vernment in order to give a direct telling blow; and so the men whose names are found on the lists have been called the pensioners of the Executive Power.--(Agita tion.) But from this discussion must proceed two truths —one, that there are principles of universal morality which survive all Governments, and which cannot be transgressed under pain of downfall—(Hear, hear)—and thus no Government can countenance or tolerate rob bery or assassination.—(Hear, hear.) A Government which could bring itself to so trample under foot all feeling of propriety and honour would be guilty of a crime. Tho other truth is this—that, to endeavour to discover in these documents, which have nothing decided the are W; 7 - nothing official in them, groun d s f orgrave accusations, is anothe r spec i es of crime. —(Agitation.) MinisterA t iate Ire well aware of the e i t motivesr Interior—l t of this oic—Yes,of h it is a politi ca l assass i nat i on ! to def ame the public men of one's country but we u c i o ld n o d u u b e t t e . d c r iisisa ly electoral struggle has been d An inter ruption.) commence .—(Loud A Voice—Yes, it is a ain t G g s eneral Cava.ignac Another Voice —It take away 90,000 votewsas calculated that each line would from . him. The Minister of the I strug gle, Say, is pendin Interior —A great electoral one ?—(Movena t g—why is it not a fair and honourable en ) There • down such disloyal is but one means of putting bation which you will conduct—it is the marked disappro country against such unnowworpFonounce in the face of the and long agitation.) nowthY manoeuvres.—(yes, yes, assent to what I say will be stop, convinced that your sufficient to fling back from the Government such false and calumnious accusations. —(Yes, yes, and loud assent.) The sitting remained suspended for ten minutes. 31 At last, with great difficulty, the President obtained silence, when all at once cries arose for " the cloture." The Chamber, on being consulted, decided that the discussion was closed. The President—M. Guinard has proposed that a committee of inquiry should be appointed to examine the documents and the registers of the committee of national recompenses. Is the proposition accepted?—(Cries of " Yes, yesl") Another proposition has been made by MM. De Montry, Degeorge, and Flocon, for an inquiry into the origin of the documents published by the jour nals.—(None.) A division is demanded. Do 20 mem bers support that demand?—(Loud noise.) M. Lacrosse said that what was proposed was already expressed in article 47 of the regulations, and proposed that the Assembly should pass to the pore and simple order of the day. The President —Does the Assembly insist on the pure and simple order of the day ?—(Cries of " Yes, yes.") M. Bass lcudly declared his adhesion to this course. The Minister of Public Works demanded that the Chamber should pass to the order of the day pure and simple. In a doubtful question he could understand such a course might be objected to, but in the present one, when the honour of the Government was concerned ho thought it ought to be adopted. The President—l demand whether lam to put to the vote the orders of the day motives which have been presented and whether I am to read them to the Assem bly.—(Cries of " No, no," " Divide, divide.") I shall consult the Assembly on the orders of the day motives. The Hon. President made several attempts to read them, but his voice was drowned in the tumult which prevailed. M. Heckeren said that by the regulations the Presi dent had no right to read the orders of the day motives. He should first propose the order of the day pure and simple. M. Taschereau denied that the regulations could be construed in that sense. The order of the day pure and simple, could not be demanded until after the orders of the day motives had been read. M. Dupin said that the order of the day pure and simple always had priority over orders of the day motives. The orders of the day pure and simple, was then put to the vote, and adopted almost unanimously. The proces verbal was then agreed to. M. Lagrange complained that his proposition relative to the transported insurgents, which had been inserted on the order of the day to follow the rectified budget, had been delayed. The President—The order of the day had been inter rupted. The Assembly had only exercised its right in so doing. The prods verbal will make mention of the observation of the Hon. Member. The Assembly rose in great agitation. Before the debate of Thursday, the following letter fr?rn General FABVIER, an old Bonapartist, to General CAVAIGNAC, was extensively circulated by the organs of the reactionary party:— " Sir,—lf you signed the project the decree published by the journals granting national recompense as the price of assassination, even though all France may raise you to the Presidency, I declare that I refuse obedience to any Government of which you may be the Chief. "FAIIVIER." Since that debate the reactionaries are crest fallen, their weapon has recoiled upon themselves. The Journal des Debats says : "There is one point which we are bound in justice to say has been completely cleared up by the discussion of yesterday—that the Government certainly had no know ledge of these lists. It was without its knowledge that they were made out. Its fault is in having trans mitted them to the Committee of the Chamber with out having read them. That fault is repaired as much as was in its powers by withdrawing the decree as soon as it was made aware of it, and its punishment will be that all these explanations may not, perhaps, exonerate it in the eyes of the country. P u bli c morality has been outraged; every honest man has felt the blow, and the feeling has been very deep. There was only one cry raised, when it was seen that the lists for national recompenses contained the names of the children of Pepin and the sister of Lecomte. But if we are compelled not to excuse the Government of the fault of negligence, we shall not carry party spirit so I far as to accuse it of a crime, and we must say that if there be any one in the world innocent of the list it is General Cavaignac. "Such is for us, who are impartial judges and disinter ested spectators, the general result of this discussion." The Moniteur du Soir gives the following official explanation of the affair : " This decree had for its object to grant rewards to the wounded of February, and,the citizens who had combatted or suffered for the Republican cause, and, finally, t o settle the account of the subscriptions collected for the wounded of February, and which exceeded 1,300,000 f. According to articles 4 and 5 of the draft of the decree, the rewards were to be awarded on the decisions of the Minister of the Interior. The committee of the National Assembly charged to examine the draft of the decree, demanded communication of all the papers. The Minis ter of the Interior, obeying the wish of the committee, applied for the papers, and gave them in. Th e inspec tion of thes e papers showed that by the side of real ser vices rendered to the cause of liberty, and which the Re publican Government is bound to reward, are odious and insensate indications, the existence of which could not have been suspected. The Govetnment has felt that, although there was nothing definitive in what had been done, there resulted, from the mere facts of the revelation, the necessity of abandoning the primitive project, and proceeding to a new consideration of the elements of the question. It has withdrawn the draft of the decree." The Moniteur also publishes the following : " The most false reports were circulated yesterday at the Bourse, and seem to have had some influence on the prices of the day. At first it was said that the Pope had refused to accept the hospitality offered him by the French Government. Nothing justifies such a rumour, for the Government has not, tip to this day, received any communications except those which it has laid be fore the National Assembly. Neither is there any truth in the asserted resignation of the Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard, and his being replaced by an other." A serious affray, in the course of which several lives were lost, has occu rre d at B or d eaux between the partisans of Louis BONAPARTE and those of LEDRU ROLLIN. The military were called out to disperse the combatants. A very serious conflict took place at St. Jean d'Angely between the National Guards of that town and those of St. Hilare, growing out of resistance to the payment of the additional 45 per cent. on the taxation. The funds rose 1 per cent. in Paris yesterday, owing, it is said, to the manoeuvres of the " Bulls." BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT TUE LONDON STO CK - EXCHANGE, DEC. 8. Luxembourg (10/.), 1 %--Paris and Lyons (10/. ), 41/4. SPAIN. Madrid journals of the 2d have arrived. The Prince D'AGLIINA is the Ministerial candidate for the Presidency of the Senate and SEIJAS Losarlo for that of the Chamber of Deputies. CABRERA and his Lieutenants are exceedingly active in Catalonia. On the night of the 24th his Lieutenant, Pozes, en tered Mataro, and carried off the director of the rail way and two other capitalists as hostages for the payment of the contribution which he demanded. He did this without the least opposition, though Mataro is a town of 13,000 inhabitants, only five leagues from Barcelona, to which it is united by a railway. The Tristanis paid a visit to San Andres, a suburb of Manresa, on the same evening, and carried off a regidor and several others of the principal inhabitants ; and a letter from Reus of the 27th states that 500 Carlists had been at Riudums, half a league off, two days before, and carried off the whole corporation, as pledges for three months' taxes which had not been paid. They mustered in force close to Reus the next day, and gave the inhabitants twenty-four hours to cash up the amount demanded from that town, under penalty of a rigorous blockade. MASGORET, BASQUETAS, and other chiefs, with 800 men, were at Castelloel, half a mile from Reus, and their advances just outside the walls; and from a private communication of the corregidor to the other members of the corporation, it was supposed that the sum required would quietly be made up. It should be observed that General GALIANO, with his column, had been for eight days at Reus, which he left on the 27th for Falcet, with a battalion of the San Marcial Regiment, that had arrived two days before from the Ma es t ranzo, and some companies of another corps, and a few cavalry-1,000 men altogether. His object was to liberate the Judges of First Instance, and the de tachment stationed there, who had been shut up in the fort during fifteen days, whilst the Carlists occu pied the town in force, and levied 130 ounces of gold, 50 of which were paid down at once, and they had quietly taken up their quarters waiting for the rest. A. Cervera letter, of the 26th, says that the Carlist chief, Ita.stoisrr, who had made several unsuccessful attacks on the town of Mayals, has entered it at last, and had burned several houses there, in reprisal for the obstinacy of their previous resistance. There was a rumour in Madrid to the affect that the Porn had arrived at Barcelona; it was not, how ever, generally credited. MADRID BOLSA, DEC. 2 .—The Three per Cents. have rather improved of late, which is probably to be attributed to the approach of the Christmas dividend ; they are reported at 191, 15-16, buyers 15-16, sellers 20; Five per Cents., 91 buyers, sellers ; Coupons, 5t sellers ; Passive Debt, 3i buyers, sellers. A reunion of the elite of French subjects resident in Richmond and its vicinity, is expected to take place this (Saturday) evening at the Castle Hotel, Rich mond. Louis Philippe and the other members of the ex-Royal Family of France are expected to be present. RIVER PLATE.—Bv the brig Sappho, arrived at Liverpool, direct from Buenos Ayres, we have advices from that port to the 11th of October. Mr. Sothern, the British Minister to the Argentine Republic, who landed a few days previous to the sailing of the Sappho, had an interview with Rosas's Minister. Trade was dull. Ex change on England was unaltered. Freights had a downward tendency. The last quotations were 555. per ton for tallow, and 50s. for bides, to Great Britain. GERMANY AND THE NORTHERN STATES. PRUSSIA. The following is the report of the Ministers pre sented to the KING, on which the decree for the dis solution of the Chambers is founded, and which sets forth the reasons for that measure . " Your Majesty, upon the grounds set forth in your message of the Bth ult., had transferred from Berlin to Brandenburg the seat of the Assembly which was con voked in order to agree upon the Constitution, and in vited that Assembly to meet again in the above town, on the 27th ult., for the purpose of resuming the delibera tions which had been interrupted. By that measure, which had solely in view the rendering the debates of the representatives of tho people more independent of the anarchic movements in, and terrorist influence of; the capital, your Majesty felt convinced that you were not only exercising the undoubted right of the Crown, but also fulfilling a duty strictly imposed on you—one referring to the welfare of the country. Unfortunately your Majesty's good intentions were not appreciated by a great portion of the Assembly. Unmindful of their true mission, and of their duties towards the throne and the country, the majority of the deputies, regardless of the adjournment ordered by your Majesty, took it upon themselves to continue their deliberations at Berlin, and presumed to decide, as if the Assembly were a sovereign power, on the right of the throne. Moreover, the mem bers set down as an illegal measure the dissolving of the Berlin civic guard —a measure decided upon by your Majesty upon clear legal grounds; and by that declera time excited the civic guards to oppose the execution of that ordonnance. Finally, they did not hesitate, by in citing the people to refuse to pay the lawful taxes, to cast the torch of anarchy into the country and to give up the entire state to ruin. Through those resolutions, as illegal as they are destructive, the majority of the Mem bers who continued their discussions in Berlin have come to an open rupture with the Crown, and, with regard to your Majesty, assumed a position by the continuance of which all prospect of coming to a peaceful agreement respecting the work of the constitution would ;hare been removed out of view. Thereupon would your Majesty, immediately after the resolution respecting the refusal of the payment of taxes, be justified, beyond any doubt, in dissolving the Assembly. Nevertheless your Majesty did not abandon the hope that the loud voice of the country and the love of fatherland, momentarily kept back by passion, would withdraw many deputies from the devious path on which they had entered ; that by their accession the Assembly, on the expiration of the period of adjournment, would be constituted anew with a competent number to carry on business ; that they, would then, in unequivocal terms, set forth the il legality and nullity of the resolutions taken by a por tion of their colleagues during the adjournment, and that the Crown would be thereby enabled to resume the business of agreeing upon the constitution, and bring it soon to a successful termination. Had all this succeeded, it would have been also possible to have some laws passed soon, in unison with the As sembly, for the amelioration of the condition of the pre sent landed proprietors, and for responding to other urgent wishes of the country, those laws being already prepared. " Your Majesty's hopes, unfortunately, through the events of the past week, have been disappointed. Whilst the members who remained true to their duty towards your Majesty and fatherland had assembled four days (from the 27th to the 30th ult.) in Brandenburg, without being sufficiently numerous for the carrying out of busi ness, the Assembly was at length, on the Ist instant, rendered competent by the entrance of a considerable number of those deputies who hitherto opposed the re moval of the Assembly, by virtue of the message of the Bth ult. Instead, however, of abandoning that propo sition, the spokes-men of the in-coming members do dared that they had not appeared there in consequence of your Majesty's order, but merely to prevent the pro posed summoning of their substitutes, and because the President, who, during the adjournment, had been chosen by the members that remained in Berlin, had c )evoked the Assembly at Brandenburg. At the same time this portion of the Assembly brought forward a motion for adjournment till the 4th, with the expressed view of gaining time for those members whom this summons of the President had not yet reached. When this motion was rejected, nearly a ll t h e newly arrived members quitted the Assembly, which became thereby again in competent to carry on business, and unable to constitute itself anew. "This event, which made a deep and painful impres sion on the dutiful portion of the Assembly, as well as upon each friend of fatherland who was present, afforded the clear proof that that fraction of the Deputies who continued their debates in Berlin after the 9th ult.—a great portion, in fact the majority of the entire Assem bly —persisted in open opposition to the orders con tained in your Majesty's message of the Bth, and that, according to our conscientious conviction, that opposi tion had reached a point which excluded all possibility of an accordance with the Crown. That party was enabled, by its numerical strength, to render at any time, and at will, the Assembly incompetent for the carrying on of business, as happened on the Ist inst., and against such conduct the contemplated convocation of the sub stitutes would not have afforded sufficient protection, particularly as they could not be legally convened dur ing the presence of the Deputies. " Upon these grounds the Assembly, which had been convoked in order to agree upon the Constitution, is subjected to such deep internal distraction, that, accord ing to our views, the discussion of the Constitution can not be any longer continued without affecting the dignity of the throne. We regret this state of things the more deeply, as we fully expected that the continuance of the labours for drawing up the Constitution, on the part of those members who obeyed your Majesty's summons to Brandenburg (some of whom had even sacrificed their former views), would have led to happy results for fa therland. We are convinced that the renewal of the attempt to constitute anew the Assembly after the five failures of the preceding week, is not advisable, because it is highly probable that the deep disunion of the As sembly and its unmistakeable internal dismemberment would be again displayed, as on the Ist of this month, to the regret of all patriots. " We can only, therefore, advise your Majesty to dis solve forthwith the Assembly, convoked for the purpose of agreeing upon the Constitution, and we take the liberty of respectfully adding the draft of the ordonnance for your Majesty's fulfilment of the above advice. "It is certainly deeply to be regretted that, after more than six months, the attempt t o b r i ng a b out an agree. ment between the throne and the representatives of the people should prove a failure. Still more deplorable, however, would it be, were this failure to leave any longer unsatisfied the aspiration of the country after a Constitution from which it expects the restoration of a stable system of law, and of that confidence which is now destroyed in all the relations of public life. Consistently with our duty, we can only advise your Majesty to grant, without delay, a Constitution which may found, confirm, and maintain true freedom, and with the proviso that it will be subjected to the re vision of the Chambers, which are to be immediately convoked. We have prepared a draft of such a consti tution, with strict reference to the promises made by your Majesty in the month of March last, and also with due regard, not only to the previous labours of the As sembly convoked in order to agree upon the Constitu tion, but also to the existing decisions of the German National Assembly, whose further decisions will be at tended to in the revision of the law. Whilst we dutifully submit this draft to your Majesty, together with one relating to the law of elections, we leave respectfully to your Majesty the carrying out of the same. " In conclusion, we intend to lay respectfully, in a few days, before your Majesty, the provisional decree of several measures requisite for satisfying severe pressing wants of the country. (Signed by all the Ministers.) " Berlin, Dec. 5." THE NEW PRUSSIAN CONSTITUTION. The following is a translation of the new Prussian Constitution : We, Frederick William, King of the Prussians, &c., hereby announce that, in consequence of the extraordi nary circumstances of recent occurrence, which have rendered impossible the intended consolidation (verein barring) of the Constitution, and in conformity with the urgent demands of the public welfare, and with every possible regard to the comprehensive measures already adopted by the elected representatives of the people, we have resolved to issue the following project of Constitu tion, reserving the revision of the same, ordered at the close, in the ordinary course of legislation. We accordingly announce the following Constitution for the Prussian kingdom:— CHAP. I.—OF THE STATE DOMAIN. 1. All territorial parts of the monarchy in their present extent form the Prussian State dominion (Staats Gebeit). 2. The frontier of this State dominion can only be al tered by a law. CHAP. THE RIGHTS OF PRUSSIA. 3. The Constitution and the law are to d e t erm i ne under what conditions the qualification of a P russ i an, and the rights of a Prussian citizen, ca n b e acqu i red, exercised, and forfeited. 4. All Prussians are equal before the law. Privileges of rank are abolished. Public offices aro equally acces sible to all competent persons. 5. Personal freedom is assured. The forms and con ditions under which an arrest is allowable are determined by the law of the 24th of September, 1848, for the pro. tection of personal freedom. 6. Habitations are sacred. Forcible entrance therein and searches of domiciles are only allowable in the le. gaily defined cases and forms. The seizure of papers and letters must only be undertaken on the authority of a judicial order, except in cases of arrest and inqui sition. — l. Nobody must be withdrawn from his legal judges. Exceptional tribunals and commissions, so far as they are not declared admissible by this State Constitution, are abolished. Penalties can only b e threatened or in flicted in conformity with the law. 8. Property is inviolable. It can only be withdrawn or reduced on the ground of the public benefit, and in consideration of an indemnification according to the measure of the law, 9. Civil death and the punishment of sequestration of property (vermogens •einziehung) are abolished. 10. Freedom of emigration is not restricted, nor must emigration fees be demanded. 11. Freedom of religious faith, the union of religious societies (Art. 28 and 29), and the common exercise of religious worship are assured. The enjoyment of civil and political rights is independent of' religious creeds, and of participation in any religious society. No civil or political duties, however, must be neglected on ac couut of the exercise of freedom of religion. 12. The Evangelical and the Romish Church, as well as every other religious society, will order and adminis- 29. The conditions under which corporation rights can be granted or refused are determined by law. 30. The right of petition appertaids to all Prussians. Petitions, under a collective name, are,only allowable to officials and corporations. 31. The secrecy of letters is inviolable. The restric tions that may be rendered requisite in the case of judi cial investigations and cases of war are to be established by law. The law defines the officers who are responsible for the violation of the secrecy of letters transmitted through the post. • 82. All Prussians are bound to serve in defence of the country (sind wehrpflichtig). The extent and nature of this duty the law will define. To the army the arrange ments of sections 5,6, 27, and 28 are only applicable in so far as they do not run counter to the prescriptions of military discipline. 33. The armed force consists of the standing army, the militia (landwehr), and the Burgher Guard (burger. wehr). Especial laws will regulate the mode of enlist ment and the period of service. 34. The armed power can only bo used for the sup pression of intestinal commotions and for the execution of the laws, on the requisition of the civil authorities, and in the cases defined by the law. 35. The establishment of the Burgher Guard is to be regulated by a special law. 36. The army is placed in time of war and active ser vice under the " military criminal jurisdiction," and is subject to the military penal code, and in time of peace, and when not in active service, to the general penal code, with reservation of the military criminal jurisdic• tion. The arrangements for military discipline is war end peace, as also the peculiar details of the establish ment of the military judicial authority, will be the sub ject of special laws. 37. The standing army must not deliberate (beeath schlagen), nor can the militia (landwehr) do so, when called together. Even when it is not assembled, all meet ings and associations of the landwehr for the discussion of military orders and regulations are prohibited. 38. Tho establishment of feudal tenures and the foun dation of family entails (fidei commissen) is prohibited. The existing institutions of this nature will be converted by a legal ordinance into freehold property (freies eigenthum). 39. The foregoing provisions (Article 38) are not for the time applicable to the Crown fiefs, the entails of the Royal and Princely house, the fiefs lying without the State, or the fiefs and possessions formerly held imme diately under the empire, so far as the latter are guaran , teed by the federal law of Germany. The legal relations of the same will be ordered by a special law. 40. The right of the free disposal of landed property is subject to no other limitations than to those of the general law. The division of such property and the re demption of the land-taxes is guaranteed. The follow ing are abolished without indemnification:- 1. The seignioral jurisdiction (gerichts-herrlichkeit), the manorial police and superintending power, and the rights and privileges appertaining to certain territories; whilst, on the other hand, the burdens and duties en tailed o❑ the possessors of such privileges are equally abolished. Until the issue of the new " order of com munes" the existing arrangements with reference to the police administration remain in force. 2. The duties arising from those privileges, from the supreme right of protection, the ancient hereditary sub jection, and the ancient constitution of taxes, Bsc. On the hereditary transmission of a territory the transfer of the entire property is alone admissible; at the same time, even in this case, an established redeemable rent may be reserved. CHAP. lIL-OF THE KING. 41. The person of the King is inviolable. 42. His Ministers are responsible. All ministerial acts of the Ring must, in order to be valid, be coun tersigned by a Minister, who thereby assumes the re sponsibility. 43. Tho executive power appertains to the King alone. Re appoints and dismisses the Ministers. He orders the promulgation of the laws, and issues the necessary com mands for their execution. 44. The King takes the supreme command of the army. • 48. He fills all situations in the same, as well as in the other branches of the State service, so far as the law allows. 46. The King has the right of declaring war, conclud ing peace, and entering into treaties with foreign Powers. Commercial treaties, as well as others, imposing burdens or duties on individual citizens, must bo assented to by the Chambers. 47. The King has the right of granting pardon and commuting punishments. This right can only be exer cised in favour of a Minister prosecuted for official mis conduct, on the proposal of the Chamber by which the prosecution was instituted. He can only put an end to investigations already commenced on the strength of a special law. 48. The King has the granting of " orders" and other distinctions not connected with privileges. He exercises the right of coining money according to law. 49. The King convokes and prorogues the Chambers, He can either dissolve one of them, or both simultane ously. The electors, however, must in this case be con vened within 40 days after the dissolution, and the Cham bers within 60. 50. The King can adjourn (vertagen) the Chambers. But this adjournment cannot, without the consent of the Chambers, exceed a space of 30 days, and must not be repeated during their session. 51. The Crown is, conformably with the laws of the royal house, hereditary in the male branch of the royal house, according to the right of primogeniture and the lineal succession of the Agnates. 52. The King attains his majority at the age of 18. He must take a solemn oath before the united Chambers to maintain the constitution of the kingdom inviolate, and to govern in accordance with it and with the laws. 53. The King cannot simultaneously govern foreign States without the consent of both the Chambers. 54. In the event of the King's minority the two Cham bers will assemble for the appointment of a regency and a guardian, in so far as the same are not provided for by a special law. 55. In the event of the incapacity of the King to go vern, the next heir to the Crown, or he who takes his place according to the laws of the royal house, must convoke both Chambers, to act in conformity with Article 54. .56. The Regency can only be confided to one person. The Regent must take an oath, on his appointment, to maintain the Constitution inviolate, and to govern in conformity with it and with the laws. 57. The rents assigned to the revenues of tho do mains and forests by the law of the 17th of January, 1820, remain invested in the crown fief fund. CHAP. IV.-OF THE MINISTERS. 58. The Ministers, as well as the State officials ap pointed to represent them, have admission to each Chamber, and must be heard on their demand. Euch Chamber can require the presence of the Ministers. The Ministers only enjoy the right of voting when members of the Chamber, 59. The Ministers may be impeached by a vote of the Chamber for a violation of the Constitution, for corrup tion, and for treason. Such accusations will be tried by 100. With respect to taxes no exemption shall be in: troduced. The existing regulations shall be revised, and every exemption abolished. 101. The public officers can only levy contributions when authorised by law. 102. Loans to the Treasury can only be contracted by the authority of a law. The same provision extends to guarantees at the charge of the State. 103. For excesses of expenditure the subsequent ap" proval of the Chambers is required. The public accounts, are to be examined and confirmed by the Higher Chain" ber of Accounts (Rechnungs hammer). The e gen ral account for every year, including a review of the public , debt, is to be laid by the lligher Chamber of Accounts before the Chambers for the discharge of the Govern ment. The management and privileges of this Higher Chamber of Accounts will be settled by a special law. CHAP. IX.—OF THE COMMUNITIES, CIRCLES, DIS TRICTS, AND PROVINCES. 104. The dominions of the Prussian State are divided. into provinces, districts (Bezirlie), circles, and communi: ties (Gemeinde), the representation and management of which is more accurately defined by special laws, based on the following principles:- 1. The internal and special affairs of the provinces, circles, districts, and communities, are to be decided by assemblies of chosen delegates, whose decisions shall be carried into effect by the presidents ( Vorsteher) of the provinces, &c. Th e l aw will determine the cases in which * It will be considered at the revision of the draft of the Constitution whether part of the members of the First Chamber are to be nominated by the King, and whether seat in the Chamber is to be conceded to the head -burgo masters of large towns, and to the representatives of univer sities and academies of arts and sciences.t It will be cons id ered at the revision of the draft o f the Constitution whether another electoral system might not be preferable, especially that of a classification to be instituted tin town and co un t ry, i n which case all those who have hither ° been " Urwahler' would take part in the election. ter its affairs independently, and remain in the posses sion and enjoyment of the property, funds, and endow ments appropriated to the purposes of its worship, in struction, and beneficence. 13. The intercourse of religious societies with their superiors is unrestricted. The publication of their orders and regulations is only subjected to the limitations to which all other publications are liable. 14. A special law will regulate Church patronage, and the conditions according to which it is to be abolished. 15. The right appertaining to the State or proposing, electing, and confirming candidates for ecclesiastical offices is abolished. 16. The civil validity of marriage is determined by its conclusion before the officers of the State appointed for the purpose. The ecclesiastical ceremony can only take place after the completion of the civil contract. 17. Knowledge and its communication are free. 18. To the youth of Prussia is secured the right of a general popular education (allgemeine Volksbildung) by means of adequate public institutions. Parents and guardians are bound to give to their children or wards the requisite training for the universal popular education, and they must, for this purpose, submit to the arrange ments which will be enacted by the law of instruction. It is free to all to impart instruction and to found educational establishments, if they have given proof of their moral, scientific, and technical capacity to the State authorities. 20. Public national schools, as well as all other edu cational and instructional establishments, are placed under the surveillance' of particular and State-appointed officials. Public teachers possess the privileges of State servants. 21. The management of the external affairs of the national schools, and the choice of the teachers (who must have given preliminary'proof of their moral and technical competence to the State authorities), appertain to the communal districts (gemeinde). The religious instruction in the national schools will be superintended and controlled by the religious societies of the locality. 22. The means of erecting, maintaining, and extend ing the public national schools will be supplied by the communes, and, in the event of proved incapacity, by the State in the shape of a supplementary grant. The obli gations imposed by third parties, and resting on especial titles of right, are maintained. In the public national schools education will be administered gratis. 23. A special law will regulate the system of in struction in the aggregate. The State assures to the teachers in the schools a certain adequate stipend. 24, Every Prussian has a right to express his ideas freely, orally, scripturally, by the printing press, and by artistical designs. The freedom of the press must under no circumstances and in no manner be restricted, sus pended, or abolished, either by the censorship, by the exaction of securities, by deposits, by state-imposts, or by restrictions of the printing or book trade, still less by postal prohibitions, or unequal postage duties. 25. Offences which are committed by the above means of diffusing ideas are to be punished according to the general penal code. Before the revision of the law of penalties a special provisional law thereupon will be issued, until the appearance of which the present general laws remains in force. 26. If the author of a work is known and in the legal power of the State, the printers and publishers must not be prosecuted, unless inculpated by other facts. The names of the printer and publisher must appear in the title-page of all such works. 27. All Prussians are entitled to assemble with closed doors, peaceably and unarmed, without any previous per mission on the part of the authorities. This regulation, however, does not apply to meetings in the open air, which are, in all cases, subjected to the provisions of the law. Until the enactment of such a law, twenty. four hours' notice must be given to the police of the in tention to hold an open air meeting, in order that the authorities may have an opportunity of prohibiting the said meeting if they deem it dangerous to the public security. 28. All Prussians have the right to unite in societies for such purposes as do not run counter to the genera code. 81. Each Chamber is entitled for the purpose of !n" formation to nominate commissions for investigating facts. 82. The members of both Chambers are representa tives of the whole people. They vote according to their free conviction, and are not bound by any orders or in structions. 83. They cannot be called to account on the ground of their votes in the Chamber, nor of their opinions pronounced there. No member can, during the period of the sitting, on account of an action liable to punish ment be legally prosecuted or arrested without the con sent of the Chamber, except he be seiz-d in the act, or within the next 24 hours. The same consent is required for an arrest for debts. Every penal procedure against a member, as likewise every inquisitorial or civil impri sonment, is suspended during the sitting, if the respec tive ChamLer demand it. 84. The members of the First Chamber receive neither their journey's expenses nor daily allowance. The members of the Second Chamber receive from the Trea sury- of the State the expenses of their journey and a daily allowance, according to law. Refusals cannot be permitted. CHAP. VI.—OF THE JUDICIAL POWER. 85. The judicial power is practised in the name of the King by independent tribunals, not subjected to anY other authority but th at o f the ' law. The sentences are passed and executed in the King's name. 86. The judges are appointed for life by the King, or in his name. They cannot be deposed, temporarily OP pended, or removed against their will to another place' except by judicial decision, and upon grounds provided for by the law; nor can they be pensioned, except for reasons and under forms that are settled by the laws; This regulation does apply to changes of place rendered necessary by changes in the organization of the tribunal or of their districts. 87. Tho judges cannot be charged with :other p a id Government appointments. Exceptions are admissible only upon the ground of a law. 88. The organization of the tribunals is regulated by law. 89. Those only can be appointed as judges who have the legal qualifications for it. 90. Tribunals for special departments, as tribunals of trade and commerce, shall, by way of legislation, be stituted in those places where they are found necessary'. The organization and jurisdiction of the courts of trade and commerce, and of the military courts, the procedure in them, the appointment of their members, the peculiar relations of the latter, and the duration of their dike , will be regulated by law. 01. The still existing two highest courts of justice will be united into one. 92. The proceedings in the courts of law in civil and criminal cases shall be public. Publicity, however, eau be excluded by a decision, which is publicly to be flounced, if it threatens to endanger order or morality- Publicity can also in civil causes be restricted by laws% 93. In all cri mes su bj ected to severe penalties, in all political crimes and offences of the press, the sentence as to the guilt of the accused is passed by a jury. The trial by jury will be regulated by a law. 94. The competence of the courts of justice and of the administrative authorities will be defined by laic. The decision on conflicts of competence between the ad: ministrative and judicial authorities belongs to a tribunal to which the law refers suoh cases. 95. No previous permission of the authorities is re quired in order legally to proceed against public civi l or military officers on the ground of violations of the law committed by th em i n overstepping the authority of their office. CHAP. VII.— OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS. 96. The especial position of those of the public officers who (Isnot belong to the rank of judges, including the nisters, is to be regulated by a law,which, withoutlimitivg the Government in the choice of its executive organs, will secure to the officers a sufficient protection again , " an arbitrary withdrawal of their office and income. 97. In the law respecting the Servants of the State es: pecial regard will be had to the officers duly appointed before the proclamation of the Constitution. CHAP. VIII. ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THE Fla. _ - NANCE& 98. All th e revenues and disbursements of the State must be estimated for every ear in advance, and carried to the budget, which shall b y e confirmed every year bi a law. 99. Imports and taxes for the Treasury can only . 1345 levied when taken into th e budget or decreed by specoi laws. the Supreme Judicial Court of the Monarchy in United Senate. S u lo ng as t wo supreme courts of judicature still exist, they will be conjoined for the above; purpose. The details of the arrangements for cases of r t ;sponsib l : lity, the cour se o f p rocee di ng, and the degree of punish' ment, will be decided by a special law. CITAP. V.—OF TILE CHAMBERS. 60. The legislative power is exercised in co/omen hi, the King and by t wo Ch am b ers. The concurrence o f these three bran c h es i s essent i al to give validity 01 every law. 61. The King, as well as each Chamber, has the rig ht of proposing laws. No rejected proposal can :be re• newed the same session. 62. The First Chamber consists of 108 members. 63. The members of the First Chamber are elected b f the representatives of the provinces, of the departments, and of the districts,—(Art. 104.) The representative s of the provinces, of the departments, and of the district 4 constitute the electoral body, as will be more minutely regulated by the electoral law, and they elect the neel ber of d.puties corresponding to the amount of the por i " lation of their electoral districts.* 64. The legislating period of the First Chamber is fixed at six years. 65. Every Prussian who has accomplished his 40rh, year, who h as not l ost i n consequence of a legal judicial sentence the full possession of the civil rights, and 101° five years has belonged to the Prussian State, is eli'gib le as a member of the First Chamber. 66. The Second Chamber consists of 350 member!' The electoral districts are to be fixed in proportion to the copulation. 67. Every independent Prussian who has aceone . pushed his 24th year, who has not lost the full pesse.i sion of the civil rights in consequence of a legal judiela sentence, has, within the parish where he dwelled or lived for the last six months, the right of voting se an " Urwiihler," unless he receives relief from public funds. f 68. The " Urwahler " of each parish elect an elector (Wahlmann) for every 250 souls of their population. 69. The representatives are elected by the electors . The electoral districts are to be organized in such a way that at least two representatives will be elected by 011 e electoral body. 70. The legislating period of the Second Chamber is fixed at three years. 71. Every Prussian who Las accomplished his 301 ?, year, who bus n o t l os t t h e full possession of the civ il rights, in conse quence o f legal judicial sentence, an d who has belonged for one year to the Prussian State, is eligible as deputy of the Second Chamber. 72. The Chambers are elected anew at the end of their legislating period. Th e same i s done in case of disso lution. I both cases those who have hitherto bee n members may be re-elected. 73. The way of proceeding in the elections for both Chambers will be more accurately settled by the law for the execution of the elections. 74. No substitutes for the members of either Chambe r are elected. 75. The Chambers are convoked by the King recn i larlY in the month of N ovem b er of each year, and, besides, as often as circurnstancas shall require it. 76. The Chamber will be opened and prorogued 131 the King personally, or by a Minister charged by biro with that office, in a common sitting of both Chambers . Both Chambers are at the same time convoked, open"' prorogued, and closed. At the dissolution of one 0 10 ' ber, the other is prorogued at the same time. 77. Each Chamber examines the legitimation of its members, and decides on it. It regulates its business by an order of business, and elects its president, vice-presi dents and secretaries. Public functionaries do not re' quire leave of absence for entering the Chamber. 13 1 accepting a paid Government office, or by prom o tion ' ll the service of th e S tate each member of the Chamber loses his seat and vote, and cannot recover his place e% cept by a new election. Nobody can at the same time be member of both Chambers. 78. The sittings of both Chambers are public. Each Chamber meets at the motion of its President or of W I members for a secret sitting, in which first of all tba t motion is to be discussed. 79. Neither of both Chambers is capable of passing resolution, unless the majority of the members be Pre' sent. Each Chamber passes its resolutions by an 050; /Lite majority of votes, with the reservation, however, 01 those exceptions which possibly may be settled by th e order of business for elections. 80. Each Chamber separately has the right of direct' ing addresses to the King. Nobody is allowed p e rson' ally to present petitions or addresses to the Chambers or to one of them. Each Chamber may refer to the Millis' ters the writings addressed to it, and demand from them information respecting the complaints received by the Chamber. of its . c liberal llow prosper text 01 9f our tion, - 8 , We sha visiona the CI 2 • A 3 • A for tun, 4. A "'I lat land-ta: 5 • 6. A gratnit( 7. A 8 . A 9• A to Mart 10._; As ti seutatiN lin e d in ee l:meg:it Zovitie vf for Mat dill Mi r e / t Utioll tribut e m ore fii our R oi °I I th e E ind fr e Give] After unders4 trious a, and Fr a Loud e h, The ntaiiitest Austria J oseph cession t A sin 3 to g ig hi and deci tuti law: the' 6, I pen( Moi sr in fc Geri are Um duri: bers tisio oath press low Pc PA'I w Prus the the s Pate remo sent a *hie] (Co ui