The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-03-24 00:00:00

IMPERIAL MESSAGES TO DIET AND REICHSTAG

The official messages of the new Emperor to the
Prus,ian Diet and the German Imperial Parliament
were made on Monday. The communication to the
former body was officially announced in the orders of
the day, and therefore the whole sitting had a much
more solemn character than in the German Parlia-
ment, where the President was not officially informed
of the fact that an Imperial Message would be read.
As the Deputies of the Diet and the members of the
Upper House assembled together the hall was crowded
to a most unusual extent, and the galleries were alsc
full. Prince Bismarck, at the head of the Ministers of
State, appeared in full uniform, covered with orders.
and wearing his helmet instead of the customary cap.
He looked by no means ill or fatigued, and read the
Messages in a loud and audible voice. As his Majesty
holds a different position towards the Prussian Diet
and the German Parliament the Messages were of a
totally different nature.
According to the Constitution, the King of Prussia
is, ipso facto, German Emperor. He has therefore only
to take the oath as King of Prussia, but not as German
Emperor. The message to the Diet contained an ex-
pression of regret that the Emperor was not able for
the present to take the oath personally, and that he
must confine himself to making this communication in-
stead. The President of the Upper House, w-ho pre-
sided over the Assembly, answered that both the
Legislatures would deliberate separately on the
Address, and proposed three cheers for the Emperor,
which were given enthusiastically.
At half-past two the sitting of Parliament com-
menced. If the overcrowded galleries had not shown
that something was going on, nobody would have
guessed that such a solemn act as the reading of the
first Message of the new Emperor was to take place.
The Deputies came in their usual dress, and
the sitting was commenced with a message
from the Chancellor respecting the extradition of a
member of Parliament. Then Prince Bismarck arose,
and with him the whole House, and read the Message,
as follows :
We, Frederick, by the grace of God, German Em-
peror and King of Prussia, by this announce and de-
clare as follows: When it had pleased God to call
unto Him our beloved father, th,3 dignity of German
Emperor and the Prussian Crown passed to us at the
same time. We have accepted the rights and duties
connected therewith, and at the same time taken the
resolution to keep intact the Constitution of the
Empire, to uphold it, and at the same time con-
scientiously to maintain and respect the constitutional
rights of the individual Federal States and of the
Reichstag. Well knowing the arduous tasks which
have devolved upon us with the Imperial dignity, we
will always, after the example set by our never-to-
ba-forgotten father, and jointly with the Confederate
States and the Free Cities, and assisted by the
Reichstag, endeavour to protect justice, freedom, and
order, to preserve intact the honour of the Empire, to
maintain peace at home and abroad, and to provide
for the welfare of the realm. The unanimity with
which the Reichstag voted the measures for strength-
ening the power of the Empire was a source of deep
satisfaction to the departed Emperor in the last days
of his life. He was unable to express his thanks to
the Reichstag for those resolutions, and this makes us
all the more anxious to carry out this last will of our
Imperial master, who now rests in God, and to ex-
press to the Reichstag our own thanks for the
patriotic devotion shown at that crisis. We repose
perfect confidence in this devotion and the often-tried
patriotism of the whole people and its representatives.
We place the future of the Empire in the hand of
God.—Given at Charlottenburg. FREDERICK.
Countersigned, VON BISMARCK."