The Express.
London, England, 1865-09-21 00:00:00

RESORIPT OF THE EMPEROR.

TWL/018P3.)

(at gram) AND 'ref
(nod mu owl"

VIENNA, THURSDAY.
The following is a translation of an Imperial
rescript which has this day been boned :
"To my People—To maintain the power of the
monarchy, by a participation of all in the manage-
ment of the highest questions of the state ; to
ensure the unity of the realm, by respecting
the manifoldness of its component parts and
the historical development of their several laws and
rights, this was the leading idea expressed my
diploma of October 20, 1860, and which, in the
welfare of my faithful subjects, will still continue
to be my guide. In that diploma, the
right of the different people to have a share
and vote in the legislature and in the administration
of the finances, mare pledges for furthering the in-
terests both of the subject and of the different
lands, was solemnly guaranteed and established
irrevocably. The fundamental law for the legal re-
presentation:of the Empire, which was promulgated
in my patent of February 26, 1861, laid down the
form according to which this right was to be
exercised, and in the Bth article of the said patent
I announced that the pre-existing fundamental
laws, as well those then revised and those which I
now publish, were, all taken together and in their
embodiment, to be considered as forming the con-
stitution of my empire. To vivify this dead form,
to shape harmoniously the constitutional structure
in all its parts, was the task committed to the com-
bined free action of all my people. I cannot but re-
member with warm acknowledgment the readiness
with which, during a series of years, • large portion
of the realm, following my behest, sent its de-
puted representatives to the capital of the empire,
there to debate on and solve some important
questions about the laws, the state, And itifeoonomy.
Yet my intention, to which I still unchange-
ably keep, the intention of offering to the interests
or the age the sure guarantee afforded by
a constitutional form of government, whose
strength and whose signification should lie
in the free participation of all the
different people is the work, has remained till
now unfulfilled. A large portion of the empire,
warm and patriotic as were the hearts that beat
there, persisted in holding aloof from the common
legislative action, endeavouring to confirm scruples
about legality by acting separately, and thus find-
ing differences of meaning in those fundamental
laws which were intended in their collective form
only to make up the sum of the oonstitution of the

realm.
"My duty as regent forbids me any longer to
ignore a fact which binders the realisation of my
intention, that of aiming to develop a free consti-
tutional life, and which menaces also the rights of
all the nations in their very foundations ; but also
for those lands which do not belong to the Hunga-
rian crown. It is in the ground which at article 6 of
the patent of February is designated as the consti-
tution of the realm, that the legislative rights
common to all are vested, and there only. As long
as the first condition for a vital embodiment of the
fundamental laws, as well a clearly discernible har-
mony of its parts is wanting, the great work con-
templated, which would assuredly bring so many
blessings, cannot become reality, the task, namely,
of giving to the empire a durable constitutional
form.
"In order now to redeem my imperial
word, in order not to sacrifice the essence
to the mere form, I have resolved to aim at
coming to as understanding with the lawful
representatives of my people in the eastern
part of my empire, and to lay before the Hun.
garian and the Croatian Diet, for their accep-
tance, the diploma of Oct. 20, 1860, and the funda-
mental laws relating to the representation of the
empire, which were made known when the patent of
Feb. 26, 1861, was published. Considering, how-
ever, that it is judicially impossible to have one
and the same definition a subject of debate
in one part of the empire, while in other parts
it is treated as an imperial law, binding for
all, I find myself obliged to set aside the opinion
of the law relating to the representation of the em-
pire—at the same time positively declaring that,
should the decision of the representatives of
these eastern kingdoms contain a modification
of the aforesaid laws compatible with the con-
tinuance of the empire in its integrity and
power, I reserve to myself the right, before
pronouncing a resolution myself, to lay it before the
legal representatives of the other kingdoms and
countries, in order to learn and to appreciate their
equally important decision. I can only regret that
this unavoidable step brings with it a cessation of
the constitutional labours of the lesser Reicha-
ratb. However, the organic connexion of all the
principles of the law determining the united action
of the Reichsrath, and the necessity for its being
observed similarly by all, makes a disjointing of
the law, and anything like a mere partial mainte_
nance of its efficiency quite impossible.
"As long as the representative assembly of
the empire has not met, it will be the busi-
ness of my government to take measures for
those matters which cannot be deferred, and
among those especially such are to be
counted those which regard the financial and eco-
nomic interests of the realm. Free and open, the
path will, with a due observance of legiti-
mate right. lead to mutual understanding,
and what I confidently hope to find, a
conciliatory spirit, too; one ready to make
sacrifices, as soon as mature comprehension guides
the judgment of my faithful people, to whom these
imperial words are confidingly addressed.
FllOllOl3 Jests.