The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-04 00:00:00

PRUSSIA AND FEDERAL REFORM.

(REUTER'B LXPRTAR,)

The text of the circular forwarded by Prussia to
the various Federal governments upon the reform
question is as follows :

Berlin: April 27:

- .
The committee of nine, which has to submit our motion
of the 9th inst., for the commencement of Federal reform
by the convocation of a parliament, to the decision of the
Federal Diet, was appointed upon the 26th inst., and it is
now requisite to hasten the determination of this prelimi-
nary question.
While the urgency of reform has long been recognised
upon all sides, and while the necessity of parliamentary
co-operation in Federal reform can scarcely be seriously
disputed, we find in the declarations of various govern-
ments, at the sitting of the Diet, on the 21st April, and in
other quarters, the view that an agreement should be
arrived at as to the material aspect of the reform question
between the governments before the convocation of a par-
liament is decided.
We are expected to lay our entire plan of reform before
the committee, and one government goes so far as even to
make the commencement of the action of the committee
dependent upon such a communication.
In face of this view, the realization of which would be
equivalent to setting aside every serious attempt at re-
form, we must call attention to the fact that, according to
our motion and the Federal resolution of the 21st inst.,
the task of the committee of nine is not the consideration
of the reform proposals to be laid before the parliament,
but to report whether or not the Diet should resolve upon
the convocation of a popular representation chosen by
direct election to deliberate upon Federal reform.
We shall lay our reform proposals before our Federal
allies as soon as the assembly of the parliament at a de.
finite period is secured.
At the sittings of the committee we shall be able to state
the departments of political life to which our proposals
will extend. They are chiefly questions referring to the
security of the highest objects of the confederation, which
have already been the subject of the most exhaustive
examination, and therefore render agreement possible at a
definite date. In order to attain this object we shall be
willing to touch merely upon the most essential questions,
as the success of the attempt at reform appears to us best
promoted by that course.
But we do not anticipate an agreement of the govern-
ments as to the spirit and letter of the proposals unless a
preliminary term is fixed, with the prospect of the co-
operation of that united and national element comprised
in popular representation.
After the experiences of recent years with regard to
attempts at reform, we consider the fact quite indubitable
that, except in the self-imposed necessity contained in the
previous appointment of a fixed term for the opening of the
parliament no likelihood whatever exists of an agreement
of the governments upon even the most essential points
of reform.
We are certainly not single in this conviction, which is
justified by the most striking facts. Even the dangers
which threatened the Confederation from without have not
afforded sufficient motives to bring about even the first
steps of the urgently necessary reform of the Federal war
constitution, which Prussia has repeatedly and energeti-
cally advocated for nearly 40 years. And even within the
last 10 years, in face of the constantly threatening Danish
war, deliberations upon the coast defence and flotilla ques-
tions, in which, owing to Prussia's readiness to make sacri-
fices, nothing but positively trifling assistance was re-
quired from her Federal allies, have lingered without any
prospect of result from 18.59 until now, despite all our
endeavours at the Diet and with the governments.
The appointment of the period for the opening of par-
liament before the commencement of the deliberations of
the governments upon the reform proposals is the essence
of our motion of April 9. The rejection of this question
is tantamount to the virtual rejection of the serious con-
sideration of Federal reform.
Your excellency will be good enough not to leave the
government to which you have the honour to be accre-
dited in any doubt as to this our view of the matter.—
Reoeive, &c. (Signed) Vox Bismexec.