The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-30 00:00:00

SPEECH OF KING WILLIAM.

BERLIN. APRIL 29.

The opening of the Prussian Diet for an extraor-
dinary session took place to-day in the White Hall.
About 250 members were present. In the diplo-
matic box were the representatives of England,
Russia, the Haase TOWILS, Hesse Darmatadt,_and
Saxony. The court box was unoccupied. King
William was accompanied by the Crown Prince,
Prince Frederick Charles, Prince Albrecht, Prince
Alexander, and Prince George of Prussia, Prince
Augustus of Wurtemberg, and Duke William of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His Majesty, who was re-
ceived with cheers on entering the hall, delivered
the following speech from the throne :
Illustrious, noble, and honourable gentlemen of both
houses of the Diet, a constitution of the North German
Confederation, by which the united and vigorous develop-
ment of the nation appears secured, has issued from the
deliberations of the parliament, to which the Prussian
people sent its representatives in conformity with the law
approved by you. I have summoned you around my
throne to submit this constitution to your decision. The
task of n►tienal unity, which the government commenced
with your co-operation, is now to be concluded by your
assent Upon this basis the protection of federal territory,
the can of common rights, and of the prosperity of the
people, will henceforth be guaranteed by the collective
populations of northern Germany and their governments
in firm community. By the introduction of the
federal constitution the privileges of the repre-
sentations of individual states will be subject to
unavoidable restrictions in all those departments, which
will be in future subordinate to the general development.
But the people itself will not h►ve to forfeit any of the
rights it has hitherto possessed. It will merely transfer
their maintenance to its representatives in the more ex-
tended commonwealth. The consent of the freely elected
deputies of the entire people will still be requisite to every
law is the North German Confederation. Provision has
been made by the federal constitution in all respects that
those rights, whose exercise the various representations
abandon in favour of the new community of states, shall
be transferred in the same extent to the general parlia-
ment. The secure foundation of national independence,
power, and prosperity shall go hand in hand with the deve-
lopment of German rights and constitutional insti-
tutions. My government entertains the assurance that
both houses of the Diet, correctly appreciating the urgent
national necessity of speedily settling the task before us,
will readily afford their assistance to its completion.
Gentlemen, the newly formed Confederation at
present only includes the States of North Germany, but
an intim►te national community will always unite them
with the South German States. The firm relations
my government concluded for offensive and defensive
purposes with those states as early as last autumn
will have to be transferred to the enlarged North German
commonwealth by special treaties. The vivid conscious-
ness of the South German Governments and
populations of the dangers of German dissension
and the necessity of firm national union, which
constantly finds more decided expression through-
out the whole of Germany, will assist to hasten the
solution of that important task. The united strength of
the nation will be entitled and be competent to guarantee
to Germany the blessings of peace, and effectual protection
of her rights and her interests. With this assurance my
governmentwilldevoteitself toaverting any interruption to
European peace by every means compatible with the honour
and the interests of the fatherland. The German people,
strong in unity, will be able calmly to face the
vicissitudes of the future, if you, gentlemen, will aid
in completing the great work of national union with that
patriotism which has always been displayed in Prussia in
serious tunes.

There was frequent applause during the delivery
of the speech. At its conclusion, Burr von Forken-
beck called for cheers for the King, who then
quitted the hall. Count Bismarck thereupon de-
clared the Diet open. A sitting of both houses
takes place to-day.

PEACE MOVEMENT IN FRANCE.—The Temps of
yesterday says :—" We have a respite ; let us profit by
it in order to develop and generalise the holy league of
peace ; let all those who have a horror of war when it
is nos justified by the necessities of national defence
openly proclaim their sentiments, let them multiply their
manifestations, let them obtain adhesions, let innume-
rable lists circulate, and show the whole force of pacific
ideas. A current of conciliatory aspirations must be
created so intense and so powerful, that warlike desires
and sinister reservations may be definitively submerged
in it."

---
THE FRENCH ARMY.—A trustworthy correspon-
dent informs uc that " the Chassep6t breech-loading rifle
has so convinced the troops in France of the impossi-
bility of any troops armed with a muzzle-loader standing
against breech-loaders that no power could persuade them
to fight. The imperial government, to get out of this new
difficulty, has within the last few hours signed and sealed
a pattern for converting some of their muzzle-loading
rifles. These now weigh 1011bs., and with the new breech
will weigh about llilbs. The cartridge is just as faulty,
but more arms mast be got to give confidence to the
troops. They are working night and day at the Chaseep6t,
but only 10,000 have been issued as yet. These facts should
seem to guarantee peace, so far as France is concerned, at
least for a while."
ORYITAL PALACH. ORB SHELLER° DAT.—
MONDRY, APRIL 29.—Admissions on payment, 2,890 ; ditto
by season tickets, 1,716 ; total visitors, 4,606.