The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-01 00:00:00

THE grYN; LONDON 3 SA.TVRDAY _EVENINM DECEMBER 1, 1665.

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TEE KING OF PRUSSIA'S SPEECH.

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The following is the full text of the King of
Prussia's speech on the opening of the Cham-
bers :--
"Illustrious, noble, and dear Gentlemen of both
Houses,—l rejoice at beholding again assembled round
my throne the representatives of the country, and bid
you, from my full heart, welcome. The new session
commences under circumstances the increasing import-
tahneceatotfenwtihoinchofhamsyaGlreoarcleyr,n .
I redleygurepeo,no6cnculinicgd,
as heretofore, a powerful support in your exertions.
" Above all things, I am grieved at the increased price
of the most necessary articles of food, which is to be
attributed to the unsatisfactory result of the late har-
vest in many districts of the country, and to they, impe-
diments to traffic caused by the war ; on the other hand,
an alleviation may be looked forward to if, with God's
blessing, the hopes are fulfilled which the favourable
promise of agricultural produce and increase of pro-
duction justify. Until then I confidently hope that a
careful continuation of free traffic, founded upon previ-
ous experience, and a wise economy, combined with the
never-failing private charity which exists with us, will
help to lessen the weight of the high price of food.
"The continiml extension of artificial roads (kunst-
strassen) and the incessant activity of industry promise
to the working classes additional opportunities of remu-
nerating labour. Certain branches of industry suffer,
it is true, under the pressure of high prices. On the
whole, however, the general activity of commerce is
undisturbed, a..d the prospects of industry are satis-
factory. A striking proof of tide is to be found in the
favourable results of the postal and telegraph services,
and in the increase of railway traffic. It has given me
satisfaction to lay the foundation stone to the important
completion of the railway system of my kingdom.
"At the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations at
Paris Prussian ind ustry was worthily represented in
the departments of art, agriculture, mining, and com-
merce.
" For a long time the want has been felt for regulating
on a footing becoming the circumstances of the day the
police and municipal system in the eastern provinces,
giving it a more solid basis. Projects for this purpose
will be submitted to your consideration. Projects will
also be laid before you fur bettering the district and pro-
vincial regulations of the western provinces.
"The budget for the next year, which will be laid be-
fore you, will show a happy prospect of an increase in
receipts, and offers an additional proof of the order which
prevails in our finances. The maintenance, with your
sanction, of the taxes already imposed will enable a ba-
lance to be drawn between receipts and expenditure, and
provide for the increased wants of the State, and enable
the vigorous continuation of important useful undertak-

SUN OFFICE, Six o'Clock

90 - 93
95 - 100

PRUSSIA.

iii : 132

BERLIN, Nov. 29.—T0. day being appointed for
the opening of the two Chambers here, the
King opened them in person in the lite
Saloon of the Palace. Before eleven o'clock, the
time appointed for the ceremony of opening by
the King, the two galleries of the White Saloon of
the Palace were filled, the one by the numerously
represented corps diplomatique, and the other with
the wives or families of the members of the two
houses and a numerous attendance of everybody of
note or eminence.

103 - 105

1121 -- 13

...xd
1121 1176

A few minutes after 11 o'clock the King entered
the saloon, the President of the Council having
just previously left the Assembly as though to
fetch him. The Ministers were already stationed
in a line to the left of the Throne ; the Princes
and Adjutants who followed in his Majesty's
suite occupied the chairs (or rather stood in
front of them) to the right of it. The King en-
tered the saloon in full general's uniform, and car-
rying his helmet in his hand, which he waved to
and fro in acknowledgment of the " Es lebe der
Konig hock !" which was given in a poor imitation of
our three times three. After mounting the throne,
I the King received the written speech at the hands
of the President of the Council, Baron von Manteuf-
fel, and read it in a distinct but somewhat thin
voice, after having first put his helmet on his head.
It was perhaps owing to the presence on this occa-
sion of men who have themselves formerly been
Sovereign Princes, and of others whose fathers
were so that the King to-day did not first seat him-
self on his throne before commencing to read his
speech, and evidently it was in reference to those
gentlemen that the speech itself, instead of com-
mencing with " Gentlemen," began as follows—
" Illustrious, noble, and dear Sirs of the two
HouQes of the Diet." (The King's speech will be
found in another column.)

24 - 24

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id it
55 57

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128 -

7f - i 44
3 - 2i i

30 - 31
83 -- 85

ings which have beeh already commenced..
'• The continuation of political complications has also
made it necessary this year for me to maintain my army,
if not on a complete scale, as in former years, still on a
footing of increased preparation for war. I was enabled
to do this by the bill passed on the 7th of May of the
present year, which sanctioned an extraordinary credit
for that purpose. My Ministers of Finance and of War
will lay before you the special papers relating thereto.
"Gentlemen, the conflict between different European
Powers, the commencement of which I had to deplore
last year from this very place, still continues, to my most
sincere regret. Our fatherland, however, still continues
to be the abode of peace.
"I trust in God that it will remain so, and that I shall
succeed in preserving the honour and standing of Prussia
as a great Power without inflicting upon our country the
heavy sacrifices of war.

" I ani proud to be able to say that I know of no
people so well prepared for war or more ready for sacri-
fices than my own, whenever its honour or interests are
really in danger. This proud consciousness, however,
imposes upon me the duty, while abiding faithfully by
obligations already contracted, not to enter into further
engagements, the political and military liabilities of
which are not to be estimated beforehand.

" The attitude which Prussia, Austria, and the Ger-
man Confederation have assumed by common consent
gives a solid security for the further maintenance of that
independent position which, with upright good wishes
for all, and an impartial appreciation of circumstances,
is equally conducive to the attainment of an equitable
and lasting peace.
"Gentlemen, the serious aspect of the present makes

it a duty fur us all to devote ourselves fully and unre-
servedly to the interests of our country. You will have
shortly to fulfil this duty at the coming deliberations,
the result of which is of great importance for all and
every one. . . . .

"I am convinced that you are all actuated by this
feeling and that the blessing of Him will not be want-
ing t your acts who in Ills almightiness and justice
decrees the fate of nations."

- „
been carried en by sea, since the departure of the allied
fleet, but it will servo to re-open the land communica-
tion 4, suspended by the bad state of the roads in conse.
quence of the autumnal rains.

They are still working incessantly in the dockyards
on the construction of gunboats and other small ves-
sels ; it is generally hoped that in case the enemy's fleet
ftturns next spring they may make at length some
attempt at resistance.
Together with the Emperor, the first order of the day
issued by him whilst on his journey has also arrived. It
is dated the 9th of Nov. from Bakshi-Serai, but contains
merely a long list of subalterns promoted to the rank of
captain. Generally, a great deal of promotion is going
on at present, especially in the fleet ; numbers of petty
officers and masters' rnatesare being made officers. Once
upon a time they seldom reached this grade, but now it
is the natural result of the gaps made by the war.
Our latest news from the army before Bars is dated
five weeks back, and we do not know whether the siege
is still going on or not. It is certain that, shortly after
the unfortunate assault made by the Russians, the
greater part of the irregular troops left the army and re•
turned to their homes. It is probable that the very first
intelligence announcing the appearance of Turkish troops
en the Caucasian territory will determine the rest of the
militia to follow that example.

THE ARREST OF COLONEL TURR.

(From the Daily News of this clay.)

If an article in the Morning Post of yesterday,
on the arrest of Colonel Turr by the Austrians, is
a true exposition of the view taken of that case by
Ministers, the British Government are about to
plunge into a very quagmire of infamy. A " strong
remonstrance," we are told, has been sent to
Vienna ; "some satisfactory explanation" is de-
manded ; " the French Government has backed"
the English remonstrance. To talk of a " satisfac-
tory explanation" is tamely to submit to the out-
rage and insult offered to the English Government
and nation by Coultt Corouiui. Apolog' and re-
' paration are the least that can be demanded. The
immediate extradition of Colonel Turr, and the re-
call of Count Corenini from Wallachia, will bo
compensation slender enough for the gross and
wanton insult to which England has been sub-
jected. Until such compensation is made the dip-
lomatic intercourse between England and Austria
ought to be suspended ; Sir Hamilton Seymour's
departure for Vienna ought to be postponed.
It is a matter of not the slightest consequence
whether Colonel Turr was a deserter or not. In
justice to an honourable, amiable, and accomplished
man, we repudiate the dishonouring epithet ; but
even if he were a deserter, his claims upon the
protection of the English Government would not
be one iota weakened by that circumstance. He
was received into the service of England ; he was
sent by an English military authority into Wal-
lachia upon an important mission for the English
army in the East. He has been brought within
the range of danger by English authorities, and it
is the duty of English authorities to take care that
he sustains no injury that they cau ward off from
him. Any private individual who should send one
of his agents on a perilous journey, and callously
abandon him to his fate when made captive
by inveterate and bloodthirsty enemies, would
be branded as a dishonest man and mean-spirited
poltroon. If the British Government act as we
have supposed a private individual to do, they
must incur yet deeper reprobation, and the national
character must suffer from their poltroonery.
The Al orning Post blames the Austrians, not for
what they have done, but for the manner in which
they have done it. The obvious intention of the
Austrians to insult England adds indeed to the
offence, but it is merely an aggravation, not the
essence of their crime. It is alleged that "by ca-
pitulations between the various Great Powers of
Europe and the Sultan, the Sultan concedes to
them jurisdiction and power over their own sub-
jects in his dominions." These capitulations were
entered into to enable the Great Powers to protect
their subjects, not to oppress them. The right of
jurisdiction over their own subjects in Turkey was
conceded to the Great Powers, in order that those of
their subjects who might be accused of committing
delicts in Turkey, might be assured of a more fair
trial than they could have looked for before the cor-
rupt and lawless tribunals of old Turkey. They do
not invest the consular authorities of European
Powers in Turkey with power to arrest for offences
alleged to have been committed out of the Turkish
dominions. They are not even equivalent to a
treaty for the extradition of fugitive criminals. And
even if they were, politic•al refugees (offenders if you
will) have always been placed by civilised nations in
au entirely different category from ordinary crimi-
nals. Again, it is alleged that " by the special provi-
sions of the treaty, in virtue of which Austria holds
military occupation of Wallachia and Moldavia, full
authority and jurisdiction are given to Austria in
Wallachia and Moldavia over all Austrian subjects,
military and civil." But the Austrian authorities
are not empowered by that convention to seize upon
every individual they mayplease to call their subject.
They must first prove that he is such, and then
claim his extradition, leaving him at perfect liberty
until the Porte shall have decided whether their
claim is well founded. It may reasonably be
doubted whether Colonel Turr can with any pro-
priety be called an Austrian subject. Unheard,
and without a trial, the Austrians have condemned
him to death and hung his name upon the gallows.
He is au outlaw—he is civilly dead in Austria.
Can a Government claim fealty from a man
whom it has stripped of the protection of its
laws ? Can it exercise jurisdiction over a man
who in the eye of its law has ceased to exist ?
By the act of the Austrian Government Colonel
Turr has ceased to be an Austrian citizen ;
and by the act of the British Government he
has been adopted as a citizen of Great Bri-
tain. Even though the Austrians possessed civil
jurisdiction in the Danubian Principalities over
their own subjects (which we deny), they have no
title to exercise jurisdiction there over an adopted
subject of England.

ft Austria was entitled, as the Morning Post
maintains it was, to insist upon the extradition of
Colonel Turr by the Wallachian authorities, it was
equally entitled to demand the extradition of
Kossuth ; it is equally entitled t 3 demand the
extradition of Omer Pacha, and almost all his
best officers. The English Government took great
credit to themselves for supporting the Sultan in
his generous refusal to deliver up Kossuth and
the exiles in his train. Yet Kossuth had no
claim upon them beyond what every great man
suffering in a noble cause has upon all gene:ous
nations. Colonel Turr has this claim upon
them, that he was their servant, and that it was
in obedience to their orders he entered a country
which we are now asked to believe was no asylum
for him. If the English Government do not insist
upon the immediate liberation of Colonel Turr,
and if they remain on cordial terms with Austria,
how can they expect to escape the suspicion of
having sent him to Wallachia in order that the
Austrians might be enabled to catch him ?
The German Powers complain loudly that Eng-
land has enrolled deserters from their armies in
her Foreign Legion ; and that consular and other
accredited agents of England have been cognisant
of such proceedings. Can we expect that, under
such circumstances, the soldiers of the Legion will
consent to be despatched to a theatre of war where
they may be called upon to act in the proximity of
German armies, if Colonel Turr is abandoned to
his fate by the English Government ?
The King of Sardinia is at this moment among
us on a friendly visit. Ho has boldly and cordially
taken part with the Allies in the war ; and
_as-
suredly ho has not by that step diminished
himth
hostile feelings with which Austria regards
and his people. If the English Government
aban-
don Colonel Turr to his fate, the Sardinian
d mraceful
Mo-
narch will read his own doom in
truckling to Austria. We quoted
ywesbetween Vie-
th() Moniteur a story of an intdersveierth3terday from
ter at the Inva-
tor Emmanel and a Sardinian
lides touching in the highest
degree,
the tale was
e notwithstand-
ing the' inflated verbiage 1/.
What would the
clothed by the official journiave
said had Victor
Emperor of the Frencht I
Corovini, asserted his
Emmanuel, like
upon his deserters wherever he
right "to seize
found them ?"
.•
already reaping the fruits of the
The country
comparative apathy by by which it has endured the
We warned the people of Eng-
land Jersey outrage.b
inning that it was not the Jersey
from the
refugees that wereeg
aimed at t ; that their persecu-
tion was but an experimen upon the temper of the
to try whether they were likely to
English people,
tolerate the withdrawal of English protection from
exiles of more note—of whom continental despotism
entertains a .deeper dread. The feelers thrown
out, to see whether the English people will endure
a base and cowardly desertion of Colonel Turr, is
only another step in the same dirty path. If the
instant liberation of Colonel Turr is not insisted
upon by the British Government, they will become
a laughing-stock, a hissing and a scorn for all tho
nations. And the English people must share in
thair degradation. Darwin, speaking of conscience,
has but too truly said :
Hear him, ye nations ! hear this truth sublime—
He who allows oppression shares the crime.

MAGNIrICENT PHENOMENON. Last evening, about
seven o'clock, an extraordinary phenomenon was ob-
served in the heavens. A ball of fire suddenly appeared
in mid air, and darted along in a straight line over abut
a third of the sphere, leaving behind it a trail of vapour,
like the tail of a comet. It then burst like a rocket,
but without noise, falling in a shower of sparks, which,
however, instantly disappeared. The phenomenon was
wholly different from ordinary meteoric appearances,
and formed a spectacle at once sublime and awful.