The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-02 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

REPLY OF THE KING TO THE ADDRESS.
BERLIN, Dec. 31.
The following is the text of the King's reply to
the Address of the Chamber of Deputies:—

" I have weighed the contents of the Address
forwarded to me by the Chamber of Deputies, re-
specting the Danish question,. with that care which
I readily accord to the wishes and opinions of the
house.

" Although the Address commences with the
statement that the Chamber of Deputies has already
pointed out the direction enjoined by the honour
and interests of Germany, I desire to assume that it
was not intended thereby to anticipate the decision
upon the foreign relations of the monarchy ac-
corded to me by the constitution and by the laws
of the country. The Royal duty to represent and
guard the honour and interests of Prussia with
regard to foreign powers is inseparably connected
with this my right, and I am aware that I can
rely upon the tried loyalty of my people in the
exercise of this duty. But I also know that I must
weigh with paternal care the• question at what
period to summon this people to combat, and to ask
property and life from its readiness for sacrifice. 1
should not find it compatible with conscientious-
ness in the fulfilment of my Royal station, if I did
not devote my entire guiding energy to the highest
tasks which right and the constitution demand of
the King.
"The Chamber of Deputies may therefore feel
assured that the coarse in foreign policy taken
by my Government is the result of resolutions
which I have maturely weighed. I have adopted
these resolutions while mindful of the treaties con-
cluded by Prussia, as well es of the general situa-
tion of Europe and our position therein; but at
the same time with the resolve to guard German
rights in the Duchies, and, in case of necessity, to
uphold by force of arms the just objects which
Prussia is bound to gain. The decision appertain-
ing to me by the Constitution as to the farm and to
what extent every single means leading to this end
is to be brought into application can only be arrived
at by myself.
" I shall be guided therein by the undeviating
resolution to conduct the matter of the Duchies in a
manner worthy of the honour of Prussia and Ger-
many, while at the same time preserving that respect
for treaties required by the right of nations. The
Chamber of Deputies cannot expect from me that
I shall arbitrarily, and mahout regard for the in-
ternational relations of Prussia, withdraw from the
European treaties concluded in 1852. The
succession question will be examined by the
German Confederation with my co-operation,
and I cannot anticipate the results of this exa-
mination. Before this is established steps should
be taken to furnish the means for the execution of
measures determined upon by the German Confede-
ration, and for the possible necessary arrangements
for defence which may follow in its train.

" The execution of the resolution of the Diet is a
duty rightfully incumbent upon the states in
accordance with treaties, and the countries must not
be found unprepared to meet the dangers which may

easily and speedily be evolved from the measure.
Under these circumstances, the house cannot be
willing to take upon itself the grave responsibility
of refusing these entirely indispensable means, 9r
of attaching its consent to conditions which inter-
fere with the undoubted rights of my crown. I
should not be able to understand how that house
which so vehemently urges my Government to
action should refuse the means thereto at the
moment and upon the spot where such action can
and must occur. I should still be able to under-
stand such a proceeding as my sentiments and my
word guarantee, that the means which I demand
for the protection of the rights and honour of the
country shall also be correspondingly applied to
that purpose. All doubt upon this point contra-
dicts tip confidence which the Prussian people is
accustomed to place in the word of its King.
"While directing warning attention to the
gravity of the time, and to the importance of the
decision for the future of the Fatherland, I must
request of the house to discuss with confidence the
bill laid before it upon the Bth of the month, and,
considering the unceasing development of events,
must advise it to speedy grant of the loan indispen-
sably requisite for the fulfilment of Federal duties,
and for placing the defences of the country in a
secure position, (Signed) "WILHELM.
" Countersigned by all the Ministers
except Herr Von Itzenplitz.
" Berlin, Dec. 27, 1863."

The Registration of Deaths as a Measure of

Police.

(From the Lancet.)

The registration of deaths as a measure of police
has perhaps been too little heeded, yet it is probable
that the importance of registration might best be
brought home to the majority of the public in this
aspect. It is not given to every one to comprehend
the mysteriee and utilities of vital statistics; and
questions of succession, in which a registration of
death may play an important part, have but a
limited interest. Every one, however, has an inte-
rest in shielding himself as best he may from mur
der or from being needlessly killed ; and there can
be little doubt that a careful registration of
deaths is one of the best safeguards of a
community from foul or careless dealing with life.
On the other hand, a careless registration is one of
the greatest encouragements to secret murder,
or to indifference in occupations dangerous to life.
Dr. Buchanan, in his report on the health of St.
Giles's, furnishes an important illustration of the
scandalous facility with which certificates of death
may be obtained in this country, and of certain
gravo imperfections existing in the system of regis-
tration of deaths. No less than 45 deaths, it.ap-
pears, were registered in St. Giles's in 1862, and
the corpse in each case interred, about which there
ought to have been an inquiry. In 36 of these
instances there was no medical certificate of
the cause of death. In 11 of the 36 cases
this omission is stated to have occurred
through the absence of any medical attendant
in the fatal illness. In the other 25 cases it is sim-
ply recorded that the alleged cause of death was
not certified. In two of the cases, at least, there
was prima facie ground for suspecting poison.
Again, the deaths of no fewer than 20 infants
under a week old were registered as occurring
from ".premature birth," " convulsions," and so
forth, without a particle of medical evidence of
the cause. Dr. Buchanan also mentions the case
of a domestic servant dying and being buried with-
out either the medical or registrar's certificate
being forthcoming. Again, nine persons were cer-
tified in 1862 by medical men to have died from an
" unknown cause." In each of these cases a judi-
cial investigation ought to have been instituted.
Every one of these deaths was, however, registered,
a certificate for burial given, and the body in-
terred,

So great a degree of negligence in the registra-
tion of deaths, opening out as it does facilities to—
nay, even encouraging—foul or careless dealing
with life, demands the attention of the Legislature.
Now, of every one of the cases which he records Dr.
Buchanan says, " The law should have provided for
information being sent to the coroner, and none of
the bodies should have been buried without his
warrant. Whenever a registrar receives informa-
tion of a death concerning the cause of vvhicl.
there is no medical certificate, or receives a medicai
certificate in which the cause of death is not satis-
factorily specified, and generally in all cases of
doubt it ought to be his function to communicate
with the coroner. Inquiry is needed in such cases,
not necessarily for the purpose of criminating any-
body, but with the object of getting at the real
cause of such deaths. By the coroner's inquiry,
not only is the moral influence exercised to restrain
crime, and in many cases are groundless suspicions
allayed, but important information is obtained and
diffused, that leads to the prevention in other
instances of disease, of violence, and death." We
fully concur in these observations.