The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-01 00:00:00

THE PRUSSIAN CHAMBERS•

BERLIN, Mark

In to•day's sitting of the Chamber of Deputies
Herr von Bismark laid before the House three Con-
ventions concluded with Belgium on the 28th inst.
The Conventions comprise a navigation treaty,
an agreement with reference to literary and artistic
copyright, and a protocol declaring the adhesion of
Prussia in principle to the redemption of the Scheidt
dues on condition of her being placed by Belgium
upon the same footing as England.
Herr von Bismark pointed out that these Conven-
tions marked further progress in the direction en-
tered upon by the French commercial treaty. He
also stated that Prussia had promised to co-operate
in procuring the redemption of the Scheldt dues
for a certain maximum.

A debate took place on the Polish question:
Herr von Bismark-Schonhausen repelled the
doubts expressed relative to the accuracy of his
former statements. He repeated that all state-
ments contrary to his own which had been made
by foreign Governments or Ministers were based on
error. Foreign Ministers, he said, had themselves
acknowledged that they had not been correctly in-
formed on the subject. The Minister continued—.
"The Polish question was not originated by the
Convention, but has existed since 1830. It has
repeatedly exercised a great influence on Prussian
interests. The Government has nothing to add to
its former declarations in reference to the existence
and contents of the Convention. Agents of the
Polish revolution have sent telegrams from Cracow
to the French papers in order to influence the
French public."
Herr Waldeck stated that the Government had
merely yielded to the pressure of former Govern•

ments.
Herr von Bismark-Schonhausen replied that this
assertion had not the least foundation, and that the
Government had not yielded at all.
Herr von Sybel considered that the Government
had shown great hesitation, such as might be felt
by one who, engaged in an unsuccessful enterprise,
feels the ground slipping from beneath his feet.
Herr von Sybel added—
" All Europe was then in error if we are to bed
lieve Herr von Bismark-Schonhausen. But, consi-
dering the declarations of the English and French
Ministers, enough remains of the Convention to
make Europe uneasy and to compromise Prussia."
Herr von Bismark-Schonhausen replied,-that ho
did not deny thu existence of certain arrangements
with Russia, and that he had never denied this.
The contents and bearing of this treaty were not,
however, he said, known to the public. The Minis-
ter continued—

" One will be surprised in the end, after all the
false statements in reference to the Convention, to
learn what are its real contents. Is it positively
false that, according to the Convention, the Russians
are allowed to pursue the insurgents on Prussian
territory until they meet with a number of Prussian
soldiers sufficient to disarm the insurgents ?"
Several members then recalled the first declara-
tions made by the Ministers of the Western Powers
and the communications of the Prussian Ambassa-
dors on this subject.

Herr von Bismark said that the Western Powers
had been sufficiently enlightened respecting the in-
accuracy of the suppositions they had formed at
that time. He defended the Prussian Ambassadors
in Paris and London, and intimated that they had
been misunderstood.

The Polish members then asked what the Go-
vernment intended to do with the refugees from.
Russian Poland who had been sent into the in-

terion

Count Eulenberg stated in reply that the inten-
tions of the Government were base on clemency in
the majority of cases, especially with reference to
those persons who had been drawn into the move-
ment against their will. On the other hand, how-
ever, the Government was obliged to fulfil tI.Q
obligations it had contracted with Russia.