The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-16 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

The following is the full text of the King of
Prussia's speech on opening the Chambers :
" Illustrious, noble, and dear Gentlemen of the
two Chambers of the Diet,—Your labours commence
at a serious period. The decrees of God having
placed ur on my head the crown, with its duties and
its rights, I have consecrated my Royal right in a
holy place. The participation of my people in
that festival has proved that its love and fidelity,
which constitute the pride and the strength of
my predecessors, have been transmitted to me
with the crown. Such manifestation could only
strengthen my intention of fulfilling my Royal
duties in the spirit of my ancestors, for the happi-
ness and greatness of Prussia. Prussia has, with
me, thanked the Almighty when His hand deigned
to turn aside the crime which threatened my life.
To-day you deplore with me an irreparable loss
which Providence has inflicted upon a great friendly
kingdom united to mine by the dearest bonds of
relationship. The condition of the country gene-
rally is satisfactory. Agricultural industry and
commerce display a progressive activity, althoug'i, to
my great regret, certain hands suffer from a dis- I

turbance of the usual relations abroad. The railways I
have essentially contributed to divide in a more equal
manner in the different parts of the country the
superabundance or deficiency of the produce of the
earth. The solicitude of my Government is turned
towards their further extension. The mission sent
to Eastern Asia has already happily accomplished
the chief part of its mission by the conclu-
sion of treaties with China and Japan. I hope that
our maritime commerce will successfully enter the
paths opened and assured to it by these two trea-
ties, as well as that concluded for the relief of navi-
gation by the purchase of the Stade dues will be
submitted for your constitutional approval. The
German code of commerce will soon, I am confident,
be the common property of the greater part of Ger-
many. Some bills connected therewith will be laid
before you with a view to further the interests of
commerce and regulate the rights of navigation.
My Government will submit to you other projects
of high importance. They will prove to you that,
faithful to my principles, I do not lose sight
of the completion of the edifice of our
constitution. Those projects which tend to
reform existing institutions show that my Go-
vernment is not averse to reforms rendered
necessary by the actual state of things, and by the
respect which is equally due to the welfare of all
classes. The execution of the law of the 29th of
May last year, on the regulation of the land tax,
has, thanks to the loyal co-operation of the landed
proprietors, and despite the great difficulties that
that had to be overcome, made such great progress,
that we may shortly expect to see the work com-
pleted. The finances of the State are in a satisfac-
tory condition. The increase in various receipts
leads to the hope that a portion of the extraordi-
nary credits for the organisation of the army for
last year will be covered by the surplus. The
Budget for the present year, conscientiously
drawn up, presents a a new surplus of receipts.
We are thus furnished with the means for pro-
vidin g for new outlays admitted as necessary and
to reduce the excess of expenses necessitated by the
reform of the army. Insomuch as this excess re
mains necessarily distinct from additional taxes
which cannot be dispensed with, until the regular
property-tax have been levied, the means to cover
it will be found in the still untouched remnant of
1860. Thus, to all appearance, there will not be
any reduction this year in the public treasury, any
more than there was in the two preceding ones.
The most strict economy has been observed in
regulating the army estimates. To go beyond
would be to compromise its perfection, consequently
the safety of the country. Carrying out the re-
organisation, my Government will submit to you a
project relative to some modifications of the law of
the 3d of September, 1814, concerning the obliga-
tion of military service. It is intended to provide
for the wants which have arisen since that law was
promulgated, as also to give a legal basis to the
existing laws on the obligation to serve in the navy.
Relative to the complications, now happily over,
between Great Britain and the United States of
America, I sent instructions to my envoy at Wash-
ington, which enabled him to uphold the
rights of neutral navigation and energetically to
plead the cause of peace. My interview in the
course of last autumn with the Emperor of
the French has only served to strengthen
the friendly relations which actually exist be-
tween the two States. The negotiations for a
treaty to settle the commercial relations between
the Zollverein and France are still pending. My
serious and incessant efforts to effect a proper re-
vision of the military constitution of the German Con-
federation have not as yet, to my great regret, been
attended with any satisfactory results. Meantime
my Government is endeavouring to open the way,
by separate conventions with individual States, to
a greater uniformity in the military institutions.
The convention concluded in this sense with the
Government of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha
will be submitted to your constitutional ap-
proval. My Government also devotes its con-
stant care to the importance of the defence of the
German coast and the development of our navy, for
which the most satisfactory efforts are everywhere
made, confirmed by patriotic gifts in Prussia and
out of Prussia. We deplore the losses which have
deprived our fleet of services, and such promising
hopes. But these accidents, which are common to
all fleets, can only tend to give additional strength
to the motives in favour of a rapid development of
our maritime forces. The fundamental plan for re-
gulating this development is submitted to the last
deliberations of my Government. The want of a
general reform of the Federal Constitution has re-
cently been admitted in an expressive manner by
various German Governments. Faithful to the na-
tional traditi.ms of Prussia, my Government will
incessantly work in favour of reforms, which re-
sponding to the real situation will more energe-
tically concentrate the strength of the Germanic
people and put Prussia in a position to favour in a
more efficacious manner the interests of the com-
mon country. To my sincere regret, the difference
relative to the Constitution in the Electorate of
Hesse has not yet been settled ; nevertheless, even
in presence of recent events, I entertain the hope
that the final result will not be out of keeping
wits the efforts of my Government always
directed towards the re-establishment of
the constitution of 1831, with the modi-
fication of articles contrary to the federal laws.
My Government, and that of the Emperor
of Austria, have entered into confidential negoti-
ations with the Danish Government on its desire to
obtain a provisional basis of agreement between the
Germanic Confederation and Denmark on the ques-
tion of the Duchies. We here uphold firmly the
federal rights and international treaties; and it is
a lively satisfaction for me to see the best feeling I
existing on the subject, not only between me and
the Emperor of Austria but also between us and
other German confederates.

" Gentlemen, you are called upon to continue, in
concert with my Government, the legislation
undertaken at a great epoch. As these reforms
were destined to open a larger field to the patriotism
of the Prussian people, and thus give it an impulse,
I expect the same effect from the actual continua-
tion of this legislation. The development of our
institutions
.must be to serve the strength and
greatness of our country. I shall never allow the
progress of our political internal existence to com-
promise the rights of the Crown—the power and
security of Prussia. The situation of Europe exacts
that I and my people must keep step together. I
count upon the patriotic support of its representa-
tives."