The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-27 00:00:00

Prussian Debate on the Address.

BERLIN, Jan. 24.
In the Upper House to-day the debate on the
Address, in reply to the speech from the throne,
took place.
Dr. BLOMER moved the following amendment :
" That paragraph 8 of the address stand as follows :
Most Gracious King and Lord,--As in y our Maj esty's
paternal heart, so the earnest desire exists among us
all to see the settlement of the regretable conflict
which has now for some years prevailed between
your Majesty's Government and a portion of the re-
presentatives of the country. Our regret at this
conflict, however, in no way affects our unshaken
conviction that the independence of Prussia, and her
position as a great Power among Eurepean States,
absolutely demand a firm and strong Government,
and we will therefore unshrinkingly stand by your
Majesty's Government in defence of the sacred rights
of the Crown. On the other hand, however, we joy-
fully hail the gracious expression of your Majesty
that you have resolved to protect and uphold the
rights conceded to the representatives of the country
by the constitution. If, as the prosperity of the
country demands, its representatives exercise these
privileges, especially their full constitutional right to
grant the supplies of the country always with irre-
futable moderation and regard for existing circum-
stances, we may hope to see fulfilled the ardent
desire of the country for a peaceable settlement of
the highly important questions concerning which an
understanding has not hitherto been arrived at, and
especially the legal settlement of the organisation of
the army." The motion of Dr. Blomer was sup-
ported by six other members. The House then went
into debate upon the address.

Baron V. GAFFRON briefly advocated the accept-
ance of the committee's draft. He said the com-
mittee had endeavoured to give expression in the
draft to feelings of gratitude towards the Sing, and
hoped that its efforts had been successful.
Count ARNIM BOYTZENBURG, the mover of the
address, said that the universal joy of the
country among all classes of the people was the
immediate motive for his proposing the draft.
This enthusiasm had constrained the representatives
not to be behind the feelings of the country upon
their assembling, and to thank the Crown for its
firm and wise administration of the Government.
The committee:and the mover were unanimous upon
the form of the address. There had been great
difficulties to surmount in home questions, more
difficult indeed than the State had had to contend
with for the last 50 years. It is unnecessary to steer
between rocks, and they owed thanks to the pilots
who, like the present Ministry, had so skilfully suc-
ceeded. (Applause.) These thanks, as well as hopes
for the future, were expressed in the address. The
shape relations in home and foreign politics might
take must be left to the Government, and the House

must not interfere ; but must hope that, by a discreet
and moderate use of the rights of the representatives,
beneficial results might be attained. He recom-
mended the adoption of the proposed address.
Count KRASSOW said that he had perused the
address with joy. He trusted that the victories
abroad would be followed by victories at home. It
was unnecessary to speak on behalf of the address ;
but since the words uttered in that house were re-
ported in distant parts of the country, and there
find favourable reception, he would therefore make
a few remarks. It was inconceivable how, in spite
of facts, people could still be adverse to military re-
organisation, and oppose its advisability. The
speaker thankfully acknowledged the unanimity
existing between the two great German Powers.
Passing to home questions, he hoped that the Go-
vernment would be victorious against that party
which desired to remove the centre of government
from the Crown to a portion of the representatives
of the country. Count Krassow then referred to
the successes of the army, the regulated state of the
finances, the general excellence of the administra-
tion, &c., and maintained that none but a stubborn
spirit of denial could maintain the old theories in
opposition to these striking facts. In conclusion he
recommended the unanimous adoption of the draft
of the address.
Dr. BLOMER and other members also took part in
the debate.

Herr von BISMARCK SCITONHAUSEN then spoke
He expressed his gratitude for the favourable judg-
ment the Government had found in that house. He
wished to add a few sentences touching the aspect
of the home conflict, which could never be suffi-
ciently repeated. The basis of the Prussian con-
stitution was compromise, for the constitution re-
presented three powers existing side by side, neither
of which was subordinate to the others. The pro-
posal to make the Upper House more inclined to the
views of the Chamber of Deputies by summoning,
liberal members was contrary to the constitution, be-
cause it undermined the constitutional principle. The
way of compromise had been abandoned by the re-
solution of the Lower House on Sept. 22, 1860. He
would not approve all the acts of the Government
then in office ; but he would here remark that at the
time the present Ministry assumed the Government
it was impossible to undo such steps towards
the reorganisation of the army as had been taken.
He was especially thankful to the mover for the deli-
cate manner in which foreign politics were referred
to in the address. In the negotiations pending, the
interests of Prussia would be maintained with firm-
ness, and he could assure them that Prussian blood had
not been shed in vain. The Ministry had been re-
proached by the Liberal party with hampering action
in the affair of the Duchies by the participation of
Austria. That was not the case. Had the alliance
not been contracted with Austria, a Federal war
would have been brought on, in which Austria and
the majority of the Confederation would have taken
a prominent position, and have then exercised their
influence upon the settlement-of the Duchies. In
that case, however, the consequences of the war
would have been quite different. So much was cer-
tain, viz., that the consent of the Germanic Confede-
ration to a war without Austria could not have
been obtained. Consideration for the Government
and the pending negotiations prevented him from
making further remarks upon the subject.
The debate then terminated. The house divided,
and Dr. Blomer's amendment was rejected, and the
address drawn up by the committee passed by 84
votes against 6.
In the Chamber of Deputies the house entered
into debate upon the two drafts of address brought
in by Herr Reichensperger on behalf of the Catholic
party, and Herr Wagener on behalf of the Conser-
vatives.
Deputy TWESTEN, as reporter of the committee,
moved the rejection of both addresses. Addresses
of the minority, he said, when the majority was
opposed to an address, were an irregularity which,
if the order of business permitted of the " previous
question" being moved, could be more easily set
aside than in the present instance, which he must
briefly explain why the majority did not
wish for an address. The last general ad-
`tress was drawn up in 1861, and expressed a hope
for further Wisedevelopm development of the constitution—
s hope Which had become
futile. Subsequent ad-
dresses had be
sults. e:1 special, but all void of good re-
on m a The mocheck to the of Herr Wagener was intended
endeavoured to
house,
while that of Herr Reichen-
spergerbt forward prove that the party by
which it was uronol
rward had not departed
from the basis of Liberal
constitutional life. The
of t
joy caused by the successese army was shared
by all parties ; but if the people
wished to lay its
rights at the feet of the Government bieteause of the
success of a portion of the people,
choose other representatives. Some remarksmust were
then
made in that address which the majority could
not
accept, and it passed over other matters upon
which silence was impossible. The speaker
adduced these points, whilst criticising the speech
from the throne and the motion of Herr
Reichensperger. He especially animadverted upon
the constitutional theories contained in the draft
of the address. The Government might cer-
tainly pave the way to a reconciliation upon the
ground of a two years' term of service. A perfect
understanding with the present Ministry was, of
course, impossible, but it was the interest of both
the country and the Crown to see the constitutional
dispute settled. The house had therefore no hope of
arriving at such a solution by taking the initiative.
The military expenditure had increased from 38k