The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-25 00:00:00

CENTRAL GERMANY.

Letters from Frankfort of the 20:h give the parti-
culars of the ceremonial observed on the resignation
by the Archduke John of the office of Regent of Ger-
many. The following is a translation of the protocol
of this important transaction :

" Done at Frankfort, in the palace of his Imperial
Highness the Archduke and Regent John, this day,
the 20th day of December, 1849.
" Whereas his Imperial Highness the Archduke and
Regent John has repeatedly [expressed a wish to laJ
enabled to resign the office of Regent of Germany ;
and whereas certain negotiations for the creation of
another organ of federal and central power have, on
the 31st of September, 1849, terminated in a conven-
tion between the respective Governments of Prus-
sia and Austria; and the German Governments
having notified their adhesion to the said convention;
and his Majesty the King of Prussia having appointed
his Lieutenant-General (Baron Radowil z) and his
President (Dr. Botticher); and his Majesty the Em-
peror of Austria having likewise appointed ChArles
Baron Kil'oek•Kubau a Privy Councillor to his said
Imperial Majesty and the Field-Marshal-Lieutenant
Charles Baron Schiinbals, to act as members of the
Federal Commission as created by virtue of the Con-
vention aforesaid; and the said Commissioners having
been identified by an examination of their respective
warrants, his Imperial Highness the Archduke and
Regent John has invited the said Commissioners to
receive and to testify to his resignation." .. _ _

Dr. Mettemus acted as clerk. to the Commission.
At one o'clock r.u. on the 20'11 of December his
Imperial Highness the Archduke Regent entered
the Council-room, accompanied by the gentlemen
fording his Cabinet, viz., the President of the Cabi-
net and Secretary-at-War, Prince Sain- Wittgenstein.
Berleburg ; the Minister of Foreign Affairs and
First Lori of the Admiralty, Mr. JechmuA ; the Minis-
ter of Justice, of Home Affairs, and of Commerce, Mr.
Detmold ; and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Merk.
Whereupon the Commissioners of the two Govern-
ments produced the convention which was concluded
between the Governments of Prussia and Austria on
the 30th of September, together with the declaration
of adhesion of the German Governments, excepting
the Governments of Oldenburg (although there is a
promise of assent) and of Luxemburg; the adhesion
of the King of Holland, who has declared his ad-
hesion to the convention as Duke of Limburg, being
presupposed for his Duchy of Luxemburg.
These documents and the warrants of the !said
Commissioners are added to the minutes.

His Imperial Highness the Archduke and Regent
condescended to make the following declaration :
" Gentlemen,—You are aware that I have long
wished to resign my office. But since when I took
that office the Federal Diet pronounced its own disso-
lution, and since the National Assembly followed its
example at a later period, I saw that I could not yield
to my inclination without breaking the bonds which
contain the German States, thereby surrendering
Germany to danger and to all but ruin.
" My duties compelled me to remain until another
organ for the discharge of the common business of the
country should have been created. That moment is
come. The two bearers of my power were the totality
of the German Government and the German National
Assembly. My feelings compel me to give my sincerest
thanks to them for their co-operation and assistance.
"The National Assembly exists no longer. That
Assembly hastened on its own end by overstepping its
legal limits, and by making the widest strides in a false
direction at a time when the ccurse of events was such
that the slightest deviation from the legal side of the
question must necessari!y lead to certain ruin.
" The decline and fall of the National Assembly
is a lesson to the German people. It shows that there
is but one way for our constitution—the way of calm
and intrepid progress and of a conscientious respect
fur justice and law.
" After the dissolution of the National Assembly, I
could resign my office only to the totality of the Ger-
man Governments, and Austria and Prussia have
concluded a provisional convention, which the other
members of the Confederation thought proper to
accept.

" Pursuant to my eventual consent, which I gave
on the 6th of October, and according to paragraph 7
of the said convention, I resign my office as Regent,
and I resign the rights and duties of the Confedera-
tion into the hands of their Majesties of Austria and
Prussia.

" I have the consciousness of having faithfully
laboured to exercise my power fur the glory and the
welfare of the country.
" Success has not yet crowne I the endeavour to
surround that country with other constitutional
bonds, to insure and strengthen its greatness and
power. But the old bonds are preserved, and peace
is secured. But I shall not be able to look with
pleasure on the time of my administration until the
futurity of the country is secured by a more lasting
union. But my cares on the subject of that union are
lightened now that I see the subject under protection of
two of the most powerful among the German Govern-
ments. If these two will act in harmony, if they
will cleave to their right, and thus lead the way, the
other Governments may safely follow them as their
leaders, and success will crown the work.
" May Germany profit by experience, and may her
fates, by the assistance of Almighty God, he brought
to a prosperous issue by the harmony and the patriot-
of the German Princes, and by the good spirit
of the nation."

After his Imperial Highness had finished his
speech, the Austrian Privy Councillor, Baron.Kiibek,
replied to it by thanking his Highness for the intre-
pid manner in which the Archduke had executed the
important functions of his office during a time of
unparalleled danger; and the proceedings being thus
terminated, the records of the transaction were signed
by the following persons :—Archduke John, Witt-
genstein, Jochmus, Detmold, Merk, Kubek-Kubau
(Austrian Commissioner), Schonhals (Austrian
Commissioner), Radowitz (Prussian Commissioner),
Dr. Botticher, (Prussian Commissioner).