The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-20 00:00:00

FRANKFORT.

The Austaian note of the 9th having been trans-
mitted on the Constitution, the Committee bas re-
ported as follows :
" If the constitution delivered to the collective Aus-
trian state tacitly excludes all German legislation
and all German administrative power from the exer-
cise of influence on German Austria, in the note of
the 9th all further negotiation with regard to a federal
relationship with Germany is made preliminary, con-
ditional on the most perfect renunciation of a
popular representation for the contemplated federal
state. The Deputies of states only are declared to be
admissible. As this stipulation amounts to a downright
rejection, as far as Austria is concerned, of a most es-
sential and indispensable part of the ground-work of the
building which we are commissioned by the German
people to erect, it is useless to enter into further investi-
gation for the present as to what parts of our polity
may still be based on one common foundation—a ques-
tion of which the said note offers no solution. Thus
much, however, is clear, viz., that Austria is willing
to enter only in her collective capacity into a con-
nexion of the kind—a connexion, to wit, reduced to
the fact of a representation by means of permanent com-
mittees; and that she refuses to enter into it with her
German provinces alone. No amplification is necessary
to prove that such proposals are unjustifiable. and at
variance even with the old federative treaties to which
Austria herself has on former occasions appealed—as
also that the gratification of such demands, even on the
basis of the old relations of the Confederation, would
be attended with difficulties so great as to border upon
the impossible. But one thing is very certain—that the
German people will not agree to a reform of the Con-
federation, which would either be utterly ineffective
and wholly irresponsive to the desire of the German
people, for unity, or which, if it brought power with
it, would make the development of the German polity de-
pendant on an overwhelming non-German influence.
The decisive rejection of popular representation leads, of
itself, to the sad conclusion that it is impossible just now
to attain to one common constitution with German
Austria, and consequently shows the necessity of com-
pleting our work without paying regard, for the pre-
sent, to the relations in which Austria will take part in
it. If the note referring to the well-known declaration of
the 27th of November ult., in which the arrangement of
the mutual relations of Germany are made to " natu-
rally and necessarily " depend "on the consolidation
of the great Imperial state as a well-ordered
whole upon a new foundation"—if the note reminds us
that this condition is fulfilled on the one hand, it is still
our business, on the other band, to fulfil the same con-
dition (which, at the time, was equally and expressly
acknowledged to exist), by consolidating Germany
" under a new and stable form." If the Austrian Go-
vernment has thought it its duty to the Imperial
state to accomplish the work of consolidation in per-
fect independence, and without paving the slightest
regard to Germany, it will, of a surety concede the same
right to Germany; and only then, when Germany shall,
in perfect independence, have made use of this right,
will the parity of circumstances be restored, and then
only will the moment have arrived, for which the Aus-
trian Government, according to its own declaration, has
reserved its specification of the mutual relations of the
two lands—that is, if the wishes of Germany for the
closest and most intimate of all possible federal relations
be gratified."

The committee, after expressing its concurrence
with Welcker's motion in all essential points, pro-
poses the following modification of it :-
1. The National Assembly resolves to adopt, by one
comprehensive vote, the whole code of the German Im-
perial Constitution, as it has now been laid before the
House by the Committee in a revised form, after a first
reading, and after all possible regard has been paid to
the wishes of the Governments; premising that
" (a) Sec. 1 shall now run—
" The German Empire consists of the territory of the
Germanic Confederation, with the following special stipu-
lations
The way of entrance is left open to the Austrian lands
that formed part of the Confederation.
" The determination of the relations of Schleswig is
reserved for a later period.
" (6) As long as the Austrian lands aforesaid have
not joined the Federal State, the following states shall
have a greater number of votes in the House of States,
viz.:
Bavaria ... .......... . 20 The Grand Duchy of Hesse 8

Saxony
Hanover ..... 12 Nassau

Wurtemberg
Baden

" 2. The National Assenibly resolves to reserve to the
first Parliament that meets after the publication of the
Constitution to alter certain provisions of the Constitu-
tion in common with the Imperial Government. These
alterations are to be made in the first session, and in the
forms of common legislation. _ _ _

" 3. The National Assembly resolves to give its defi-
nitive approval, by the same comprehensive vote, to the
Law of Election, as adopted on a first reading, subject,
however, to the two following modifications:—
"(a) As long as the Austrian lands aforesaid have not
joined the Federal State, each electoral circle shall con-
tain only 75,000, instead of 100,000 souls; and the sur •
plus number, in an individual state, which empowers the
formation of an extra circle, shall be 40,000 (instead of
50,000).

" The original proposal of the Committee of Con-
stitution shall be adopted, viz., The right of election
must be exercised in person, and the vote given by
word of mouth. (This is the point which the Left are
so determined to combat, having won the day on the first
reading.)
"4. The National Assembly resolves that THE HE-
REDITARY DIGNITY OF EMPEROR, ESTABLISHED BY THE
CONSTITUTION, SHALL BE CONFERRED ON HIS MAJESTY
THE KING OF PRUSSIA.

"5. The National Assembly resolves to express a
confident expectation that the princes and the various
races of Germany will magnanimously and patriotically
give their assenr, to this resolution, and promote its
realization to the best of their power.
"6. The National Assembly resolves to declaro that,
as far as and as long as the German-Austrian lands do
not enter into the German Federal State, and subscribe
to its constitution, the establishment of the most intimate.
and brotherly of all possible bonds between the two
States is to be endeavoured at.

" 7. The National Assembly resolves that the Ger-
man National Assembly remain together until a Par-
liament shall have been convoked, and shall have met
according to the provisions of the Imperial Constitution."

YORK, NEWCASTLE, AND BER-

WICK RAILWAY.

A meeting of shareholders in the above line was held
yesterday afternoon at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-
street, for the purpose of considering the propriety of
appointing a committee to inquire into the general ma-
nagement of the undertaking. Mr. H. J. Thompson,
of Moat Hall, Yorkshire, was called to the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said he was prepared to enter into
a statement to show the necessity for a searching exa-
mination into the affairs of the company; but as he un-
derstood that there was a deputation present from the
directors, he would refrain from entering into it till
those gentlemen had put the meeting in possession of
their views.—(Cheers.)
_ eMra.
mltreCentinAg7tBheeN,the solicitor of the company, said
hsboelauwrtaiosnh:7yrrthoatinktforr.mthe meeting that, at a recent
directors
William agreedßichardson t o the following
requested
treed-
tboo abtetledndinthLeemedeeeetinogn of shareholders in this railway, to
Monday next, and be authorised'
to state, on behalf of the board, that at the special meet-
ing, which will shortly be held for receiving the
report of the committee now sitting to investigate
the Great North of England purchase accoant, it is the
intention of the directors to propose the appointment of
a committee to undertake a general investigation of the
affairs of the company."
This resolution was signed by Mr. Hudson, the chair-
man of the company.
The CHAIRMAN asked whether the committee was to
be denominated by the directors or the shareholders?
Mr. RICHARDSON replied that the nomination of the
committee would of course rest with the shareholders.
The CHAIRMAN said, under these circumstances he
did not think it prudent to enter into any statement as
which of owfouclodurbsee
eto o
ut
lhde
bem i
os mu
layn
oa gfe
am en te
puta pi
pity
yo
the es r loaurbglee
and
o f as,s eo respectable
on-sided
bt lh i en
ah ,a shouldraactconcern,
separatemeeting, after
without
being
expressing some opinion as to the object of the meeting.
He would, therefore, read to them a series of resolutions
which had been prepared for submission to the meeting.
They were as follows:-1st. That the prevalent reports
of mismanagement in the affairs of the York, Newcastle.
and Berwick Company, coupled with the insufficient
statement of accounts furnished by the directors, make it
desirable that a thorough investigation should be made
both into the past management of this company and into
the present state of its affairs. 2d. That the property
of this company will never bear its proper value in
the market until such an investigation has been
made by parties unconnected with the present directors.
3d. That such inquiry will have the twofold advantage
of silencing the injurious reports abovementioned, if
groundless, and putting an end to the mismanagement,
if proved to exist. 4th. That this meeting has heard
wtoi meet the
this day, that the directors are disposed
the views of the shareholders in respect to the
investigation,
which is thought to be essential to the
welfare of the company,
These resolutions were severally proposed and unani-
unani-
mously agreed to, after which thanks were voted to the
Chairman, and the;raecting; which was very numerously
attended, brQko up.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF LORDS, March 19.

The Lon") CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack
at Five o'clock. _ _ _

The Earl of CARLISLE presented a petition in favour
of the repeal of the navigation-laws.
TRANSPORTATION TO THE CAPE.

Lord STANLEY asked if the Noble Lord the Secre-
tary of State for the Colonies had received any commu-
nication from the colonists of the Cape of Good Hope on
the subject of the transportation of convicts to the colony,
and if he had any objection to lay those communications
before the House.
Earl GREY said that be had received a memorial
from the Cape of Good Hope expressing the great ob-
jections of the colonists to the proposed scheme of trans-
portation of convicts to that colony. He held the memo-
rial in his hand, and he had no objection to lay it before
their Lordships. The memorial had been received since
the subject bad been last alluded to in the House.
OUT-DOOR PAUPERS BILL.

The Earl of CARLISLE moved the second rsading
of the Out-door Paupers' Bill. The object of the pre-
sent measure was to give the Poor•law Commissioners
power of visiting and controlling out-door establish-
ments in which pauper children were farmed, and to give
them the same authority for regulating those establish-
ments which they at present possessed for regulating
union workhouses.

After a few words from Lord BEAUMONT, the Bill
was read a second time.
PETITIONS.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition
from Cork praying that all private incomes should be
assessed to the poor-rates.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY presented a peti-
tion from Coleraine against the rate in aid. _

The Earl of ST. GERMANS presented petitions from
certain landed proprietors praying for protection, or a
re-adjustment of the local burdens, or for a considerable
reduction in the public expenditure.
PALACE COURT.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a copy of
the patent establishing the Palace Court.

POLISH REFUGEES.

The Earl of EGLINTOUN rose to draw the atten-
tion of the House to the charge which appeared in the
estimates, of 8,7001. for the Polish refugees. He ad-
mitted the Spanish refugees, and American Loyalists,
and others, were recipients of the public money; but
these all were voted as for military services
or for losses. The Poles alone were a favoured nation;
they had rendered no service, and yet they received
annually a large sum, and an additional sum was voted
for medical attendance on these Poles. If our agricul-
turists were contented, and our exchequer overflowing,
it might be laudable, on the same plan on which we
expended millions to put down the slave-trade, to
give the Poles money wherewith to incur disease
and then to pay for curing them ; but our
agriculturists were starving, and our exchequer was
empty, the yeomanry cavalry were deprived of their
allowances, and the army and navy were reduced, and
every plan was adopted to reduce our expenditure. The
great majority of the Polish refugees were lawless and
turbulent, and at the barricades of Paris, at Berlin,
and Vienna, they were to be found revelling
in scenes of anarchy and violence. He hoped this al-
lowance would cease. The Noble Earl concluded by
moving for a return of Polish refugees receiving assist-
ance from the public funds, and the particular diseases
for which medical assistance had been granted, from
March 1848 to March 1849.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was not prepared to
declare, as the Noble Lord wished him to do, that
this country was prepared to depart from the
principles of charity towards distress, which had
hitherto distinguished the policy of this country.
He must object to giving the names of the recipients of
this grant, and of the disoases under which they laboured.

The Earl of EGLINTON did not wish for the names
but of the diseases.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE objected equally to
the motion. This grant arose out of the destruction of
a great national existence, which had been lamented by
all foreign nations. The Noble Earl had
stated that certain Poles had misbehaved themselves at
Vienna and Paris; but were we to punish the Poles here,
because some Poles had misbehaved themselves there?
The effect of this grant had been to withdraw the
Poles from political agitation, and he could affirm that
the recipients of this grant bad done nothing to for.
feit the sympathy and assistance of the British people.
From the time that during the first French revolution
unfortunate persons had sought refuge on our shores,
all parties had joined in giving to political refugees sym-
pathy and assistance, and he should be sorry to see that
precedent departed from in the case of the unfortunate
Poles. The greatest care had been taken that none but
proper objects should receive the benefit ,of this fund,
and he should be sorry to see it withdrawn.
Lord STANLEY did not understand that his Noble
Friend desired to interfere with the distribution of this,
as a charitable fund; but that he wished to impress
upon the Government the necessity of seeing that the
assistance given was not given to improper persons or
in an improper manner, and that medical assistance
should not be given in cases arising from vice and pro-
fligacy. After the opinion given by the Noble Marquis
that care would be taken in the administration of this
fund, he would advise his Noble Friend not to press that
part of his motion.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY thought it would
be hard to deprive the present recipients of their allow-
ances, but he hoped that no further names would be
added to the list.

The Earl of EGLINTON only wished for numbers,
and not for names.

The motion as amended was agreed to, as we under-
stood.

RETURNS.

The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL moved for certain re-
turns relating to the police force in Ireland.
The motion was agreed to, and their Lordships
adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 19.
The SPEAKER. took the Chair a few minutes before
Four o'clock.

NEW WRIT.

Mr. COMPTON moved a new writ for the northern
division of Hampshire in the room of Sir W. Heatbcote,
who had accepted the office of steward of the Chiltern
Hundreds, and in doing so the Hon. Gentleman took oc-
casion to compliment the Hon. Baronet for the zeal and
attention with which he had for a long series of
years discharged the duties of Chairman of the
Standing Orders and other Committees. His loss, he
said, would be seriously felt by those who had the con-
duct of the private business, but latterly the Hon. Baronet's
health had become so much impaired by his assiduity to
the public service that he was compelled to resign his
seat.—(Hear.) He (Mr. Compton), however, was quite
certain that the House would be no less ready to bear
testimony to the impartial manner in which the Honour-
able Baronet had performed the functions which the
house had allotted to him, than to join in an expression
of regret at the cause of his resignation.—(Cheers.)
Mr. WILSON PATTEN, as the successor of the
Honourable Baronet in the office of Chairman of the
Standing Orders, must also be allowed to bear his per-
sonal testimony to the able manner in which the Hon.
Baronet had discharged his duties.—(Hear, hear.) He
had frequently had opportunities of witnessing the im-
partial and conciliatory tone which always characterised
the proceedings of the Honourable Baronet, whose health
he was afraid had been greatly injured by his close at-
tention to the private business of the House, but the
House, he was sure, would unite with him in expressing
a hope for his speedy recovery.—(Cheers.)
Mr. BROTHERTON had also had opportunities of
witnessing the admirable manner in which the Right
Hon. Baronet had discharged his duties of Chairman of
Committees, and he must be allowed to express his con-
currence in all that had been said of the Hon. Baronet.
The motion was then agreed to.
THIRD READING.

Th© Sunderland Waterworks Bill was read a third
time, and passed.
REPORTS.

The reports on the following Bills were considered
and agreed to, and the Bills ordered to be engrossed:—
Darlington Gas and Water Company Bill—Epsom Rates
Bill—Feltwell Second District Drainage Bill.