The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-24 00:00:00

FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAINE.

In their meeting of Friday, the Diet adopted a
very important resolution, for the purpose of estab-
lishing a perfect similarity in all the customs and
other duties affecting trade and manufactures in Ger-
many ; and in order that there might be amongst all
the German states but one uniform system of taxa-
tion, they proposed that applications may be made to
the following states :—To Austria, to Prussia, and
the Zollverein states, to Hanover, and the states that
have united in its system; to the Duchy of Holstein,
the two Duchies of Mecklenburg, and to the Free
Hanse states, Lubeck, Bremen, and Hamburgh. The
object of the applications to these different powers is
to send to Frankfort men who are thoroughly ac-
quainted with the subjects of trade, customs, and
taxation, in order that, in accordance with their sug-
gestion, one uniform system of customs taxes may be
adopted for the entire of Germany.
HERR STARNIER, the representative of Frankfort,
who signed the protocol of the 4th of May, the
publication of which has given rise to riots through-
out Germany, had addressed the following letter to
his constituents, explanatory of the degree of import-
ance Ahich is to be attached to that protocol :

" A great number of persons have attached to the
iseparate
epor otthoocoo lof the 4th t
hos
ew hoa
ffio this m
affixed
ed their nh
signatures
t m u ch
tomore
;
and as it has given rise to much uneasiness, I feel myself
compelled to address a few words to my fellow-citizens
upon the tenor and the object of that document.
" The duty imposed upon the Diet as well as on the
seventeen delegates who have been attached to it, as
bearing upon the National Assembly, consisted, as I
conceive, in making every due preparation for tke pur-
pose of more completely attaining the main object aimed
at in the National Assembly, and that is, the creation
of a Germany which might be formidable abroad, united
at home—constituting with its various nationalities a
closely combined Federal State.
" Consequently, it became the duty of the seventeen
confidential men annexed to the Diet, to construct a
fundamental law for the empire. It was the duty of the
Diet, and especially of the commission (the commission
of revision) nominated by it, to ascertain precisely how
far that which was projected corresponded with the views
of the different states.

" The question of knowing if the Constituent Assem-
bi; would accept this project for the purpose of making
it the basis of ,their discussions had to be ascertained;
and, at all events, the said project was a preparatory
labour, which was to be performed by the seventeen
confidential men.

" It was not until the 17th April that the seventeen
delegates annexed to the Diet, submitted to the latter
the project of the fundamental law which bad been
constructed by them. It was then impossible to know
or to discuss, up to the time of opening the Constituent
Assembly, the views of the different Governments as to
this projt ct.
" In this state of things the commission of revision not
being able to complete a work which could correspond
with the nature of the task imposed upon them, sub-
mitted to the Diet, on the 4th of this month, in place of
a regular report, a simple memorandum—that is, the
in-
dividual labour of one of its own members ; and, in

doing so, calling attention to the fact, that it contained,
in part at least, remarks and suggestions which deserved
to be taken into consideration, and then proposing that
the ambassadors should demand instructions from their
respective Governments relative to the fundamental law
of the empire ; and transmitting to them, at the same
time, the memorandum, in order that they might take
cognizance of it. There was not in the Diet itself any
discussion as to the tenor of the memorandum. It was
merely read as a portion of the report of the commission;
and there should be, moreover, according to the usual
ruutine, an abstract of its contents made and communi
cated to the several Governments.

"In signing the protocol which contained the report
of the commission (and it was by chance that the envoy
of Frankfort, as the representative for the day from the
four free cities, was one of those who did so), no one
had the least idea that by attaching his signature he
thereby expressed his approval of the memorandum. All
that was meant by their signature was the recognition of
the exactness of the entire protocol—that which was, i❑
fact, a mere formality, and a compliance with which
would, under no pretext, be refused. Besides, the mem-
bers of the Diet, who, like myself, are not members of
the Commission of Revision, could not make a very close
examination of a report which they had never read until
it had been printed—that is, until after their signatures
had been attached to the protocol.
" I conclude by the express declaration that, in sign-
ing- the protocol, and in adhering to the protocol, and the
decree of the 4th of this month, as for Frankfort, or
rather, in conjunction with the envoys present for the
other three free cities, I have by no means declared my
adhesion to the memorandum, and that I had no motive
for making any such declaration but such as may be
found in the resolution and public declaration of the Diet
itself—that is, I testified' my adhesion to the decree as
tending to send to the different Governments in order
that they might take cognizance of it, the memorandum
which had been inserted amongst the acts of their pro-
ceedings, as making a part of the report of the commis-
sion; whilst, as far as the city of Frankfort is concerned,
there has not, as yet, been any vote given as to the con-
tents of the memorandum.

" I hope that by the statement thus made by me I may
be able to put an end to the misunderstandings which
have arisen as to my signature being attached to the
protocols; whilst I expect that in the candour of my
fellow•eitizens I shall find appreciated, with that impar-
tiality that belongs to them, the true state of affairs. For
myself I may declare that I never yet have yielded to
any of my fellow citizens in the German feeling—in a
perfect devotion to the honour and the fidelity of our
native city, as well as of our great German country."

BELGIUM.
CHANGE IN THE MINISTRY.

BRUSSELS, MAY 22.—The Courrier Beige says:—
"We are assured that M. FRERE URBAN will not
leave the Cabinet, and that the only change which
will take place there is the withdrawal of M.
VEYDT."