The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-11 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

The Preussische taats Anzeiger, of the 7th inst.,
has added an important provision to one of the clauses
of the Constitution. It is stated in that special law
that every Prussian, thirty years of age, and in full
possession of his civic rights, is entitled to vote for
the members of the First Chamber, provided he pays
at least eight thalers yearly in taxes, or has landed
property to the amount, at least, of 5,000 thalers, or
a clear income of 500 thalers.
Thus it appears that the KING IS already violating
his own charter. In the charter he octroyed uni-
versal suffrage ; in this provision he is modifying
it. This., fact alone shows the necessity of having
the charter concorded and not octroyed. Princes are
no more to be trusted in the year of grace 1848 than
they were in the days of the Psalmist.
As the Constitution at present stands, the following
is the number of Deputies to be elected for the Upper
and Lower Chambers in the several districts :

Lower Chamber. Upper Chamber.

Konigsberg ...
Guns binnen ...
Dantsic ... ...
Marienwerder ...
Posen . .

Bromberg •••
The City of Berlin
Potsdam ... ...

Frankfort .••
Stettin ... •••
Koslin ... •••
Stralsund •••
Breslau ... ..•
Oppeln ..• •••
Leignitz ... ..•
Magdeburg •••
Meresburg •••
Erfurt ... ..•
Munster ... ...
Minden ••• •••
Arnsberg ... ...
Cologne ... ...
Dusseldorf •••
Coblentz ... ...
Troves ..• ~.

Aix•la-Chapelle ...

Total ... 350 ... 180

FRANKFORT.

In the Parliament on the 7th instant Herr WESEN-
Dorm brought forward the following important mo-
tion :—" That the National Assembly declare that the
dissolving of the Prussian Assembly and the granting
of a constitution are null and void." The urgency
of the motion was admitted, and it was referred to
a committee, with instructions to bring up a speedy
report.
In the sittings of the 6th and 7th the following
fundamental articles of the Constitution were agreed
to :

" FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE.
" The subjoined fundamental rights shall be guaran-
teed to the German people. They shall serve as a guide
for the constitwioni of the individual German States,
and the constitution or legislature of an individual Ger-
man State shall never be able to abolish or limit them.
" Art. 1, sec. 1. The German people. consists of the
members of the States which form the German empire.
" Sec. 2. Every German has the right of citizenship
of the German empire. lie may exercise in every Ger-
man land the rights accruing to him by means of this
right. The right of electing into the Imperial Assembly
is defined by an imperial law of election.
" Sec. 3. Every German has the right of sojourning
or dwelling in any part of the imperial territory; the
right of acquiring and disposing of landed property of
every kind; of pursuing any calling that tends to a live-
lihood, and of acquiring the right of local citizenship.
The conditions of sojourn and residence are determined
by the Imperial Power, in the form of a territorial law;
thc.e attaching to the pursuit of trade, profession, or

calling, in the form or a corresponding rer;ulation-law
for the whole of Germany.
" Sec. 4. No German State may make such a differ-
ence between its own members and other Germans, in
respect of civil rights, or the rights of criminal and civil
process, as to throw the latter, as foreigners, into the
back ground.
" Sec. 5. The penalty of loss of citizenship shall not
exist; and in cases where it has already been declared,
its effects- shall cease, provided acquired private rights
are not impaired by its annulment.
" Sec. 6. Liberty of emigration is not restricted by the
State. Emigration fines (gabella emigrationis) may not be
levied. The matter of emigration is under the protection,
as it is the care of the Empire.
" Art. 2, sec. 7. The law makes no difference between
the various orders (of the people); all privileges attach-
ing to particular orders are abolished. The nobility,
as an order, is abolished. All Germans are equal in the
eye of the law.
" All titles, so far as they are not connected with an
office, are abolished, and may never again be introduced.
—Ayes, 253; noes, 170.
" No member of a German State can accept an order
from a foreign State.—Ayes, 229; noes, 193. The obli-
gation to serve in the armed forces is the same for all;
the sending a substitute is not allowed."
Art. 3, sec. 8. The liberty of the person is inviol-
able. The arrest of a person, except in the case of his
being surprised in the commission of an offence, shall
only take place by virtue of a judicial warrant, which
must be accompanied by a statement of the reason of the
arrest. This warrant must be put into the possession of
the arrested party either at the moment of his arresta-
tion, or at latest, before the expiration of 24 hours.
"In the course of the next day, the police authorities
must either release the party they have arrested, or
deliver him over to the judicial authorities.
" On putting in bail, or on depositing an amount of
caution-money (either of which is to be determined by
the court), the accused party shall be released from
arrest, provided no cogent evidences of a heinous penal
offence are forthcoming against him.
"In the case of an imprisonment, either illegally im-
posed or illegally prolonged, the offending party, or, if
necessary, the State, is bound to afford satisfaction and
indemnification to the injured party.
" The modifications of these laws that are necessary
in respect of military and marine affairs are reserved for
particular legislation.
" Sec. 9. The penalty of death, except when pre-
scribed by martial law, or where admitted by naval law
in cases of mutiny, as also the punishment of the pil-
lory, of branding, and of bodily chastisement, are abo-
lished.

"Sec. 10. The dwelling is violable. House. search is
only admissible, first, by virtue of a judicial warrant,
which must furnish a statement of the reasons of the
procedure, and which, tither immediately or before the
lapse of twenty-four hours, must be put into the posses-
sion of the party concerned ; secondly, iu the case of
pursuit, undertaken by the legally authorised officers,
with a view of surprising a party in the commission of
an offence ; thirdly, in those cases and forms in which
the law authorises certain officials to prosecute the same
by way of exception, even without a judicial warrant.
" The house search must, where practicable, take place
in presence of the inmates of the house.
Sec. 11. The seizure of letters and papers, except in
the case of an arrest or house-search, can only be made
by virtue of a judicial warrant, which must be furnished
with proper reasons for such seizure, and which, either
immediately or before the lapse of four-and-twenty
hours, must be put into the pessessiou of the party
concerned.

Sec. 12. The secrecy of letters is guaranteed. The
restrictions necessary in criminal prosecutions or in the
case of war are to be determined by the Legislature.
"Art. 4. Sec. 13. Every German has the right of ex-
pressing his opinion freely by word of mouth, writing,
printing, and pictorial or plastic representation.
" The freedom of the press may not be limited, sus-
pended, or annulled, under any circumstances, or in any
way whatsoever, by preventive measures; either by cen-
sorship, concessions, payment of caution, state-imposts,
restrictions imposed on the printing offices, or the book-
trade, or by postal prohibitions, or any othcrimpediments
thrown in the way of free intercourse."
[The insertion of the words " by preventive measures"
was carried by 338 against 17 ; and the word " sus-
pended" by 263 against 181.]
" On offences committed by the press, which are offi-
cially prosecuted, verdict shall be returned by jury. A
law in relation to the press will be enacted by Imperial
authority.
" Art. 5. Sec. 14. Every German has full liberty of
faith and conscience.
"No one is compelled to reveal his religious con-

♦ictions.
" No one is bound to attach himself to any religious
community." (This last clause way curried by 227
against 198).