The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-07 00:00:00

THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 7, 1848.

fulfilment;although it was obstructed rather than helped
forward by the three cabinets which in turn rapidly
arose. Plwed under the necessity of substituting, for
the project of constitution, drawn up in a popular point
of view by the Camphausen Ministry, the one agreed to
by the Committee appointed to prepare the draft, we
had succeeded by our labours in the sections, and central
sections, in rendering the latter project ripe for discus-
sit nin the plenary sitting. The bills relating to com-
munal laws, and to those of circles and districts, were
also in a short time prepared for the consideration of the
Assembly, although the latter Bills, up to the present
period, have not been presented by any Minister. In the
same way we prepared the law relating to the lane'-tax,
the object of which law is to put an end to the inequality
of taxation in the provinces, and the burdening of the small
rather than the large landed proprietor. The discussion,
in Pen°, of that project of law was recently ended, i n the
days of our oppression (by the military). The Na!iunal
Assembly is now busied with a law for the removal of
the burdens on the landed property of the peasant
class. The consciousness of the solemn earnest-
ness of its mission became more and more de-
veloped in that Assembly. The resolution of 7th of
Sept. on Herr Stein's motion evinced at once its de-
termination to preserve its own dignity, and at length to
commence the reform of the class of army officers who
were standing beyond the influence of the law of the
now order of things. It was necessary to show in clear
terms to the privileged classes, to all bureaucrats, to all
servile dependents on the old military and police sys-
tems, that that Assembly would not permit the continu-
ance, simultaneously with the phantom of a constitution,
of the old arbitrary predominancy for the destruction of
the fruits of the revolution. It was upon that account
those classes and those persons defamed the National
Assembly in all possible ways—accused it of inactivity
—raised a cry in favour of an empty and hollow form of
constitution—turned to account the political immaturity
of the citizen class, as well as its dread of the proleta-
rians (a dread altogether unfounded in Germany), and
seized upon some isolated transgressions of the law as
pretexts for oppressing by means of the ingenious device
of a state of siege in a time of profound tranquillity, the
freedom of the press and of association—liberties gained
at the price of blood. In order to mislead the provinces,
those parties pointed to a few excesses (unavoidable in
moments of strong excitement) as proofs that the
Assembly was overawed. Meantime, more thickly than
ever, and with an increasing waste of the public money,
was the military network drawn around the peaceful
capital. But when the Assembly, during the discussion
of the fundamental laws, again manifested its firm deter-
mination to cause the fruits of the revolution to be ap-
preciated—when it sets its hand on the feudal rights,
abolished nobility, titles, and orders, and when it di-
rected its attention to oppressed Vienna—the reaction-
ary party considered it was high time to set aside that
Assembly, in order to annihilate the hopes of the people
—hopes which in a few moments would have been
realised. Then it was that military force came forth,
undisguised, under a Brandenburg Ministry. And now
what are the deeds of this man in power? The arbi-
trary removal and adjournment of the Assembly; the
frequent and violent breaking up of its sittings at the
point of the bayonet; the conferring of the dictatorship
on Wrangel; the placing Berlin in a state of siege
whilst that capital was peaceful; the dissolving and
disarming of the civic guard; the destruction
of the liberty of the press and of association, and the
violation of the law for the protection of per-
sonal liberty (the Habeas Corpus Act). Such,
we repeat, are his deeds. But we, your representa-
tives, have, to the utmost of our power, opposed the
existing despotism. Step by step have we followed the
measures of this Ministry, and declared them illegal.
As the last resource of passive resistance, the National
Assembly deprived this Cabinet—one lying under the
charge of high treason—of the right to raise taxes, or to
dispose of the funds of the State. Whilst thus acting,
however, we frequently offered the hand of conciliation
for terminating tho conflict, and our only demands were
the change of Ministry, and the uninterrupted conti-
nuance of our discussions in Berlin. All this was in vain!
Now that the regular assembling of the representatives
of the people is prevented by unlawful force, the Go-
vernment convene Deputies (who betray their mission)
to a meeting in Brandenburg, which is in every respect
an illegal one. The Government forget, perheps, that
all the decisions of a minority are null and void; that
even the increase of the present small number of
Members assembled in the above town would not
in any way legalise the meeting, inasmuch as the
bayonet would still remain its only basis. Taking
matters at their worst, should the Government dole out
to, that is to say force upon, the country a constitution
—such a constitution will be perfectly invalid. One of
the acquisitions of the month of March, is the provision
that the constitution shall be founded only with the co-
operation of the chosen representatives of the people.
Now we who here in Berlin form the national consti-
tuent assembly are above those representatives. Any
dissolution of that assembly is illegal, and on that ac-
count invalid. The National Assembly solemnly pro-
tests against all the acts of a government which, by its
military arrangements, causes a weekly waste of millions
of thalers of the state funds—and all for the subjugation
of the nation. It solemnly declares also, that, without
any reference to the non-payment of taxes (a measure
already voted), that ministry has not the right to dispose,
after January 1, 1849, of one pfenning, as we have not
yet voted the budget. Fellow-citizens, wait courageously
alittle longer, and drive all selfishness from amongst you,
and temper your moral power, which, in the end, will
put down the lawless conduct of your oppressors. Long
life to freedom! Long life to Fatherland!
On the other hand, the minority who support the
KING and the Ministers have addressed their coun-
trymen in the following proclamation
TO THE COUNTRY.
" BRANDENBURG, DEC. 2.—We have already, during
these eventful times, addressed our words to you, inha-
bitants of our Prussian State. You approved of those
words, and results have justified them. Trust to us
once more, for confidence and unity can alone save our
Fatherland.
" The portion of the National Assembly which op-
posed the transfer to Brandenburg—a transfer resulting
from necessity—continued for some time its meetings,
regardless of the schism and confusion into
which it thereby plunged the country; nay, it went so
far as ultimately to decree the refusal of taxes,' and
thus coupled a question of public interest with that of
politics.
" The people replied to this ignoble and illegal pro-
ceeding as became a thinking people, who know how to
respect laws and national interests. Worthy of that
fidelity which shines in its history, and the maintenance
of which is a necessity for all noble spirits in times of
calamity—it has risen for its King.
" We, on the other hand, assembled at Brandenburg
upon the 27th, in compliance with and in virtue of the
Royal decree of adjournment. We came here in the
hope that the preceding interval would have calmed
men's passions, and induced them to quit the
path they had followed. We confidently trusted that the
voice of the country, which pointed out the peril, would,
on reflection, have arrested their rash steps on _the
borders of the abyss to which they had brought their
Fatherland. We thought that it might be possible to all,
profittiug by the past, and mindful of the dangers we
had overcome, might be strengthened by unity and pro-
ceed rapidly to the completion of our constitutional
labours, ve hereby the cravings of the people, who eagerly
await a solution, night be satisfied. We hoped, through
the consolidation of our new institutions, to restore that
confidence and peace which are essential to the fructi-
fication of those rich sources of prosperity whose bless-
ings, participated in by citizen and peasant, by artizan
and operative, would have rendered them more pros-
perous than ever, and shed new lustre and increase upon
commerce, industry, arts, sciences, and charitable insti-
tutions; in a word, its benefits would have been dif-
fused through all things and classes, whereby our country
had become so prominent, and can still be so again.
" The path was open to the adverse party. The de-
cision of the Frfinkfort Assembly, the judgment of our
universities and most eminent tribunals, and countless
addresses, had spoken in favour of the rights of the
Crown, and placed the force of fact upon its side. Sap-
posing this not to have been admitted by the others, it
was easy for them to have proclaimed their opinion
publicly to the nation, and then, without compromising
themselves as to the future, to have joined to those who
obeyed the decree of adjournment on the 9th, and the
re-assembly on. the 27th at Brandenburg; for the wel-
fare of the land does not consist in retrogression, but in
progress. Such, according to the lessons of history, has
been the case upon innumerable occasions. In this
manner all men should conduct themselves, to whom the
interests of the whole are dearer than the triumph of
individual legal subtleties; and who, in eventful times,
when all things totter, are convinced that self.abnegation
is a moral duty, which the country earnestly demands,
and for the fulfilment of which each man is responsible
before the judgment-seat of the Almighty. Iu this
manner, one man—Bornemann—whose absence from
among us we for a time deplored, did conduct himself;
and it is to be regretted that others did not follow his
example.*

" Such, however, has not been the case. On the
contrary, after we met daily from the 27th to the 30th,
in incomplete numbers, there suddenly appeared, upon
the Ist December, a considerable portion of those who
had hitherto been absent, with the declaration put for-
ward by their foreman, that they had come on the in-
vitation of their President, Unruh, elected during the
adjournment (between the 9th and 27th); and that the
latter, together with the two vice-presidents, would have
appeared had they not been engaged in convoking mem-
bers who might still be absent, but that this convocation
would be completed upon the following Monday.
"Immediately after this, it was proposed (by that
party) to adjourn the house until that day. The Cham-
ber had no sooner negatived this proposition than the
whole of the members composing this fraction quitted
the chamber, and thereby left those who remained in
sufficient numbers for business, so that the definitive
election of a President could not be completed.
"It clearly results from this declaration that the
members eho had remained absent continued firm in
their uncompromising opposition to the Government,
that they were resolved to adhere to their illegal acts
and elections (of President and Vice-President) be-
tween the 9th and 27th November, and that they had
not come to Brandenburg on the convocation of the
Crown, but held the invitations of their assumed Presi-
dent Unruh to be alone valid. The result of this is an
open declaratio❑ of hostility to the Crown, the setting
up of civil war in the Cathedral of Brandenburg, and
the establishment of an Unruh Government, against that
of his Majesty Frederick William IV.
" Inhabitants of Prussia ! At the call of the King
you sent us to `concord' a constitution, and with
him to lay the foundation of a work of unity, peace,

* Bornetnann, ex-Minister of Justice, joined the Left,
but appeared at Brandenburg on the 27th or 28th, and
stated that he felt it his duty to sacrifice his own convic-
tions upon the altar of his country, and in favour of
unity and public tranquillity.

and real popular liberty. Judge for yourselves, what
are the obstacles that prevent the tulfi!mcnt of our
anti( s.

" Men and youths ref our fatherland ! We have 8.)--
ready addressed to you these words—' Should seh;,;;La
burst forth, in despite of our heartfelt desire, we will
stand and fall by the constitutional monarchy!' That is
our banner! Rally with us round this batinr. Show
yourselves worthy of German fidelity and of liberty!"..._
(Signed by ninety-one members.)
A regiment of Guard Landwehr, composed wholly
of Pomeranians, entered Berlin on the 2d, and were
marched by their Colonel, the Prince of Prussia, to
the palace, where they are quartered. The KING, and
the Ministers are said to be in a state of the utmost
perplexity.

At a Meeting of the Members of the majority of
the Assembly, held on the Bd, they decided-1. That
they should consider and declare the vote of adjourn-
ment until Thursday to be null ; 2. That they having
at length been summoned by their President 11/41RUH
to meet at Brandenburg, should obey this summons ;
and 3. That they should, as proposed on Friday, as-
semble to morrow (Monday), and proceed at once to
open the sitting at the Cathedral.
Cologne was, on the night of the 2d, the
scene of a gross outrage committed by the
military. A soldier who had been drinking
at a small public-house, being unable to pay
his score had his side arms taken from him and de-
tained. His comrades returned to the barracks for
the purpose of obtaining assistance, and the whole
body, armed with sabres, assembled in the street and
attacked the house, and mounted on the roof itself.
" Long live Frederick-William" wasp engraved by
sabres on the plaster. The windows and door of the
house were driven in by sabres. Even in the street
nobody could move about without being struck with
lime, stones, and such matters. It is said that four
soldiers were wounded, one of them so badly us to
require being sent to the hospital. Even after the
restoration of quiet, one of the watch, who was
passing that way, received a serious wound from a
stone. The guard was soon on the spot to drive away
the soldiers.

AUSTRIA.
Several of the Liberal members of the Austrian
Diet assembled at Kremsier, have submitted to the
Assembly the following plan for a new constitution
of the Austrian Empire :
" As from many quarters numerous erroneous views
have been attributed to us as the object of our efforts ;
as it has been sought chiefly by the members of the
retrograde party to render us suspected, by representing
us as the representatives of other nationalities, as the
opposers of the equality of all nationalities, and as wish-
ing to secure a preference to the German elements
therein ; so do we hold ourselves bound in duty to lay
before you, shortly, our principles relative to the new
state of things in Austria. Our endeavours have had for
their object, in the first place, the perfect development of
the democratic principle ; but herein we repudiate all re-
publican tendencies, as it is our most fervent conviction,
from the peculiar construction of the Austrian states, the
most extensive development will be best secured by a de-
mocratic monarchy. But the necessary consequences of
these democratic principles are the equality of all men,
and the possession of equal rights to all nationalities.
And this we maintain to be possible only where, so far
as they can be made compatible with the existence of a
strong central power, every nation obtains its own ma-
nagement and laws, and where the members of one
country shall not be allowed, without the most urgent
necessity, to interfere with the internal management of
another. It is with a view to the emission of these
principles that we put forth the following programme for
a powerful Executive for the countries of Austria who
take part at this Diet:—
" 1. That the following Austrian countries, taking
part at this Diet, be united into one Federative State,
consisting of the five National States hereafter men-
tioned; that is to say--Polish Austria, Czechisch Aus-
tria, Selavonian Austria, German Austria, and Italian
Austria.
" These States will be formed as follows:
" (a) POLISH AUSTRIA, from Galicia, Cracow, and
Buknwina. The official language to be Polish and
Ruthenish.
" (6) CZECHISH AUSTRIA.—The Czechisch portion,
from Bohemia and Moravia, and the Tschener boundary
of Silesia. The official language to be Czehisch.
" (C) SCLAVONIAN AUSTRIA.--FrOM Krain to that
portion of the Klagenfurth border lying on the left of
the Draunser, from Carinthia and the Sclavonisch por-
tion, and from Steyermark and Gots. Official language
to be Sclavonish.
" (d) GERMAN AUSTRIA .—From Lower and Upper
Austria, Salzburg, North Tyrol, Vorarberg ; from Ca-
rinthia to the Villacher border, from Silesia to the
Troppau border, and from the Klagenfurth border to
the Drau, and the German part of Steyermark, Bohemia.
and Moravia. Official language to be German.
"' (e) ITALIA)! AUSTRIA.--From the South Tyrol,
Istria, Dalmatia, Trieste, and the Italian portion from
Garz. Official language to be Italian.
" ' N.B. 1. In laying down the border line the prin-
ciple to be considered is, that the smallest possible num-
ber of the members of one nation shall be included
within the borders of another.
" N.B. 2. Should any other part not represented at
this Diet be desirous of being so, they may be so if the
thing be possible; that is to say, Croatians and Slavo-
nians may he taken in the State of Slavonian Austria.
"' 2. As regards the executive department of some of
the national States.
" The general executive is placed in the Monarch,
who issues his orders through the Secretary of State's
office, who is answerable to the Parliament of the States.
The Secretary of State's department shall consist, in
addition to the first Secretary of State, who also stands
in the place of the Monarch, when he is absent, of the
Secretaries of State of the Home Department, of Justice,
of Instruction, of Worship, of Finance,
Sand of Agri-
culture.
" The Legislative Power, so far as it does not come
within the boundaries of the Central Power, are bound
to obey the Parliament, and will be elected by it, either
by direct vote or by universal suffrage.
" To the Parliament, also belongs, as of right, the
allowance of all taxes to be imposed for the necessities
of the States, and those for the establishment of States.
To the Monarch belongs a suspension veto against the
resolutions of Parliaments. In each State there shall
be a supreme court of judicature.
" 3. From the Central Power the reservations are—
"' The Foreign affairs, army, toll-post, railway, and
trade matters, shipping, and States taxes, and banking
affairs. The executive power is exercised by the Mo-
narch, through a Ministry responsible to the Senate,
consisting of President Minister, the Ministers of Fo-
reign Affairs, of War, of Public Works, of Trade, of
General Finances, and so many Ministers without port-
folios as there aro States—one for each State. The
legislative power is exercised by the Senate, who will be
elected partly through direct votes of the body of the
people and partly by vote from the Parliament. To
these belong also the granting and maintaining the budgets
of the Central Power. A suspension veto belongs to the
Monarch against the resolutions of the Senate.
"'For the disputes of the States with each other, and
for the impeachment of a Minister, a supreme court of
judicature shall be established.
"By means of this proposition, we believe that, at the
least, the equal rights of all nationalities will be assured,
because thereby any one amongst them, who is now vir-
tually excluded from the service of the Central power,
will be able to attain it by means of the use of his
mother tongue. Also do we remark that, as regards the
settlement of the sphere within which any State shall act,
and of the Central Power thereof, we have only given a
sketch, to which such modifications as may be required
can be easily determined on.'"
WINDISCHGR kTZ, in direct violation of the laws of
war, has caused the Hungarian General TEVANRA,
who came in the character of an Envoy to the
Austrian camp to treat for peace, to be arrested and
conveyed as a prisoner to Vienna. Kosslenr, as a
measure of retaliation, has caused all the Austrian
officers who have expressed a desire to leave the
Hungarian army to be placed under arrest. The
Hungarians have made the most extensive prepara-
tions for defence, and Presburgh has been so well
fortified that WINDISCHGRATZ and JELLACHICH have
been seriously 'deliberating as to the propriety of
altering their point of attack. The fact is they fear
a defeat at Presburgh, for not only is the city
strongly fortified, but as the inhabitants have ploughed
up all the land for two miles round it, WINDISCH-
GRATZ Rill experience. the utmost difficulty in
mancauvring his troops and bringing up his artillery.
A letter from Vienna of the 30th ult., states that
don the day before news had been receive direct from
Transylvania, with which province communication
had been intercepted for a considerable time. The
General who commands in that province has, it ap-
pears, established a series of posts on the boundary of
Hungary, arid which are connected by means of mili-
tary piquets. We also learn that the different races
which inhabit Transylvania for instance, the Scla-
vonians, the Magyars, the Bulgarians, the Servians,
the Germans, the Wallachians, &c., are fighting the
one against the other, and that unhappy country is
the prey to murders, robberies, incendiaries, and
other outrages. The Magyars in defending them-
selves occasioned great destruction of property which
will require many years and millions of money to
repair the loss. The south of Hungary is inundated,
the course of many rivers have been turned or barri-
caded, roads have been destroyed, and bridges have
been broken through, &c. The Magyars have erected
fortified works on all the roads which remain.
VIENNA, DEC. I.—The Wiener Zeitung of this
day officially contradicts the often repeated assertion
that the Hungarian regiment of infantry had intended
to desert on the Gallician frontier to the Magyars,
and had consequently been disarmed and conveyed to
Brunn under charge of a strong detachment of
cavalry.
The Minister of War asserts that, on the
contrary, that regiment has nobly withstood the
reiterated attempts that have been made to seduce it
from its oath of fealty.
The EMFEROR has sent Baron JELLACHICH a very
flattering letter of thanks for his conduct of affairs
since his nomination to the Banat of Croatia, and
more particularly during the late trying events. His
MAJESTY has at the same time transmitted to the
B:sn the insignia of the Grand Cross of Leopold.
The Ban has now quitted Vienna for the army, and
Prince WINDISCHGRATZ is already at Presburg.
Each railway train brings large arrivals of troops,
artillery, pontoons, &c., from Bohemia and Moravia,
which go off again instanter by special carriages for

Hurrgary. Some accounts from Hungary lead to the
co:ofident expectation that the crisis there may ter-
minate more quickly than there was at first any
cause to hope.
The Silesian Gazeite of yesterday says, however—
' " The far distant rolling of the thunder of the cannon,
which has this day reverberated from the Hungarian
frontier, announces that Hungary has commenced a
new era in her history bathed in blend, and that the
first solemn hour, which shall decide the fate of this
kingdom, has struck."
The report gains ground that, with respect to
Vienna itself, the siege will be raised on the Ist of
January, and that the EMPEROR will then, as a mark
of renewed confidence in the capital, convoke the
National Diet in that city.
Great and general satisfaction has been caused by
the declaration, that the sittings held in Vienna on the
28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st of October are null and
void, and also by the Ministerial programme. The
Ministry is looked upon as perfectly sure, and that it
will generally have in its favour from 140 to 160
votes, whereas the Left cannot reckon with certainty
upon more than 30, and will now again be weakened
by the voluntary or compulsory withdrawal of some
of the most influential Members. PILLERSDORF has
already resigned ; VISLAND, SCHWL.RZER, and GOLD;
MARK have received votes of " want of confidence ;'
Dommorr is also expected to resign • he has married
within the last few weeks the beautiful daughter of a
burgher.
The Ministerial programme will have an especially
favourable influence on the state of finance, inas-
much as, by the energetic manifestations propounded,
the rich provinces which we had deemed lost will
now be actually more secured to us.
A voluntary loan is spoken of for covering the ex-
traordinary expenses of the Treasury. The loan is
to be 60,000,000 guilders in cash, far the repayment
of which the income of the states, and especially the
tolls, is to be applied. All the monasteries and con-
vents' estates are to be guarantees..
Vienna is still empty, and though many returned,
yet of the numerous families who quitted it, 487 are
still absent from the interior of the city alone.
Many of the students intend to quit Vienna, and
to go in a body to Munich, for the purpose of there
continuing their studies.— Vienna Papers.