The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-25 00:00:00

BRUNSWICK.

I The Legislative Assembly of Brunswick was
opened on the 19th instant by the Dux in person,
who, in a brief bnt pithy speech, declared in favour
of the unity of Germany, and expressed the hope
that the decisions of the Assembly would respect
well-earned rights and Constitutional or legally exist-
ing prescriptions.

HOLLAND.
THE HAGUE, DEC. 24.—The Amsterdam Courant
contains the budget of the city for 1849.
The receipts are estimated at ... _12.640,457 301
The expenses at ... 2,636,342 05

Being a surplus of ... 2,115 25i
By the overland mail we have received letters from
Java to Oct. 28 ; they, do not contain any intelli-
gence of importance. At Bali the Netherlands' armed
force keeps the coast strictly blockaded, and the im-
portation of opium is impossible. It is expected by
this means the insurgents will be the sooner com-
pelled to surrender ; they are now preparing for a
fresh attack.

Violent shocks of an earthquake have been felt in
different districts of the • island of Seva.—Ditich
Papers, Dec. 23.

DENMARK , AND THE DUCHIES.
The following proclamation was issued by the King
of DENMARK. OR the 15th instant :
" When we agreed to the stipulation of the convention
of the armistice of the 26th of August last, that without
priejudice to the conditions of the final peace a joint Ad-
ministration should during the armistice be instituted
for the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, which, accord-
ing to Article 7, were to be administered in our name,
we supposed that the men to whom these functions might
be transferred would consider it their duty to regulate
their conduct in every respect after the tenour of the ar-
mistice, and we hoped that thus an endurable state of
things might be effected until the final settlement of the
relations, particularly for the gteat-majority of the
population of Schleswig, which had preserved unbroken
their oath of allegiance to their King ; and therefore
had been exposed to the oppression of the former revo-
lutionary Government.
4' This supposition and this hope have not been
realised. The present Administration entered on their
functions by abusing the power granted in the seventh
article of the convention; by renewing laws and ordi-
nances which openly infringe our right of sovereignty ;
and the protest made against such conduct on the 28th
of October last by bdth`Commissaries, .in the name of
our Government and that of the Provisional Central
Power in Germany, has received an irrelevant answer.
The Administration has continued its activity in the way
before pointed out by the ieeolutionary Government, and
while persecuting every individual who, in the Duchy of
Schleswig, remained_ loyal and faithful, it has not hesi-
tated to invoke the authority of our name, particularly
in the proclamation to the inhabitants of North &hies-
wig, of the 29th of November.
"From the moment 'that the joint Administration re-
fused to comply with the piotest of the two commissaries
against its arbitrary and illegal conduct, it has been out
of, the question on the side of our Government to treat
with it as with a legal authority. The Danish commis-
sary has been recalled, and by an official note of the
25th of November, which has been communicated to the
friendly Powers, and the main contents of which have
been published, the envoy of the Provisional Central
Power has been informed of the position in which our
Government must be placed towards an Administra-
tion that continues to infringe the most essential stipula-
tions of the armistice.

" But now the joint Administration having -ventured
so far in the above-mentioned public document as to
take refuge under the shield of the King's name, although
in open hostility to our Government, and so to claim
obedience to illegal ordinances 'in the name of the legal
Sovereign, we fulfil a duty equally due to our Royal
dignity and to our people, particularly to our faithful
subjects in Schleswig, by protesting against the way in
which these men, chosen to maintain right and justice,
dare to abuse our. Royal name for the purpose of palli-
' sting their lawless conduct towards our subjects in
Schleswig.
" We cannot at the present moment, and chiefly in
the interest of the Duchies; decide upon adopting mea-
sures for discontinuing the abuse of power and re-esta-
blishing the legal state of things except by means of
negotiations. Until this is obtained, which we trust
soon will be the case, it is with deep regret that we de-
clare that there does not exist in our Duchies of Schles-
wig and of Holstein any legal authority acting in the
name of the Prince, according to the words and the
spirit of the armistice, and which our subjects are
bound to respect and obey. But is as far as urgent ne-
cessity may force them to cede to the demands of the
ruling power, we hereby give all our faithful subjects
the assurance that such forced obedience never by ns
shall be considered as an acknowledgment on their part
of the legality of the usurped power, and consequently
not as a desertion of their duties and oaths as subjects.
" While far and,near faith and laws are broken, the
inhabitants of Schleswig. beset with sufferings and
temptations, have given a bright example of unshaken
loyalty to their King and devotion to their fatherland.
This fidelity has given us great consolation in the days
of darkness, and shall never be forgotten by us when,
by the grace of the just God, brighter days rise for us
and our faithful people.

" (Countersigned)
" Fredericksborg, Dec. 15."

"FREDERICK R.
A. W. MOLKE.

HAMBURGH.

DECEMBER 22.—We learn by telegraph from
Stade, Schulau, arid Blankenese, that there is
already a great deal of floating ice at those
places. Here there is such a quantity of float-
ing ice, which has' *rimed much during the