The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-25 00:00:00

'4-7/

OPENING OF THE NORTH GERMAN

PARLIAMENT.

SPEECH OF KING WILLIAM.

BERLIN, Sunday.
The first session of the North German Parliament
was opened to-day, in this capital, by the King of
Prussia in person. On the right of the throne were
the Crown Prince and the other Royal princes, with
the exception of Prince Frederick Charles, who
took his place among the members of the Parlia-
ment. On the left of the throne were the Federal
plenipotentiaries, headed by Count Bismarck, in
military uniform. The Queen, the Crown Princess
and her Royal Highness's eldest sou, Prince Fre-
derick Charles, Prince William of Baden, Prince
Nicholas of Nassau, Prince Henry of Hesse, and
almost all the diplomatic body were present, and
the number of spectators was very great.
The King of Prussia, who was received on
entering with the most enthusiastic cheers, read the
following Speech from the throne :
"Illustrious, Noble, and Honourable Gentlemen
of the North German Confederation.
" I is an elevating moment in which I come among
you. Mighty events have brought it about. Great
hopes are bound up with it. I thank Divine Provi-
dence, which brought Germany towards the object
desired by her people along roads we neither chose
nor foresaw, for the privilege of giving expression
to these hopes in community with au assembly such
as has not surrounded any German prince for
centuries. Relying upon this guidance, we shall
attain that object all the earlier, the clearer we
recognise, looking back upon the history of Ger-
many, the causes that have led us and our fore-
fathers away from it.
" Formerlypowerful, great, and honoured, because
united and guided by strong hands, the German
empire did not sink into dissension and weakness
without both its head and its members being in
fault. Deprived of weight in the councils of
Europe, of influence over her own history,
Germany became the arena of the struggles of
foreign Powers, for which she furnished the blood
of her children, the battle-fields, and the prizes of
combat. But the longing of the German people for
what it had lost has never ceased, and the history
of our time is filled with the efforts of Germany and
the German people to regain the greatness of their
past. If these efforts have hitherto not attained
their object—if they have only increased dissension
in place of healing it, because, people allowed them-
selves to be deceived by hopes or reminiscences as
to the value of the present by ideals as to the im-
portance of facts—we recognise therefrom the neces-
sity of seeking the union of the German people in
company with facts, and of not again sacrificing
what is within our reach to what we may desire.
" In this sense the allied Governments, in accord-
ance with former accustomed practice, have agreed
upon a number of defined and limited but pratically
important arrangements, as immeiliately possible as
they are undoubtedly requisite. The draft of the
Constitution that will be laid before you asks from
the independence of individual States, for the benefit
of the whole, only such sacrifices as are indispensable
to protect peace, to guarantee the security of Fede-
ral territory, and the development of the prosperity
of its inhabitants.
" I have to thank my allies for the readiness with
which they have met the requirements of the com-
mon fatherland. I express this gratitude with the
consciousness that I, too, should have been found
ready to display the same devotion to the general
welfare of Germany, if Providence had not placed
me as heir to the Prussian Crown, at the head of
the most powerful State of the Confederation, and
for that reason the one called to the leadership of
the commonwealth. I feel myself, however, strong
in the conviction that all the successes of Prussia
have been at the same time towards the restoration
and elevation of German power and honour.
" Notwithstanding the general readiness, and
although the mighty events of the pest year have
convinced all men of the indisputable necessity of
reconstructing the German Constitution--thus ren-
dering the public mind more favourably inclined
towards such a measure than it was previously and
perhaps might be at a Teter period again—we have
anew perceived during the negociations how difficult
is the task of attaining complete unanimity between
so many independent governments, which have also

in their concessions to bear in mind the views of
their separate estates. The more, gentlemen, you
realise these difficulties the more carefully I am
convinced you will bear in mind, in your examina-
tion of the draft, the heavy responsibility of the
dangers to the peaceful and legal execution of the
work that has been commenced which might arise
if the agreement arrived at with the governments
upon the bill now laid before you could not again
be obtained for the alterations demanded by the
Parliament. The point of supreme importance at
present is not to neglect the favourable moment for
establishing the building ; its more perfect com-
pletion, then, safely remains entrusted to the sub-
sequent combined co-operation of the German So-
vereigns and races.
" Regulation of the national relations of the
North German Confederation towards our brothers
south of the Maine has been left by the peace tree-
ies of last year to the voluntary agreement of bath
parties. Our hands will be openly and readily ex-
tended to bring about this understanding as soon as
the North German Confederation has advanced far
enough in the settlement of its constitution to be
empowered b conclude tre:Aies. The preservation
of the Zollverein, the common promotion of trade,
and a common guarantee for the security of Ger-
man territory, will form fundamental conditions of
the understanding which it may be foreseen will be
desired by both parties.
" As the direction of the German mind generally
is turned towards peace and its labours, the Confe-
derate Association of the German States will mainly
assume a defensive character. The G:..Ttnan move-
ment of recent years has borne no hostile ten-
dency towards our neighbours, no striving after
butielas broad arisensolelyfrom the necessity
domains from the Alps to
the sea affording th
the fundamental conditions of political
progress which._the march of development in former
centuries has impeded. The German races unite
only for defence, and not for attack, and that

their brotherhood is also regarded in this light by
adjacent nations is proved by the friendly attitude
of the mightiest European States, which see Ger-
many, without apprehension and envy, take pos-
session of those same advantages of a great political
commonwealth which they themselves have already
enjoyed for centuries. •

It, therefore, now only-depends upon us—upon
our unity and our patriotism—to secure to entire
Germany the guarantees of alukuye in which, free
from the danger of again falling into dissension and
weakness, she will be able to further by her own
decision her constitutional developtient and pros-
perity, and to fulfil her peace-loving mission in the
council of nations. I trust in God that posterity,
looking back upon our common laboura, will not say
that the experience of former unsucceosful attempts
has been useless to the German people ; but that, on
the other hand, our children will thankfully regard
this Parliament as the commencement of the unity,
freedom, and power of the Germans.
" Gentlemen,—All Germany, even beyond the
limits of our Confederation, anxiously awaits the
decisions that may be arrived a here. May the
dream (4 centuries, the yearning and striving of the
youngest generations, be realised by our common
work. In the name of all the allied Governments,
in the name of Germany, I contidentlycalolutupthone
you to help us rapidly and safely to carry
an
great. national task. And may the
abcelessing of
accompanyGodd,
upon which everythiug depends,
promote the patriotic work."
Three times during the delivery of the Speech his
interruptel by loud cheers. At the
Majesty was
e bc
ol awr
ee
dd
the Parliament to be open. agrctkhetdi
conclusion of the Speech Cotriinliteßlicsimn
three times to the Assembly, and quitted the hall
amid great enthusiasm.
A spectator in ny.
the hall died during the ceremo

The good_serviee pension vacant by General
Balders's appointment to the colonelcy of the 17th Lancers
y
will be eonft mod on Colonel T. J. Deverell, of the 77th
Regiment, who has been nearly 4„5 ears in the army, and
has served much abroad.—Army -and Wary-Gazette.