The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-02 00:00:00

AUSTEIA AND PRUSSIA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—As we have now wellnigh reached the end of Mr.
1866, which has all to nothing been the most remarkable
year since the ever-memorable year of the battle of 'Water-
loo, 1815, just half a century ago, as far as regards the
resettlement of European rights and boundaries, and as
you, like myself, in the war of last summer, now happily at
an end, between Austria and Prussia, sympathised far
more with the former than with the latter Power, permit
me to address a few lines on poor, unhappy Hanover, so
shamefully grasped hold of by Prussia, and which was for
123 years part and parcel of the dominions of Great Britain
—i.e., from the death of Queen Anne, on August 1, 1714,
and the accession of George, Elector (as they were then
called, for Hanover WAS not converted into a kingdom until
after the close of the old French war in 1815) of Hanover,
by the title of George the First of England, until the death
of his late majesty King William IV., when, by the accession
of her present Majesty, Queen Victoria, to the English
throne by reason of the Salique Law prevailing in
Hanover, that country was for ever separated from this
country. The odious, unpopular, but, as I opine, much
belied and calumniated, Duke of Cumberland became at
once the popular King of Hanover, and in more senses
than ono the separation of England from her continental
dominions was looked upon and was indeed a blessing;
and six years afterwards, in the summer of 1813, the ci
dim:at hated Duke of Cumberland visited this country
under his new title of king of Hanover; it was marvellous
how very much the old party feeling of the "good old
days" of 1831 and 1832 had died out, and we at once saw
him visiting and receiving at his residence at St. James's
Palace many illustrious noble lords and statesmen, with
whom he had been for many and many a long year at
variance with in the strongest sense of the word. So
naturally forgiving is human nature, and so willing in
general are people to let bygones be bygones, King Ernest
reigned nearly 143- years—i.e., from June 20, 1837, the day
of the death of Wm. IV., until his decease on 17th Nov.
1851, when he was succeeded by his only son and child,
George V., the present ex -King of Hanover, who reigned
from the above-named date until the period of his abdica-
tion last summer. Now, it has ever been admitted on all
hands that a more benevolent, amiable, and loveable in-
dividual never breathed than the ex-King of Hanover.
But as I deeply sympathise with him in the loss of his
Throne, I wish to draw your attention to a few historical
facts during the last 70 years relating to Hanover, by
which it would appear she was doomed to lose her
power during the present nineteenth century. It is
well known to all readers of history that the
late Princess Charlotte, the only issue of the late
Prince and Princess of Wales, afterwards George IV., and
Caroline, was born January 7th, 1796 (just 70 years ago)
and this most disgraceful union, which had ever been a
most wretched and unhappy one from its very onset, was
'virtually dissolved in little more than three months after
the birth of this virtuous, interesting, amiable, and deeply-
lamented princess, inlsinuch as the Prince and Princess of
Wales separated at the end of April, in the above-named
year. All hopes of future issue from the Prince and Princess
of Wales being thus at an end the English nation looked
forward to the Princess Charlotte as their future Queen,
and when, 20 years later, she became the wife of the late
King of the Belgians, it was supposed we should have had
a long and illustrious line of kings from this happy union.
Had the Princess Charlotte or her child lived, we
must have lost our Hanoverian dominions, by rea-
son of the Salique Law above referred to. It
must have been ever a loss to Hanover losing
the English Crown. On the 6th of November, 1817, the
Princess Charlotte and her infant were consigned to the
tomb, and thus all the glorious expectations which had
been so fondly cherished only a short year and a half before
were at once dashed to the ground, and the kin of the Prince
Regent, afterwards George IV., completely extinguished.
So far, it appeared, we had a chance of retaining Hanover,
for there were at that time no fewer than three unmarried
dukes, who might then be supposed (and who did actually
shortly after wards enter into matrimony) to become mar-
ried men and give birth to male heirs to the British Crown,
in which case Hanover would not have been separated, as
she afterwards was, from the British dominions. The en-
tire contrary, however, proved to be the fact. From the
two unions celebrated at Kew on the 11th of July, 1818,
viz., the Duke and Duchess of Clarence, afterwards
William IV., and Queen Adelaide, and the Duke and
Duchess of Kent, the parents of our present Queen,
sprang daughters only. Queen Adelaide's two daughters,
Elizabeth and Charlotte, both died in their infancy; but,
nevertheless: had either of them lived, Hanover must have
been separated from England and Ireland. One daughter
only was the issue of the marriage of the Duke and
Duchess of Kent, our present most gracious Majesty, and
thus for wellnigh thirty years has Hanover ceased to b e
part and parcel of the British territories. And now, in
descendants of the Princess Sophia, Duchess Dowager and
less than thirty years, Hanover has passed away fro the
Electress of Hanover, it is to bo feared, for over. Thus
end as I sot out, with saying it seemed as though Hanover
w
May she
Geeorergffaantedfamtoffylodseurihnegr
tphoewnefnreatenedntphass from the
recover her power as a separatecentury.aw
kingdom, and may the
amiable and afflicted King George be restored to his
throne,
is, sir, I believe your earnest wish and desire, as it is that
of your correspondent,
A LOVER OF HISTORICAL DATES AND FACTS.

THE VICTORIA CROSS.—WAR-OFFICE, Jan. I.
Her Majesty has been pleased to signify her intention to
confer this high distinction on the undermentioned pri-
vate soldier, whose claim to the same has been submitted
for her Majesty's approval, for his courageous conduct in
Canada, as recorded against his name, viz.:—Private
Timothy O'Hea, Ist Battalion, The Prince Consort's Own
Rifle Brigade. For his courageous conduct on the occa-
sion of a fire which occurred in a railway car, containing
ammunition, between Quebec and Montreal, on 9th of
June last. The sergeant in charge of the escort states
that, when at Danville Station, on the Grand Trunk
Railway, the alarm was given that the car was on ,fire ; it
was immediately disconnected, and, whilst considering
what was best to bo done, Private O'Hea took the keys
from his hand, rushed to the car, opened it, and called out
for water and a ladder. It is stated that it was due to his
example that the fire was Suppressed.

LATEST INTEL.LIGE_NLI.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

SPAIN.

MADRID, Jan. 1.

A Royal decree has been issued removing the tax
of 10 centimes imposed upon the railway dividends,
and appointing a commission to examine what other
assistance can be given to the companies, in order
to determine the bases of a bill to be submitted to
Congress.

ITALY AND TURKEY.

FLORENCE, Jan. 2.

It is stated that the Italian Government has re-
commended the Porte to grant the evacuation of the
fortresses demanded by Servia.