The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-14 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

The following is the full text of the Prince Re.
gent's Speech on opening the Chambers :

" Most noble Lords and Gentlemen of both
Chambers of the Diet,—

"On beholding you assembled round the throne and
wishing you a cordial greeting, serious thoughts pervade
my mind. The exercise of this Royal prerogative recalls to
me more vividly than ever the cruel sufferings to which, by
the unfathomable will of God, the King our most gracious
master is still continually subject. His faithful people
unite their prayers with mine to implore the Almighty that,
in his mercy, he may restore to our King strength and
health in a milder clime.

" Gentlemen,
" Fully recognising the high importance of your mission,
I call upon you to support my Government by your intelli-
gence and devotion in the path upon which I have entered,
and which I am resolved to' follow with firmness, under the
Divine protection, and within the limits I myself have
determined, calling to mind the mission of Prussia, her
glorious history, and the traditions of our country. One of
the first duties of my Regency is to preserve to the King
the rights of his Crown in their fill integrity.
" I have the satisfaction to announce the good condition
of the country in general. In some provinces, it is true,
the results of the harvest have not answered the expecta-
tions ; but we have not to fear any where any serious
deficiency of tho most indispensable article of food, and
the price of provisions is not out of proportion to
wages. The efforts for the development of agriculture
have happily remained the same and have led to vast under-
takings for improvement, which have a claim to the protec-
tion and support of the Government.
" The commercial crisis which narked the opering of
last year weighed heavily, by its extent and unexpected
duration, on commerce and industry, but at the same time
it brought into relief the solidity of the basis upon which
both rest in our country. Most branches of industry are
beginning to revive from the consequences of the crisis
through which we have passed, and promise, under the
blessing of a continuous peace, a progressive development.
" Proposals v,ill be laid before you for extending and
completing the net of national railways.
" The Convention will also be submitted to you con-
cluded with the other Riverain States of the Rhine, in con-
sequence of the proximate completion of the bridge at
Cologne.

"There is a marked d;minution in the criminal returns
and convictions, and I look upon this with satisfaction as a
proof that not only does public morality continue to im-
prove, but also that the general welfare is increasing, and
that the existing penal laws act efficientiy. It will be the
care of my Goverrynent to institute further reforms in the
latter, and to prepare administrative regulations destined to
prevent abuses as much as possible.
"I consider it one of my first duties to devote my full
attention to the maintenance of the traditional good order
of our finances, so as to assure to every branch of the
public service the necessary means for the prosperity and
power of the country. You vi ill be gratified to find in the
projects for the Budget of the State, which will be imme-
diately submitted to you, the favourable condition of the
finances, for which we are indebted to a conscientious
Administration.

"An evaluation carefully calculated, of the receipts of
the year, and the surplus of former Budgets, will provide
the means not only to cover the expenses attending the
current wants of the Administration, and to allow a con-
tinued improvement in the salaries of Government officials,
but will also suffice to cover other new and heavy outlays.
" I therefore confidently expect your sanction to this
additional expense, which I think is commanded by the
duty of maintaining the dignity of the Crown, to strengthen
the army and navy, and to give a salutary development
under all respects to the well .being of the country.
"You as see by the Budget of the State' the unceasing
attention which I pay to the improvement of our army,
which has knows how to achieve and maintain the honour
of Prussia with unbroken fidelity and devotion in peace as
well as in war.

" There is no change in our amicable relations with
foreign Powers. Especially our amicable relations with the
great Powers have not undergone any alteration.

" In concert with the other Governments of the German
Confederation, the efforts of my Government—efforts which
have already been crowned with some success—do not cease
to strive to procure for the German Duchies subject to the
sceptre of the King of Denmark the ;all enjoyment of the
rights to which they are justly entitled by the federal laws
and the conventions concluded between the German Con-
federation and the Cabinet of Copenhagen.

" Gentlemen, when, within these same halls, only a few
months since, for the first time as Regent I addressed the
representatives of the country, I invited them to carry
high with me the flag of Prussia; that flag bears the in-
scription 'Royalty by the grace of God, maintenance of the
laws and of the Constitution, loyalty of the people and of
the army rich in victories, justice, truth, confidence, piety 1'
Whoever follows that flag, folloWs me ! Then may we glance
at the present epoch of Prussia with the same pride as on
Prussia's glorious past, and bequeath to future generations
the old Prussian spirit, which expresses itself with happi-
ness, intermingled with some sorrow, in the unanimous
shout of ' Long live the King l' "

FRANCE.

PARIS, THURSDAY EVENING.

The Moniteur of to-day contains the follywing :
—" The Emperor received to-day the reply of her
Catholic Majesty to the letters of recall of the Mar-
quis de Turgot, who performed the functions of am-
bassador of the Emperor at Madrid, as also the
letter of his Majesty the King of Denmark, notify-
ing the birth of the Prince Waldemar, son of his
Highness Prince Christian of Denmark."
Great preparations are being made at the arsenal
of Toulon. Orders have been sent to all the prin-
cipal shipbuilding ports to send ship carpenters
thither, and the railway companies have been in-
vited to expedite their journey as much as possible.