The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-20 00:00:00

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Prussia and Schleswig.

SCJILESWIG, March 15.

The following is the full text of the decree for
the punishment of hostile acts against the Prussian
Government in this Duchy, just issued in the King's
name by General von Manteuffel

We, William, by God's grace King of Prussia,
&c., do detzee in the Duchy of Schleswig as fol-
lows :

Majesty
AthielyEumnpdeerrotarkninf undertaking
Austria which—in b
y the contradic-
tion
raedaitcy-
htoifios'n
v‘ :oefi
Vienna
nej. sovereignet.nhaenf o t3o,rilgBh6t4s conferred
ne dGuapsot
cni
aus c andon_
isofinat:yn doetdhobryruvliionlgenatuntlheoansritytoinvatillie-
vention of Ang.14,1865, in the Duchies of Schleswit,
or in one of them, shall b
Tehopurnonisahletdy
anistemsnssoon as an act is perpetrated to put
years' imprisonment.
andidma
sa.aiiittdnhe iptfiuhoruvelrecsehcitlei
oaei
the criminal intent into immediate execution.
" Sec. 2. Where two or more persons have agreed
upon such an undertaking, without having begun
to carry it out by acts, they shall incur two to five
years' imprisonment.
" Sec. 3. Similar punishment shall be incurred by
any person combining with a foreign Government
for the preparation of such an enterprise, or mis-
using the authority entrusted to him by the State,
or levying troops, or exercising them in arms.
" Sec. 4. The penalty of three months to five•
years' imprisonment shall be inflicted upon—(l)
Whoever prepares such an undertaking by other
acts than those designated in Sec. 3 ; (2) Whoever
publicly, by speech or writing, encourages to such
an undertaking or to a preliminary act; (3) Who-
ever publicly, by speech or writing, or other mani-
festation, and in contradiction of the existing rights
of sovereignty in the Duchies of Schleswig and Hol-
stein appertaining to us and to his Majesty the
Emperor of Austria, shall declare or designate any
other per Son as the legal Sovereign or ruler of one
or both of the said Duchies.

(Signed)

" WILLIAM."

THE HUNGARIAN DIET.

PESTI', March 14.
The second address of the Hungarian Diet, re-
plying to the latest Rescript of the Austrian Em-
peror, was read in the Lower House to-day. The
document is of great length, and occupies several
columns of the Hungarian papers, but the follow-
ing will be found an accurate summary of its con-
tents :

After the introductory paragraph the address
promises to submit to careful examination, simul-
taneously with the report to be drawn up upon
common relations, that portion of the Rescript re-
ferring to common relations, and to the revision of
certain parts of the laws of 1848. The arguments
next brought forward in support of the request for
practical application of continuity of right culmi-
nate as follows :

" If the Executive possessed the right of not exe-
cuting the laws issued in the regular way by the
Legislature, of suspending their efficiency, of super-
seding them by decrees, and of keeping both law
and constitution in abeyance until changed by the
ordinary course of legislation, the Executive would
in that case practically exercise the right of the
Legislature, or the Legislature and Executive would
be de facto in the hands of one and the same power.
We believe that your Majesty does not intend to
uphold absolutism ; but such an union, even if only
temporary, of the legislative and executive autho-
rity, amounts to positive absolutism."
The address then refers to the examples of Leo-
pold 1., Leopold 11., and the Emperor Francis, who
restored the Hungarian con stitut ion unconditionally,
and passes to the portion of the Rescript in which
the Emperor, referring to his religious sentiments,
says that the Estates will not fail to see in those
scruples the surest guarantee for the constitutional
'viftfatC4 MaiiPitlib.r-Lhatavanterarreilsese holy
feelings, and were it our task to secure the rights and
the constitution of the nation for simply the exist-
ence of a single generation, we could be satisfied as
simple citizens with your Majesty's declaration. But
it is the duty of the Diet to secure such a guarantee
as may not be merely limited to the life of any one
mortal, but may be handed down from generation to
generation as a legal and unalterable basis for the
national rights."
Upon the passage of the Rescript referring to the
coronation oath the address says :
_

" By the fundamental laws of Hungary it is not
only the crowned King who is bound to observe the
laws and the constitution, but every ruler who as-
cends the throne by the law of hereditary succession
is also bound thereto before his coronation. his
obligation is not based simply upon royal diplomas
and the coronation oath, but is bound up with the
right of hereditary succession. . . . Were this not
the case it would be requisite upon every demise of
the Crown to make a fresh agreement with the ruler,
and then constitutionalism and absolute Government
would alternately be the rule. . . . By the political
law of Hungary the crowned King alone can sanc-
tion laws, and therefore, so long as the coronation is
not, effected, the laws hitherto existing are legally in
force ; intended alterations only acquire validity
after the coronation. Were your Majesty, therefore,
practically not to recognise existing laws, as new
laws can neither actually nor legally subsist before
the coronation, all basis for the diploma to be issued
prior to that ceremony would he cut away."
Referring to the statement of the Rescript, that
Articles 2,3, and 4 of the year 1848 were diametri-
cally opposed to royal rights, the address observes :
" We have already expressed our intention not to
infringe the legal right of our Sovereign, and we are
convinced that it will always be a subject for grave
consideration in the issue of laws whether it would
be advisable to curtail one royal right. But in the
department of executive power the laws themselves
settle the royal rights, and it is impossible to bring
these latter into collision with the laws To
sanction the laws is an indubitable royal right, and
the Sovereign makes use of this right when he refuses
to sanction any law that would infringe a royalright,
but it can never be regarded as a right of royalty
to veto the execution of a law already sanctioned."
The address proceeds to show that responsible
government was a necessary consequence of the
equality of rights introduced in 1848, and that the
Parliamentary form of government was in no way
opposed in principle to the Cabinet system, nay,
that the compatibility of both had been practically
proved in 1848. It says that the objections of defec-
tiveness and provisional character raised to the laws
providing for the constitution of the counties should
only terve as an incentive to improve those laws by
means of the Legislature, but presented no valid
oTound for not retaining them until they were im-
proved. The request for the constitution of thelliet,
adds the address, referred not merely to districts
be-
longing directly to Croatia, and therefore inedttiriel(citilsy_
to the Hutwarian, but also to such aso
da
dt the
erses-,
puted parts of Hungary, oh which
quest to that effect, containedin theic g
former
is repeated here.
that " what our entreaties
'iwern
With reference to the amnesty,
the hope is expressed
ulse of your Majesty's paternal heart will carry
were not able to obtain from your Majesty, the im-
into effect at the earliest possible period."
The address closes in the following terms
Again we entreat your Majesty to relieve us
and the entire country from the oppressive apprehen-
sion, that should the practical recognition of con-
tinuity of right not take place, all to which we now
agree after serious consideration, and possibly with
many sacrifices, should be built upon a foundation
capable of becoming at some future period insecure.
We place our confidence solely in your Majesty's
paternal heart. From your Majesty's sovereign
wisdom alone we hope such a guarantee for our con-
stitutional life as may restore to our hearts the be-

iftrwralev%ta.==3;---the common
King and people will exist, legally and actu-
aid in the remote future, so long as the coin.
of both replaces it with no other work."

Agricultural Prospects.

Last week opened with a favourable day, breezy
(
and dry. Monday morning, with most part of the
day, was also favourable ; but some slight rain fell
at night. Much field work was accomplished on
this day; wind varying from S.W. JO N.W. On
'Tuesday the morning was very fine—too bright to
be lasting; and it proved dull at tithes, with slight
rain at interval, tinged with snow. Wind N.IV.,
thermometer 40 degs., barometer 29.40 inches. Our
advices en that day were of a various character.
From Lancashire they stated : " The weather has
Icontinued frosty, with fine drying winds, and the
fields arc now in admirable order for agricultural
labour. Vegetation has been seasonably checked,
and the autumn-sown wheat is favourably reported
of in all quarters." From the West Riding of
Yorkshire they remarked: " Our farmers do not
get to work fairly yet, as the land in many'places
is' still very wet. We continue to have squalls
of snow and rain with a frosty air. The seed time
will be on all at once shortly, and the land all the
better for the late frost." From Northumberland
it was remarked : " Since Saturday it has been mild
and fine, excepting a few showers of rain yesterday.
The wind has varied from S.W. to N.E., and round
again to N.W., blowing at times a gale. The
weather is again cold, with snow and N.E. wind
this afternoon." From Norfolk it was observed:
" The weather during the past week has been cold
and unsettled, with strong N.E. winds." Wednes-
day morning registered 7 degrees of frost, and in,
exposed and bleak situations 10 degrees were exp'e-
rienced. Such sharp weather is not very u4nal
about the middle of March, but it must do much
good, pulverising the land where just ploughed up,
and being very serviceable in every respect. From,
the west coast of Scotland it was written : " The
weather continues frosty by night." On Thursday
a very cold wind from the S.S.E. blew all day,
somewhat indicating snow. Thermometer 3G degs.
at noon, and barometer down to 29 degs., and still
falling. Our advices from Berkshire on that day
stated : " The spring sowing is very backward,
owing to the continued wet weather. We do not-
hear much complaint of the wheat plant, the land in
this neighbourhood being well drained and not sub-
ject
to floods. All the farmers are now busily en-
gaged in the fields ; probably when that work is
finished our markets may be more liberally supplied,
but we do not expect an over-abundance." From
Warwickshire it was stated : "Weather has again
been variable during the week, some days quite
spring-like, others sharp frost with drizzling snow.
Farmers have slightly increased their deliveries of
wheat." From Suffolk, near the coast, it was
stated : " We have now very cold, seasonable dry
frosty weather, and seeding is progressing favour-
ably. From the interior of the same county :
"During the past week the weather has been gene-
rally fine and dry, with cold winds. Farmers are
busy, and seeding work is making good progress."
On Friday the wind continued to be very cold, blow-
ing from the S.E.,and it threatened rain, but held up;
thermometer, 40 deg. ; barometer, 2910 in. Spring
tillage has proceeded apace this week, much work
having been accomplished in the primest order, the
seed going into the ground in a fine state on all but
the veryheaviest soils, as these require a continuance
of drying winds before they can be worked to ad-
vantage. The demand for seed-barley has been
extensive, choice and suitable samples commanding
very high prices, and secondary sorts having also
advanced nearly Is. per bushel from their lowest
point, as these are likelyto be worked up very closely.
Where hands could be spared, wheat-thrashing has
been proceeded with, whilst the frost lasted, and the
condition may be slightly improved ; but yet these
seem to be bought without activity, and prices have
not been enhanced. On Saturday came the first
important stop to field-work during the week, a
steady rain having set in early in the morning,
which lasted to nearly mid-day. The afternoon was
drier, but the wind remained from the S.S.E. with
a higher temperature.—Mark Lane Express of yes-
terday.