The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-06 00:00:00

OPENING OF THE PRUSSIAN

C LIAMBERS.

SPEECH OF THE KING.

BERLIN, Aug. 5•
The opening of the Prussian Chambers by the
King in person took place at noon to-day. The
following is the full text of his Majesty's speech
" Illustrious, noble, and loyal Gentlemen of both

Houses of the Diet,—
" Now that I see assembled around me the repre"
sentatives of the country, my heart impels me t°
express first of all from this place my own and la
people's thanks for God's gracious goodness, whicli,
has assisted Prussia, amidst heavy but successful
sacrifices, not only in averting from our frontiers
the dangers of hostile attack, but in enabling the
army of the country, by a rapid career of victory,
to add fresh laurels to its inherited fame and W
smooth the course for the national development f
Germ any.
" Accompanied by the visible blessing of God'
the part of the nation capable of bearing ar1331
enthusiastically obeyed the summons to the sacro
struggle for the independence of the Fatherland;
Our heroic army, supported by few but faithful
alliess, advanced from success to success, from vie;
tory to victory, in the east as in the west. gue
precious blood has been shed ; the country
mourns the loss of many brave men, who died the
death of the hero in the flush of triumph, until our
standards waved along a line extending from the
Carpathians to the Rhine. It will be for the Govern'
ment and the representatives of thepeople, in united
co-operation, to bring to maturity the fruit that
must be gathered from this sanguinary seed, to pre"
vent its having been scattered in vain.
Loyal Gentlemen of both Houses of the Diet('
My Government is able to look with satisfaction on
the financial position of the State. Careful foresight
and conscientious economy have placed it in a Posh
tion to overcome the great financial diffieultlel
which have resulted as a natural consequence fro
the circumstances of the present time. Altliong"
material outlay has been imposed upon the Treasul
during recent years by the war with Denmark/
has been found possible to meet the expenses hitherto
1i
incurred in the present war from the State revenue
and the existing balances, without imposing all,
'other
other burden upon the country than that of furnia'd
ing the supplies in kind for war purposes it is belle t
to provide by law. I hope the more assuredly th3f
the means required for the successful termination e
the war and for the payment of the supplies in kind'
whilemaintaining order and security in the finance'
will be readily granted by you.
t 4 An agreement with the representatives of that
country as to the settlement of the budget haarrili°o
been able to be effected in the last few years. -I-
State outlay incurred during this period is there
fore destitute of that legal basis which, as I agal,
acknowledge, the budget can alone receive tbron.g;
the law, which Article 99 of the Constitution ordaul
is annually to be agreed upon between my Govern
ment and the two houses of the Diet. Althouglir%
Government has nevertheless carried on the budg'o
for several years without this legal basis, this Pci
only been done after conscientious examination, 311
,0
in the conviction, in accordance with duty, that, 'tit
conduct of a settled administration, the fulfiline a
of legal obligations towards public creditors 3lj
officials, and the maintenance of the army an
the State establishments were questions vital to the
existence of the State, and that the course adop
titie°
therefore, became one of those inevitable neeeas
which, in the interest of the country, a Goveolll
cannot and must not hesitate to adopt.
that
" 1 trust that recent events will in so far COu t
bute to effect the indispensable understanding ttlirail.,
an indemnity for having carried on the Adnlinisiic...
tion without a law regulating the budget-4P
tion for which will be made to the representativr
tbo
will readily be granted to my Government, and
hitherto existing conflict be therewith finally 3 it
the more securely brought to a conclusion, as Fate Ea3r..
be expected that the political position of the f the
land will admit an extension of the frontiers 0
al
State, and the establishment of a united Fecierof
army under the leadership of Prussia, the costs pi-
-ode
which will be borne in equal proportions by t-111
bers of the Confederation. The bills require in
re Pore
sentation re-
thisrespect for the convocation of a popular
before
sentation of the Federal States will be laid

the Diet without delay.
entire 1'113;
" Gentlemen—You feel with me—the
therland feels—the high importance of the 1011/preo..
that brings me once more among you. 1\133"."-- ait
vidence bless Prussia as graciously inu t
has visibly blessed the immediate past. lure"
f Gsoti

grant it !"
I,otl
tlje
The Earl and Countess of Derby have t
villa formerly belonging to the late Sir Henry Web6tef
Roehampton, in order that the noble earl way, in
urgencY of public buinw, bo in tilt) vicinity of NO'