The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-21 00:00:00

KING OF PRUSSIA'S SPEECH.

BERLIN, Nov. 13.—The following is the Speech
of the King of Prussia, on closing the session of the
provincial States. After the Assembly had been for-
mally dissolved by the Minister, the Deputies were
conducted to the King's apartments, where his Ma-
jesty received them, and spoke to them to the follow-
ing effect :
"He had not, he said, thought proper to address
them in person on their first assembling together, for
if he had done so, he could only have tendered them
good advice, or have spoken to them of the confidence
he reposed in them. Neither of these courses had ap..
peared suitable to him. The word 'confidence' had
been so much abused in modern times, that he should
have felt less inclined than ever to speak of it, at a
time when the presence of the Committees was in
itself the best proof that could be given them of the
confidence reposed in them by their King.
"To have tendered them good advice would, he
thought, have been wholly unbecoming ; but now,
when they had brought their labours to a close, it be-
came his duty to address them in terms of thankful
acknowledgment. At a moment when he saw him.
self surrounded by deputies from all the provinces,
his heart felt a longing to speak openly to them. With
the utmost attention and interest, nay, he might say,
with the utmost fondness, he had, since 1823, observed
the progress and development of the provincial States,
and he had called together Committees of those States.
"Firstly, to form a central point, which was not
possible according to the Constitution as previously
existing; and,
" Secondly, to consult, noiselessly, but efficaciously,
as to what was best for the country and the national
character.

" lie was of opinion that every representative as-
sembly—whether a Communal or a Provincial Diet,
a Committee or an assembly of Commiitees—com-
bined in itself a double character, and he felt it of im-
portance that he should explain his opinion on this
subject to the members present. The States were the
representatives of their own legitimately-acquired
rights, and of the rights of those who had elected
them ; and, secondly, they were the independent ad-
visers of the Crown, of an independence nowhere else
to be found, their own independence strengthened by
the mandate of those whom they represented.

" Of this truth every representative ought to be
fully aware, and not less of the truth that he was not
to be a representative of the mere wind of opinion,
or of the ephemeral doctrines of the day. It had af-
forded him much satisfaction to recognise this con-
viction in the proceedings of the States from their
first institution ; particularly in the Diets last assem-
bled, whose proceedings had gratified him much. He
charged them, when they returned to their several
provinces, and resumed their places in the assemblies
that had deputed them, to convey his acknowledg-
ments to those assemblies.

" lie had felt desirous of addressing these remarks
to them, and at the same time to assure them of his
cordial thanks, for the spirit in which they had con-
ducted their deliberations, and for the complete man-
ner in which they had justified the confidence he had
reposed in them."
After this address his Majesty entered into familar
conversation with several of the members, who all ap-
peared to be in the highest spirits when they left the
palace.

PRUSSIAN STATES GENERAL.

BERLIN, Nov. 9.—The debates on the 28th and
29th continued to turn on the question of the railroad
scheme, which a great majority continue to favour,
though all parties look with dread and aversion to the
possibility of a re-augmentation of the Salt-tax. The
Minister of Finance, however, contended for the
necessity of reserving to the Government the power
of having recourse to the only practicable means by
which, in case of a deficit, the national finances could
be maintained in their present satisfactory condition.
He would consent, nevertheless, to submit the two fol-
lowing questions to the decision of the Assembly :-
1. is the Assembly of opinion that the realisation of
a comprehensive system of railroads, by State assist-
ance, is to the interest of the country, even if that
realisation is impracticable without a reservation of a
possible, though highly improbable, re-augmentation
of taxes, not to exceed the reduction of 2,000,000
dollars, intended to come into force on the Ist of
January next ?
2. Shall his Majesty be entreated, in order not to
weaken the effect of the reduction of taxes, to desist
from such a reservation, inasmuch as the Assembly is
ready to give a confident assurance that even without
such a reservation, the country will always be ready
cheerfully to contribute, not only such supplies as are
indispensable, but likewise whatever may be required
for the promotion o important national interests ?
Several members urged an unqualified assent to
botheN.er questions,the
and in support of this view again went
arguments already adduced in favour of rail-
-1 roads. They argued, at the same time, that the ne-
cessity of having recourse to a re-augmentation of the
' Salt-tax, could only be looked on, in the present
flourishing state of our finances, as a very remote pos-
-1 sibility ; and, should the necessity arise, other means
might easily be devised, not only for making up the
deficit, but also for realising other undertakings called
for by the interests of the State, including the entire
abolition of what would still remain of the Salt-tax.
It was urged, in opposition to the previous remarks
of the Minister, that the competency of the present
Assembly to entertain the questions submitted to its
consideration was very questionable. The reduction
of the tax, it was argued, ought to be looked upon in
the light of an accompl;shed fact, and the re• aug-
mentation of the tax could, in that case, he deemed as
nothing else than the imposition of a new tax, a mea-
sure which came only within the attributes of the Pro-
vincial States. _ .

To this the Presiding Minister replied, that the As-
sembly was not called on at present to vote either a
new tax or to re-impose an old one. No one ques-
tioned the principle that the Provincial States must be
consulted before any new tax was imposed on the
country. The King had certainly announced his in-
t:ntion to effect a reduction of taxes, from the Ist of
January next, but the King had not abandoned his
right to decide on the details of that reduction, and
was desirous of reserving the power of having re-