Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1837-04-05
CONSTANTINE REPUBLICAN.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL s. 1897.

From Europe.-By recent arrivals at New
York, Of tho packet ships Oxford and Virginia,
French papers TO the 7th and English to the 9th
February, have been received. The most inn
portant items in rather long bill of particulars,
are two small speeches--one from the king OF
England, on the re-assembling of parliament ;
the other from the queen of Portugal, on opon-
ing the session of the cortes. The Courier and
Enquirer says, the kings speech is devoid of any
very important characteristic, and observes =
1t is remarked in London as an unusual &C.
currence, that among the lstd commissioners
appointed to deliver the kings speech, was the
archbishop Of Canterbury, it not being customary
to select for that purpose any of the ecclesiastcs
having seat in the upper house. And from this
circumstance it is argued that the king is deter
mined to uphold the rights of the established
church, as claimed by its supporters-as well as
from the allusion made to it in the speech.
SIN France, the speech has excited considera-
bic sensation, not from any thing 1t contains, but
from what it does not contain. 1t has no allu-
sion to the alliance with France. Louis Phillip
pc, at the opening of tho chambers, had spoken
of the continuation of the intimate union between
France and England-and England makes no
response. This is attributed to the refusal of the
French king 10 give more cfiicacious aid to the
cause of the queen of SPAIN"
The same print also observes -
"Great preparations are making at Toulon for
he .< h. A g..
can coast. The subject before the chamber OF
deputies, which excites most attention is the de-
mand made by the ministers of endowments for
the children of tho king. Rumors Of an approach
ing change in the French ministry are very pre-
valent.
"Both parties in Spain seom still greatly en-
barrassed by the want Of funds. Don Carlos it
appears is organizing another expedition into the
interior and particularly into Catalonia, where
his partizans show themselves in great force.
Discomfort however prevails among his adhcr-
ents in the Basque provinces, at the long con.
tinuance Of the sacrifices they arc called upon to
make, without any apparent approach to ter
mination of the contest"
The Portuguese queen opened the cortes on
the Goth January, by a royal speech" She said,
at is now sixteen years since Portugal witness.
ed the meeting of an assembly so distinguished
as the present." She mentions the constitution
of 1921, spontaneously accepted and sworn tc
by her august grandfather. of blessed memory
AS matter of history and as a sample of the gov
erning capacity of modern female ruler, we ex-
tract few of the smooth sentences of this :" roy
al" production. Speaking of the call for modi.
fication Of the new fundamental law, to harmo-
nize with the principles of other European mon.
arches, the queen continues
"The promise made by my august grandfather
in his proclamation of the 3lst May, 1923, could
not be carried into effect during tho life of that
venerable monarch. For this reason the consti
tuition of 1922, though lost as fundamental law
Of these kingdoms, never ceased to live in the
memory and the hearts of good Portuguese. On
the accession of my august father to the throne,
there existed almost no hopes of its speedy re-
demption. Nevertheless, that generous and OK
celcnt prince, wishing to do honor to the memo
ry of the king his father, and to fulfil promise
of so solemn a nature, published the constitu.
tional charter of the Goth of April, 1896, which
the nation received with transports Of tho most
ardent enthusiasm. But I must not reopen
wounds not yet completely cicatrised, by calling
to your recollection the horrors of period Of
misfortuncs and crimes. His imperial majesty
at the head of a few loyal Portuguese, achieved
the most brilliant enterprise of modern times
He struck down tyranny; he restored to me the
usurpcd throne he gave freedom to the nation
delivered from oppression and after having full.
filled his virtuous mission, he assembled to the
dwellings of the just. 1t is with sin.
gular satisfaction, l now SEQ myself surrounded
by the representatives Of the nation. . y
Order, confidence, and public credit have revived
under reforming administration" Speaking Of
the finances, she remarks: MY government
will concur with you in system of rigid ocono.
my" &c. &c.
What a contrast with our own happy country
where the sovereign is the people, docs q conside
ration Of those troubled European nations pre-.
sent, where the sovereign is a monarch. of he
rcditary claims, per chance an idcot-peradven,
ture woman, with or without common sense.