The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-03-21
is
IcoNrrNuED FROM rouRTu pAaF.l

CONTINUED FROM FOURTH PAGE.
Since the swearing to the Constitution, the
Chambers have continued their lahors. They
are now entirely unable to resist the King in any
thing he demands but con'rive to show their ill
temper in various ways. For instance, last week. !
when the ministry insisted on the Chambers pass
ing without notice the matter in dispute, as to
the jurisdiction of the Erfurt tribunal over the
difficulty in Mechlenburg Schwern, the Cham |
bers declared by large majority in favor of the
tribunal But this i'll temper is transtory. In
all important matters they do as they are bid
This may be seen by the votes on these i'm
p0rtant laws--that on clubs, that on the press,
and that on the communes In the first many
restrictions are laid on the right OF assembling,
such as giving previous notice to the police, adj
hitting the police, heavy penalties for seditious
language, Sc in the second the newspapers
hereafter commenced are subjected to the necessity
of depositing certain amount of money with the
Government as security for their sobriety of Ian
guage daily must deposite four thousand dol
lars, and others in proportion Papers now in
existence TO be subjected to this clause
demnatiOn by tribunal for language calculated
to excite. Aud here let me say, that German
paper is little calculated to excite by any quality
except its long-windedness aud stupidity, the
sense being TO the words a grain of wheat to
bushel Of chaff. You shall hunt for it all day,
and not find it-and if you do it is not worth the
search There is but one political journal in
Berlin, which can say thing plainly, and knows
when it is said. | refer to the National By the
third law-that on communes-the electoral fran
chise is taken from all in the country who do not
pay two dollars annual tax, and from all in the
large cities who do not possess an income vary
ing, ACCORDING 10 me size OF the city, from two TO
three hundred dollars This cuts off at least one
third of the people from the right to vote
The leading object of interest in Berlin, at the
A. ~ :. - "a \ ~
Assembly of last year for encouraging the people
TO refuse the tax The courtroom is crowded
daily and a great impression has been made on
the public mind by the debates. IL is not easy to
foresee what the resultwill be. The Government
is determined to convict, but it is likely that the
greater part of those indicted will be acquitted
Verdicts of Z" not guilty. have recently been
given, in similar cases, at Bromberg Wierbaden,
Breslau, and several other places The Govern
ment is anxious for the introduction of its Star
ChGnlbey court for political offences. Several Of
the jurymen, in the case now pending here, have
petitioned the King to grant amnesty for all
past offences. The petition was fatty rejected,
the minister answering that his Majesty had
granted two amnestes already, and the democrats
behaved no better before than after
Tbe HabsaS Corpus act has iqst been promul-
gated. Its provisions are better than those or
B. similar laws ia several OF the United GiSeS. <
the law be faithfully administered, it will form
an epoch in the history Of the practice IN Prussia
Heretofore there has been none at all, but the
Government arrested at pleasure, and frequently
left person in prison several years without
trial
ministerial crisis is now pending in Hanover.
The King wishes to bind himself closely to the
policy of Austria; the ministry, on the contrary,
wishes to keep free from all engagement with other
Powers. The result may be important in the his
tory Of North Germany. An article in Hano
yer paper on the Interim at Frankfort has excited
a great deal of attention. 1t is slid toVbe from
the pen of Strive, the Prime Minister He says
that the four Kings as the Kings of Bavaria, Wur-
tembeTg, Hanover and Saxony, are called, will
never consent to the prOlongation of the Interim
unless important notifications of its powers and
nature be made. What these are he does not
say but he hints that the great States of Prussia
and Austria have taken the lions share, in dvid-
ing the power.
The preston continues to occupy the public
attention. The probability seems to be, that war
will not be commenced against Switzerland, unless
the conservatives in France get the victory at the
10th of March elections. If the result of the
vote is that the President and his supporters can
hold down the masses in France, it seems pretty
well resolved on that Switzerland must be at
tackled overrun, and reduced to the situation she
held in 1916. The complaint against the harbor-
ing of fugitives is said by Switzerland to be
mere pretext put forward for use in France The
real demand is, that the old Government by Can
tons shall be re-introduced, and the democracy
put down. The Swiss Government has long ago
offered to do all ints power to give satisfaction
in respect to the fugtives Those still in Swift
zerland are closely watched and are not permitted
20 engage IN any plots or iutrigues. There are
many more fugitives harbored in France and Eng
land. Why are not they attacked? The As-
sembles Nationqle of Paris, "a good authority on
such matters says that the attack has been de-
ferred until the 10th of March.
IN the mean time, Prussia is preparing for war
The Chambers have just granted an extra credit
of eighteen millions to meet an expected increase
of army expenses during the present year The
question, however, is still involved in mystery
The clouds may lift from it before the departure
of the next steamer Yours, &c. w b.