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abandoned by France. (See FRANCE.) With the Grand Duke of Oldenburg a treaty was conclud ed on August 28th, in accordance with which that prince renounces his claims to the Holstein succession, in consideration of the cession to him of a small portion of Holstein territory, and an indemnity of 1,000,000 thalers. With the governments of Bavaria, Baden, and Wurtemberg, secret treaties were concluded immediately after the war, by virtue of which the superior coramand of the armies of those States, in case of war, was transferred to the King of Prussia. The treaties were kept secret until March, 1867, when they were officially published. The following is the text of the treaty concluded between Prussia and Bavaria:

ART. 1. By these presents a treaty of offensive and defensive alliance is concluded between the King of Prussia and the King of Bavaria. The two high contracting parties reciprocally guarantee the integrity of the territory of their respective countries, and undertake, in case of war, to place at their mutual disposal the whole of their military forces.

ART. 2. The King of Bavaria has transferred, for

the case in question, the superior command of his troops to the King of Prussia. ART. 3. The high contracting parties engage to keep this treaty provisionally secret.

ART. 4. The ratification of this treaty shall take place at the same time as that of the treaty of peace concluded this day, that is to say, on the 3d of next month at latest.

Done at Berlin, this 22d day of August, 1866. The conflict between the Government and the representatives of the people remained unsettled in the Legislative session which began on the 15th of January. The speech from the throne, which was read by Count Bismarck, announced that bills would be brought in settling the budget, and asked for the supplies requisite for the unchanged maintenance of the military reorganization and the increase of the navy. Supplies would also be asked for the execution of the North Sea and Baltic Canal, and various other measures affecting home administration would be laid before the Chambers. The confident hope was expressed that the commercial treaty with Italy would be ratified by all the States of the Zollverein. The finances of the kingdom were stated to be in a favorable condition. The relations of Prussia with foreign powers were satisfactory and friendly. The royal speech continued:

By the Gastein convention Lauenburg has been united to the Prussian crown. It is my desire, while treating with consideration the peculiar state of things in the duchy, to allow its inhabitants to enjoy all the advantages of union with Prussia. The definitive decision of the future of Schleswig-Holstein has been reserved by the Gastein convention for further negociation. By the occupation of Schleswig, and by her position in Holstein, Prussia has acquired a sufficient guaranty that the decision can only be in a sense corresponding to the interests of Germany and the claims of Prussia. Resting upon my own conviction, strengthened by the opinion of the legal advisers of the crown, I am determined to hold fast this pledge, under all circumstances, until the desired end is attained. Conscious of being sustained by the assent of the people, I hope that the object striven for and gained will prove a point of union for all parties.

The Chamber of Deputies reëlected Herr von Grabow, President, and Herren von Unruh and von Bockum-Dolffs, Vice-Presidents, all three of whom were members of the Liberal Opposition. The President, Herr Grabow, in his usual opening address to the House, sharply criticised the language of the reactionary press, the prohibition by the Government of the Cologne banquet to the Prussian Liberal Deputies, and the measures which had been taken to restrict the liberty of the press, the voting of Government officials, and the meeting of political associations. Herr Grabow deplored the conflict between the Government and the Chamber on constitutional questions, a state of things which had now become chronic and had brought political legislation to a stand-still. He added that liberty was the only thing which could lead to moral conquests, to the solution of the Schleswig-Holstein question, which the Gastein convention had but complicated, and to the federal unity of Germany. The majority of the Chamber soon adopted several resolutions censuring the Government. On February 3d, a motion of Dr. Virchow, declaring the annexation of Lauenburg to the Prussian crown to be illegal until it had received the sanction of the chamber, was adopted by 257 against 44 votes; and, on February 9th, a motion of Herr Hoverbeck, protesting against the decision of the Supreme Court authorizing the public prosecutor to indict deputies Twesten and Freutzel, for their speeches in the Chamber,.by 263 against 35 votes. During the discussion of the latter motion the minister of justice threateningly stated that the public prosecutor, in taking proceedings against deputies Twesten and Freutzel had acted upon his order, that it was well known how the Government had determined to do in such emergencies, and that, should contradictory views in the interpretation of the constitution continue to prevail, an authoritative declaration of the king would afford the only means of arriving at a solution. The president of the ministry of State on February 19th addressed a letter to the president of the Chamber, in which he declared the resolutions of the Chamber relative to the Duchy of Lauenburg, the Supreme Court, and the Cologne banquet, to be unconstitutional; that therefore they could not be accepted by the Government, and that the Government for these reasons returned them to the president of the Chamber of Deputies. On February 23d, the Chambers were closed by a speech from the throne, read by Count Bismarck. The speech stated that, in view of the unconstitutional resolutions of the house respecting the annexation of Lauenburg, and the recent decision of the Supreme Court, the Government asked itself the question whether results favorable to the peace and welfare of the country could be expected from the continuation of the debates in the Diet, and had finally come to the conclusion, that through the course adopted by the Lower House the country would be exposed to more serious disunion,

and the future settlement of the existing disagreements be rendered more difficult.

While on the point of war with Austria, the Government dissolved the Chamber of Deputies, and ordered an election of primary electors to be held on June 25th, and the final election of deputies on July 3d. The election took place under the influence of the great vietories gained by the Prussian army, and resulted in largely adding to the number of the Conservative party. A semi-official paper of Berlin classed the new chamber as follows: Conservatives, 143; Old Liberals, 26; Catholic party, 16; Left Centre, 65; Progress party, 71; Polish party, 21; uncertain, 4; 3 not yet known. The Chambers were opened by the king in person on the 4th of August by a speech which refers, in the following manner, to the relations of the Government with the Chambers and to the reconstruction of Germany.

My Government is able to look with satisfaction upon the financial position of the State. Careful foresight and conscientious economy have placed it in a position to overcome the great financial difficulties which have resulted, as a natural consequence, from the circumstances of the present time. Al though material outlay has been imposed upon the treasury during recent years by the war with Denmark, it has been found possible to meet the expenses hitherto incurred in the present war from the State revenue and the existing balances, without imposing any other burden upon the country than that of furnishing supplies for the purposes it is bound to provide by law. I hope the more assuredly that the means required for the successful termination of the war and for the payment of the supplies in kind, while maintaining order and security in the finances, will be readily granted by you. An agreement with the representatives of the country as to the settlement of the budget has not been able to be effected in the last few years. The State outlay during this period is therefore destitute of that legal basis which, as I again acknowledge, the budget can alone receive through the law. Article 99 of the constitution ordains it annually to be agreed upon between my Government and the two Ilouses of the Diet, although my Government has nevertheless carried on the budget for several years without this legal basis. This has only been done after conscientious examination, and in the conviction, in accordance with duty, that the conduct of a settled administration, the fulfilment of legal obligations toward public

creditors and officials, the maintenance of the army and the State establishments, were questions vital to the existence of the State, and that the course adopted therefore became one of those inevitable neces

sities which in the interest of the country a Govern ment cannot and must not hesitate to adopt. I trust that recent events will in so far contribute to effect the indispensable undertaking that an indemnity for having carried on the budget, application for which will be made to the representatives, will readily be granted to my Government, and the hitherto existing conflict be finally and the more seemly brought to a conclusion, as it may be expected that the political position of the fatherland will admit an extension of the frontiers of the State, and the establishment of an united Federal army under the leadership of Prussia, the cost of which will be borne in equal proportions by all members of the Confederation. The bills required in this respect for the convocation of a popular representation of the Federal States will be laid before the said Diet without delay.

Herr von Forckenbeck was elected president, obtaining 170 votes against 136 given to the

Conservative and 22 to the Old Liberal can didates. The immense majority of the Chambr of Deputies approved the foreign policy of th Government, and showed a desire to come to an understanding on home questions, by mk ing concessions. Thus an address, in reply to the speech from the throne, was agreed upon by both the Conservatives and Liberals, and was adopted by all, save 25 votes (four members of the Left, and the Polish and Catholi Deputies). The king, on receiving the address, assured the deputies of the Chamber that the Government had never disputed the rights of the Chamber with regard to the budget. The indemnity which was now asked had, in princ ple, been repeatedly proposed by the Govern ment, but unfortunately on former occasion: no agreement had ensued. The constitution contained no article applicable to such a po tion of affairs. In the event of a recurrence of a similar state of things, he would be under the necessity of again acting as he had acted before it order to preserve the regular order in the State. But a renewal of the conflict could not take place after the adoption of such an address athat just presented to him.

The Chamber adopted a bill of indemnity to the financial administration of the Governmenİ from the commencement of the year 1962 to the present time; bills for the annexation of Hanover, Hesse-Cassel, Nassau, Frankfort, ar Schleswig-Holstein; a bill for expressing the gratitude of the country to Count Bismar and Generals von Moltke, the Minister of War (Von Roon), Herwarth von Bittenfield, Vog Steinmetz, and Vogel von Falckenstein, by a donation of 1,000,000 thalers.

In consequence of the German-Italian wur Prussia not only received a large increase of territory and population, but also became the head of the North German Confederation, com

prising all the German States north of the riva Main. (See GERMANY.) On the map which companies this article, Prussia proper (as it w at the beginning of the year 1866) is marked it black; the States annexed in 1866 are mark by small horizontal lines; the States forming with Prussia the North German Confederation are indicated by a dotted surface. The conventions concluded by Prussia with the minor States for the purpose of establishing this co federation, give to Prussia the chief command of the whole federal army, and the sole right of diplomatic representation abroad. The nexed States and the minor States of the Neth German Confederation will increase the Prossian army in time of peace to about 304,064 and in time of war to 1,000,000. As in case of war, also the armies of Bavaria, Würtemberz. Baden, and Hesse-Darmstadt, will be un command of the king of Prussia; the Prussia army, on a war footing, will consist of upwar of 1,300,000. In December plenipotentiaries from all the States met at Berlin, in order to prepare a draft of the Federal Constitution, t. be revised by the first Federal Parliament.

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