power. The most imperious of laws, the safety of the country, obliged him to break silence, and to give utterance to the severe voice of truth: might it reach the foot of the throne, whence it was so often repelled by odious intrigue, and the blind spirit of party! "Since you admit," said he, "the terrible right of intervention, make at least a generous use of it; rivet not the chains of the Spanish people; deliver them not into the power of perfidious counsellors, who have dragged the unfortunate monarch into the abyss; suffer not that they should re-establish the usurping despotism, the gloomy policy, the sanguinary fanaticism of Philip II., nor the bloody executions of the Duke of Alva." He then asked, "What precaution had been taken against the chances of reverse? Would they invoke the aid of the phalanxes of the north? Woe, woe, to the nations who trust to the foreigner! Ah! the bloody ruins of Poland, the fragments of Denmark, and of Saxony, Genoa, Venice, Salsburg, Mentz, Cologne, so many states plunged into the insatiable gulf of convenience and usurpation, no less than the odious treaties of Pilnitz and Paris, have taught us to know the fidelity, the despotism of certain European cabinets." Although the speaker found means to deliver this discourse in interrupted fragments, no applause ensued; and after a short debate, the measure was carried with only nine dissentient voices against 265. After the dissolution of the chambers, the history of France was diver sified by no important events, except those connected with the Spanish campaign. In August, an amount of 23,000,000 francs of rentes were put up to sale, and were taken by the house of Rothschild, at the high rate of 89 p. 55 c., producing about 414 millions of francs. This operation was not destined, however, we believe, to defray current expenses, but to fund the large amount of floating debt, which arose out of former embarrassments. In October, the final success of the Spanish campaign was announced. It was celebrated by the court and the royalist party with almost unbounded rejoicings; and, we fear, in the eyes of a vain and giddy people, powerfully strengthened the influence of an administration, which, from the weakness of its enemy, had gained so unworthy a triumph. Of this disposition, the ministry ought to avail themselves, in order to introduce a new feature in the constitution, and to obtain a more permanent hold of the legislative body. On the 26th of December, the Chamber of Deputies was dissolved, under the full understanding, that when the new body should have been elected it would receive a proposition, by which the Deputies, instead of sitting for five years, and being renewed annually by one-fifth, should be elected for seven years, and remain during that time unaltered, in the same manner as in the British House of Commons. Some alterations were also expected in the laws regarding the rights of primogeniture. We reserve any observations on the tendency of these laws till the following year, when they will have been brought under full discussion. We shall not probably object so much to the regulations themselves, as to the system of thus continually shaking the basis on which the constitution rests, and preventing it from ever acquiring that august and stable character, which uninterrupted continuance for a length of time alone can bestow. VOL. XVI. PART I. Y The Germanic Diet.- Communication from the Great Powers.-Answer.-Dissent of Wirtemberg.-Proceedings with regard to it.-Baden.-Bavaria.— Wirtemberg States.-Hesse Darmstadt.-Prussian Constitution.-Observations. Hesse Cassel.-Petition from Holstein.-Italy.-Evacuation of Piedmont.-Naples.-Death of the Pope, and New Election.-The Netherlands. -Sweden. Russia.-Poland.-Military Colonies. ALTHOUGH Germany, during this year, was entirely exempt from open disturbance, she did not altogether escape some internal agitation. Austria still strained her efforts to restore and uphold the revived authority of the Diet. In her present position, she held herself pretty well assured of being able to carry any measures which did not very deeply in trench on the interests and independence of the other members. Through this body she sought to carry into ef fect those measures on which her counsels were now wholly intent; the suppression of the liberty of the press throughout Germany; the prosecution of all engaged in secret societies, or in plans hostile to any established govern ment; and most of all, the placing under the most strict surveillance the studious youth, who attended the different universities of Germany. The first object to which Austria called the attention of the Diet was, by submitting to its admiration the celebrated Verona circular, in which the high monarchs had laid down the principles upon which they were to maintain in Europe the system of order and legitimacy. It was accompanied with notes from Russia and Prussia, fully anticipating the approbation which would be bestowed on the conservative principles contained in this circular. "All Europe," it was said, "must at last acknowledge, that the path followed by the monarchs is equally in harmony with the independence and the strength of governments, and with the well-understood interests of nations." These pieces being read, the Count de Carlowitz, then officiating as president, proposed that the assembly should vote thanks to the courts of Austria, Russia, and Prussia, for these diplomatic communications which they had been so good as to make; and at the same time express the grateful adhesion of the confederation to the views and measures by which these powers attempted to maintain order and tran quillity in Europe. This motion was generally assented to by the states composing the Diet. Bavaria gave her concurrence in an indirect manner, and with a good deal of posed to adjourn the resolution till these three ministers could receive instructions from their respective courts, which it was hoped would be in the shortest possible interval. On the 20th of February, the mini claration. It began with many complimentary premises; after which, it proceeded" But the legation ought, according to the conviction of its court, to limit the replies to be made by the Diet, to communicating the results of a discussion, the detailed knowledge of which is yet wanting; the more so, that on one side, the majority has not adopted the contents of these communications, in the view of an answer to be made thereupon, in the name of the confederation; and that, on the other side, its attitude towards all foreign powers, founded on the objects of the confederation, seems to make it a duty to the Diet, in the circumstances mentioned, to remain at the point of view announced." We do not pretend very clearly to follow the scope of this passage, farther than that Wirtemberg excused herself from voting in the manner desired. Accordingly, when, on the 24th, the Diet passed a vote of thanks to the three monarchs, in the forms calculated to be agreeable to them, Wirtemberg declined being any party to it. circumlocution. Hanover adhered to her opinion, with reference also to its confidential communication, delivered loco dictaturæ. One minister, however, stood decidedly separate from the rest. Wirtemberg had always been foremost among the courts professing lister of Wirtemberg delivered in a deberal principles in Germany. Already, too, when this circular had been communicated to her as a separate court, she had returned a note, polite and complimentary in its general tenor, but still complaining that powers of the second order should receive in this summary manner the issue of deliberations in which they were concerned, but to which they were not admitted. In a similar spirit, the following answer was returned by her minister at the Diet:-"The legation finds itself authorized to adhere entirely to the preceding proposition and votes, in so far as they tend to express, in a suitable manner, and in the legal forms, the lively gratitude of the most serene German confederation for the important communications which have been made to it; and to join to this expression the assurance, that they render to the monarchs of Austria, Russia, and Prussia, the perfect justice which is incontestably due to them for their upright and pure intentions of placing in a complete harmony, under the ægis of treaties, the independence and strength of governments, with the wellunderstood interests of subjects, and to secure to them the permanence of order and tranquillity. But in so far as these votes and these propositions appear to suppose, in some measure, a deliberate examination of the contents of the deeds communicated, the royal legation cannot believe itself authorized, without particular instructions, to manifest any opinion in this respect." Electoral and Grand Ducal Hesse adhered to the opinion of Wirtemberg. The president, therefore, pro This contumacy on the part of a power scarcely judged entitled to act a part of its own, drew upon it the very decided indignation of the great powers. It was also complained, that undue latitude was in this state allowed to the press, and that no sufficient activity was exerted in detecting the operations of secret societies. In consequence of these grounds of discontent, the high powers, in sign of displeasure, withdrew their residents from Wirtemberg; a measure which, though they did not proceed any farther, placed them during the rest of the year in a hostile attitude towards that court. decree was founded, was the following, which certainly cuts up nearly by the roots the liberties of the German press: Soon after this incident, the Count of Wangenheim, the representative of Wirtemberg at the Diet, against whom some complaints had been made, was recalled. During the course of the year, no successor was named; and it was generally understood, that this position of affairs would continue till the powers had again returned their ministers to the court of Wirtemberg. In another way, Austria found the means of harassing this refractory" In whatever state of Germany a power. The Diet, as formerly obser- writing has been published, which, in ved, had assumed the office of general the opinion of a committee named for censor of the press, and claimed the this purpose, compromises the dignity right of putting down any journal of the Germanic body, the safety of deemed guilty of broaching doctrines one or other of its members, or the inand sentiments subversive of the order ternal peace of Germany, no appeal of the empire. The journals of Wir- can exist against the decree pronounced temberg being narrowly scanned, an in such a case, which shall be put in article was found in the "German Ob- execution by the responsible govern server," published at Stutgard, which ment." After a reluctance, indicated was considered offensive to this high by a delay of two or three weeks, the body. It contained strictures on the king yielded, and the last number of proceedings of the "Central Commis- the journal announced its discontinusion of Inquest," appointed, in 1819, ance. to inquire into all proceedings deemed dangerous to the security of crowned heads. The paragraph represented, that this commission had sat for three years, without having effected anything; that it had sought in vain for any proper objects on which to exer. cise its inquisitorial powers; that it had found nothing but a general opinion directed towards liberal and constitutional ideas; that it had poured obloquy upon associations, which had been the means of delivering Germany from the invader. But the passage upon which alone the president of the commission founded any formal complaint, was that in which it stated that "the Central Commission shewed by the manner in which it made its reports, the design of prolonging its existence." Upon these heinous words, the Diet, on the 30th of May, found ed a sentence which declared, that the "German Observer" was suppressed by the Germanic Diet, according to the authority conferred upon it by the resolution of the 20th of September, 1819, and that its responsible editor, S. G. Liesching, was prohibited, du ring five years, to publish any other periodical paper having a political tendency. The article upon which this In the present position of the great powers, the constitutions of the smaller German states stood, as already observed, on a most precarious footing. Austria professed her ready determi nation, from the moment she should be appealed to on any difference between prince and people, to pour in her armies, and decide every question in favour of the former; and she had amply proved her power of successfully carrying into effect such a decision. The first who availed himself of this state of things, was the Grand Duke of Baden, who, after long and seemingly very hard discussions with the second chamber, closed it with the avowed determination of taking his own way. In a long manifesto, published on the occasion, he laments, that a session which lasted seven months, and cost 90,000 florins, should have closed without any result. By a number of new laws he had sought to meet the wishes of his faithful states; and if he had been obliged to decline acceding to others, it was only because a sudden change of all existing institutions, even when defective, could not be made without danger. The radical point of dissension, however, was founded on the proceedings of the committee of finance. He complains, above all, of its extreme slowness, although it could not complain of any want of information or aid from the ministry. When the results appeared, the case was still worse. He admits, indeed, that in arranging the civil list, they had displayed decided sentiments of fidelity and attachment to his person. It was in regard to foreign legations, and the military establishment, that they had sought to fix an allowance which was palpably inadequate. Upon the former head, the nature of diplomatic relations was such, that ministers could not explain the reasons of every appointment which they found it necessary to make. In the present situation of the world, a trifling pecuniary saving was not to be weighed against superior political interests. In regard to the military establishment, the states allowed only 1,500,000 florins, while the Grand Duke stated 1,600,000 florins as the very lowest to which he could reduce his demand. This was said to be smaller in proportion than that of the neighbouring federal states; and without it, he could not fulfil the obligation imposed on him by the Diet, of maintaining a certain contingent of troops. It was upon this point that the final schism took place. The chamber rejected the demand of government by a majority of 1 (30 to 29.) It is perhaps to be regretted, in so critical a state of the cause of liberty, that the chamber should not rather have yielded some thing, than have brought itself into such a perilous collision with the empire and the great powers. After several stormy sittings, the Grand Duke closed the session, and immediately after, in a proclamation, drawn forth, as he stated, by the refractory spirit of the chambers, fixed the budget at what he had himself propounded as the lowest possible amount. It is evident, however, that such a course is in contradiction to the first principles of representative government; and that, if persevered and asquiesced in, it vir tually annulled the constitution of Baden. In fact, the zeal with which the Grand Duke, in the proceedings of the Diet, and in the prosecution of secret societies, forwarded all the views of Austria, seems to shew that he looked to that power as his support in the course on which he had now entered. The states of Bavaria were not assembled this year; but as their meeting was only triennial, this did not imply any intention to suspend or discontinue them. The meeting of the states of Wirtemberg did not take place till December; but the terms in which it opened, seemed to imply a perfect understanding between the king and the states. Nothing could be stronger than the terms in which this was expressed in the second chamber. "If," said they," the constitution, maintained faithfully and firmly by your Majesty, unites firmness with justice; if it developes germs which produce the happiest fruits, and maintains the high civilization which prepares for future generations intelligence and morality; if its possession renders the Wirtembergers proud of their name, and strong against the inevitable evils of time, we are eager to acknowledge, with a sincere effusion of heart, that we owe these advantages to the firmness with which your Majesty has maintained the fundamental laws of the |