If the late negotiations with Prussia had brought about a friendly understanding with Germany, the Danish Government would have been prepared to recall the prohibition decreed in December 1858 against societies who expressly limit their action to the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Under the present circumstances the Danish Government must, however, maintain the prohibition.

The measure in question has been criticised as harsh and unjust, and as contrary to the promises which the Danish Government is said to have made in the course of the negotiations with Germany in 1851, but it is owing to a misunderstanding of the character and scope of the prohibition when such charges are brought against the Danish Government.

The prohibition only extends to societies in Schleswig who adopt, as a natural cognomen, the words "Slesvig-Holsteinisch," or in some other manner express the idea that Schleswig and Holstein form together a country for itself, separate and distinct from the rest of the Monarchy. The societies or unions treated of in the negotiations of 1851 were, on the other hand, only such as were intended to be in common for the whole Monarchy.

To permit, in the present state of things, the organization of societies limited exclusively to the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, would, in the opinion of the Danish Government, lead to the rapid formation throughout Schleswig of "separatistic" branch societies having their head-quarters in Germany or at Kiel, which town, in the event of a Federal Execution in Holstein, would no longer be under the control of the Danish Government.

The Holstein branch of the "National Verein" has, at its last meeting, shown what is the tendency of such societies. This society proclaimed as its political programme a united Schleswig-Holstein incorporated into a united Germany.

The Danish Government has, in consequence of this revolutionary demonstration, prohibited the society in Holstein.

My Lord,

No. 113.

Mr. Paget to Lord J. Russell.-(Received January 28.)

Copenhagen, January 22, 1861.

A POLITICAL Association, called the "Nationverein," which holds its meetings at Kiel, having recently adopted a Resolution expressive of their determination to use every means to bring about the political reunion of the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, and the closest relationship with "Centralized Germany,' a Royal Decree for the suppression of this Association, a translation of which is herewith inclosed, was issued on the 16th instant.

Extract from the "Official Gazette" for the Duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg.

Copenhagen, January 17, 1861.

IN accordance with a Decree of His Majesty of the 16th instant, the German National Assembly is hereby suppressed, in consideration of the Resolution taken by the Holstein members of it on the 13th January, whereby they recognize it as their special task to strive to effect the re-establishment and further developmen: of the former connection of Schleswig with Holstein, and their closest relationship with a "Centralized Germany."

In publishing this for public observance, the Police authorities are ordered to watch that the above Decree is carried out.

Ministry for the Duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg.

(Signed)

RAASLOEFF.

No. 114.

My Lord,

Mr. Howard to Lord J. Russell.-(Received January 28.)

Hanover, January 26, 1861. ON the receipt, yesterday, of your Lordship's despatch of the 22nd instant, I waited upon Count Platen, and, in compliance with your Lordship's instructions, inquired of him what would be the precise object of a Federal Execution in Holstein, supposing Denmark should not yield to the demands of the German Confederation.

His Excellency asked whether I proposed to address to him a note containing the inquiry.

I replied, that I did not consider myself authorized to do so by your Lordship's instructions, but that he was at liberty to take down in writing the words of your Lordship's despatch, if he thought proper to do so.

This he accordingly did; and afterwards he said that the question was of too important a nature for him to reply to it without having taken the King's orders; that he would accordingly adopt this course, and would then give me

an answer.

Having called upon Count Platen, by appointment, this evening, he observed that your Lordship's inquiry appeared to him to involve two questions: the one as to the object of the Execution; the other, as to the manner in which the Execution was to take place.

With regard to the first point, his Excellency said that he could only refer me to the previous Resolutions of the Diet, and more particularly to the Resolutions of the 11th of February, 1858, as well as to that of the 12th of August of

the same year.

With regard to the second point, he said he must refer me to the Regulations in respect to Executions for carrying into effect the Resolutions of the Diet of the 3rd of August, 1820, and to the still-to-be-expected Resolutions of the Diet, which will shortly be prepared in the Federal Commission of Execution.

His Excellency added, that Hanover was not a member of this Commission; and repeated an observation, which he had on more than one occasion previously made to me, that any Federal Execution would only apply to the German Duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg, and not to the Duchy of Schleswig, which does not belong to the German Confederation.

Your Lordship is, no doubt, in possession of the Resolution of the Diet of the 11th of February, 1858, referred to by Count Platen. By this Resolution the Diet declares that it does not recognize the validity of the Danish Ordinance of the 11th of June, 1854, relative to the Constitution of Holstein; of the Royal Notification of the 23rd of June, 1856, concerning the special relations of the Duchies of Holstein; as well as of the Constitution for the common affairs of the Danish Monarchy of the 2nd of October, 1855, as far as it is applicable to the Duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg; that it does not find in the Laws and Ordinances for the reorganization of the Constitution of the Duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg, and for the regulation of their relations towards the rest of the Danish Monarchy, published since the years 1851 and 1852, the observation of the binding assurances, as resulting from the agreements entered into and given in those years, and particularly by the Patent of the 28th of January, 1852, in respect to an alteration of the Constitution of the said Duchies, as well as to the equal rights and independent position to be granted to them in the aggregate State; and, moreover, that the Constitution for the Common Affairs of the Danish Monarchy is not altogether compatible with the principles of the Confederation. The Diet, therefore, calls upon the Royal-Ducal Government to introduce, in the Duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg, a state of things conformable to the laws of the Confederation and to the assurances given, and which shall more particularly secure the independence of the Special Constitution and Administration of the Duchies, and shall preserve their position of equality of rights, and to give to the Diet early notice of the arrangements made or contemplated with this view.

The above-quoted Regulations in respect to Executions are founded upon the Articles Nos. 31, 32, 33, and 34 of the Final Act of the Conferences of Vienna of the 15th of May, 1820.

I have, &c.

My Lord,

No. 115.

Mr. Howard to Lord J. Russell.-(Received January 28.)

Hanover, January 26, 1861. SINCE I closed my preceding despatch of this day's date, I have been informed by Count Platen that another object of the Federal Execution in Holstein would be to obtain that, during the provisional state of things, all Projects of Laws submitted to the Reichsrath should be laid before the Holstein and Lauenburg States, in order to preserve the equality of the rights of those German Federal countries, and that no law concerning the common affairs of the Monarchy, especially in matters of finance, shall be issued for the Duchies, if it has not received the sanction of the States of these Duchies.

My Lord,

No. 116.

Mr. Howard to Lord J. Russell.-(Received January 28.)

Hanover, January 26, 1861.

IN the conversation which I had with Count Platen yesterday, in putting to him the question directed by your Lordship's despatch of the 22nd instant, relative to the precise object of the threatened Federal Execution in Holstein, I remarked to him how uncalled-for such an Execution appeared to me at a time when there was reason to believe that the Danish Government were about to submit to the newly elected States of Holstein their proposals for the constitution of that Duchy; and I pointed out to his Excellency a passage in Baron Schleinitz's despatch of the 8th of November last, to Count Bernstorff, as published in the newspapers, in which the Prussian Minister for Foreign Affairs, in speaking of the Danish proposals submitted to Prussia through Mr. Paget, says, "The question relates to rights of the States of which the Confederation cannot dispose. Let the Danish Government enter into negotiations thereon with the States. If it obtains their consent, there will be nothing to be said against it on the part of the Confederation."

I moreover recalled Count Platen's attention to the danger of adding a new complication in the North of Europe to those already existing in the South, for it was hardly to be supposed that a Federal Execution, even if originally intended to be confined to Holstein, would not give rise to a revolution in Schleswig, or to a conflict with the Danish forces. It could not, besides, prove otherwise than detrimental to the material interests of those classes of persons in the Duchy who were at the bottom of the movement.

His Excellency replied that the Danish Government had not yet convoked the Holstein States; that upwards of eight years had elapsed since the Danish Government had promised a satisfactory settlement of the Constitution of the two German Duchies; that these promises had not been carried out; and that the German Confederation, to which they been made, could not any longer defer enforcing their fulfilment.

His Excellency, however, said that there was no wish on the part of Germany to have unnecessary recourse to an Execution, and he hoped it might be avoided; but he was equally persuaded that nothing but the fear of one would induce the Danish Government to do justice to the Duchies.

I should observe that Count Platen always, whilst admitting that the question of Schleswig is an international one, insists upon the Holstein question being a purely German question. He thinks, however, that the settlement of the Schleswig question would greatly facilitate the arrangement of the affairs of Holstein.

I have, &c.

(Signed) HENRY F. HOWARD.

My Lord,

No. 117.

Mr. Lowther to Lord J. Russell.-(Received January 28.)

Berlin, January 26, 1861.

IN conformity with the instructions contained in your Lordship's despatch to me of the 22nd instant, I asked the Prussian Minister for Foreign Affairs what would be the precise object of a Federal Execution in Holstein, supposing Denmark should not yield to the demands of the German Confederation; and I learnt from him that the precise object was, that all the laws of the Duchies of Holstein and Lauenburg regarding the provisional state of things there should be submitted to the Diet of those Duchies.

For some years, said his Excellency, the King of Denmark has utterly disregarded the appeals made to him by the German Confederation; and latterly, on the presentation of the Budget for Holstein, no notice whatever was taken of the Diet of Holstein.

I said, I presume, before the Execution takes place, there will be a summons made to the King of Denmark toconform to the Resolutions of the Diet. He said, most certainly; but that he feared it would share the fate of so many other representations that had been made to him by being taken no notice of; but, added his Excellency, the King of Denmark will have time for reflection, as troops will hardly be able to go into Holstein before the summer.

I HAVE received your despatch of the 17th instant, reporting conversations which you have lately had with M. Hall upon the subject of the Danish Duchies: and I have to inform you, in reply, that I approve the language which yon have held to M. Hall upon these occasions.

No. 119.

I am, &c.

My Lord,

Mr. Howard to Lord J. Russell.-(Received January 30.)

Hanover, January 28, 1861.

COUNT PLATEN thinks that the following answer to your Lordship's inquiry respecting the precise object of a Federal Execution in Holstein would explain this object more fully than that which he previously gave me, and which I had the honour of reporting in my despatch of the 26th instant. I therefore record it in conformity with his wish:

"The object of the Federal Execution, that is to say, what is to be extorted by means of an Execution from the Holstein-Lauenburg Government, is to be found clearly and distinctly set forth in the Resolutions of the Diet of the 11th of February and 12th of August, 1858, and in the Federal Resolution to be taken on the 7th of February of this year.

66

According to these provisions, it shall be extorted by Execution"1st. That, during the Provisorium,' all projects of laws submitted to the Reichsrath shall be laid before the Holstein and Lauenburg States, in order to the preservation of the equality of the rights of the German Federal countries; and that no law concerning the common affairs of the Monarchy, especially in matters of finance, shall be issued for the Duchies, if it has not received the sanction of the States of these Duchies.

"2ndly. That the definitive settlement of the Constitutional state of things in the said Duchies, shall be entered upon (in Augriff genommen') by the

Royal-Ducal Government, in conformity with the assurances given to the German Confederation in the years 1851 and 1852."

I have, &c.

My Lord,

Mr. Lowther to Lord J. Russell.-(Received January 31.)

Berlin, January 29, 1861.

I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship that, at a meeting of the members of the National Verein, which took place here lately, the following three Resolutions were taken :

"1. That Prussia and non-united Germany are not called upon, so long as German territory or German interests are not violated, to take part in a war of Austria's for the possession of Venice, and thereby call forth an attack on German territory for the defence of which no effectual support from Austria can be relied

upon.

"2. Prussia must take care, if she accepts the duty of military action against Denmark, that not only the particular rights of Holstein shall be preserved, but that the old-established union between Holstein and Schleswig shall be restored, and that a guaranteed legal condition of things (Rechtszustand') shall be established in Schleswig, as well as in Holstein.

"3. Looking at the present state of things, and more particularly at the concentrated military power of France, and the notorious weakness of Austria, it is the duty of Prussia, towards herself and towards Germany, to persevere in the immediate united organization of the German Federal army under the direction of Prussia, as well as the speedy summoning of a German Parliament." This meeting was numerously attended.

HER Majesty's Government entirely assent to the principle you lay down in your despatch of the 23rd instant, that Holstein ought to have the management of its financial affairs.

But with regard to Schleswig, it is by the Constitution of the Danish Monarchy, a Danish Duchy. The strange and anomalous connexion which formerly subsisted between Holstein and Schleswig, which bound Schleswig to Holstein, and Holstein to Germany, but not Schleswig to Germany, has ceased. The German Confederation have no jurisdiction in Schleswig, nor any right to interfere in the administration of the Duchy of Schleswig.

Her Majesty's Government cannot be surprised, therefore, that the Danish Government should discountenance any Association which has among its objects that of dismembering the Danish Monarchy and destroying its Constitution.

I am, &c. (Signed)

J. RUSSELL.

No. 122.

Mr. Murray to Lord J. Russell.-(Received January 31.)

Dresden, January 29, 1861.

(Extract.) IN obedience to the instructions contained in your Lordship's despatch of 22nd January, I had yesterday a conversation with M. de Beust to ascertain from him the precise sense and limitation attached by the Saxon Government to the words "Federal Execution."