established that, until the first meeting of Parliament, the public service shall be provided for by the sovereign regulations, will also be applied to the above named provinces until the meeting of the National Parliament; the full powers which were conferred upon our LieutenantGeneral of the Neapolitan provinces continuing in force. We ordain that the present Decree, bearing the Seal of State, shall be inserted in the Collection of the Acts of the Government and published in the aforesaid provinces; commanding all whom it may concern to observe it and have it observed. Given at Naples, December 17, 1860. G. B. CASSINIS. T. MAMIANI. VICTOR EMANUEL. M. FANTI. M. MINGHETTI. DECREE of the King of Sardinia, uniting the Sicilian Provinces to the Italian State.-Naples, December 17, 1860. (Translation.) Victor Emanuel II, King of Sardinia, of Cyprus, and of Jerusalem, &c., Duke of Savoy and of Genoa, &c., Prince of Piedmont, &c. Whereas the "Plebiscito" submitted to universal suffrage in the Sicilian Provinces convoked in the Comitia the 21st October last; Whereas the declaration of presentation and acknowledgment of such "Plebiscito" ensued in Palermo the 2nd instant; Whereas the Law of the 3rd instant, by which the Government of the King is authorized to accept and establish by Royal Decrees the annexation to the State of those Provinces of Central and Southern Italy in which is manifest, by universal suffrage direct, the will to become an integral part of our Constitutional Monarchy; Upon hearing the Council of Ministers; We have decreed and do decree : ART. I. That the Sicilian Provinces shall form an integral part of the Italian State from the date of the present Decree. II. Article LXXXII of the Statute, whereby it is established that, until the first meeting of Parliament, the public service shall be provided for by sovereign regulations, shall also be applied to the above-named provinces until the meeting of the National Parliament; the fuil powers which were conferred upon our Lieutenant-General of the Sicilian Provinces continuing in force. We ordain that the present Decree, bearing the Seal of State, shall be inserted in the Collection of the Acts of the Government, and published in the aforesaid provinces, commanding all whom it may concern to observe it, and cause it to be observed. Given at Naples, December 17, 1860. DECREE of the King of Sardinia, uniting the Provinces of Umbria to the Italian State.-Naples, December 17, 1860. (Translation.) Victor Emanuel II, King of Sardinia, of Cyprus, and of Jerusalem, Duke of Savoy and of Genoa, &c., Prince of Piedmont, &c. Whereas the "Plebiscito" submitted to universal and direct suffrage in the Provinces of Umbria convoked in the Comitia the 5th of November last; Whereas the declaration of presentation and acknowledgment of such "Plebiscito "Plebiscito" ensued in Naples the 22nd November last; Whereas the law of the 3rd instant, by which the Government of the King is authorized to accept and establish by Royal Decrees the annexation to the State of those provinces of Central and Southern Italy in which is manifest, by universal suffrage direct, the will to become an integral part of our Constitutional Monarchy; Upon hearing the Council of Ministers; We have decreed and do decree : ART. I. That the Provinces of the Umbria shall become an integral part of the Italian State from the date of the present Decree. II. Article LXXXII of the Statute, whereby it is enacted that, until the first meeting of Parliament the public service shall be provided for by Sovereign regulations, shall also be applied to the above-named provinces until the meeting of the National Parliament. We ordain that the present Decree, bearing the seal of State shall be inserted in the collection of the Acts of Government, and published in the aforesaid provinces, commanding all whom it may concern to observe it, and cause it to be observed. Given at Naples, the 17th December, 1860. G. B. CASSINIS. C. CAVOUR. M. MINGHETTI. VICTOR EMANUEL. F. S. VEGEZZI. S. JACINI. T. MAMIANI. T. CORSI. DECREE of the King of Sardinia, uniting the Provinces of the Marches to the Italian State.-Naples, December 17, 1860. (Translation.) Victor Emanuel II, King of Sardinia, of Cyprus, and of Jerusalem, Duke of Savoy and of Genoa, &c., and Prince of Piedmont, &c. Whereas the "Plebiscito" submitted to universal and direct suffrage in the Provinces of the Marches, convoked in the Comitia the 4th and 5th of November last; Whereas the declaration of presentation and acceptation of such "Plebiscito" ensued in Naples, the 22nd day of the said November. Whereas the law of the 3rd instant, by which the Government of the King is authorized to accept and establish, by Royal Decrees, the annexation to the State of those Provinces of Central and Southern Italy in which is manifest, by universal and direct suffrage, the will to become an integral portion of our Constitutional Monarchy. Upon hearing the Council of Ministers; We have decreed and do decree : ART. I. That the Provinces of the Marches shall become an integral portion of the Italian State, from the date of the present Decree. II. Article LXXXII of the Statute, whereby it is enacted that, until the first meeting of Parliament, the shall also be applied to the above-named provinces until the meeting of the National Parliament. We ordain that the present Decree, bearing the Seal of State, shall be inserted in the collection of the Acts of Government, and published in the aforesaid provinces, commanding all whom it may concern to observe it, and cause it to be observed. Given at Naples, December 17, 1860. G. B. CASSINIS. C. CAVOUR. M. MINGHETTI. VICTOR EMANUEL. F. S. VEGEZZI. S. JACINI. ANNEX 2. Papers relating to the Prussian Annexations, 1860. (Reprinted from "State Papers," Vol. 56, pp. 1034, 1067, 1078, 1093, 1094.) MESSAGE from the King of Prussia to the Landtag, respecting the Annexation of Hanover, Hesse-Cassel, Nassau, and Frankfort to Prussia.-Berlin, August 16, 1866. (Translation.) WE, William, by the grace of God King of Prussia, &c., hereby declare and make known: The Governments of the Kingdom of Hanover, of the Electorate of Hesse, and of the Duchy of Nassau, as well as the Free Town of Frankfort, have by their participation in the hostile conduct of the former Diet placed themselves in a state of open war with Prussia. They declined the neutrality as well as the alliance repeatedly offered to them by Prussia, even at the last moment, under the promise of a guarantee of the integrity of their territory; they took an active part in the war of Austria against Prussia, and appealed to the decision of war for themselves and their countries. This decision, according to God's decree, has been against them. Political necessity obliges us not to restore to them the power of government, of which they have been deprived by the victorious advance of our army. The aforesaid countries could, in case they maintained their independence, cause, from their geographical position, difficulties and obstructions, by a hostile or even doubtful attitude of their Governments towards Prussian policy and military action far surpassing the extent of their actual power and importance. Not from a desire of acquiring territory, but from a feeling of duty to protect our inherited States from a recurrence of the danger, to give a broader and surer foundation to the national reorganization of Germany, the necessity arises for us to unite for ever with our monarchy the Kingdom of Hanover, the Electorate of Hesse, the Duchy of Nassau, and the Free Town of Frankfort. We know very well that only a part of the people of |