136] ANNUAL REGISTER, I8I7, 



CHAPTER XIII. 



Stutgard. — Sitt'mg of the States. — Tlieir Dissolution. — The King lakes 

 upon himself the Regulation of the Finances. — Duchy of Saxe-lVeimar : 

 Its admission to the Germanic Confederation. — Sessionr of the States- 

 General of the United Provinces. — King's Speech. — Dutch Tea-Trade. — 

 Piedmontcse Gazette. — Constantinople. 



STUTGARD. 



IN the first sitting of the states, 

 this body presented an address 

 to his Majesty, to Avhiclr he re- 

 turned an answer on the 16th of 

 INIarch, assuring them that he 

 would not permit the members of 

 his Privy Council to be present at 

 any discussion in which it should 

 be proposed by the States to pre- 

 fer complaints to the throne 

 against them. The States, pro- 

 ceeding in the commenced delibe- 

 rations on the constitution, voted 

 an address to the king for his 

 gracious assurances. At the same 

 time they specify the ameli- 

 oration of divers laws since the 

 accession of his Majesty, express- 

 ing the greatest confidence in his 

 wisdom and good intentions, and 

 anticipating the brightest pros- 

 pects of national happiness and 

 improvement from his reign. 



On the same day the king 

 caused to be read the answer of 

 the Piivy Council addressed, by 

 his order, to the States. "Nothing 

 (said the council) can be more per- 

 nicious to an assembly composed of 

 different elements, thi'n the spirit 

 of fiiction, when it is not perpe- 

 tually qualified by a sufficient 

 counterpoise. I f those whom the 

 laws appoint to form that coun- 



terpoise are, as you desire, ex- 

 cluded from the deliberations or 

 the votes of your assembly, it is 

 too plain that the chiefs of the 

 faction will not bring forward 

 their strongest objections to the 

 views of government in the pre- 

 sence of the privy counsellors, but 

 in secret sittings ; and that in 

 these, resolutions will be adopted 

 without allowing an opportunity 

 of hearing or weighing the reasons 

 which government might state 

 against them." 



In the further proceedings of 

 the States, differences arose be- 

 tween that body and the king ; 

 and on the 28th and 19ih of May, 

 in consetiucnce of the decided 

 part which his Majesty had taken 

 in the late discussions relative to 

 the hereditary duchy, a set of 

 rioters, composed, it is said, of 

 the lowest class of people, at- 

 tacked the bouse of the minister 

 Wangenheim, wheie they prac- 

 tised several outrages. They were, 

 however, soon reduced to order 

 with the assistance of the usual 

 patrols. A proclamation was in 

 consequence issued against all 

 seditious assemblies. 



The king, on the fourth of 

 June, finding himself unable to 

 control the majority of the States, 

 dissolved that body^ and com- 

 manded 



