48 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



[JUN£. 



over the safety of German navi- 

 gation 5 and the Hans Towns may 

 justly entertain a hope, that a pro- 

 posal for the earnest consideration 

 of this im])ortarit l;)usincss will 

 meet the approbation of the Diet. 

 On the questions being put by the 

 President, all voices were una-- 

 nimous in declaring, that their re- 

 spective High Courts and con- 

 stituents should be informed of these 

 circumstances, that they might 

 adopt the most eflectual means for 

 the proteciion of German com- 

 merce. Tiie majority were of opi- 

 nion that a commission, consisting 

 of five members, should be chosen 

 to pre))are suitable propositions 

 whereon to frame the report. 



The Ambassador of the King of 

 the Netherlands delivered the fol- 

 lowing to the Protocol ; — 



That we should on this occasion 

 consult all our Courts, and in par- 

 ticular the Great Courts, is beyond 

 all doubt. The oj)ini()ns of indi- 

 viduals are of little importance j 

 the question is, what ought to be 

 done, and what it is possible to do ? 

 I am not invested Avith unlimited 

 powers on the part of the whole 

 united Netherlands ; but I will, 

 nevertheless, in this, and on all 

 occasions, agree with the majority 

 when they vote for a commission; 



though 1 never or v 



ery 



seldom 



connect with the institution of such 

 a body the idea of more prompt 

 counsel, but only tlie expectation 

 of farther elucidation and greater 

 industry. I am therefore inclined, 

 as in every case which occurs here, 

 to develop all the grounds for and 

 against the question, in order that 

 the Courts may form their views 

 on these investigation?. In what 

 way else can they hear public 

 opinion ? Or in what better man- 



ner can that opinion be directed r 

 The very first article of the Act of 

 Confederation speaks of the invi- 

 olability of the individual German 

 States, not of territories or do- 

 minions. Since then the word 

 Slate is not now regarded as formed 

 merely of five alphabetic characters, 

 but as representing honour, life, 

 liberty, ])roperty, and the security 

 of individuals, their activity, and 

 their industry, the question of pro- 

 tection is assuredly something im- 

 perative : but the different branches 

 of the (juestion as to the practica- 

 bility of the protection, and its ex- 

 tent, are worthy of serious inves- 

 tigation. On the conclusion of the 

 Bourbon-Family-Compact, was it 

 ever asked whether it included the 

 repression of all offences and acts 

 of injustice by sea and land ? Whe- 

 ther it related equally to merchant- 

 men and ships of war ? The retro- 

 action and extension of the present 

 evils may not be confined to the 

 propagation of disease only, but 

 may occasion bankruptcies and loss 

 of confidence in consequence of the 

 execution of mercantile orders 

 being impeded, which would not 

 fail to produce the suspension of 

 several branches of manufactures 

 in the interior. 



The Diet then proceeded to the 

 election of the commission, and 

 the choice fell uponCount von Goltz, 

 Baron von Eyben, Baron von Ga- 

 gern, Hcrr von Berg, and the Syn- 

 dic Danz. 



Resolution — That the Envoys, 

 CountvonGoltz, Baron von Eyben, 

 Baron vonGagern, Herrvon Berg, 

 and the Syndic Danz, be requested 

 to submit a joint opinion on the 

 nioit efiicient precautions for se- 

 curing the German navigation 

 agaiijbt the piracies of the Barbary 



corsairs, 



