140] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



tend to no representation which 

 shall not relate to the business of 

 the constitution. 



The small effect produced by 

 tl^is declaration, appeared by three 

 addresses successively ])resented 

 to the King, one of which was a 

 remonstrance against an extraor- 

 dinary levy of 900 men, ordered 

 without any ])lausil)le reason, and 

 of which no official notice had 

 been given to the States. 



This distention between prince 

 and people was continued with- 

 out the prospect of an amicable 

 termination, when it was con- 

 cluded by the death of the King 

 of Wurtemberg on the 30th of 

 October. This Sovei'cign was 

 born in 1754, and married for 

 his first wife, a Princess of Wol- 

 fenbuttle, by v, horn he has left 

 tiiree children. His second wife 

 was a daughter of the king of 

 England, who had no issue. He 

 was raised to the legal dignity by 

 Buonaparte in the lieginning of 

 1S06, which honour lie purchased 

 by large contingents for his pa- 

 tron's expeditions, and by the 

 marriage of his daughter to .Je- 

 rome Buonaparte, and of his 

 eldest son to a princess of Ba- 

 varia, which last nuptials how- 

 ever were not consummated. His 

 disorder is said to have been an 

 apoplectic seizure, resulting from 

 a very gross habit of body. In 

 character he was impetuous and 

 arbitrary; but a lover of justice, 

 and versed in several branches of 

 knowledge. His successor, now 

 of the age of 35, greatly distin- 

 guished himself i'l the two last 

 campaigns Jigainst tlie French, 

 and has been generally regarded 

 as liberal in his political senti- 

 ments. He has married the 



Duchess of Oldenburg, sister to 

 the Emperor Alexander. 



Shortly after his accession, his 

 Majesty received an address from 

 the assembly of the States, ex- 

 pressed in terms of profound re- 

 spect and attachment. Alluding 

 to the expectation entertained by 

 his subjects of future happiness 

 under his sceptre, they say, " To 

 your Majesty the country owes 

 the tiist step towards a return to 

 its rights, namely, the recognition 

 of the fundamental laws of the 

 country, which his late Majesty, 

 according to his own declaration, 

 made after having previously con- 

 sulted with your Majesty." In 

 his answer the King speaks of 

 his conviction, that the object on 

 which his people and himself 

 place their highest happiness, can 

 only be obtained by a representa- 

 tive constitution, adapted to all 

 their various relations. The States 

 were prorogued to the following 

 January. 



The first accounts of the new 

 reign relate to the system of 

 reform in the expenditure, which 

 the King is bringing to effect in 

 every part of the administration. 

 The reductions in the army com- 

 prize those corps which are par- 

 ticularly devoted to the purposes 

 of regal state, the Royal Horse- 

 guards, and the Hulan body- 

 guards. A nxnnber of saddle and 

 cariiage horses in the Kings 

 stables were also brought to sale ; 

 and all the employmentr- at court 

 were newly organized, with great 

 savings. Another indication of a 

 favourable change in the sove- 

 reign authority was given by the 

 liberation of state prisoners con- 

 fined in the castle of Asperg. It 

 may be hoped, that the succced- 



ins: 



