142] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



to form oue dorainaut power ; 

 but as little is it wished, that its 

 union sliould be a mere political 

 league of defence. Germany is 

 summoned to form a league of 

 states, securing the nationality of 

 the whole. It will be our thity 

 to hold sacred tins twofold object ; 

 respect for the various races of 

 people, and various governments 

 of Germnny, and et[ual respect 

 foi- the great uniting league which 

 excites and supports our nation- 

 ality." The president, in conclu- 

 sion, took notice of the relation 

 to the Diet, of that court, the liead 

 of which once wore the imperial 

 crown. It is solemnly declared, 

 (he said) by the express order of 

 the Emperor, my master, that 

 his Majesty considers himself as 

 in all respect's an equal member 

 of the league ; that he recognizes 

 in the conferred presidency of the 

 Diet no real political privilege, 

 but iuercly lespects in it the ho- 

 noiuable ili.'.tinction of being a 

 conductor of its transactions." 

 Such is [he ))rinciple of equality 

 fundamental to the new Germanic 

 Diet. What will be its re.al in- 

 Ikience on t!ie internal affairs of 

 the nation, time must prove. 



An appeal to its authority on 

 one important occasion has been 

 made ])ublic, by an application to 

 the Diet from the envoy of Saxe 

 Weimar, submitting to it the new 

 constitution of that state, and de- 

 manding for it the guaranty of 

 the Germanic confederation. This 

 occurrence was rendered intei-- 

 esting in Germany, as being cal- 

 culated to sound the disposition 

 of the several powers with re- 

 spect to representative forms of 

 government. The envoy stated 

 in a iiieRioir, that the object of 



the proposed guaranty was to 

 secure to the different branches 

 of the constitution the peaceable 

 enjoyment of their stipulated 

 rights j and he concluded with 

 proposing, that the Weimar con- 

 stitutional act should be depo- 

 sited in the arcliives of the Diet. 

 The envoys of Austria and Prus- 

 sia complimented the Duke of 

 Saxe AVeimar on this proof of 

 his patriotic sentiments ; but said, 

 that they must apply for instruc- 

 tions to their respective coiu'ts. 



The Netherland envoy foi- the 

 Grand Duchy of Luxemburg held 

 a different opinion. He said, the 

 event was satisfactory, as serving 

 for an examp'e of the establish- 

 ment of such a constitution, with- 

 out angry discussions or metaphy- 

 sical parade, and on the simple 

 principle of siiuiii cuique ; and he 

 \vished it might prove an addi- 

 tional motive with other princes 

 and states to perform a similar 

 duty. Though he might see with 

 pleasure a great state exercise 

 long deliberation on such a topic, 

 he could wish that states of less 

 extent should act with nioie ce- 

 lerity. He concluded a speech of 

 some length with proposing a 

 vote of thanks to the Duke of 

 Saxe Weimar, and a resolution 

 assiu'ing his' states and country 

 of tlie guaranty of the Geiman 

 federation. 



The conclusion was, tliat the 

 Diet resolved, that the funda- 

 mental law of the constitution of 

 Weimar should be deposited in 

 its archives ; but that before de-, 

 ciding on the question of gua- 

 ranty, they must wait for the 

 votes of Bnmswick and Nassau. 



The Diet paid a due respect to 



their national language by an 



\manimous 



