462 



GREECE. 



The following table gives an exhibit of Greek 

 commerce in I860 (value in drachmas): 



The National Assembly, on February 3d, 

 1863, confirmed the decree of October 22d, 

 1862, by which the Greek throne had been de- 

 clared to be forfeited by King Otho and his fam- 

 ily. Another decree declared that Prince Al- 

 fred, of Great Britain, had been elected king of 

 Greece by 230,016 out of 241,202 voters, and 

 consequently proclaimed him constitutional 

 king of Greece, elected by the sovereign will 

 of the Greek people. 



On February 2()th, Admiral Canaris resigned 

 his functions as member of the Provisional 

 Government. The two other members of this 

 Government then formed a new ministry, which 

 was confirmed by the National Assembly. But 

 on February 21st, a military revolt under the 

 command of Lieutenant Canaris broke out 

 against Bulgaris, Roufos, and their ministry, 

 who consequently offered to the National As- 

 sembly tlieir resignation, which was accepted. 

 The National Assembly took possession of the 

 executive power, and on July 23d, conferred it 

 upon a minister without portfolio, Balbis, as- 

 sisted by seven ministers. 



As Prince Alfred, as well as King Ferdinand, 

 of Portugal, and the Duke of Saxe-Coburg de- 

 clined the acceptance of the throne, the Na- 

 tional Assembly, on March 30th, proclaimed 

 Prince William, of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonder- 

 burg-Gliicksburg, son of Prince Christian (at 

 present King Christian IX. of Denmark), king 

 of Greece, under the name of King George I. 



On April 8th, the National Assembly, hav- 

 ing dismissed the ministry of February 23d, 

 appointed a new ministry, under the presiden- 

 cy of Diomedes Kyriaku. This ministry was 

 again relieved, on May 12th, by another under 

 the presidency of Roufos. 



On April 12th, the Bavarian Government in- 

 structed all the foreign ministers to protest 

 against any act prejudicial to the claims of the 

 Bavarian dynasty to the Greek throne. On 

 April 22d, Prince Christian of Denmark an- 

 nounced that, the obstacles being removed, he 

 accepted definitively the crown of Greece for 

 his son. The representatives of the three great 

 Powers, under whose protection the kingdom 

 of Greece was placed at its organization 

 England, France, and Russia held a conference 

 at London, and on May 27th signed a protocol 



by virtue of which the throne of Greece was 

 declared vacant. Another treaty relative to 

 the accession of Prince William of Denmark to 

 the throne of Greece was signed by the repre- 

 sentatives of France, England, Rus>ia and Den- 

 mark, on June 5th. The Greek deputation which 

 was sent to Copenhagen, was received on June 

 6th by the king of Denmark, who declared on 

 this occasion that Prince William accepted the 

 Greek crown on condition of a complete union 

 of the Ionian Islands with Greece. Soon after 

 the new king addressed the following letter to 

 the National Assembly : 



Gentlemen, Obedient to the dictates of my heart, I 

 wished to accompany, by the personal testimony of my 

 sentiments, the message by which the King of Den- 

 mark accepts for me the crown which the Hellenic na- 

 tion calls me to wear. I shall proceed to my new 

 country with transport, in order to prove to you that 

 from the present moment I know no other duty than 

 to live and die as a good Greek, for the happiness and 

 independence of the nation ; and I am convinced, gen- 

 tlemen, that, with your aid, by the friendship of the 

 Powers, and above all by the assistance of God, the in- 

 terests of the country, henceforth my own, will pros- 

 per to its advantage. I am happy and proud, gentle- 

 men, to be able fo salute you by the voice of those good 

 and noble patriots who, named by your confidence, 

 have come here, far from their country, to salute me 

 as your King. They will tell you that they have found 

 me' full of sympathy for my new country ; and that I 

 ardently desire to be able* soon to find myself in the 

 midst of you. Accept me, gentlemen, with the same 

 confidence that actuates my heart for you, and teach 

 me to labor with you for the happiness of my fine* 

 country, which may God protect. GEORGE I. 



The National Assembly replied to this letter 

 as follows : 



Sire, It was with joy and enthusiasm that the Na- 

 tional Assembly read your Majesty's letter which ac- 

 companied the solemn act of the acceptation of the 

 Crown, and heard the explanations of the deputation 

 concerning your Majesty's affection for your new coun- 

 try, and the noble assistance of the King of Denmark, 

 as well as of your august father, in accomplishing the 

 common desire of the nation. The sentiments so roy- 

 ally expressed by your Majesty are those which the 

 nation expected from its King when it unanimously 

 offered to him the crown of Greece. The annexation 

 of the Ionian Islands is the best augury of the grand- 

 eur of our country. While eagerly awaiting your Ma- 

 jesty's early arrival, which oners every guarantee of 

 security and order, the Assembly, confident in the vir- 

 tues with which your Majesty is endowed, declares you 

 from this moment to have obtained your majority. 

 Your Majesty will find on the part of the Greek nation 

 an enthusiastic reception, that fidelity, affection, and 

 support which render populations happy and thrones 

 glorious. The Assembly, convinced that the nation 

 and the King will forever bless the day of the SOth of 

 March, addresses its prayers to the Most High that he 

 may render your throne powerful, and your Majesty's 

 name glorious. 



On September 12th King George signed, at 

 Copenhagen, the agreement relating to the 

 succession to the Danish throne. By this docu- 

 ment King George renounces his right of suc- 

 cession in favor of his younger brother and his 

 heirs. King George himself and his own line 

 then become last in order of succession to the 

 Danish crown. 



At the beginning of August King George, 

 accompanied by Count Sponnerk as his chief 



