Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VI, November 1850, Vol. IVarious
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VI, November 1850, Vol. I
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
One council voted for revision, and also
desired to prolong the President's power; ten simply voted for revision;
five pronounced for immediate revision, but by very small majorities;
one went further, and proposed to give the present Assembly--which is
legislative and not constituent--authority to effect the revision. Three
councils express merely a desire for a remedy to the present situation.
Thirty-three departments have not pronounced for the revision, or have
pronounced against it; thirty-three are in favor of a legal revision;
thirteen demand the revision without explaining on what conditions they
desire to see it effected; and six demand it immediately; making the
total of eighty-five.
* * * * *
From GERMANY the most important intelligence relates to the Electorate
of Hesse Cassel, a state containing less than a million of inhabitants,
and having a revenue of less than two and a half millions of dollars. By
the Constitution the Chamber has the exclusive right of voting taxes.
The Elector, acting probably under the advice of Austria, resolved to
get rid of the Constitution; and as the first step toward it, he
appointed as his minister Hassenpflug, a man wholly without character,
and who had been convicted of forgery in another State, and with him was
associated Haynau, brother of the infamous Austrian General. Months past
away without the Chamber being summoned, but at the time when the
session usually closed, the Parliament was called together, and an
immediate demand made for money and for powers to raise the taxes,
without specific votes of the Chamber. The Parliament replied by an
unanimous vote, that however little the ministers possessed the
confidence of Parliament, they would not go the length of refusing the
supplies, but requested to have a regular budget laid before them, which
they promised to examine, discuss, and vote. To so fair and
constitutional a resolution the minister replied by dissolving the
Parliament, and proceeding to levy the taxes in spite of the Parliament
and the Constitution. The cabinet went to the extremity of proclaiming
the whole Electorate in a state of siege, and investing the
commander-in-chief with dictatorial powers against the press, personal
liberty, and property. The town council unanimously protested against
these arbitrary acts; and such a spirit of resistance was excited that
the Elector and his minister were constrained to seek safety in flight.
The Elector left Cassel on the morning of the 13th, and arrived the same
evening at Hanover, where he was afterward joined by Hassenpflug. Some
of the accounts state that M. Hassenpflug was agitated by terror in his
flight. On the 16th, the Elector and his ministers were at Frankfort.
The government of the Electorate had been assumed by the Permanent
Committee of the Assembly.----In Mecklenberg-Schwerin a similar
revolution seems likely to take place. In October, 1849, a new
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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