The speech to the Prussian Diet on June 27th was
nearly as important as that to the German Reichstag. The King, after the regular reference to his father and to his grand- father's "glorious reign," declared his resolution to follow the policy of his grandfather, and while mindfuLofffile rights of the representatives, conscientiously to maintain the rights of the Crown, and hand them on intact to his successor. He aimed at no enlargement of the prerogatives of the Crown, but held that his legal status, "so long as it was not called in question," "was sufficient to secure in the life of the State that measure of monarchical influence which Prussia requires." "I am of opinion that the Constitution makes a just and useful distribution of the forces in the life of the State, and therefore I shall protect it." The King promises the Royal protection to all forms of worship, rejoices in the recent compromise with the Catholic Church and its spiritual chief, and approves the recent legislation in favour "of self-government under the control of honorary functionaries." He wishes to reduce the financial burdens on the less favoured classes of society, and promises to bear in mind the words of the great Frederick,—that the King is the first servant of the State. The whole tone of the speech is that of a man who claims great powers and will contend for them, but wishes to exercise them under a sense of responsibility.
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