German Empire (Berlin)
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GERMAN EMPIRE (BERLIN) Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.33.14, on 29 Sep 2021 at 07:35:47, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S096011631800026X Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.33.14, on 29 Sep 2021 at 07:35:47, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S096011631800026X BERLIN FO /: Lord Ampthill to Earl Granville, No , Berlin, April [Received April by post. For: The Queen / Gladstone / X, Ch.W.D. [Charles Wentworth Dilke]; Prince of Wales; G[ranville]] State governments oppose suggestion to create an imperial ministry responsible to the Reichstag I have the honour to enclose to Your Lordship herewith in original and translation a Report given in yesterday’sofficial Gazette of the proceedings in a plenary meeting of the Federal Council which took place on the th Instant, at which The Imperial Chancellor was present in person. As reported in my Despatch No of the th ultimo the newly formed Parliamentary free minded fraction advocate in their pro- gramme the formation of a responsible Ministry for the Empire. This seems to have excited the apprehension of some of the Federal Governments, and Saxony and Wurtemberg instructed their Representatives to make a declaration on the subject to the Federal Council on the th ultimo and invite an interchange of views from the Prussian and other Governments. At the meeting of last Saturday the Prussian Representatives handed in a declaration on the part of their Government, which is given “in extenso” in the enclosed Report. The Prussian Government agrees with the Saxon Government in considering it absolutely necessary that the Federal States should Otto von Bismarck. Enclosures: article (untitled) in Deutscher Reichsanzeiger und Königlich Preußischer Staatsanzeiger, April and translation. The liberal Deutsche Freisinnige Partei (German Free-Minded Party) was founded on March as a merger of the Reichstag factions of the Deutsche Fortschrittspartei (Party of Progess, founded in ) and the Liberale Vereinigung (Liberal Union or ‘Secessionists’), a group that had broken away from the National Liberal Party in . Their programme was disclosed on the same day. Oswald von Nostitz-Wallwitz and Fidel Baur von Breitenfeld. The sitting of the Federal Council of April was attended by ten Prussian representatives. Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.33.14, on 29 Sep 2021 at 07:35:47, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S096011631800026X BERLIN place on record, beyond the possibility of a doubt, their firm inten- tion to maintain in their entirety the terms of the Federal engage- ments on which the union of the German States rests, considering that any step which would shake the confidence of the States in the stability of those engagements would be fraught with danger. The Prussian Government is firmly convinced not only that a sys- tem of Imperial Government by responsible Ministers could not be introduced without sacrificing some of the essential rights of Government secured by Treaty to the Separate States but also that Parliamentary Government, subordinating Ministers to the deci- sions of changeable majorities in the Reichstag would inevitably lead to the dissolution of the Union and the Downfall of the Empire. Under the circumstances it is of opinion that the scheme should be strenuously opposed whenever and wherever advanced. The Representatives of Bavaria and all the other States having expressed agreement with these views the Council unanimously resolved to adhere to the terms of the Prussian Declaration. FO /: Lord Ampthill to Earl Granville, No , Berlin, April [Received April by Messenger Cavendish. For: The Queen / X, Ch.W.D. [Charles Wentworth Dilke] / African Department; Qy: Colonial Office, April ; T.V.L. [Thomas Villiers Lister]] Society for German Colonization founded in Berlin With reference to my despatch No. February th , and to Sir John Walsham’sNo. of August . , I have the honour to report to Your Lordship that a new colonization Society has just been started at Berlin with the avowed object of Founding German Agricultural and Trading Colonies. The Chief promoters of this Society which has apparently no con- nection with the Frankfurt Society or the Bremen Firm, whose efforts in the same direction were reported on in the despatches above referred to, appear to be Count Behr Bandelin the President, Major von Mechsow [sic] the African traveller, Doctor This declaration alluded to the North German Confederation Treaty of August and the ‘November Treaties’ of . On April Bavaria was represented by Emil von Xylander and Ferdinand von Raesfeldt. Gesellschaft für deutsche Kolonisation, founded on March . Ampthill is referring to the Deutscher Kolonialverein and the trading firm owned by Adolf Lüderitz. Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.33.14, on 29 Sep 2021 at 07:35:47, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S096011631800026X GERMAN EMPIRE Peters, and the African Missionary Doctor Merenski who spoke at the Inaugural meeting of the Society on the th instant. Africa was indicated as the most suitable and available field for German Colonization, and the Aims to be embodied in the Statutes were unanimously decided on as follows: – . To collect funds for the object of the Society. To discover and acquire suitable districts for colonization. To direct the stream of German emigration to these districts. It was stated that the number of German Emigrants to the United States of America in was ,. Of this number , belonged to the commercial and industrial classes. There is no reason to suppose that the German Government will be more disposed to lend its countenance to the efforts of this Society than it has been in the case of similar movements in the past. FO /: Lord Ampthill to Earl Granville, No , Berlin, April [Received April by Messenger Taylor. African Department; Print; Copy to: Colonial Office / Admiralty, May] Nachtigal’s mission to improve German trading interests on west coast of Africa With reference to my Despatch No of the th instant I have the honour to inform Your Lordship that the semi-official Nord Deutsche Zeitung of the st instant, gives some further information respecting the object of Dr Nachtigal’s Mission to the West Coast of Africa. The Nord Deutsche states that the happy increase in the commer- cial relations of Germany with the West Coast of Africa, and the evi- dent need felt that the interests of German Commerce should not be left to the protection of trading-consuls[,] have induced the Foreign Notes on docket: April : ‘This is a movement that must be watched and I think no time should be lost in deciding what we tell to our Consulates [.] Copy (Conf d)to Admiralty asking that Admiral Salmon may be asked to ascertain & report what the Germans are doing. Copy to Colonial Office with copy of letter to Admiralty; Shew to Consul Hewett, Drafts, May. Print (Congo and Oil Rivers). Write with compliments to Head of Berlin Chancery and tell him to number this and any subsequent dispatch on the same subject in the African Section.’ H.P.A. [Henry Percy Anderson]; G[ranville]]. Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. On March Nachtigal was appointed imperial commissioner for West Africa (Reichskommissar) and ordered to Lisbon to await further instructions. Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.33.14, on 29 Sep 2021 at 07:35:47, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S096011631800026X BERLIN Office to send out Dr Nachtigal to those parts, a person particularly suited for such a duty, to further German interests there and to report upon a scheme for consular appointments on that Coast. Dr Nachtigal takes with him, at this own request, the African traveler Dr Buchner, and likewise Herr Moebius now a Secretary at the German Consulate-General in London. It is intended, at the suggestion of the Foreign Office, to station permanently some war vessels on the West Coast of Africa, and for the present the Gunboat “Möwe” has been placed at the service of the Commission. The “Möwe” left Kiel on the th instant and is expected at Lisbon towards the end of the month, where it will take on board Dr Nachtigal and his staff. FO /: Lord Ampthill to Earl Granville, Confidential, Africa, No , Berlin, May [Received June by Messenger Taylor. For: The Queen / X, Ch.W.D. [Charles Wentworth Dilke]; Copy to: Colonial Office, June ; G[ranville]] False reports in British press regarding German takeover of Angra Pequena With reference to Your Lordship’s despatch No. of the nd instant, enclosing copies of despatches relative to the question of the right of Sovereignty over Angra Pequeña as well as to my des- patch No. Africa, of the th instant, I have the honour to state that the report in the Standard of May th respecting the alleged assumption of the Sovereignty of that Territory by the German Government is unfounded. The German Government are still awaiting an answer from Your Lordship to Count Münsters Letter of the st of December last and the premature reports in the Press about the taking possession of Angra Pequeña by the German Government are due to the great and growing impatience of the German people for the inauguration of a Colonial policy by Prince Bismarck, who has hitherto shewn no inclination to satisfy their cravings for colonies; beyond sending Doctor Nachtigall on board the “Moewe” to report generally on the West Coast of Africa as reported to you in my despatches Nos: and of the th and rd of April last, respectively.