Record

Document Reference	Bu 2/22
Title	Letter from H. Howard, Berlin, Prussia, to A. Buchanan, St Petersburg, Russia; 9 Dec 1848.
Date	9 December 1848
Extent	4 ff
Level	Piece
Content Description	Has to précis a large number of despatches for Lord Ponsonby; the King of Prussia was friendly towards the President [von Gagern] of the German Parliament when he came to Berlin; he had come to submit the Frankfurt Decree, frame a German constitution and persuade him to accept the Imperial crown of Germany; this was declined by the King; Gagern failed to persuade the elements of the national assembly to see reason; the Conservative party was unhappy about the middle classes gaining influence; gives his view of opinion in England that 'we should remain aloof' from affairs of the continent and guard commercial interests; Lord Palmerston's speech on Russia gave a favourable impression on those grounds; is glad that he is in St Petersburg which is an important post. Does not believe that the Prussian Government will ever accept the Frankfurt Constitution.
Term	politics, German, Frankfurt Decree
	constitutions, German, reform
	foreign policy, British
	politics, German, political parties
	politics, German, class system
	business and commerce

Persons

Code	PersonName	Dates of existence
NA6045	Ponsonby; John (c.1770-1855); 1st Viscount Ponsonby; Ambassador at Vienna; 2nd Baron cr. viscount 1839	c.1770-1855
NA6081	Friedrich Wilhelm IV (1795-1861); King of Prussia; ( succeeded 1840)	1795-1861
NA6082	Gagern; Henrich W.A.F. von (1799-1880); Herr; President of the Frankfurt Parliament	1799-1880
NA143	Temple; Henry John (1784-1865); 3rd Viscount Palmerston; succ. 1802; statesman; Prime Minster 1855-1858 and 1859-1865	1784-1865
NA6083	Howard; Henry F. (1809-1898); Sir; British Diplomatic Service	1809-1898
NA136	Buchanan; Andrew (1807-1882); 1st Baronet; diplomat	1807-1882