Published unsigned in The Northern Star, No. 446, May 30, 1846, p. 5, introduced by the editor as “the following communication from our German Correspondent”; attributed to Friedrich Engels by MEW (vol. 4). Text from the original newspaper (NCSE, Northern Star facsimile). Traducción al español.
There exists a law in Prussia, dated 22nd of June, 1820, forbidding the King to contract any State Debts without the sanction of the States General, an assembly which it is very well known, does not yet exist in Prussia. This law is the only guarantee the Prussians have for ever getting the constitution which, since 1815, has been promised to them. The fact of the existence of such a law not being generally known out of Prussia, the government succeeded in 1823 in borrowing three millions of pounds in England—first violation. After the French revolution of 1830, the Prussian government being obliged to make extensive preparations for a war which was then likely to break out, they not having any money, made the “interests for transatlantic trade,” a government concern, borrow twelve millions of dollars (£1,700,000), which, of course, were under the guarantee of the government, and spent by the government—second violation. Not to speak of the small violations, such as loans of a few hundred thousands of pounds by the same concern, the King of Prussia has, at this moment, committed a third great violation. The credit of this concern being as it seems exhausted, the Bank of Prussia, being just in the same way, exclusively, a government concern, has been empowered by the King to issue bank notes to the amount of ten millions of dollars (£1,350,000.) This deducting 3⅓ millions as deposit and ⅔ millions for the increased expences of the establishment, amounts in reality to an “indirect loan” of six millions of dollars or nearly one million of pounds, which the government will be responsible for, as up to this time no private capitalists are partners to the Bank of Prussia. It is to be hoped that the Prussians, particularly the middle classes, who are most interested in the constitution, will not let this pass without an energetic protest.