Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/558

 520 Readings in European History 449. The Prussian reform edict of October 9, 1807. We, Frederick William, by the grace of God king of Prussia, etc., etc., hereby make known and proclaim that : Since peace has been established we have been occupied before everything else with the care for the depressed con- dition of our faithful subjects and the speediest revival and greatest possible improvement in this respect. We have con- sidered that, in face of the prevailing want, the means at our disposal would be insufficient to aid each individual, and even if they were sufficient, we could not hope to accom- plish our object ; and that, moreover, in accordance with the imperative demands of justice and with the principles of a judicious economic policy, it behooves us to remove every obstacle which has hitherto prevented the individual from attaining such a state of prosperity as he was capable of reaching. We have further considered that the existing re- strictions, both on the possession and enjoyment of landed property and on the personal condition of the agricultural laborer, especially interfere with our benevolent purpose and disable a great force which might be applied to the restora- tion of agriculture, — the former, by their prejudicial influ- ence upon the value of landed property and the credit of the proprietor ; the latter, by diminishing the value of labor. We desire, therefore, to reduce both kinds of restrictions so far as the common well-being demands, and we accordingly ordain the following. 1. Every inhabitant of our states is competent, without any limitation on the part of the state, to own or mortgage landed property of every kind. The noble may therefore own not only noble, but also non-noble, citizen and peasant lands of every kind, and the citizen and peasant may pos- sess not only citizen, peasant, and other non-noble, but also noble tracts of land without in any case needing special per- mission for any acquisition whatever, although henceforth, as before, every change of ownership must be announced to the authorities. All privileges which are possessed by noble over citizen inheritances are entirely abolished. . . . 2. Every noble is henceforth permitted, without any dero- gation from his station, to engage in citizen occupation, and