AUSTRIA. 



181 



above the limits of the earth's atmosphere. It 

 would seem that auroras of this sort are but 

 rarely observed: the notices at Christiana, 

 Norway, 1842-'7, include those of four auroras 

 " with "flames," or "flaming: " one of these, 

 Sept. 22, 1846, is described as showing " vehe- 

 ment flames over three fourths of the heavens; 

 (color) reddish.'' 



AUSTRIA. Emperor Francis Joseph I, 

 born August 18, 1320, ascended the throne, Dec. 

 2. 1848, married April 24, 1854, to Elizabeth 

 Mary Eugenia, daughter of Maximilian, duke 

 of Bavaria, heir to the throne : Archduke Ro- 

 dolphus Francis Charles Joseph, born August 

 21, 18 



The most interesting portion of the history 

 of Austria during the year 1862 consists in the 

 proceedings of the Reiohtrath (parliament). 

 The Government made the utmost efforts to in- 

 duce all the crownlands to send deputies, and 

 thus to complete the organization and centrali- 

 zation of the empire. The number of deputies 

 apportioned to every crownland was as follows : 

 Hungary 85, Bohemia 54, Venetia 20, Dalma- 

 tia 5, Croatia and Slavonia 9, Galicia 38, Low- 

 er Austria 18. Upper Austria 10, Salzburg 3, 

 Styria 13. Carinthia 5, Carniola 6, Bukowina 5, 

 Transylvania 26. Moravia 22, Silesia 6, the Ty- 

 rol and Vorarlberg 12, Istria, Goerz, Gradisea, 

 and T - cher 6. But the efforts of the 



Government were in vain. Hungary and its 

 dependencies, as well as Venetia, persisted in 

 refusing to takj part in the proceedings of the 

 Reichsrath, and of the 343 members of which 

 it was to consist, no more than 200 were at any 

 time present. 



The Reichsrath contained two great political 

 parties ; one in support of the constitution of 

 Feb. 26, 1861, and in favor of consolidating all 

 the crownlands, in accordance with the consti- 

 tution into one constitutional monarchy : the 

 other, opposing the centralization of the em- 

 pire, and the completion of the design of the 

 constitution, as endangering the rights of those 

 who were not of thi German races. The ma- 

 jority being centralists consisted of the depu- 

 f the German provinces, as Upper and 

 Lower Austria, Salsburg, the Tyrol, Styria. and 

 of several other provinces, where the population 

 contains a strong element which is not German, 

 but where the Government has succeeded in 

 securing the election of partisans. Among the 

 deputies who were not German it was in par- 

 ticular the Ruthenea of Galicia, under the lead- 

 ership of Bishop Litvinovitch, who supported 

 this party, out of opposition to the Poles, who 

 inhabit the same country, and whose political 

 influence they wished to break. The majority, 

 in general, was favorable to liberal reforms. Its 

 chiefs were Dr. Hein, of Silesia, recently ap- 

 pointed Minister of Justice, Gizkra, of Moravia, 

 who was, in 1848, a prominent member of the 

 parliament of Frankfort, Kuranda, editor of 

 one of the leading dailies of Vienna (the Oest 

 D^itxche Post), and Brinz, professor of Prague. 

 The opposition to the centralization of the em- 



pire (the Federalists), is headed by the Czechi, 

 of Bohemia, who repel with indignation any idea 

 of submission or conversion to the German ele- 

 ment of the empire, and of the Poles, who still 

 hope for the restoration of an independent 

 kingdom of Poland. A small contingent of this 

 party, which altogether counted about 50 mem- 

 bers, was furnished by the Slavic population of 

 Moravia, Carinthia, and Carniola. The leaders 

 of the party were Rieger, Klaudi, and Brauner, 

 of Bohemia, and Sniolka, of Galicia. A small 

 aristocratic body, headed by the Count Clam- 

 Martinitz, generally voted with this party. The 

 Chamber of Peers was, on the whole, less libe- 

 ral than the Chamber of Deputies. A conflict 

 between the two broke out, particularly on the 

 question of the budget and of the privileges to 

 be exercised in matters of taxation by the 

 Chamber of Deputies. The upper house, how- 

 ever, on December 15, adopted the budget as 

 voted by the Chamber of Deputies. On Decem- 

 ber 18, the session of the Council of the Empire 

 was closed by a speech of the emperor, who ex- 

 pressed satisfaction that the confidence he had 

 placed in the nation, by granting the constitu- 

 tions of October 20 and February 26, had been 

 justified. The emperor said: ' Our resolute 

 progress in the path of peace has powerful- 

 ly increased confidence in Austria's strength, 

 and has gained her the sympathy of other na- 

 tions. The Reichsrath has proceeded firmly 

 upon the solution of its task, and has already 

 passed important measures. Basing the regu- 

 lation of the budget upon the principle that 

 the resources of the country itself must sup- 

 ply its necessities, I am convinced that such 

 a result will be brought about by an equal di- 

 vision of burdens. Commerce has already 

 shown increased animation in consequence of 

 the abolition of the transit dues. The bill reg- 

 ulating the control of the Reichsrath over the 

 national debt secures also the cooperation of 

 the Legislature in supervising the expenditure. 

 The new Bank Act has established the relative 

 position of that institution to the State. The re- 

 trenchment of the expenditure has exercised a 

 favorable influence upon the state of public 

 affairs." 



It has been generally acknowledged in Eu- 

 rope, and particularly by the English press of 

 all parties, that Austria, during the year 1862, 

 has made great progress in the path of consti- 

 tutional freedom. On May 1 a law was pro- 

 mulgated, establishing the responsibility of the 

 ministry. In December, two other important 

 laws were published relative to individual 

 liberty, and the inviolability of the domicile. 

 These laws, although still imperfect, are sub- 

 stantially based upon what is known in Eng- 

 land and America as the Habeas Corpus Act. 



The efforts of the Government to overcome 

 the discontent of Hungary and Venetia were 

 unceasing, although not attended by any mark- 

 ed success. Count Forgach was sent by the 

 Government to Hungary, in order to make him- 

 self acquainted with the real state of things. 



