AUSTRO-IIUNGARIAN MONARCHY. 



G6 



ministry, which existed in December, 1809, 

 tin- majority demanding nn initlinching ad- 

 lu-Mon to the coast it uti<n, while the minor- 

 ity w.-iv \\illitr,' to mnko concessions to tho 

 ilistic demands of the Slnvi, was ended on 

 iry 15, 1870, by the resignation of tho 

 minority, consisting of tho minister president, 

 Count taaffe, nml >f tho ministers, Count Po- 

 Toeki ami I 'r. I'.. nrer. On January 26th, the 

 Minister of the Interior mado an explanation, 

 in tho Lower Chamber of the Austrian Roichs- 

 ruth, of tho policy of the majority of the Gov- 

 ernment which had remained in office. Ho 

 claimed for tho present ministry that they had 

 done much to improve tho position of Aus- 

 < In ring their two years' tenure of of- 

 ti'v. "They did not ignore tho fnct that the 

 constitution was capable of improvement, but 

 they would not parley with those who took 

 their stand of opposition outside of its lines. 

 Tho policy will be to maintain the present con- 

 stitutional arrangement, but to do every thing 

 possible to conciliate the prejudices and aspira- 

 tions of the nationalists." Minister Plener 

 was, on January 17th, charged with the recon- 

 struction of the ministry, but this work was 

 not completed until February 1st. In the 

 new ministry, Hasner was Minister Presi- 

 dent; Stremayr, Minister of Public Worship; 

 Banhaus, Minister of Agriculture ; and Wag- 

 ner, Minister of the Defence of the Country. 

 Tho efforts of the centralists were chiefly di- 

 rected against the Chancellor, Count Beust, and, 

 in their name, the President of the Chamber 

 of Deputies, Herr von Kaisersfeld, violently 

 attacked him. In reply, the Chancellor avowed 

 his preference for a policy of conciliation, and 

 his desire to arrive at an understanding with 

 all the nationalities of Austria ; but he cate- 

 gorically denied having used improper means 

 to combat the members of the cis-Leithan 

 Cabinet who did not share his views ; ho pro- 

 tested against the pessimism of MM. Kaiser- 

 feld, Skene, and others of their party, who in 

 their speeches had predicted a catastrophe 

 tho complete ruin of Austria if the constitu- 

 tion of December, 1867, was altered to make 

 any concessions to the nationalities. 



On March 22d, Minister , Giskra offered his 

 resignation, which was accepted. On the 31st, 

 the adjournment of the discussion on tho de- 

 mands of Galicia caused tho representatives 

 of the Poles, of tho Slovenitzi of Istria, and of 

 Buekovina, to resign. On April 4th a new 

 ministry was formed, with Count Polocki as 

 President. On the 14th, Count Taaffe rejoined 

 the Cabinet as Minister of the Interior and of 

 War. The other places in the Cabinet were 

 temporarily supplied by tho heads of the sev- 

 eral branches of administration. On the 7th 

 of May, the ministry was completed by tho 

 appointment of Petrino as Minister of Agricul- 

 ture, of Holzgethan as Minister of Finance, 

 and of Widman as Minister of War. 



On the 23d of May imperial decrees were 

 issued for tho dissolution of tho National 



Reichsrath, and also of the Diets in the va- 

 rious provinces of the empire. New elections 

 for these bodies were also ordered. In case 

 any of tho Diets should decline to choose dep- 

 uties to the Reichsrath, the Government an- 

 nounced its determination to order a direct 

 appeal to the inhabitants of the provinces for 

 that purpose. 



The Austrian Reichsrath was opened on tho 

 17th of September, and the Emperor delivered 

 tho address from tho throne, lie said : 



" I have called you together for the discharge of 

 important duties. While a sanguinary contest i.-> 

 spreading devastation over vast territories in this 

 quarter of the world, our empire enjoys the blessings 

 of peace, and this peaceful character of our foreign 

 relations will serve, above all, to place the constitu- 

 tional institutions of the state upon a firm foundation. 

 Toward the end of last year the regular discussions 

 of the Lower House experienced some interruption. 

 In order to remedy this, and at the same time to give 

 to all parts of the empire an opportunity of express- 

 ing their wishes, I thought it my duty as sovereign 

 to order new elections. I feel special satisfaction at 

 seeing you assembled. I know that the Upper and 

 the Lower House are both animated by truly pat- 

 riotic feelings and sentiments for Austria. I will not 

 ascribe it to a want of patriotism that I still mi.ss 

 the presence of the representatives of Bohemia ; but 

 I must all the more deeply deplore this since the 

 government indefatigably exerts itself, amid the se- 

 rious and momentous events of the present time, to 

 lead opposing elements to cooperate in constitutional 

 labors, and because I am impressed with the urgent 

 necessity of bringing the internal organization of the 

 empire to a prosperous conclusion. It will be tho 

 duty of the Government to invoke all legal remedies 

 for the purpose of securing to the kingdom of Bohe- 

 mia with, all possible speed its participation in these 

 important labors. It will be the duty of the Reichs- 

 rath to discuss, in a spirit of moderation, the justice 

 of measures which will serve to secure a constitu- 

 tional basis upon which the individual wants of everv 

 race may be satisfied in a manner compatible with 

 the prerogatives of the monarchy." 



The speech proceeds to enumerate the sev- 

 eral matters to be dealt with by tho Reichs- 

 rath namely, the election of delegations; the 

 settlement of the relations between the Catho- 

 lic Church and the state, which has become 

 necessary through the abrogation of the Con- 

 cordat hitherto existing with the Papal See, 

 respecting which bills will bo introduced by 

 the Government ; the completion of the legis- 

 latory labors respecting the procedure in civil 

 and criminal law, the reform of the universi- 

 ties, the examination of the financial estimates, 

 the solution of economical questions, and. final- 

 ly, bills sanctioning administrative steps al- 

 ready taken by reason of their urgency. The 

 Emperor concluded: "May that power and 

 strength which are engendered by concord 

 spread from your midst to all the races of 

 Austria, and lead them to such a course as 

 will promote liberty, prosperity, and honor, 

 for every race and country of the common 

 empire ! " 



During the debate on tho address to tho 

 crown, in the Lower House of tho Reichsrath, 

 the Polish delegates, apprehending a miscon- 

 struction of their motives, desisted from op- 



