GO 



AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN MONARCHY, 



peror, on whose peculiar weakness (appre- 

 hension for the safety of his dynasty) both 

 Count Beust and Count Andrassy had worked 

 to some purpose, called the Council together 

 to decide on these points. The decision come 

 to was, that the rescript which was to be sent 

 to the Prague Diet, in answer to its fundamen- 

 tal laws, should be modified in such a manner 

 as to correct the impression given by that part 

 of the Bohemian address to which Beust ob- 

 jected. The Emperor accordingly directed 

 Hohenwart to modify the rescript in that 

 sense. But Hohenwart, who had long since 

 pledged his word to the Czech leaders that the 

 rescript should be drawn up in a manner 

 agreed upon between them, declared his in- 

 competence to do so without first consulting 

 with Rieger and the other Czech leaders. He 

 telegraphed for them to come to Vienna, They 

 answered it was impossible for them to do so 

 until they had been informed of the points 

 about to be discussed, in order that they might 

 confer with their colleagues, and come to 

 Vienna with full powers to treat. ID addi- 

 tion they stated explicitly that, unless the re- 

 script was forwarded in. the form agreed on, 

 they would not elect deputies to the Reichs- 

 rath, which would prevent the Government 

 from having a two-thirds majority. Count 

 Chotek, Governor of Bohemia, was instructed 

 to enlighten Rieger and his colleagues on the 

 subject of the difficulties which had arisen 

 through Count Beust's objections. The Czech 

 leaders came to Vienna, but utterly refused to 

 agree to the modification proposed in the re- 

 script. Count Hohenwart informed the Em- 

 peror of this, and received in answer an order 

 to alter the rescript, notwithstanding the min- 

 ister then informed the Emperor that to carry 

 out his order would bring an end to the nego- 

 tiations, and suggested that Count Beust should 

 modify his objections so that they might be 

 admitted into the rescript without the sanc- 

 tion of the Czech negotiators. But the Em- 

 peror was determined, and, as a paper reports, 

 used the expression, " Ich lefehle ea " (I order 

 it). Count Hohenwart retired, but shortly after- 

 ward presented himself again before the Em- 

 peror and tendered his resignation, alleging as a 

 reason that lie had pledged his word and could 

 not break it. These occurrences passed on 

 the 21st, 22d, and 23d of October. On the 

 25th, Count Hohenwart presented officially 

 his resignation, and that of his colleagues ; it 

 was accepted. Herr von Kellersperg was in- 

 trusted with the formation of a new cabinet, 

 the policy of which was to consist chiefly in 

 a return to the Constitution. As this new 

 move was looked upon as an open breach with 

 the Czechs, and a reconciliation of the Govern- 

 ment with the Liberal Germans, the surprise 

 was all the greater when, suddenly, the resig- 

 nation of the Chancellor, Count Beust, was 

 announced, to whose influence the new change 

 was chiefly attributed. He was appointed 

 Austrian ambassador to England, and the Em- 



peror conferred upon him marked honors, in 

 recognition of his services ; but it was, on the 

 other hand, no secret that his resignation had 

 taken place at the request of the Emperor. 

 He was succeeded, as Minister of Foreign Af- 

 fairs for the whole monarchy, by Count An- 

 drassy, the President of the Hungarian min- 

 istry, whose programme was so much like the 

 policy which had been steadily pursued by 

 Count Beust, as to leave no doubt that the 

 motives for the resignation of the Chancellor 

 were of a personal character, and not to be 

 found in any disapproval of his policy on the 

 part of the Emperor. Herr von Kellersperg 

 soon abandoned the task of forming a new 

 cabinet, because he could not fully agree with 

 Count Andrassy. They chiefly differed as to 

 the attitude which ought to be observed tow- 

 ard the Poles. Andrassy wished to comply 

 with most of the demands of the Poles, while 

 Kellersperg demanded the suppression of the 

 office of a particular minister for Galicia, 

 which had been created under the ministry of 

 Hohenwart. The task of reconstructing the 

 cis-Leithan ministry was then transferred to 

 Prince Adolf Auersperg. On November 24th, 

 the formation of the new cabinet was com- 

 pleted, and on November 25th the new min- 

 isters took the oath of office. It was com- 

 posed as follows : Prince Adolf Auersperg, 

 President ; Lasser, Minister of the Interior ; 

 Glaser, Minister of Justice ; Stremayr, Minis- 

 ter of Public Instruction ; Banhans, Minister 

 of Commerce; Clumetzki, Minister of Agri- 

 culture; linger, Minister without portfolio. 

 A few days later, Dr. Brestel was appointed 

 Minister of Finance. The Diets of Moravia, 

 Carinthia, Upper Austria, Bukowina, and 

 Voralberg, in all of which the opponents of 

 the new ministry had a majority, were dissolved, 

 and new elections ordered. The disappointed 

 Czechs held a Federalist Congress in Prague, 

 which consisted of 36 members who fully ap- 

 proved the conduct of the Czechic majority of 

 the Bohemian Diet, but at the same time re- 

 vealed great and irreconcilable differences 

 among the Slavi themselves. 



The' new session of the Reich srath was 

 opened on December 27th. On December 

 28th the Emperor Francis Joseph delivered 

 the speech from the throne. After the cus- 

 tomary formal congratulations, the speech 

 proceeds to deal with home questions. The 

 Emperor expressed regret that his readiness 

 to make radical concessions had not brought 

 internal harmony to the state. The crown, 

 while it contemplates the existence of separate 

 kingdoms with satisfaction, claims that its acts 

 are in the interest of the whole empire, as 

 well as of individual states. Great stress is 

 laid on the enforcement of and obedience to 

 the laws. The Government will accede to the 

 wishes of Galicia, in so far as they are compati- 

 ble with the interests of the empire. Measures 

 are promised which will render the Reichsrath 

 a completely representative body. Bills to re- 



