ACSTRO-HUXGARIAN MONARCHY. 



adopted the law, on March 27th, by a large 

 majoritr. after Prince Starhembcrg ami Baron 

 ron UtlmmMl had pointed out \t* significance. 

 The signing <( the bill by the Emperor called 

 forth enthusiastic demonstrations of joy, espe- 

 cially in the German district* ; the town coun- 

 cil of Vienna wan among the first to express to 

 the Emperor profound gratitude. The German 

 Liberal* regard the adoption of the electoral 

 reform a* the beginning of a new political era 

 in Austria. H.-n.-.-f.-rth, they think, it will be 

 impossible for tl>c provincial Diets, where the 

 Fedenliatf and Reactionist* have their chief 

 strength, to conspire, with any hope of suc- 

 cess, for the overthrow of the Constitution by 

 meant of a two-thirds majority. 



The second important point of the ministe- 

 rial programme for the session was the Am- 

 glfifA with Galicla (the regulation of iu pro- 

 rincial rights). Although the Government 

 believed iuelf to have gone in its concessions 

 to the Poles as for as the care for the union 

 o empire would allow, it concluded, in 

 view of the electoral reform just carried, to 

 make a new attempt at conciliating the inoro 

 moderate Polish party, and of withdrawing it 

 from the influence of the ultra-nationalists un- 

 'ie influence of Grocholski. The Emper- 

 or, therefore, on April 22d. in order to give, 

 a< he expressed himself, to Galicia "a proof 

 of hit continuing care," appointed the burgo- 

 master Ziemialkowskl, of Lemberg, AS minis- 

 ^ ithont portfolio. The new minister had 

 not taken any part in the negotiations for 

 effecting the AutgleUk, and was known to be 

 a friend of direct elections; like the present 

 Prime-Minister of Hungary, he had been, dur- 

 ing the revolutionary period of 1848-'49, con- 

 demned to death for his complicity with tho 

 revolutionary schemes. As tho session was 

 closed on April 24th, there was no time for 

 observing the immediate effect of this appoint- 

 ment upon the Rcicbsrath. In his closing 

 speech, the Emperor, referring to tin- .!..!>.- 

 ral reform, expressed liis hope that, " on this 

 ground all the tribes and parties mav unite in 

 order to work in the spirit of reconciliation, in 

 noble eotnpi-tition. and with united strength 

 for the greatness and the honor of the Father- 

 land, and for the prosperous development of 

 constitutional' 



The Hustings of the two delegations of Aus- 

 tria proper and nf Hungary for the discussion 

 of the common mmtnOftM A u-tro Hungarian 

 monarchy were opened on April 2d. Tho Em- 

 peror, and the presidents of the two delega- 

 tions, expressed their satisfaction with tho 

 p res sot prospects of a long peace, whirh tin v 

 believed to have been strengthened by tho 

 meeting of the Emperors of Austria, Ger- 

 many, and Rntwa, in Merlin. 



On April 20th, the eldest daughter of tho 

 Emperor. Arch-duchess Gisela (!><>rn .Inly IS, 

 ISM), was married to Prince Leopold of Ha- 

 vana (born February 0, 1844), second son of 

 Prroee Loitpold. In a note addressed to tho 



prime-minister, Prince Anersperg, on April 

 18th, the Emperor expressed his "thanks for 

 the numerous proofs of warm interest" which, 

 on this occasion, he had received from all class- 

 es of the population. 



Although the Austrian ministry was, in pen- 

 cral, looked upon as the exponent of the prin- 

 ciples of the Liberal party, it pursued in some, 

 and particularly in religious questiona, a con- 

 ciliatory policy, which gave great offense to 

 the majority of the Liberal party. The Minis- 

 ter of Public Worship, Von Stremayr, in a cir- 

 cular to the public schools, increased the reli- 

 gions exercises of tho pupils. They must go 

 lour times a year to confession, and be con- 

 ducted by the" teachers to the mass and to the 

 public procession of Corpus Christi. The teach- 

 ers protested, and the standing committee of 

 the Austrian Teachers' Association, in April, 

 asked tho minister to withdraw his circular, as 

 irreconcilable with Article 14 of tho funda- 

 mental law of the state, according to which no 

 body can be forced to take part in a religious 

 act. The minister replied to this remonstrance 

 by the deposition of Ilerr Bobies, the director 

 of a " Bnrgerschnlo " at Vienna, and the chief 

 of the Austrian Teachers' Association, and <li- 



1 the school authorities of Austria to sup- 

 press all public expressions of sympathy with 

 Bobies. The ministry approved of the circular 

 of Stremnyr, and dissolved several political as- 

 sociations which had passed resolutions in fa- 

 vor of Bobios, or asked for the separation of 

 church and state. Specially distasteful to the 

 Liberals was a rescript of the Minister of Pub- 

 lic Instruction, in which he restored to the 

 Jesuits, who are professors of tho theological 

 faculty of the University of Innsprnck, the 

 ripht to be elected into the Academic Senate. 

 While tho ministry thus offended a portion of 

 the Liberal party, it fully conciliated the more 

 moderate portion of the Catholic party, who, 

 under the leadership of tho Cardinal-Arch- 

 bishop of Vienna, separated from the Ultra- 

 montane section of tho party, abandoned a 

 direct opposition to the Austrian Constitution, 

 and only demanded nn outspoken Austrian 

 basis for the now constitutional life of the em- 

 pire. Other bishops were less conciliatory: 

 thus, tho Bishop of OlnitUz, Prince of Furstcn- 

 berg, refused to notify the parish priests that 

 tin' certificates of the deaths of Italian sul 

 must henceforth be drawn up according to a 

 schedule agreed upon by the Governments of 

 Austria and Italy, on the ground that this 

 agreement between Austria and Italy was nn 



nchment upon tho rights of tho Apostolic 



Bt*. 



The foreign policy of tho Austrian Govern- 

 ment wns more acceptable to the Liberal party. 

 The visits of the Kmprcss of Germany to Vi- 

 enna in June, and of the Emperor in Get 

 called forth very enthusiastic popular demon- 

 strations in favorof the establishment of inti- 

 mate relations between Austria and Germany. 

 The reception of King Victor Emmanuel 1 y 



