EUROPE. 



267 



influence of Austria in general questions of Eu- 

 ropean politics has considerably increased in 

 consequence of the skillful moves of the Aus- 

 trian Chancellor, Count Andrassy, and, in the 

 serious complications arising in Turkey, Austria 

 even succeeded in taking the lead. In Hungary 

 the leaders of the former opposition, who re- 

 fused to recognize the present dualistic basis 

 of the empire, are now at the head of the Gov- 

 ernment, and have given their entire adhesion 

 to the permanence of the intimate relations 

 between cis-Leithan Austria and Hungary. (See 



AUSTBO-HUNGAEIAN MONAECHY.) 



In Switzerland the general elections have 

 left the ascendency of the Liberal party in the 

 Federal Council unchanged. The same policy 

 as before will, therefore, be pursued in Church 

 questions, and the legislation on this subject 

 will continue to be fully as unfavorable to the 

 demands of the Catholic Church. In the Catho- 

 lic districts the Catholic party appears, how- 

 ever, not only to hold its own, but to make 

 steady progress, and the most liberal of all the 

 Catholic cantons, Ticino, was by the cantonal 

 election, in 1875, lost to the Liberal party. 



In Belgium the Government and the majori- 

 ty of both Chambers still belong to the Catho- 

 lic party, and their ascendency remained un- 

 changed. The encouragement given by Belgian 

 bishops to the Catholic party of Germany, the 

 violent attacks made by the Catholic press of 

 Belgium upon the German Government, and 

 the outspoken design of a Belgian mechanic to 

 assassinate Prince Bismarck, led to sharp diplo- 

 matic remonstrances on the part of Germany. 

 The threatening complication was, however, 

 peaceably adjusted. 



The relations of Italy to Germany and Aus- 

 tria appeared to assume a still more friendly 

 character than before in consequence of the 

 visits paid by the Emperors of Austria and Ger- 

 many to the King of Italy. The relations be- 

 tween Church and state cannot be expected to 

 become of a friendly character as long as the 

 Government is determined to maintain and 

 strengthen the national unity, and to reject all 

 demands for a restoration of the temporal 

 power of the Popes. The Government is, how- 



ever, anxiously intent upon avoiding harsh 

 measures, like those adopted by the Govern- 

 ments of Germany and Switzerland, and it is 

 only the party of the Left which unreservedly 

 approves the Church policy of the German 

 Government. (See ITALY.) 



The restoration of the Bourbons in Spain 

 has not produced any change in the disor- 

 ganized condition of the country. The Carlist 

 war continued throughout the year, and at its 

 close the country was no nearer the restora- 

 tion of peace than it had been at any time 

 during the short existence of the republic. 

 The young King deemed it safest to postpone 

 the election of the new Cortes, and the year 

 closed without any sanction of the coup tfetat 

 to which the King owes his throne by the rep- 

 resentatives of the people. (See SPAIN.) 



The war of the Netherlands against Acheen 

 was not yet brought to a close, and, although 

 it can hardly be doubted that the ultimate re- 

 sult of the war will be the annexation of the 

 whole island of Sumatra to the Dutch domin- 

 ions, the sacrifices required for this purpose 

 prove to be much greater than was expected. 

 Difficulties with the republic of Venezuela 

 led to a rupture of diplomatic negotiations be- 

 tween the two states. (See NETHEELANDS.) 



The Scandinavian states, Sweden, Norway, 

 and Denmark, are in a very flourishing finan- 

 cial condition. Sweden and Denmark no long- 

 er agree in the policy pursued with regard to 

 Germany. The King of Sweden exhibits an 

 earnest desire to enter into the closest and 

 most friendly relations to Germany, and has 

 thereby given great offense to the Danes. (See 

 SWEDEN AND DENMAEK.) 



The Government of Roumania is making 

 great progress in developing the resources of 

 the country. By concluding a commercial 

 treaty with Austria, in spite of the protests of 

 Turkey, Roumania for the first time exercised 

 the rights of an independent state. (See ROU- 

 MANIA.) 



The area and population of the geographical 

 and political divisions of Europe were, according 

 to the latest dates, as follows (see " Bevolkerung 

 der Erde," iii., 1875) 



EUEOPE. 



