GERMANY. 



848 



atctl for the table of the archbishop, with the 

 > ution that if, in 1876 or 1877 an appoint- 

 ment should be made, to pay the usual dota- 

 tion from the day of appointment. The Cler- 

 ical party made an amendment to this, that 

 tin- usual dotation be again inserted. This 

 was voted down after a lively debate. 



The Imperial Government lost one of its 

 oldest and most efficient members by the resig- 

 nation of Herr Delbruck, the President of the 

 Imperial Chancery. The resignation was ac- 

 cept ed in the middle of April by the Emperor. 



The reason for this step was stated by Herr 

 Delbruck to be his shattered health, although 

 it was rumored that differences of opinion with 

 Prince Bismarck, particularly on the railroad 

 question, were the real causes. These rumors 

 were emphatically denied by Prince Bismarck 

 in the Prussian Chamber of Deputies. As his 

 successor the Emperor appointed Herr Hof- 

 mann, formerly Minister of Hesse-Darmstadt. 

 Tlie fourth and last session of the Reichstag 

 elected in 1878 was opened on October 30th. 

 The speech from the throne was read by Herr 



6J langtfuJfRut from, Gremwicfi 





Hofmann, the Emperor being absent on ac- 

 count of indisposition. The imperial speech 

 mentioned the general depression of trade and 

 industry in Germany and throughout the 

 world, and stated that the object of the Gov- 

 ernment's commercial policy would be the pro- 

 tection of German industry from the preju- 

 dicial effects of one-sided customs regulations 

 in other countries. This object would be kept 

 specially in view in impending negotiations 



for the renewal of commercial treaties. Ger- 

 many's foreign relations, notwithstanding tbe 

 difficulties of the present political situation, 

 were fully accordant with the Emperor's pa- 

 cific policy. His constant endeavor was to pre- 

 serve friendly relations with all powers, es- 

 pecially those connected with Germany by ties 

 of neighborhood and history, and, ns far as 

 peace might be endangered among sucli. to 

 preserve it by friendly mediation. Whatever 



