706 



PRUSSIA. 



Secretary to the Department, was appointed 

 his successor. Count Eulenburg also re- 

 signed, and \vas replaced by Count Botho zu 

 Eulenburg. The Diet closed on March 29th. 



The Diet was opened again on November 

 19th by Count Stolberg, who read the follow- 

 ing speech from the throne : 



Dreadful events have happened since the close of 

 last session. His Majesty's life, twice threatened by 

 criminal attacks, has been graciously preserved and 

 almost miraculously strengthened by Providence. 

 But the days of trial have become days of patriotic 

 uprising. The people have again manifested their 

 love and their devotion to the King. The patriotism 

 evinced, and the deep impression produced by those 

 terrible incidents, encourage hopes that, thanks to 

 the cooperation of all conservative elements, we 

 shall gradually succeed in overcoming aberrations, 

 to restrain which certain imperial laws have been re- 

 cently enacted. The ties of love and affection con- 

 necting the people with the dynasty have been man- 

 ifested afresh in the confidence with which they have 

 welcomed his Imperial and Koyal Highness, the 

 Crown Prince, upon his temporary assumption of 

 the reins of government, a confidence which has 

 greatly contributed to enable his Imperial and Royal 

 Highness to carry out his difficult task in accordance 

 with his Majesty's intentions. 



The Government relies upon your cooperation for 

 the removal of financial difficulties. The consider- 

 able surplus accruing from last year's accounts is 

 almost entirely required to cover our increasing con- 

 tributions toward the German exchequer. The in- 

 terest on the public debt has likewise considerably 

 increased, and there are other unavoidable expenses 

 to be met. Unless important interests are to be 

 neglected, retrenchment is almost impossible. The 

 influx of large sums from extraordinary sources re- 

 corded in this year's budget has ceased; while the 

 ordinary and regular revenue, suffering from the 

 continued depression of trade, does not allow us to 

 count upon any sensible addition to the previous fig- 

 ures. The revenue is insufficient to cover the ordinary 

 and regular expenditure of the state. The means 

 required to amend this state of things will be found 

 in taxes and imports handed over to the German 

 exchequer. Meanwhile current expenditure will 

 have to be partly defrayed by loans. 



The remainder of the speech referred to bills 

 of domestic import to be laid before the House. 

 Among other plans enumerated, the Govern- 

 ment contemplated the construction of new 

 railways and canals, and the purchase of some 

 railway lines belonging to joint-stock compa- 

 nies. On the following day Herr Hobrecht, 

 the Minister of Finance, laid the budget for 

 1878-'79 before the House. The total deficit 

 was estimated at 73,750,000 marks, and but 

 for the last remnant of the French indemnity 

 being distributed in 1876, it would have oc- 

 curred a year sooner. It was mainly occa- 

 sioned by the steady increase of military ex- 

 penditure, and the falling off of the proceeds 

 from Government railways, mines, and forests. 

 The Minister urged that, to provide for this 

 deficit, the state should be relieved from the 

 payment of its contribution to the imperial 

 expenses, by the creation of special sources of 

 income for the empire itself, and by a reform 

 m the system of commercial taxation. On 

 December llth the House discussed a motion 

 by Herr Windthorst in favor of an alteration of 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



the law by which religious orders and congre- 

 gations are dissolved. This was opposed by 

 Dr. Falk, the Minister of Public Worship, who 

 alluded to the negotiations between Germany 

 and the Vatican, and declared that the Gov- 

 ernment could not agree to the proposal to let 

 matters rest by not giving effect to the exist- 

 ing law. The House finally rejected the mo- 

 tion. On December 18th the House passed a 

 resolution by a large majority calling upon the 

 Government to bring about as speedily as pos- 

 sible the transfer of the control of the Prussian 

 railway system to the empire. The Diet ad- 

 journed on the 20th for the Christmas vacations. 

 PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. Annual Message 

 of President HATES, at the third session of the 

 Forty -ffth Congress, commencing December 2, 

 1878. 

 FELLOW-CITIZENS or THE SENATE ANT HOUSE OF EEP- 



RESENTATIVES : 



Our heartfelt gratitude is due to the Divine Being, 

 who holds in His hands the destinies of nations, for 

 the continued bestowal, during the last year, of 

 countless blessings upon our country. 



We are at peace with all other nations. Our pub- 

 lic credit has greatly improved, and is, perhaps, 

 now stronger than ever before. Abundant harvests 

 have rewarded the labors of those who till the soil, 

 our manufacturing industries are reviving, and it is 

 believed that general prosperity, which has been so 

 long anxiously looked for, is at last within our reach. 



The enjoyment of health by our people generally 

 has, however, been interrupted during the past sea- 

 son by the prevalence of a fatal pestilence, the yellow 

 fever^in some portions of the Southern States, cre- 

 ating an emergency which called for prompt and ex- 

 traordinary measures of relief. The disease appeared 

 as an epidemic at JNew Orleans and at other places 

 on the lower Mississippi, soon after midsummer. 

 It was rapidly spread by fugitives from the infected 

 cities and towns, and did not disappear until ear- 

 ly in November. The States of Louisiana, Missis- 

 sippi, and Tennessee have suffered severely. About 

 one hundred thousand cases are believed to have oc- 

 curred, of which about twenty thousand, according 

 to intelligent estimates, proved fatal. It is impossi- 

 ble to estimate with any approach to accuracy the 

 loss to the country occasioned by this epidemic. It 

 is to be reckoned by the hundred millions of dollars. 

 The suffering and destitution that resulted excited 

 the deepest sympathy in all parts of the Union. 

 Physicians and nurses hastened from every quarter 

 to the assistance of the afflicted communities. Vol- 

 untary contributions of money and supplies, in every 

 needed form, were speedily and generously fur- 

 nished. The Government was able to respond in 

 some measure to the call for help, by providing tents, 

 medicines, and food for the sick and destitute, the 

 requisite directions for the purpose being given in 

 the confident expectation that this action of the Ex- 

 ecutive would receive the sanction of Congress. 

 About eighteen hundred tents, and rations of the 

 value of about twenty-five thousand dollars, were 

 sent to cities and towns which applied for them, 

 full details of which will be furnished to Congress 

 by the proper Department. 



The fearful spread of this pestilence has awakened 

 a very general public sentiment in favor of national 

 sanitary administration, which shall not only control 

 quarantine, but have the sanitary supervision of in- 

 ternal commerce in times of epidemics, and hold an 

 advisory relation to the State and municipal health 

 authorities, with power to deal with whatever en- 

 dangers the public health, and which the municipal 

 and State authorities are unable to regulate. The 

 national quarantine act approved April 29, 1878, 



