GERMANY. 



357 



The deputies were again confronted with 

 the rejected proposal of biennial budgets im- 

 mediately upon reassembling. The accounts 

 which were laid before the Parliament, ap- 

 proved by the Federal Council, contained the 

 civil list for 1883-'84, besides that for 1882-'83. 

 The budget debates in Germany are always 

 confined to the business details, so the second 

 appropriation was simply struck out, the Gov- 

 ernment mustering again only 43 Conservative 

 supporters. 



PRUSSIA. The Prussian Ministry was com- 

 posed in 1882 as follows: President, Prince 

 Otto von Bismarck, Minister of Foreign Affairs 

 and of Commerce ; Yice-President, Von Putt- 

 kamer, Minister of the Interior; Minister of 

 War, Von Kameke; of Public Works, May- 

 bach; of Agriculture, Domains, and Forests, 

 Dr. Lucius; of Justice, Dr. Friedberg; with- 

 out portfolio, Von Botticher ; of Ecclesiastical 

 Affairs, Von Gossler ; of Finance, Scholz. The 

 latter succeeded Bitter, who was dismissed on 

 account of a difference which arose between 

 him and his chief with reference to the pro- 

 jected reform of taxation. He persisted in the 

 idea, which Bismarck had abandoned, of ex- 

 tending the reform to the field of direct tolls 

 and fees, while separating the capitalized or 

 funded revenues from the unfunded. 



The Prussian budget never shows the fact of 

 a surplus or a deficit, as the accounts are made 

 to balance exactly, but in nearly every year of 

 late there has been an excess of receipts over 

 expenditures. The expenses for each year 

 since the formation of the empire down to 

 1880 were as follow (1 mark = 23-8 cents) : 

 561,176,820 marks in 1872 ; 630,130,400 marks 

 in 1873 ; 695,097,700 marks in 1874 ; 694,484,- 

 900 marks in 1875 ; 808,072,700 marks in 1877 

 (fifteen months, owing to the change of the 

 date of closing the fiscal accounts from Decem- 

 ber 31st to March 31st); 657,520,344 marks in 

 1878; 71 3,857,764 marks in 1879; 711,500,758 

 marks in 1880. The principal sources of rev- 

 enue are direct taxes, the Government railways, 

 customs and' excise duties, and the contribu- 

 tions of the individual states. The income from 

 the railroads, mines, and other state enter- 

 prises has largely increased in recent years, and 

 promises to exceed the revenues from taxation. 

 The budget for 1882-'83 shows gross receipts 

 of 934,589,917 marks, and, deducting the costs 

 of administration and working expenses, net re- 

 ceipts of 419,755,032 marks. The public debt 

 amounted in 1882 to 1,975,687,248 marks, of 

 which 1,357,897,238 marks were railroad loans ; 

 the provincial debts to 83,994,182 marks, of 

 which 64,899,171 marks were for railroads ; 

 making a total public debt of 2,059,681,430 

 marks. The sinking-fund and interest charges 

 for the year amounted to 109,489,348 marks. 



Political action in Prussia determines, in a 

 great measure, the political development of the 

 empire. Prince Bismarck, exercising the ini- 

 tiative in both Governments, often takes the 

 measures which he would carry for the empire 



to the Prussian Legislature, or goes to the 

 Reichstag with plans which he entertains for 

 Prussia, when the prospect of carrying them 

 directly is unfavorable. He sought in vain in 

 1882 to obtain recognition in the Prussian 

 Landtag for the reform projects which he en- 

 deavored to carry out in the empire. The 

 Catholic question, which was first broached in 

 the Reichstag, belongs properly to Prussia, and 

 must be settled in that arena. The Clericals 

 were not disposed to enter into an alliance with 

 Bismarck to enable him to strengthen the cen- 

 tral power in the empire, and the ministerial 

 rights and the royal prerogative in Prussia, un- 

 less their demands were fulfilled and made se- 

 cure f.or the future. They saw a better pros- 

 pect of regaining the rights of the Church 

 through the parliamentary institutions which 

 Bismarck wished to emasculate with their aid, 

 than of bringing him to Canossa. All that be 

 could be.expected to give they saw would have 

 to come in order to put an end to public dis- 

 orders. The friendly attitude of the Liberals 

 in the Reichstag encouraged them in their po- 

 sition. 



The Prussian Landtag was opened January 

 14th with an address from the throne, read by 

 the Vice-President of the ministry, von Putt- 

 kamer, which dwelt upon the favorable finan- 

 cial position of the monarchy and announced 

 a reduction of taxes. At the same time, as in 

 the preceding year, a new loan was proposed, 

 this time for 5,000,000 marks. The nationali- 

 zation of several private railroads and the con- 

 struction of new lines was proposed, as well 

 as a canal connecting the Rhine and Ruhr sys- 

 tem with the Ems and the North Sea. The 

 political schemes of the Chancellor occupied 

 the first place in the programme by the renewed 

 proposal of the bill providing for the applica- 

 tion of any sums paid over by the Government 

 of the empire as the proceeds of new or aug- 

 mented taxes to the reduction of direct taxes 

 and local dues. The lightening of the burden 

 of the national schools by the abolition ^ of 

 school fees, and the increase of official salaries, 

 were also designated as objects for the appli- 

 cation of the prospective revenues. The Cath- 

 olic question was met by a proposal to simply 

 extend the law of 1880 beyond January 1st. 

 This made the execution of some of the most 

 objectionable of the Falk laws discretionary 

 with the Government. The exercise of these 

 discretionary powers had, in the language ot 

 the address, enabled the Government to restore 

 to several Catholic dioceses a regular adminis- 

 tration, and to relieve their pressing necessities 

 in the matter of the cure of souls, and also to 

 extend and facilitate the activity of the societies 

 for tending the sick. " The friendly relations 

 with the present head of the Catholic Church 

 place us in a position," it was stated, u to re- 

 sume diplomatic intercourse with the Roman 

 Curia, which was required for the discharge of 

 public business." The session commenced with 

 favorable prospects for the Clericals and their 



