The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-08 00:00:00

ERNE, Dm. 7.
The National Council and the Council of the
Estates were opened to-day. The Presidents of
both then bodice in their inaugural addressee ox-
en thanks of the Owns people towards
ax-
pre countries for the sympathy shown by the
latter at the distress pweed in some cantons by the
late inindations.

. .
HUNGARY.
. . .
MTH, Dao. 7.
tlLower House of the Hungarian Diet hat
the Army BM. M. Transa, of the Left,
d, in the name of tho central committee"bf
the Honveds, that the Honveds of the class of
1848 and 1849, in consequence of the sanctioning
ef the Army Bill, would offer their services ih
defesiee of their king and country. This decla-
re ' was received with much enthneiasm. The
bill ling the powers of military COllll4l wee
elra
ad , after a warm debate, in accordance with
th amendments of Herr Desk. The draft
of the budget for 1889 has also been agreed to,
after a warm debate.

TgieCENE IN THE PRUSSIAN ciIAmBER.

BERLIN, Dap. 2.
Tye Bing returned to Berlin from $ shooing
emission to the IlarzYlltirdni7 =l;l3g:hie
Ince' Ilia
ha=
wfelhlcUm7su—st lave bean by
on arrival. A scene had taken place in the
Chamber only a few hours before, which, as
as provoked display of temper, surpaased any-
witnessed there during the last three cetitmes
and it is doubtful whether in the
dt the conflict any Prussian minister ever set
theeo *puss so completely at defiance as Dr. Loon-
her,* the Minister of Justice, did in yesterday's
debits. It may, perhaps, be in the remembrance
of year readers that when Tweeten's case, involving
the question of the liberty of speech in the chamber,
was *ought before the Supreme Court, several of
the judges forming the majority that decided
against him were only assistant judges appointed •
for the occasion, and not regular members of the
court. This apparent packing of the court was
severely commented on at the time, and although
hardly alluded to yesterday probably formed ono
of the reasons for the motion that ended in such
an extraordinary exhibition of ministerial petu-
lance. In the estimates for the department of
justice there was an item of 1,000 thalers for the
remuneration of judges appointed as temporary
substitutes for members of the Supreme Court.
To this two amendments were moved, one de-
claring such substitution of other judges for the
permanent members not legally admissible, and
therefore refusing the money ; the other express-
ing the expectation that in the intended reorgani-
zation of the Supreme Court such system of sub-
stitution will be absolutely prohibited. The
first amendment was defended by its mover,
Herr Windthont, as also by Reichensperger
and von R4inne, on the grounds that the
.ap-
pointment of such assistant judges was oppose° to
the constitution, that the members of the
_ highest court must be perfectly independent,
and therefore irremovable, de. Herr Falk, the
government commissioner, declared that the minis-
ters quite approved the general principle expressed
in the amendments, but that there were times
when assistant judges were necessary for getting
t4remli the work, that their appointment had
loit•-• the praetteer, end that the chambers bad
sanctioned it by voting the necessary grant for
their remuneration. In the &et part of his speech
the minister only supported the arguments of the
commissioner in a comparatively calm tone, but
all of a sudden he waxed warm, and without say
intelligible cause threw down the gauntlet to the
whole opposition.
___

What is it then, after all (said Dr. Lecinhardt) that
you aim at with your :action, and what are you able to
attala with 10 It is sot the saving of the /SOW ; it is
rather that you want to secure byvier motion that
assistant judges shall not be emplo The first object
—the saving of money—you may a ; the other you
cannot. I declare to you at heat that this will of yours
shell not be aeoomplislied. (" Bravo !" Irma the right)
I do not doubt for an instant that the cabinet entirely
agree/ with me on this point. I have been called on
by the Ring to maintain the law in a great king-
dom, and to exercise a surveillance over the courts, and I
am responsible for a prompt and impartial administra-
tion of justice. You may depend upon it I shall fulfil
this task, and should it be neoessary with an energy of
will which shall leave little, or rather nhing, further to
be wished for. Do not allow yourselves to he deceived
as to my character by newspaper reports, which occa-
sionally disease the principles of my administration,
but by no means correctly ; I have not got any
liberal leanings at all. Still lass do I like to
ogle with political parties. What, then, will happen?
Why, if it must be so, I shall appoint usistant,
judges to the Supreme Court with a tUily allowance,
shall order this allowance to be paid, and shall then put
it down in the account to you as spent beyond the grant
allowed. That is the emnict again ; it is not sought for
by the government; but it the government cannot do
otherwise it most accept the conflict. But perhaps it
will not be necessary to go re far. Pediaps you will still
perceive in time what will be the remits of your motion,
results you do not desire, and which will amnion you
great annoyance.
- - - - - - -

The minister then proceeded to state the various
ways in which he could carry out his will against
the wishes of the house ; in short, the rest of the
speech was couched in atone of menace and defiance.
While he was speaking, and especially when ho
concluded, the house was in a state of intense ex-
citement. Twesten spoke first, lie commenced
as follows :

Even when the constitutional conflict was at its highest
such threats and provocations have never been hurled
against us as those we have just heard from the Minister
of Justice. (A storm of applause.). At that time the
minister declared be was willing to give way if we would
direct our opposition sßainet some other item ; now, for •
thousand thalers the Minister of Justice tells us that if
we adhere to our convictions be will most us with an
energy of will that will not shrink even at • constitu-
tional conflict. That goes beyond everything that has
been offered to us before. I hope the minister will think
the mutter over again before lie puts his threats into
execution ; his twelves aro not always quite unalterable. In
1866 he endeavoured to aid the victory of the Austrians
over ne ; in 1868 he signs the decree of confiscation against
his former King. (Loud applause, and interruptions
from all parts of the house. 1./.l3.—Loonharcit was for-
merly a minister of the King of Hanover.) I hope, then,
that he is not quite proof against • change of opswon, for
if we refuse a vote of money, and he declares that he will
spend it all the same, that is a constitutional conflict at
which, as I believe, ho will shrink notwithstanding what
he has said.

The rest of Twosten's speech is too long for
citation. Ho sat down amidst very 'oil and loud
cheers from the opposition, and some hissing from
the right. The minister said that he could not
answer Twosten's personal attack, as he was bound
by an oath. What he meant I have no idea, nor
do I think any of the members knew either.
Waldeck made a few remarks in the same sense as
Twesten, and eventually Dr. Leonhardt spoke
again, and tried to soften the effect of his first
speech. But the amendment was carried,
and the money refused by 192 to 100.
The semi-oAdal Provimnai Corresponds*: of
this evening has a short paragraph in
a soothing and conciliatory tone, stating that
the minister did not wish to provoke a renewal of
the conflict. There is no doubt, however, that he
has done the government no good servioe, and
will probably receive a lecture from Count Bis-
marck, who returns to Berlin this evening. When
Dr. Leonhardt imoceeded Count Lippe, the
was hailed with the most lively satisfaetionelltirl:
whole of the liberal party. He had a real re-
putation as a jurist, and while minister in Hanover,
had done good service in the way of legal reforms.'
Now; however, he has kicked down hie popularity