The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-20 00:00:00

The Austrian Message to the Diets.

The following is Baron Beust's circular despatch
to the governors of the different countries belonging
to Austria enclosing the message of the Imperial
Government, which has been communicated to all
the Diets in the empire :
"The Imperial Message enclosed hereby, which
you will please to bring to the knowledge of the
Diet, contains the views and intentions of the Go-
vernment in so unmistakable a manner that it re-
quires no special instruction to enable you to inter-
pret them according to their spirit in the forthcom-
ing discussionsof the Diet. An accurate appreciation
of the contents of this message will convince you,
land yon will give utterance to this conviction, that
I the way adopted by the Government has not the
significance of a change of policy in the common ac-
ceptation of that term, but that in conscientiously
taking into consideration the position which is the
result of the development of affairs, the Government
is doing justice to all the demands and consequences
! depending thereon. The G-overliment doe.s not ignore
the past, but it cannot allow it to be made the un.
alterable rule for conducting the affairs of the pre-
sent. The reconciliation with Hungary is the fruit
of the suspension of the February Constitution; the
arrangement which has been entered into with Hun-
gary must be upheld and legalised, and
.turned to
advantage, by a loyal and wise execution by and
with the concurrence of the other parts of the mo-
narchy, whilst at the same time the harm oecaaoned
by the suspension and interruption of the constitu-
tional state of affairs in the Cis-Leithan provinces
must henceforth be repaired. The Government
is fully aware that it must impartially judge whe-
ther or not and how far the constitution has been
impaired by the difficulties which were the ne-
cessary consequences of its development. It
cannot adopt any other mode of solution than
that of convoking the representative assembly pre-
scribed by the constitution, and regulate with that
body, by common accord, the constitutional ques-
tion. If the Diets duly appreciate these views, they
will also acknowledge that the proceeding of the
Government, in pursuing the road now adopted, is
perfectly free from all party bias, and that neither
a preference for, nor a prejudice against, any na-
tionality can be traced in their intentions. The
exertions of the Government are based on the prin-
ciple of conciliation in every direction ; but it will
firmly take its stand on the existing constitutional
ground, and carry into effect this idea of concilia-
tion only on this foundation. The Government, in
submitting to the acceptance of the Reichsrath those
alterations in the constitielon which have become
necessary by the arrangement effected with Hun-
gary, must reject the presumption that it intends to
encroach upon its rights of free assent. But it relics
upon the patriotic and enlightened spirit of the
re-
presentative body, which must be cognisant of
the
fact how much Austria will gain by the termination
of the hitherto insecure and unsettled state of affairs,
and what she has to lose and to apprehend from a
continuation and increase of this state of uncertainty
as well as of the fact that every just demand can be
satisfied only according to: the degree of the re-
generated strength of Austria.

ARMORIAL BEARINGS.—There was an increose
this year in armorial bearings. The duty in the soarended the 31st March last was .E 62,957, being an increase
of £1,458 on the preceding year.