The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-27 00:00:00

GERMAN UNITY.

Count Munster, a member of the Federal
Parliament, and late Ambassador of Hanover
at the Prussian Court, has just published a
pamphlet, entitled " The Confederation of the
North German Bund, and its transformation
into the German Empire." In this pamphlet the
former Hanoverian diplomatist openly advo-
cates the dethronement of the German Kings
of the second and third rank, the substitu-
tion of a Chamber of Princes, as peers of the
German Empire, in place of the existing Fede-
ral Council, and the creation of a Federal
Ministry. The Chambers of the Federal
States, according to this plan, are to be con-
verted into Provincial Diets, with large and
independent powers, and the Prussian House
of Deputies, as well as the Upper House, to be
abolished. This Upper House, however, would
be replaced by the new Chamber of German
Princes, composed of Kings and of Royal and
hereditary Princes of reigning Houses. Such
a Chamber, the author argues, would exercise
a much more Conservative influence on the
development of the institutions of the German
Empire than the present Prussian House of
Peers. The preponderance which such a Con-
stitution gives to the feudal element is not
in keeping with Prussian exclusiveness and
love of domination exactly to suit the taste
and policy of Count Bismarck. But the arro-
gant character of the Prussian plan of merg-
ing Germany into Prussia is still exciting in
South Germany an opposition that even the
obstinate patience of Count Bismarck will not
easily overcome. But what Prussia of itself
could not effect may be brought about by the
lapse of Austria into the hands of Revolu-
tionary Liberalism. For Austria, as the active
propagandist of a Germany united under revo-
lutionary and irreligious democracy will be
more abhorrent to the Catholics of South
Germany than Prussian despotism. Austrian
Liberalism is doing Count Bismarck's work.
By getting up a socialistic and irreligious
movement, by seeking alliance with the irreli-
gious party throughout Germany, the pro-
moters of German unity, encouraged as they
are by the present rulers of Austria, will make
Prussian domination a welcome refuge for the
Catholics and Conservatives of South Ger-
many.
At the late meeting of the riflemen of
Germany at Vienna, where all the scum of
the Revolution in Germany was brought
together under the tutelage of Viennese
Liberalism, the amalgamation of the Ger-
mans of Austria with the rest of Germany,
was declared to be an absolute condition
of preserving their German nationality. If
the German lands of Austria are not re-
united to Germany, urged one speaker, a
Jewish member of the Reichsrath, we shall
witness them undergo the sad fate of the
Russian provinces of the Baltic Sea, or even
of Alsace and Lorraine. How this union of
the German lands of Austria with the rest of
Germany was to be effected was left unex-
plained, in order not prematurely to excite
the interference of Prussia. But that Prussia
will quietly stand by and allow the revolu-
tionary propagandism to make use of Austria,
in order to work out a unity of Germany, demo-
cratic and irreligious in its character, subver-
sive of every existing institution, and of neces-
sity aggressive against the established order of
things in Prussia as well as in South Ger-
many, is not to be expected. But what we
think is to be expected from the policy of
Count Bismarck is a patient abstention from
open interference until Austria under Baron
von Beast has fatally and irretrievably com-
mitted itself to this Democratic and revolu-
tionary propagandism, until South Germany
is not only completely alienated from Aus-
tria, but is driven to regard Prussia as the
upholder of order, of monarchy, and of reli-
gion in Germany. When such time arrives,
and from the appearance of things in Austria
it may come much sooner than is expected,
Prussia will have, achieved the height of its
ambition, for it will claim as its due, after the
dispersion of German Democracy and the
breaking up of revolutionary Austria, the
forfeited Empire of Germany.—Westminster
Gazette.

INCREASE IN TIM MIDDLESEX COUNTY RATE.-A
deputation from the overseers and ♦estrymen of twenty-
nine parishes of the county of Middlesex waited on Mon-
day upon the members of the Assessment Committee of
the County of Middlesex, at the Sessions !louse, Clerkon-
well. Mr. Dangerfield, vestry clerk of St. Martin's-in-the-
Fielde, and the vestry clerk of St. Mary, Whitee,hapel,
having pointed out that the re-assessment proposed would
act most prejudicially to the parishes of the metropolis, a
discussion ensued, during which it was stated that the
parishes were determined to oppose the proposed increase
The chairman of the committee said he could give no de-
cision at present, but the suggestions of the deputation
would be taken into conaidoration•

NORWICH, WEDNESDAY.
•
To speak for the nonce without due regard to the classi-
calitiee, the executive committee are thrown on their beam
ends. The corporation won't vote supplies! The customary
thing when the Association visits a particular town is for
the municipal body to grant a sum from the public funds
towards defraying the heavy expenses incurred. The.
application of the committee, upon whom the whole of the
trquble of making and carrying out the necessary arrange.
meats has devolved, has been point blank refused. With not a
stiver will the corporation part, pleading that there is nc
precedent in their history for such an expenditure. This
is pleasant for the executive, and especially for the mayor,
whp I am told has hitherto paid for everything out of his
own pocket. To say the least of it, the refusal of the cor-
poration is ungenerous, for the sojourn for more than a
week of so large a number of visitors as have attended the
meeting this year must have given a perceptible impetns
to the trade of the eily.
Of the efforts made by the committee for the accommooa-
tion of the Association it is impossible to sneak too highly.
We shall thank them heartily enough at the general meet-
ing presently, but thanks will do little to recoup them
their loss. I believe it was fully expected that the Town
Council would have contributed a couple of hundred pounds.
As one of the local secretaries feelingly remarked, they
cheerfully voted the sum of £BOO towards the expenses
incurred by the visit of the Prince of Wales, and now
object to give a shilling for the entertainment of the Asso-
ciation. This would seem to shew that the members of
the corporation are more loyal than learned.
Had itnotbeen for the experiments, Dr. Odling's lecture
on "Reverse Chemical Actions" last night, clever as it
was, would have been voted somewhat slow. There was
a very fair attendance in the Drill Hall, quite as large as
could have been expected, considering the festivities going
on at St. Andrew's Hall. Dr. Hooker introduced the lecturer,
modestly saying that he himself was totally ignorant of
the subject, which was indeed so new that he had not been
able to obtain any information upon it from his chemical
friends. Dr. Odling then took possession of the
rostrum behind a very formidable array of retorts
and other appliances of the laboratory, and for
an hour -and a half discoursed very learnedly on the
mysteries of chemical combinations, and demonstrated by
a series of brilliant experiments the immense degree of heat
produced by the union of oxygen and hydrogen gases.
This led the doctor to explain what we were to under-
stand by reverse chemical actions—viz., those actions
which did not take place by themselves, but were ,pro-
duced by external force, which force became stored up in
the products themselves. The delight of the ladies at the
experiments was immense, a sentiment which was shared
by the reporters, who, sitting immediately under
the platform, felt that while they were taking
notes for the benefit of the public, they were in danger of
becoming victims to science from flying sparks and escape
ing flints. The Mayor, who, it may be stated, is an
almost universal benefactor—for is he not the maker
of Colman's patent mustard 7—raised a good laugh-
at the end of the lecture by stating that the
local secretaries had effected an extra insurance on the
building, under the anticipation that it would be burnt to
the ground, and expressing the gratitude of those on the
platform that it had passed off without a blow-up. Such
a catastrophe would certainly have been most disastrous,
for sitting immediately behind the lecturer were the bishop
of the diocese and the president of the Association. The
men whose forte is chemistry, I noticed, retired to
a greater distance. No sooner was the chemical disser-
tation concluded than a rush was made to the soiree, the
arrangements of which were a reproduction of those on
Thursday, excepting that the officials of the cloak-room
were changed, and we felt, in confiding our hats and
coats to their keeping, that we were not consigning
them to a bourne whence they might never return. The
band happening to strike up a popular piece of dance
music, a dozen enterprising couples soon cleared a space
in the hall and figured away to their hearts' content.
This afternoon the Mayor entertains the principal mem-
bers of the Association at a banquet in St. Andrew's Hall,
and in the evening Professor Huxley delivers his lecture
to the working classes on "A piece of chalk." This, how-
ever, is not connected with the Association, the official
programme of which concluded with the proceedings at
the general meeting reported below, to-morrow being
devoted solely to excursions.