The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-05-10

projects which have caused inch excitemem thruuah-
cut che kingdom, and vhish, afsr severe struggle,
were partially carried by government In the lewer
branch Of the Legislature. Strong hopes are Gin
expressed thst the odious salt tax viii BE- thrown
out in the "Lords;" but can perceive that people
are not quite 30 sangune this head a. they were
before the holidays. The committee appointed by
the House to examine the project has, indeed, de.
clared against it. and that almost unanimously, only
one member out Of thirteen Gan oiOeholder, by the
way) having voted In its favor; this, however, n
mentioned in former communication. is by no
means decisive Of the ultimate fate of the notion the
committee merely give their opinion. and the House
ia ct liberty to scupon it not they think proper.
During the recess influences have been brought to
bear on the noble legislators which It must be diff
cult for them to resist unless they are possessed of
much greater frmness neutrality-suspicious. Of charac-
ter than their antecedents would lead one to antci
pate. There will undoubtedly be strong opposition;
great deal of eloquence will be wasted and it will cost
ministers some trouble to carry their point; bat
can hardly believe that an assembly that prldes IL
self especially upon its loyalty and devotion to tho
crown viii pluck up courage sufficient to reject
measure which the King and his advisers have set
their hearts upon, and without which they declare It
viii be impossible to keep the machinery Of govern
ment in working order. It Is urged indeed, that
this Is not question in which political principles
are involved but mere affair of finance, on which
even the staunchest royslist may be allowed TO en-
terrain views differing from those of government
without any imputation on his patriotism" and Of
course II this were not the case the idea of any mi
nisterisl proposal being neRatived in tho upper
house. would be perfectly utopian. As matters stand
at present however, the defeat Of ministers in
question which they have advocated strenuously,
and which it required the exertion of all their su-
thority to pass through the second chamber, would
not only derange their financial schemes, but be
justly considered as political event of no slight
importance. Who knows whether it might not even
give rise to ministerial crisis?" Baron Manteuffe
might threaten to resign, some other direful ca
tastrophe ensue, terrible than the approaching
comet that is to put end to this vile world on the
18th June. Such reflections aIe not likely to be
without their due weight on so conservative body
as the Prussian House of Lords.
In the Second Chamber there has been very inte
resting debates on q very interesting topic--the
press; and whatever may be their practical effect
they hay at least given the liberal party, aud even
some members Of the extreme right, an opportunity
Of exposing the petty man@uvles and mean equivo-
cation resored to by the government to stc the ex
precision of public opinion In this country Previous
to the revolution Of ls4s the political press not only
in Prussia, but on the whole continent of Europe
with the exception Of France, Holland and Belgium,
were subt ct to the censorship-a useful and inge-
NOUS institution that Its origin to his Holiness
Pope Alexander VI, the father of the virtuous Lu.
crets Borah, who, being rather addicted to poison.
ing his flock in the body, anxious 10 prevent he
ritical authors from poisoning their minds. The
duty of the to examine the proofs of any
book or newspaper issued from the press to erase
such passages as he thought contrary to religion,
or to the political interests of his employ.
ers, and to sfix his imprimatur to the rest If in.
deed he did not think ct to veto the publication al
together. In Prussia, under the late Ring,
the censorship was remarkably strict, parti-
culaIiy in regard to politics, the newspapers
only being allowed to publish official reports,
and to translate copy such articles from foreign
Journals as weIe approved Of by the censor. After
the accession OF his present Majesty little more
latitude was accorded to them: some of the papers
actually began TO give leading articles; books Of
more than twenty printed sheets were exempted
from the censorship, and tribunal was established
10 which publications could be submitted that had
been rejected by the censor on grounds deemed in
sufficient by the authors editors. At that time il
was quite the fashion TO appear LIBERAL to talk OF
the march of intellect and the progress of enlght
ened ideas; even the Prussan 6urs0ucrates had
caught the injection, and government not then hav
ing the fear of revolution before its eyes, many
thiogs were winked ut that would not be tolerated
now. The events AS swept away the censorship
and every thing appertaining to it; for eight months
the Prussian press was free as air, and newspapers
of all sorts sprang up like mushrooms, whose unre-
strained violence OF tone and language contrasted
strangely with the guarded circumspection imposed
ham no mr.
license as II is called now, received first check
through the counter revolution OF November, lS4S:
several OF the journals most obnoxious TO govern
ment were suppressed, ana In ls49 law Tor regu-
lating the press ocfroyed, which was followed
two years later by one still more stringent.
Every daily or weekly paper had to deposit
certain sum as security for its good
behavior, and for the fines it mi gh be sentenced to.
Not only the Prusan, but even foreign Journals
subjected TO stamp duty offences OF the press were
removed from the cognzance OF the jury to that OF
q Star Chamber high court OF Justice appointed
by government; and finally copy or every paper
required TO be produced at the police Office pre-
vious to being distributed, thus indirectly reyiving
the censorship which had been abolished forever
by the constitution. One would have thought such
regulations su lent 10 attain the object proposed
by government; and in fact, the press has been AZ
tame ever since as any reasonable person would de-
sire, combining itself almost exclusively 70 the ds-
oussions OF foreign politics, aud evincing the mos
cautious reserve in ts illusions to domestic affairs;
but not satisfied with this forced moderation, which
still admits of at least q semblance OF opposition,
ministers have PROCEEDED to muzzie 1t still eiec
tually by arbitrary interpretations OF their laws.
and by administrative enactments OF character
equally vexatious and absurd. According to the let
ter OF the law for instance, ia allowed TO edit
newspaper, 70 establish printing Office, or even
TO keep DO Jkseller's shop, without CONCESSION"
or license and government Is authorized to with
hold such licenses from persons who are what the
Germans call beschoiten. This term has always
been applied in legal phraseology to persons OF
bad repute, and means literally zone upon
whom rCproach has been cast, in contradistinction
70 unbeschoifen, irreproachable. Now, until quite
lately, no one was considered bcschoitsn who had
not been convicted Of some criminal offence and suf
fered punishment In consequence; but oil AZ once a
new Interpretation q the word has been discovered