The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-11-08

We published yesterday the details of the con-
cessions which have been tardiy wrung from the
fears of the Emperor of Austria in consequence
of the general disaffection which prevails in Hun
gary and the djacent Sclavonic provinces. For
more than ten years he has been endeavoring to
reconstruct, at Vienna, centralized despotism,
based upon the absolute theories of METTERNIcH,
and in accordance with the procvties not less
than the traditional policy of the House of HAPs-
BURG. He has sought to clamp together the heter-
ogeneous nationalities which compose his Empire
and has weakened even the small amount of cohe-
hesion which they formerly had, and now, when
Lombardy has been violently wrested from his
grasp, and Venetia is exciting the sympathies of
all Europe; when his treasury is bankrupt and
the fate of the Neapolitan BOURBON warns him of
the precarious tenure on which he holds his own
authority he reluctantly promises to restore to his
Sclavonic provinces those rights and privileges
which they once enjoyed, and which he has no
longer the power to deny to them. Important as
the changes are that he pledges himself TO sanction
they do not go to the length of the popular demand
He authorizes the establishment in Hungary Of
the old legislative assemblies, Diets rs they are
called, and the organization of national legsla-
tive dy-ReichSrath-to be composed of dele
gates appointed by the local Diets; but he retains
to himself the power to determine the number of
members which shall be chosen by the provincial
assemblies and restricts the functions of the Reichs
rath to the enactment of laws relating 'to the
coinage, currency, public credit customs, and
Commercial matters and to such legislation as
"may be necessary to improve the existing bank
"A Ia tba
''ofice, telegraph, and railway systems; the
''manner of managing CONSUMPTION for the army, "
and the introduction Of new taxes and impOsts.
In all these acts the Government is to cooperate
To certain extent the policy thus announced is
one of decentralization; but the privileges which
have been conceded are of far less Importance than
those which have been withheld. The old Constitu.
ton of Hungary was based upon the theory of
State rights The Kingdom was divided into fifty
two States, or C0mitats, each possessing its own
legislative assembly and all of them so far as the
administration of internal affairs was concerned,
Independent of the National Parliament In the
conduct of its own affairs, each State was more
sovereign than any of the States of our Union,
and if the delegates selected to represent State
in the Parliament of the kingdom violated their
instructions, they could Mt once be recalled, and
Others substituted for them. Further, the sane
ton Of the provincial Legislatures was absolutely
necessary, not only 10 render operative the laws
passed by the Hungarian Parliament, but also to
give effect to all orders and sentences emanating
from the Austrian government, if they were found
to be inconsistent with the laws of the province.
The London Times regards the concessions made
by FRANCIS JOSEPH, as restoring Constitutional
freedom to the Hungarians; but this is only true
in so far as the re-establishment of their old pro-
vincial assemblies is concerned and, even with
regard to the latter, the powers which they for
merly exercised and which were essential to the
preservation of their independence of action
are greatly restricted from what they formerly
were. The Rcichsrdth, or Imperial Parliament is to
be eventually composed of delegates from all the
provinces which are under Austrian rule. The num-
Der of its members Is to be fixed by the Imperial
Government, but no authority is vested in the sew
eral State Legislatures to recall their delegates
when once appointed, or TO veto the acts of the
ReichSrath or the orders of the Government, even
when both conflict with the local laws. It has
also been pointed out by the Paris correspondent
of the Times that the most important privilege of
all-the right of the Reichsrah to vote troops
and supplies, and to sanction refuse appropria-
tons for carrying on the Government is not con-
conceded at ALL On the contrary, the patent
serves to the Central Government itself that power,
Notwithstanding it formed a part of the Hungarian
Constitution prior to I84s, and constituted its
chief protection against the arbitrary exacons of
the Court at Vienna. Two other remarkable
facts may be noted in connection with the Impe-
rial Maniesto-the first is, that the territorial
boundaries of Hungary, as they existed twelve
years ago, included, also, Croatia, Slavonia and
Transylyania, with an aggregate population of
fifteen millions Since the revolution of l84s, the
latter provinces have been detached from the
Kingdom of Hungary, and with them seven mil
lions of people-thus reducing the population of
Hungary to eight millions, and weakening, by
almost one-half, the power of the Hungarians TO
resist any future aggressions on the part of the
Imperial Government. The second point alluded
to is, that whilst the concessions are to be opera
tive at once within the present limits of Hungary,
they are, in the other provinces of the Empire, to
60 into effect at some future day, and are, there
fore, to be regarded merely as evidences of the
liberal intentions of the Emperor, and nothing
more.