New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-07-19
BISMARCK'S POSITION.
HIS RELATIONS WITH THE PRUSSIAN
CABINET

FhuSSIAN MISIsrRI-COUNT Won ROOMS PUNC-
TIIIOUsNEss
lFRoM TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSE1
BERLIN, July 2.-The relations of Prince
Bismarck to the Prussan Government form once more
leading topic in political circles. There have been
occasional collisions as you may very well know during
the past year, IN OF which, six months the
Prince came of second best At least lac failed TO con-
vince the Emperor that responsible Ministry ought TO
be formed IN which the Premier should have the power
to choose his Cabinet; aud he weary Of being
called Minister President without enjoying powers
responding TO tho dignity he asked for a change It
was his ultmaum In fact To his surprise, however,
the cynical assert, His Majesty blandly accepted the
resignation and poor Gen. Won Room was sent up to fill
the place Of the great statesman. With regard to the
Foreign Office, at the head OF which Bismarck remained,
sort OF temporary arrangement was made new regula-
lions fixed the relations OF the Foreign Oeo TO the I'm
peria Government; and thus things went till the
adjournment OF the Reichstag, week ago. The causes
OF the new disturbance two, The awkwardness
Of the machinery which connects the two Governments
and the arrogant yet petuant manner Of Prince Bis
marck himself.
1 have limited at the adjustment which effected
after Prince Bismacks retirement from the head Of the
Prussian Ministry, but the subject merits as con
sututiona study, few more details. IL may not DO
generally known that the Emperor Is in re-
CURED 10 have Prussian for Imperial Chancellor. Two
years ago, when Prince Bismarck was in the hight Of
his power his selection for the Chancel0rshp seemed
such an obvious thing that contingency in which an
other than the Premier Of Prussia should ill the post
was hardly contemplated. When the Imperial dignity
fixed hercditarily the House OF Prussia IL seemed
TO follow that the Prussan Premier had almost good
title 10 ChanccOrship. Accordingly, the respective
powers and limits Of the two officers were rather loosely
defined. There such thing an Imperial Ministry
The real executive department Of the Empire IS the
BuudeSrah, though its functions arc also semi
legislative; but tIe Chancelry Is not so much
Cabinet as a single department in which the
powers Of the chief portioned out among
a set Of suDordnates who really not muchmore than
clerks The Chancellor and all his subordnates arc re
spousibe the Empire. In the Bundesrath, however,
each delegation responsible TO It's own sovereign and
the PruEsan delegation, numbering II, has in many re-
specs no more power than the solitary delegate OF Ham
burg. In the PUssian delegation to the Buudesrath
there are several Minister'S the Ch1ncelry only one,
Bismarck himself. SO long as the Premiership Of Prus
sla the Ministry OF Foreign Affairs and the Chancellor
snip, were invested in the person, there was sort
OF practical harmony which prevented open scandals
But when Bismarck foiled In his efforts to effect
close fusion between the two Governments ana by the
unexpected acceptance Of his resignation found himself
reduced in power and honor, new situation was ere
atcd and some novel problems presented To what
extent henceforth could Prince Bismarck Chancellor,
be said 10 represent the Prussan Government To this
1t was replied that lie had been appointed Chancellor,
not by Of his position as MnsterPresdeut but
by reason Of his position OF Minister OF For
cIsn Affairs for Prussia; and that so long
as he held the latter Office the state OF things remained
unatered This was ineligible eycnh not correct but
when the second question answered most startling
contradiction was seen. To whom henccforth would
the Prussan delegates in the Bundesrah report TO,
Prince Bismarck as Foreign Minister TO Count Won
Room as Minister President To the Minister President.
promptly replied the Princes enemies; the Foreign
Minister represents nothing but his own office, ana the
authority OF the Collective Prusan Governments speaks
only through the Chief OF the Cabinet This question
was, I think, never formally settled. As often as
differences Of opinion arose the King personally inter
fered and gave decisions which OF course final.
There is no doubt such occasions very Often
and that the Prussan Cabinet has not been a happy
and harmonious family during the past few monthsi
When Prince Bismarck left the post Of Minister
President, it was gwen out that the only cause was
physical inability TO DO all the work exacted by his
three Offices Ia order TO give a show Of probability TO
tins explanation the King announced in royal order
that the Prince might DO replaced by Herr Debrck OF
the Chancery at Cabinet sessions when imperial ques-
tons were under discussion. have never heard Of Herr
DcBrck az Cabinet meeting, or Of vote cast by linn
in the name or his chief and It is not probable that
either event has occurred The arrangement was absurd
from the FIRST and, have intimaed, was made only
TO support the Official theory OF Bsmarck retirement.
That Prince Bismarck worked with the greatest
impatience the awkward machinery which was
placed before HIM has long been known.
lie had bis own plans OF improvement and as
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF Prussia entered into those plans,
II seems hardly crcditabe that they have so lar been
thwarted by Prussian King and Ministry Yet such is
ndsputably the case. As far the Ministers are con-
cerned their opposition may be attributed to several
causes They may have feared that absorbed into an
Imperial Ministry they would lose their individuality;
they may have honestly distrusted the grand schemes
Of the Prince; and they have been, ana some OF
them certainly are jealous OF him. The MInster-Presi-
dent Count Room has seemed TO i've IN perpetual
dread lest some trick should, after ALL cheat him out o.
his little victory and restore Bismarck to his old po-
stion Al times he was suspciousy complasant toward
him trying as il seemed to evade quarrel whose issue
seemed doubtful at other times he was forwardy Will
full he had no other means OF asserting ms author
ity. But Count Won Room had one great advantage.
He was the fayorite Of the High Church Evangelical
party Prussia aud he has strong belief both IN the
divine authority OF the Church aud the divine right Of
kings Prince Bismarck discarded both theories long
time ago. and he hated Prussia quite as warmly by
the Evangelical Church party as by Roman Catholics
The want Of unity in the system patched up after the
Princes withdrawal from the head OF the RUSSIAN
Ministry has been shown in a variety OF ways "hen
the Banking act was before the ReichstaS Bavaran
Deputy moved adopt the Prussan National Bank as
the Bank Of the Empire. The Chancellor gave the pro
Ject hearty support but TO the surprise Of the AS
semby the Prusian Finance Minister took the opposite
ground The reason given for his conduct was purely
personal one at citing his relations to the BANK never
theless the open disagreement between him ana MS col
leagues was deporabe. The Military bill was another
instance of the same sort The made such slow
progress in tie Reichsag that the deputies finally re-
fused flush It during the session, aud were sharply
denounced therefor by the Chancellor. But Count
Won Room, seeing a quarrel between the
Chancellor and his party friends In Parliament |
seemed think the occasion good one for interference
He wrote Prince Bismarck sharp letter, IN whch ne
held him accountable for the postponement OF the b