, 1874-09-16

but nOw, when a comparative lull prevail
ed, they deemed it most conducive to the
public veal and best corresponding to
their w personal dignity to withdraw
from their places, the more so as the
support they had lately received in the
Landsthing, or First Chamber, as we'll as
from the minority in the popular House
wanted that cordial and sympathetic cha,
racter which was, under the given circum-
stances, considered necessary. The King
has repeatedly, perhaps even in stronger
terms than were strictly compatible with
the position of Constitutional Monarch,
expressed his full confidence in his coun-
%cilIors, individually and collectively, and
would, no doubt, have preferred to see
them remain in their places; but as the
Ministers, and certainly in right judg-
ment, insisted on their dismissal, Ills Ma
jesty was obliged to grant their wishes.
1t was generally presumed that there
would be no difficulty whatever in finding
their successors, and public opinion, with
a rare unanimity, pointed out Mr.. Esfrup,
q large landowner, one Of the prominent
members of the Landsthing and for several
years Minister of the Interior in the
Cabinet of Count Friis Frijsenborg, as the
future Prime Minister. To him the King
offered the task, but to the great surprise
and l may add, regret, Of everybody, Mr..
Estrup humb.y declined to accept the
Kings commands, pleading failing health
and personal considerations as an excuse.
If the refusal of Mr.. Estrup had been fore
seen, it is more than doubtful if the Minis
try would have retired; but the step once
made, it became necessary to insist on a
change.
The King summoned in succession
Count Frijs, the late Premier, who had
just returned from a German bath in
shattered health and dared not undertake
active political duties Count MoItke-
Bregentvcd, another distinguished repre-
sentative of the landed aristocracy and
thirdly, General Haffner, late Minister of
War, who tried to form a Government,
but found the task beyond his power.
After all these attempts, taking up three
weeks or more, a fresh appeal was made
to the Cabinet of Count HOlstein to try
a reconstruction. As Mr.. Krieger, the
Minister of Finance, aud q most valuable
member of the Cabinet, had already de-
md1deQ ana OBTAINED his ulSlIlSSaI, Owing
to failing health, and left the country, the
first problem was to find out a successor for
him, and the portfolio was offered to Bishop
Monrad the Prime Minister during the war
of 1864 but he declined, and as it proved, at
the same time, impossible to fill up one OF
two other places in which a personal
change had become, ii not necessary, at
least highly desirable, Count Holstein
felt compelled to declare deinitively to
the King that the reconstruction of the dis
missed Cabinet must be given up. The
position of his 1Iajesty after these sue
ceeding failures was most difficult, and
at the same time the promised visit to
Iceland, for which the King would have
to depart about the goth of this month,
rendered a speedy solution necessary. On
the instant demands of the King and
the pressing txhortations of his former
colleagues, Mr.. Fonnesbech, late Minister
of the Interior, then undertook to form
anew Government, and on the 14th of
July he was able to submit to His Ma
iesty's sanction his Cabinet, in which he
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