New-York tribune., 1875-02-23
LEGISLATION IN GERMANY.

MARRIAGE BILL IN THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
THE LANDsTURM-THE BANK ACT.
lFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRInusEI
BERLIN, JAM 20-The reopening of the Prus-
sian Landtag ON Saturday sets In motion one more power
In our parliamentary machine We narrowly escaped
constitutional crisis the very warrant by which the
Houses were called together. One OF the safeguards
with which the Liberals succeeded years ago In sur
rounding their infant parliamentary privileges was
clause In the constitution that the Landtag should Dc
summoned Of least once in each year. and not later
than the 4" middle OF January" Now In commerclai
transactions aud in most reokonngs. and believe with
certain degree OF legal regularity the 18th OF each
month is regarded the middle Imagine, therefore,
the astonishment OF our worthy citizens when they
read In the Saas Anseger evening the royal Procla-
nation conyokng the Landtag the 10th OF January
The constitutional lawyers at first shook their heads
But with calmer thoughts and careful oaicu-
atlons 1t appeared that the astronomical middle OF
January fell the 10th day at noon and, afer the
mathemacians had settled this fact among themselves
the Saats Ansei9er published supplementary notice
that The members would assemble at II O'Clock, when
the time and place Of further sessions would be made
known Thus the constitution upto within one hour OF
the extreme limit OF its elasticity was unbroken D-s
The reason OF this extraordinary procrastnation was
TO avoid the inconvenience OF having two parliamentary
bodies In session at the same time In fact most OF
tho prominent members OF the Landtag arc also mem
sessions Of the two have overlapped every year In
nv recollection the Government tries to render the dis
turbance as slight as possible. Accordingly the rst
sessions of the Llndtag were merely FORMAL and IL mas
now adjourned subject TO the call OF the presiding off,
GERS This means, Of Swhen the adjournment OF
the Rechstag or the forward condition OF business.
shall permit the members to give their time to Prussian
legislation. Day before yesterday there was short
session Of the lower House, when Herr Camphausen the
Finance Minister made the usual statement In regard
TO the condition of the Treasury and gave the members
food for reflection pending the next session. IL Is heeu
less say that the report was favorable, ana that
presented consequently very lttle that was nove.
good surplus OF the traditions OF Prussian Ms
cal management. read the othor day how the great
radical Waldeck once agtated the House OF Deputies
by declaring that certain policy, aecedl by the Gov
ernmen would lead Prussia into the unknown evil OF
deficit If he had been declaming about the right OF
habeas corpus freedom OF the press, or universal
suffrage he might have spoken to empty benches; but
when he mentioned the possibility Of an empty treas
ury he reused at all the suscepbilities OF his pa
trotic colleagues In the old idsys
such a thing was unknown 1t was one Offthe merits
OF Prussan absolutism that 1t was frugal and prudent
and that In spite of the expressions OF the landed
gentry the people sure that their contributions TO
tho State treasury would reach their destination. The
introduction of representative institutions has OF course
given greater publicity to all the details Of treasury
management, but it cannot be expected to produce
larger surpluses
While the Landtag takes a recess the Rcchstag works
away on the Civil Marriage and the Landsturm bills
The latter has passed through two stages and will
become a law substantially as left at the end OF the
second reading The Landsturm bill will control some
two million men, who are, when in service, to be organ
lied like the army to be called out the procama
ton Of the Emperor without the approval OF the Coun
ell, and may, when necessary. bo used to fill up the
ranks OF the Landwehr These the essential features
| of this important measure. Wh0ther an opportunity
Will soon arise make 1t practically effective no human
being can say; but evident that it adds immensely
to the defensive power Of the Empire The Civil Mar
riage bill is advanced about as far 1t ia elaborate
| document-yesterday the house discussing para
graph 7s-but 1t does not differ essentially from the
Prussian already enacted. Having disposed OF tho
objection that the bill violated the reserve rights OF Ba
| ysra-a preteDsiOn which Dr. FaDetle. tho Bavarian
Minister of Justice himself refuted-the Chamber
busted yesterday chiefly with clause declaring
that the law is intended no release from "Church OBJ
legations" This provision is not found In the Prussian
law Although is is absolutely worthless except as
declaration OF purpose, the Utramontanes saw chance
of making capital out Of It, and one must admit that
they fairly improved the chance Peter Rechensperger
who turis aud cOgent reasoncr said gravcly that
he was glad register the willingness OF the Govern
ment to express in this bill remorse for tho past treat
ment of the Church. Liberal Deputy mpaently ex-
planned that paragraph only aimed at tho scru
Government explained Gu his sde that 1t only declared
the intention OF the authorities infringement
| on the proper domain of the Church. These eucida-
tIons made the better for, In view Of the alb
sence OF similar provision in previous law, the pres
ent step might fairly be regarded as backward one
and the Ultramontanes, satisfied with their victory,
| suffered the matter to drop -
The third great measure which marks the present
session is the Banking bill This, you may recolect
threatened to be the subject OF Ministerial crisis last
December If not in fact, of general conflict between
Parliament and Government, ending in the dissolution
OF the former. The question was should an imperial
banking law include an imperial bank The great ma
ority Of the Liberal and Moderate Conservative mem
bers answered in the Affirmative and Is supposed that
Prince Bismarck himself, without knowing much about
finances was not to such solutiOn but the in
fuence of Camphausen who has the Interests Of the
Bank OF Prussia at heart sufficient to keep the I'm
peria Bank out Of the original draft The House, after
| once defeating the Government on parliamentary
point took the precauton to elect committee fayora-
BILE to central bank and the committee has been busy
over TWO weeks the bi and is now aboutiready to
report II introduced the desired Imperial Bank
made some other unmportant notifications and the
debate the second reading will doubtless begin
Friday The creation Of an Imperial Bank involves the
conversion OF the Bank OF Prussia into such an nsttu
tou This is strong and prosperous concern, to which
OF thslers private capital contribute. and the
favored shareholders will regret to this OF
revenue disappear. The bank will exact and obtain
good round indemnity for thus making of itself sacri
fee to the financial system OF the Empire: and bill
authorizing its transformation will probably be laid be-
fore the Landtag this session. At one time 1t was
thought Herr Caphausen would be forced 10 retire In
consequence OF the rebnke but Prussian Ministers have
! very thick skins.
| NATIONAL GUARD TRIALS OF MARKsMANsHIP
Several shooting matches took place at
Mayors Park Mt VERNON yesterday under the auspices
Of the Amatenr RIha Association Of Weatrhester