The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-12-03
THE GERMAN REICHSTAG.
PEN AND INK SIX KETcHEs OF TIE LEADING
MEMBERS.

German Reichetag Is rs unlike that of Par
lament or the Corps Legislatif as can we'll
bo imagined. All ceremonies are the sim =
pleet possible, and the one thing noticea-
BILE 10 q curious trace of tie old supremacy
Of the monarchic pri" cple. Instead of the
Kaiser going down 10 open the Reichstag,
the Reichstas comes up to the royal schloss
to be openeo.
Having assembled in the Weissen SaaI,
he great ball room of the palace-the me m :
bers listen to the imperial address, which,
because Of the kaiser's colds and the
Chancellors dysPepsia, is usually read by
tho Vice Chancellor, aud then after come
few ceremonies retire to their own cham
Der.
The members are largely men of fortune;
moet of them have university educatioGs,
and there ie q sufficient iGfusion of q purely
literary element to give the assembly de
cidedly studious cast. The present build
ing is q temporary affair, hastily impro-
vised from q porcelain factory, when the
Reichstag came into being after the war /;
SO the wretched acoustic aud worse venti-
lation can hardly be criticised. The seats
are huddled into a semi circular form, and
facing platform upon which are the
place. of the Bundesrath, the German up
per house, and of the ministers. In the
middle of the platform is the desk of the
President or Speaker; just in front is the
tribune, and on the right the seat of the
Imperial Chancellor. He is, however,
thing rather weird about Bismarck's in
visibility! He is never seen on the streets
nor at the opera, and one may live in Ber-
lin year or two without being able to
catch sight sight of him. 1t is rarely
known when he will speak, and in many
visits to the Reichstsg have never found
him present. After Bismarck, one natural
1y locke about for the other great German,
Won Noltke; and there is a mathematical
regularity about his habits most refreshing
to those who count men among the sighss
to be seen. At precisely. the same hour
every morning he walks down the aisle to
his desk, and, whenever have seen him.
at exactly half way down he has taken ont
an enormous red silk handkerchief. His
face is smooth, with the clear cut features
innumerable busts have made familiar. |
There are many wrinkles, too, with a
left him since the death of his wife. two
years ago. His dress is always the tightly
buttoned coat of Prussian cacer, with
single decoration, usually the Iron Cross,
at his throat. Having laid his sword
across the front of his desk-couceive Gen.
Sherman walking into the House of Repre-
sentatives in full uniform, and laying his
sword across q desk, just under the
Speakers nose-he is at once absorbed in
his letters. Any mention of himself or the
army, however, rouses him instantly, and,
the letters finished, he sits silent and at
tentive till the close of the session. He
speaks in . quiet, conversational way, and
, commands perfect attention, but thiuk he
fhas never participated in debate not in
ssome way concerning his profession, and
the announcement Is very seldom made
that Graf Moltke will take the tribune |
The Germans say he votes more and talks
lees than auy other member; they say, too, |
he knows bow TO keep silent in five |
different Languages, and to their loquacious
souls there is something uncanny in this
ala rSnr . for
talking. Near Won Moltke are seated the |
Conservative faction, composed mostly OF
noblemen who take the Keichstag as 81 d |
of remedy for ennui, who cling tenaciously |
to the old, and hold strong views ao0ut /
jews, Radicals ard professors. Several al
these are noticeable from an appearance o:
having been fed and bred in a non German /
way, and some of them are great social
diRnitaries. FuIst Piess, Master of the
Imperial Hunt, fox example, who Is
building palace so over ornamented that
the BerlincTs call the court-y yard sculp-
ture factory, ard the Duke of Ratihor, cad
of the house of Hohenlohe, are almost the
only priv ate individuals with whom foreign
ministers must take the initiative in calling
Behind and in various corners are seated
the Poles, the sass LDrEing,Vs and the
clerical UltTamontAnes, among them seve-
raj white haired, shphi,ng and generally
uncleanly looking abbes-all seeming oot
of place and thoroughly uncomfortable.
Their leader, Windhorst, is peppery
little HanoveriAn, who is not at all afraid
of Bismarck, possesses great orAtorical
ability, and . very great faculty for making
himself obnoxious. eeembling him in
manner, though Rome years younger is
'LAsker, leader of the National Liberal
party, and the most influential man in the
'Reiebstag. l know no public man in any
country, save possibly John Bright, whose
, career challenges more admiration than that
of Herr Lssker. Born in 1879 and eduea-
ted as Q lawyer, he came on the stage
y during the reaction from 4s, before Hun
kerism had heard the thundere Of SAdoTA,
or the vision of . united fAtherland had
once more risen before the common man.
Class distinctions were As wHlls, and
Laskar was a Jew and without fortune. l
fancy no American can understand how
hopeless that must have made life seem
and he appears to have thought of leaving
bis native country to eettle in England.
But after three years he returned to Berlin,
filled come inferior positions, and in 1865
was elected to the Reichstsg. 1t wac q
shock to all social tradition, and q gentle