The sun., 1878-11-28
The Crisis in the Austrian Empire.

Hungary, which attcsts the existence Of
forces likely to shake the ties Of the dual
monarchy and to give the Hapsburgh
Kaiser quito sufficient employment in the
care Of his hereditary possessions.
At first sight the Significance OF the Incl
dent reported by telegraph Is by no means
obvious. We are merely told, the Austrian
delegation to the joint committee OF the
double Parliament declines for the present
to discuss the supplementary credit rem
dcred necessary by the recent occupation Of
Bosnia. Tho refusal is based upon tho
ground that the treaty Of Berlin, and
especially the clause contemplating the
Austrian movement against the ad-
joining Turkish provinces. had never
been submitted to the Reichsrath.
Such an argument would be entirely valid
In a British House Of Commons And yet it
is totally subversivc OF the equilibrium cs-
tablished with 50 much adroitness and so
much difficulty in 1867 between the conflict
ing factors Of the Hapsburgh monarchy.
We can hardly gauge the import Of the
crisis determined by the action OF the Aus
trian delegates In the recent conference
without glancng at some features OF the
intricate Constitution which DRAK sug-
gestcd, and which BEUsT had the sagacity
to sanction. just eleven years ago.
No prince In western or central Europe
has ruled dOminions more heterogeneous In
point Of race, religion, language, and insti-
tutions than those Of FRANCIS JOSEPH. For
three hundred years the single bond OF
union between Czech and Magyar and
TyTolesc and German has been the duty and
oil 60.
dynasty. This lgament was well nigh
fractured in the Hungarian insurrection
Of 1s49, and after SadOwa some scheme
Of organization was seen to be imperative.
In this business Of reconstruction the Sla-
vonic elements Of the Hapsburgh inheritance
were necessarily overlooked, owing both to
diversity Of dialects and the want OF terrific
rial contiguty The native OF Prague for In
stance, could not read a newspaper published
IN Belgrade, aud he was cut off from his
kinsmen In Croatia and the Military Confines
by the whole breadth OF the empire. The sole
practicable basis OF arrangement was
thought 10 be division OF the realm from
north to south, following the course Of the
river Leitha, and thus allotting on the one
side preponderance 10 the Hungarian, and
on the other to the German element. As re-
CARDS local concerns, the whole subject OF
productive and commercial development OF
education and Of taxation, each half Of the
kingdom was to be an independent State.
clothed with functions almost coincident
with those Of State in the American Union.
To each moety, moreover. was conceded its
own representative assembly, identical in
power but differing in name, being known
by the historic title Of Diet In the Trans
leithan kingdom, but as Relchsrath in the
Cisleithan territory.
Such was the measure Of authority con-
ceded to these assemblies, supreme within
their boundaries, but incompetent TO initiate
or control proceedings touching the welfare
Of the whole empire. All matters OF inn
perial concern, and especially the vital
question Of peace or war. were left to the
Prime Minister and his colleagues in Office,
assisted by a board 81 advisers correspond
ing in some degree 10 the old Aulic Council
II was impossible TO submit such qucs-
t.ons TO the vote oi the two Parlia-
ments, because the interests Of the coun-
tries represented would rarely coincide
and sometim az late events have proved
might be rreconcilabe Yet ON the other
regime required that the peoples delegates
should control the ways and means, and ac-
cordingly it was provided that all financial
bills should bc laid before both the Trans
lcthan and Cisleithan Parliaments But in
case Of disagreement. which was OF course
foresccn, final power Of arbtrament was
lodged in Joint committee made up Of
members deputed from the Reichsrath and
the Diet. and the decision OF this committee
was to be beyond appeal.
Under this adjustment the complicated
machinery Of the Hapsburgh Government
has worked with tolerablc smoOthness, il
we except the heated controversy during
the past two years in regard 10 a new I'M
perial bank. But the deadlock now created
by the Cisleithan delegates to the joint com
mltteo Is Of the gravest character A fiscal
measure Of the highest import framed TO
meet a deficit entailcd by the Austrian op-
erations in Bosnia, has provoked Disagree
mcnt on the part OF the two Parla-
ments. and has now come before a joint
delegation from both assemblies as
a tribunal Of last resort. But it appears that
! Dr. HEEDsT and his fellow delegates from
! the Rcich-rath who represent the German
| tl'll'ltl ia Alt rlllIllfi uHN WHO lbifSft lne
consequences OF ANDRAssY's concessions to
| the Magyars refuse TO consider the bill at
! all until the treaty Of Berlin has been rati-
! fled by the Rclchsrath. They affirm that the
organic law of the monarchy gives their as
semblya right TO supervise all international
arrangements entaling charges upon the
| State or involving territorial changes in the
! Cisleithan kingdom. In other words they
arrogate to n body representing but One-hali
the, monarchy, powers scarcely less sweep
| Ing and pcremptOry than those eNerted by
! the british House Of Commons. II this claim
can stand, it will forthwith be advanced on
the other side of the Lcltha, the pretcnsions
Of tho Dict will bo found not a whit less
! lofty and vehement than those of the lteichs-
lath and the maintenance OF the present
constitutional regime will be found imprac-
t.cublc. But it has become an axiom Of di-
! plomacy that the existing system OF checks
aud balances between German and Magyar
/ is Indispensable 10 the Austro-l Hungarian
empire, and further that the stability of
that State il essential to the peace Of
| IurGba.