Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-05-05
THE TWO CEANCELLORS.

AtG Petersburg, Prince Gortchak-
offs condition remains unchanged.
Though very weak, he retains a full
use of his faculties. His two sous
have answered the kilograms sent them
In Paris and Madrid and are fastening
to his side. Should he recover from
this crisis it will be only for short
time, as his health and strength are
underminded by age and disease.
He was born July l6, 1913, and
educated at the Lyceum of Zarske-
Selo. His first diplomatic service was
at the European conferences OF Lay
bach and Verona, the first OF which
was called to settle the affairs of Italy,
in 1921, and the second called to set
tie the disturbed condition of Turkey
and Spain, and check the progress of
revolution in Europe This conference
sat in 1922, and in 1924 Gortchakoff
was appointed Secretary of the Rus
sian Legation in London. In 1880
be was made Charge d'Atfairs at Flor
encd, and two years later Councillor
of the Embassy at Vienna. In lS4l
he negotiated the marriage between
the then Crown Prince of Wurtem-
berg and the Russian Grand Duchess
Oleo, and five years later was raised
to the post of Privy Councillor. In
1850 be went as Plenipotentiary to
the German Diet at Frankfort and in
1854 was sent as Ambassador to
Vienna. He earned distinction for his
diplomatic skill during the Crimean
war, and it was to his influence that
the treaty Of Paris, which closed that
war in 1856, was brought about.
Shortly after he succeeded Nesselrode
as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Being
friendly to the United States he re-
fused to join France and England in
their hostile attitude toward the
American Government. When the
Polish revolution broke out in 1868
and foreign nations were disposed to
interfeer, he threatened resistance.
This course appealed strongly to the
national pride, increased his popularity
and. the Gar raised him to the dig
nity or Chancellor of the Empire, q
position which he has since held.
His most brilliant stroke of policy was
in 1870, when he took advantage of
the Franco German war to secure a
revision of the treaty of Paris which
made the Black Sea neutral. After
this Russia had right to entry on
these waters which had been denied.
He has long been suffering from the
g0ut, and on account of it withdrew
in some measure from public affairs a
year ago.
There are various rumors in Berlin,
as to the withdrawal of his resignation
by Prince Bismarck, but none of them
can be traced to trustworthy sources.
The idea most generally received is
that he has made the act Of withdrawal
conditional upon the annulling by the
Federal Council of the vote which his
measure to levy tax upon postal
order receipts was defeated, and the
surrender by the minor German States
of their right to vote by prOcuration
in the Bundesrath. His wish is to
change the will Of representation in
this body. The Legislature of the
Empire consists of two houses, the
Bundesrath and Reichstag. The lat
ter consists of 397 members, which are
appointed among the several states ac-
cording to population. Prussia, by
reason Of its preponderance Of popula-
tion, sends 236 deputies to the Reich
stag, majority of the whole number,
and thus controls its deliberations.
The Bundesrath consists of So MEM
bers, who are apportioned equally
among the States. Prussia has only
IL Of these members of the upper
house, and is constantly in the minor
ity. Though Prussia contains more
than one-half the population of the en-
pire, it has less than one-thfrd the rep
resentation in the upper house.
Therefore he wants to amend the con-
stitution SO as to apportion the repre-
sentation in both houses upon the
ratio of population, and thus give to
Prussia absolute control of Legislation.