The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-11-19

long note, in which. however. no NANNY
confines himself to noting few p6nts In
which the now Bundesrath and Reichstng
differ from the bodies bearing the same
name under the North German Confed-
GRAFTON. He assumes that the reader
knows all about those bodies. for he dis
misses the subject with the remark. 1T
will DO seen that in the new Bundcsrath
and Reichstag we have the customs Paria-
ment with extended powers" But what was
the customs Parliament Turning back to
page 1873. We find that 1t was simply the Bundles
rath and Reichstag Of the North German Con-
federation. numerically swollen by accessions
OF representatives from the South German
States and limited to certain narrow functions.
Surely now. we think. the historian will
give us distinct account Of the Constitu-
ton Of the North German Confederation. to
which everything else seems 70 be referred.
J We turn back accordingly to page 36S. where
we are told that the North German Constitu-
ton was adopted in April 1867. but all we can
learn respecting the provisions Of CHS instru-
ment which. as we have seen. still constitutes.
with slight notifications. the organic law
OF the German empire. is summed up In the
statement that the popular branch Of the
Legislature was to be elected on the basis OF
universal suffrage and secret ballot and in the
following vague and unmstructive sentence.
1t conferred upon the representatives Of the
people powers Of the greatest Importance in
the control Of finances and the framing Of legis-
lation. while 1t made a firm and harmonious
administration OF the military and naval estab-
lishments. commercial relations. and the like.
possible on the part Of the central Govern
ment." The reader who seriously pur-
poses to make himself conversant with
the German Constitution. with view. We
will suppose, OF comparing IL with our
own, can scarcely believe 1t possible that this
Is all he has to learn from political history"
compiled. as he is gr,tvely assured on the title
page, with special reference to Germany"
Searching for more light upon the topic. he
discerns what he homes may prove clue in
statement that tho plan Of the North German
Confederation was based upon the Prussian
propositions laid before tho Diet on June 10.
1885," The reader turns back to pages 1874 and
335. bat he can elicit respecting the details of
the organization outlined In these Prussian
propositions is the supertAous information
that their aim was to concentrate the power
Of all Germany in the hands of Prussia.
|. 1t may be snid that Prof. Muller. writing for
Germans. did not think 1t worth while to set
forth details with which his countrymeu were
familiar. This excuse wou Id not avail even in
the Of the original work. IL IL was intended;
as we presume. to be used as q school book,
and OF course it was, the first business Of the
translator. IL he purp0sed to offer his version to
American schools. to make good such short
comin9s as we have pointed out. Let US see
however whether Prof. Muller is any more
edifying on the constitutional history Of other
European countries. There is no doubt that
he recounts with sufficient accuracy and full
ness the series OF events which in each in
stance led to tho attainment Of a Constitution.
But what does he tell us about the thing itself
the prize and crown OF all the struggle and en-
deavor. Take for example the Constitution
which has been in operation in France since
tho year 1875: will it be believed that the only
allusion to the present French organic law to
be found in the original work is limited
to the statement on page 476 that the form of
government was to be republican. that the new
Parliament was to consist Of two chambers. and
that n President was to be elected for the term
OF seven years by the two Houses in Joint SEES
sionP To this meagre description all that is
added by the translator in his supplement is
an account page 6l2) OF tho method by which
the Senate was to be chosen. and the statement
" that in the matter Of Legislation both Houses
were to have equal rights. excepting that the
Senate could not initiate financial measures
This then. we are TO understand is all the in
formation respecting the organic law Of France
which Prof. Wilhelm Muller Mr.. Andrew j.
White and the Rev. John i. Peters think tho
readers of Political History of Recent
Times " have any righi to expect.
The same exasprratnG disproporiion be-
tween tho elaborate portrayal of the political
agitation for n given object and the jejune de-
scription Of the object attained is to be re-
marked in the illusions to the constitutional
changes in Italy. Switzerland, Austria. Spain.
Denmark. and Belgium. All we are told about
the Belgian Constitution is that it was found
ed on the principle Of the sovereignty Of the
people, and that the people were to be repre-
sented in n Senate and a House Of Representa-
tives." What college lad would guess from this
sentence that Ia couple the word people with
the word representation" is signay mis-
leading in the case of Belgium, where the pro-
portion Of legal voters To the whole number Of
inhabitants is far smaller than in any Euro
pean country which pretends To- possess paria-
mentary institutions?
Concerning the constitutional struggle which
has occupied so much of public attention in
Denmark during recent years. all that the
reader will hear from this history is COM
prised in dozen lines on page Clio.
The FolkethinG we are told refused at
n certain crisis tn PASS any budget until m
obnoxious Ministry was removed. while the
King supported by the Landthin ing, refused to
yield main tanning that such concession
would put into the hands OF the Commons
" more power than was intended by the Consti-
tuition In order to obtain any enlightenment
from this remark and determine which party
to the controversy was in tho right the reader
obviously needs to know something about the
Danish Constitution. But he will look in vain
for any help in this volume. On page 400 he is
put on with tho uninstructive statement that
" the internal affairs OF Denmark during tho
period following the outbreak Of the Franco
Prussian war; were nothing but a struggle be-
tween the King and Il conservative Landthing
on the one side. and Il democratical Folkething
on the other Surely. thinks tho reader Some
thing more relevant than this will he given US
in connection with the date AZ which the Con
stitution was proclaimed. We go back ac-
cordingly, to page 2ls, but all we find is the
bald statement that in 1s4S " King Frederick
VII. published liberal Constitution for all
parts OF his realm" On the whole, il must be
owned that they who desire 10 read under
standingly the kilograms from Copenhagen
will derive very little profit from this political
history.
II ia equally impOssiblc TO pioce ont from, ,bo