Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-01
BERLIN LETTER.
THE imperial DIET OF GERaANY-THE
REIcasrAG TO A FoaEIG:ER.
Bismarck - The Parliament Building =
Opening eedipgs-Discussion
Conduct of the Members.

-SOnouCI OF the m5mUeIS.
Correspondence Of the RECORD UNION
BERLIN, June ), 1882.
No sooner had we reached the
capital city of Germany than we
were seized with an intense desire
to visit the Raichstag to see with our own
eyes the place from which the invlolable
laws of the German Empire emsnsted and
to hear with our own ears the voice OF the
immortal Bismarck. We inquired of the
good people of Berlin now and when Bis
marck could be heard. Some said they
had tried long time but could not ind
out" Others shook their heads and told
US that Bismarck, like Providence,
moved in mysterious way, his wonders
to perform" Others again informed us
that there were many natives in Germany
just as eager as any foreigner to hear the
voice of their great statesman but no one
ever knew FIVE minutes before the time
whence ne came or whittier he went.
BISMARCK.
We now turned our attention to the daily
papers. Once it was announced that Bis
marck would be heard at a given time on
the Tobacco Monopoly" but that was
cancelled the very next day by state
ment to the effect that ili.health would
prevent his keeping this appointment.
Soon we learned that the great main.
spring of German politics had retired to his
farm in Lauenburg to recupeIate. With
his departure vanished all our hopes of
hearing his voice in the halls Of parlia.
ment. DIR. Hirsch, a member OF the
Reichstag, and cousin of our German
friend, kindly extended to US all one day
an invitation to the next days session. He
also added ''Come early, send the porter
in for me. and l will conduct you to agree.
able seats" Gladly accepting this kind
invitation, on the 18th OF April we betook
ourselves in good season to the halls of Wis
dom. The door was opened by most i'm
posing creature in uniform, who wore
]eag pointed hat, and carried staff with
big shining ball at the end.
WITH PROFOUND eBEIsANCE
He admitted us, and informed US that DE-.
Hirsch had not arrived but we could take
seats in the waiting-room till he came.
Some good. natured Germans Immediately
vacated their chairs, and, comfortably
seated, we had ample time to observe the
surroundings before the good doctors ar.
rival. Opposite the door which we had
entered was another opening into long
hail. into the assembly room. Here stood
another official, in the same kind OF uni
form, performing the same kind OF service.
with the same profound dignity. Unless
you have friend at court, 1t Is neces-
sary to send in your name-age, country
and occupation, for aught l know-and
procure an admission ticket. These pre-
iiminaries seemed to be absorbing the at
tention of most of the cool people, who
stood in rows patiently waiting their turn.
But the doctor finally arrived, and we
started in such haste that one of our party
knocked the tall hat from the hand of
tremendously iverid servant entirely
across the floor. This upset his dignity
completely, and the gravity OF the by,
ISLANDERS at the same time. All knew that
his lord and master belonged to the nobil.
ity, for this very tall hat was decorated
with white bands. We were soon pleas
antly seated in one OF the front seats of
the gallery, which extends around the
sides of the hall. We had abundant time
to examine the building while the visitors
assembled in the gallery and the members
in their seats below. The hall itself is
And we'll worth a visit. Brown and wood
are the prevailing tints, which are hand
somely blended in ceiling, wall
and furniture. The room contains sittings
for over four hundred persons these are
arranged in semicircle around the desks
of honor. On q raised platform behind the
Speakers tribune is the Presidents table.
At the right and left of this are the Score.
taries, and beyond are double rows of seats
for the members of the Bundesra.s," or
those whose special duty it is to consider
questions before they are presented to the
house. The stenographers' table stands IN
front of the Speakers tribune, while the
newspaper reporters have an apartment IN
the gallery at the right. Attendants
armed with badges of official authority
glided in and out among the aisles, depos-
itiug mail matter and circulars here, there
and everywhere. One by one the mem
bers slowly congregated till there were per-
hsps two hundred present; bat the con-
tinual coming and going rendered 1T
impossible to estimate the exact number.
The hands Of the clock on the wall, opposite
the Speakers tribune, pointed toward two,
and presently young man at the right OF
the President arose, and lifting big brass
bell, rung it with all the force he could
summon at shat particular moment. Bat
l beiieve he might have rung that bell
till doomsday without producing the
slightest effect upon that audience; for
each and every one proceeded with his own
individual pastime as if nothing had hap
pened. Another man at the right of the
President arose and read something, Just as
rapidly as he could thrust, plunge, pitch
the long words from his practiced mouth.
Alas. for our German in this hour of need
Still another man at the same desk arose,
and read something else, even more rapidly,
if possible, than the first man did. Number
one read again still no man in the audience
looked annoyed or disturbed, but, as be-
fore, contentedly pursued the even tenor OF
his way. These preliminaries being dis
posed of
STATES MINISTER, HERR Won BoTTIcHER,
Who occupied the seat of Prince Otto
Edward Leopold Bismarck Schonhausen, !"
now stood, and began an earnest speech
concerning the Arbeiter. Unfallversicher-
ung," or the feasibility of making some
security against accidents among the differ
ent classes of workmen. He spoke dis.
tinctly, and seemed to be very much in
earnest he repeated statistics without
number but he failed to make the slight
est impression upon this comfortable audi
ence. Some stretched their feet out into
the aisles, spread out their newspapers and
enjoyed the news as peaceably as if they
were in their libraries at home. Some
read letters some wrote letters. At first
we thought they were diligently noting the
speech but when we saw the attendant,
with one epaulet on his right shoulder,
gather up these notes for the mail, we were
| convinced that affairs of State had net oc.
cupied the undivided attention of these
dignifed members of the Reichstag. Some
visited their neighbors; some gathered in
knots and discussed very absorbing topics.
/ noticed one man in group who gesticu-
lated in every conceivable style. Some
times his index. finger would fly up and
down
LIKE FARMERS FLAIL,