The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-04
EXCITEMENT IN EUROPE.
NEARLY EVERY POWER Has SEEN
ITS STATEsMEy IN CONFUSION.
faiien Cabinets, Ministers Fighting for su-
premacy and Conflicts Between Church
and State is Weeks History.

LONDON. Dec. 3.-This has been
week Of excitement as Europe has not
| experienced before since the day Inn
! medlately preceding the Franco .Prussian
| war. Every continental power except
| Russia has seen its statemen in defeat
| or confusion Falling and fallen cabi-
! nets In Western Europe, two ministries
| in Central Europe fighting for political
existence, and the growing conflicts be-
| tween church and State, people and Gov
| ernment II Southern Europe make an
} historical spectacle as melancholy as it
is interesting. France, as usual. has the
hon snare OF sensation, although no
body believes that the story Of the Pana-
ma caral steal has been half told NJ.
kossignOl for instance. who testified TO
the squandering Of two hundred or two
! hundred and fifty millions OF francs in
/ buying EDITORS and deputies and ether
; classes Of boomers, is acknowledged 10
have decribed on the brighter side Of the
/ cloud He assumed that the six hundred
million francs sent to the Isthmus up to
1883, were spent honestly. The fact is an
ol EN- secret among Paris engineers that
every man in charge Of the canal work
retired very rich
An English engineer, who returned 10
London from Paris last night, told your
correspondent that at the Engineers Club,
in Paris, on Wednesday, he saw an esti-
mate prepared by men familiar with the
canal work. Their calculation was that
the work already accomplished could have
been done for two hundred million francs,
and could not possibly have cost mere
than three hundred and twenty-five mill
lion no matter what methods were
adopted. The remaining two hundred
and soyenty-fve million or three hundred
million must have gone into the pockets
Of corrupt administrators. AS regards
the corruption Of deputies. too, the half
has not been told Although hardly a
bakers dozen have been implicated so
far. there is no doubt that the number of
guilty ones is as high as fifty; some even
say one hundred.
For a second rate State Spain is but
little behind France in the dimensions Of
her public scandal. Alcalde Bosch, the
ward Of the tottering Ministry, and his
municipal colleagues appear TO have taken
everything they could lay their hands
on. Had there been more they would
undoubtedly have taken 1t. The investi-
cation Of their conduct has revealed. as
nearly as can be ascertained, that Bosch
has prohted some 25O,0O0 francs at the
city's expense. The city cOunselOrs,
with his assistance. have acquired in vari-
Gus ways from twenty to thirty thousand
EACH How they did this Is shown by the
item of ten thousand francs granted to
two counselors for two days expenses
while seeing the Huelva Fetes. The news
papers have raised such hubbub about
the scandal that their reporters are now
excluded from the council meetings. The
cabinet, under whose immediate super
vision the Alcalde stands has been too
supne to move a finger toward adequate
ly Furnishing the rascals who still con-
tinue to plunder the people. The taxes
at the city limits are collected or omitted
according to a scandalous System Of bril-
berry and eXtorticn. The poorer farmers
and market women are plucked to the
last extreme, while the well-to-do are let
in free, after paying small bribes, which
go into the pockets of the officials. In
this way two-thirds of the Octroi taxes
sometimes are misappropriated in
month. The Ministry tried TO escape
the indignation Of The people by dropping
the Minister Of Interior. the immediate
superior Of the city government but the
ruse was too transparent The people
have already rioted in the streets to show
their Eatred Of the present government.
and unless Canovas del Castillo and cabi-
net retire within a few days there will
be more serious trouble In Madrid.
The bitterness of the Austrian Cabinet
crisis Is due to the everlasting hatred ex-
listing between the Czechs and Ger
mans in Emperor Franz Josefs domin-
ions Count Taffe who has been coquet-
ting with the United German party for
some time, has suddenly swung over TO
the Czechs, and this too. at time when
the Germans were elated by the acces-
sion Of the liberal DIR. Wekerle to the
premiership Of Hungary. The vote yes
terday against Count Taffe, on the secret
service fund appropriation. showed that
the Germans can make majority against
the German Government Under the cir
cumstances, the fall of The Taffe cabinet
can be d matter of but a few days. The
excitement in the Austrian Chamber sur-
passes anything experienced recently in
dignihed legislative body.
on Thursday, when Herr Won Plener
announced that the Germans had gone
over TO the uncompromising opposition,
young Czech member jumped at him.
screaming: "Go, then. you dirty tramps."
Dirty tramps, yourselves" shouted back
the Germans. The president was power
less 20 still the tumult. Members shook
their fists under each others nose, Will
fled their opponents, and gave the lie.
while the galleries were in n similar
uproar. When the house was brought
back to order four duels had been con-
tracted, and more are 10 come.
during these scenes of bitterness and
disgrace in other countries John Bull has
set back in easy complacency. thanking
heaven that he is not as other people are |
-hot-heads. Anarchists, bribe-takers and !
The only continental mat |
ter in which he has had a finger has been |
the Brussels Silver Conference. and as |
in England this gathering Is regarded as |
predestined to failure, the interest has |
been mostly academic The retirement |
Of Henry Labouchere from the Daily |
News is probably the most significant |
event Of the week in London. IL suggests |
that before long England may add an
other to the list Of cabinet crisis.
Mr.. Labouchere is rich, and so the idea
hat he disposed of his Daily News shares
for the sake of the money is out OF the
question. His move is interpreted rather
as his first step toward shaking himself
oose from the GladstoniaRs, whose organ
the Daily News is acknowledged to be.
Mr.. LabOuchere is thus preparing to take
his little party OF Radicals and flock by
himself, maintaining an Independent at
itude towards GladstOnian home rule.
the smallness OF Mr.. Glad
stones majority, such detection is likely
o have dire consequences for the present
ministry.