New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-10
oUNCIL WITH THE REICHSTAG.


ABSOLUTE EoU Atty OF TIE FEDERAL
COUNCIL WITH THF RFICHSTAG.
Berlin July 9.-About 400 persons from the
principality Of Lippc-Detmold visited Prince Bis
inarck in Friedrchsruh. to-day. Both the Prince
and the Princess responded to the cheers of the
visitors by appearing on the balcony Of the
Castle. Despite the recent reports of the
Trinccss's bad health, she looked strong and
cheerful. Prince Bismarck. usual. a
black coat, white nc"kte and sl0uch hat. lie
made notable speech concerning the relations
Of tue smaller Federal States to the Empire.
After referring briefly to the most remarkable
features of early German life he described Ilppe-
Detmoh az the of the first German revolt
against the foreign yoke in the days when the
German hero, ArmlniuS. swept the Romans from
the country lie then discussed entertainingly
the significance OF the small German States. He
expressed the opinion that their parliamcnts ought
10 influence the policy Of the Empire more power
fully by crticsing the action Of their representa-
tivcs in the Federal Council of the Empire. The
number Of votes held in the Federal Council
should not be diminished. lest the National Ger
man Empire be suppan,cd by great. ap-con-
trolling Prussia The Prince concluded his speech
with thea, remarkable words:
Tier. are seventeen Fcderrl States having only
q single vote each in the Federal Council. If
j deduct the lianseatic cities. which differ so
radically from all the others. there are fourteen
such States, and fourteen votes in the tc,eral
Council are weightX matter If they keep to-
gcther If added TO the PruSsian votes, they
always give Prussia majority of the Federal
Council Tho Council may be- divided. as 1t
in three catagorics-the small States with
n vote each. Prussia with eighteen votes, and
the Middle States with tweuty.lour votes. Thus
You see .whlt weight the small states nave. |
Wonder that no politician has arisen In one or
the other of them TO turn this state OF affairs
u account.
All that ] saving to you is jeremiad.
il you wish to call it such. over the fact that
the National idea has not caught fire in the
Parlaments and Governments of the Federal
States as twenty or thirty years ago | hoped
II would. must apologize for directing your
attention 10 these matters. Unfortunately | am
not strong enough to appear in the Rechstag.
could deliver speech there occasionally. but
should be unable 10 perform all the duties which
the occupation of parliamentary seat would
entail. You must therefore excuse NE If on
political occasion. such your greeting creates
] inflict upon you my jercmaids Loud applause
] hope things will change in time. and that the
bureaucrats whom ArminiuS conquered will not
become autocrdtS again.
There is danger at present that they will once
moro. with their bloodlcss and oppressive habits.
has won will be LOST will not say by the pens
of diplomatists, but by bureaucracy, by Official
ism, by the lazy, dilatory policy of waiting for
others 20 do what is ncccsssrv of waiting. in fact
for the Government TO do it, The princes are
all well-intentioned gentlemen, but tley neces-
EARLY are dependent the officials-the Ministers
and Councillors. Ny fear and anxiety for the
future is that the national idea may be stiflcd in
The coils of the boa-constrictor of bureaucracy
which has grown rapidly in the last few years.
Only the Federal Council and tie RcIchstag
can help here, and the former has the right to
assert itself If the statesman like insight of
bureaucracy does not suffice, the opportunity is
offered TO the members of the Federal Council
and Rcichstag 10 come to itS aid with men OF
intelligence, WORKING in harmony for the highest
interests of tie Empire
wish 10 emphasize the fact that ] attach the |
greatest importance, not to discussions in the Fed |
eral Council. but 10 the right of members OF the |
Federal Council TO speak whenever they phase
In the Rcichstag. Suppose ! yonng and |
strong enough to ge TO serin q representative
In the Federal Council OF German Prince
yours, for instance. Suppose wcrc
10 epirss my convictions in the
Federal Council and Rcclstag. even in cases
where those convictions opposed Dy the
majority of the Federal Council Wonld not
my speeches in the Rechstag make al impression
a. coming from parsonage whose antrrcdcnts
known throughout Germany? Snch
personages are not extinct in Ger
mary, and they ought 10 he placed
in position 10 influence directly public affairs.
1t would be possible then for the Governments
of the smaller States 10 express the opinions 10
which official attention has been made. sum
up all these reflections thus
God preserve for us the constitution Of the En-
pire a. it IS and God preserve for us the present
number OF Federal Governments which form the
Federal Council that the latter may al all times
stand by the side of the Recistag as "A lcei>la-
tive coeficicnt OF absolutely equal rank, with
ahsolutev equal rights To this end il is necesSary
that God should preserve th" house OF Your
Prince therefore log YOU TO ion me in wish
inc that God may grant long life ko W;1dcu.ar,
Repeated cheers given for the Prince by
The Lippc tourists after le closed his speech. The
strong Statcs-rights sentiments oppressed in the
speech aroused as much surprise as enthusiasm