The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-06-20
AUSTRIAN CRISIS.
Resignation Of the Cabinet Accepted
by the Emperor.
QUESTION OF ELECTORAL REFORM
Has Proved an Insurmountable
Stumbling Block.

Graetz had an interview with the emperor
yesterday, when he formally presented &C
his majesty the designations Of the Aus
trian ministry.
The emperor has accepted the resigna
tions of the Austrian ministry.
The emperor has sent an autograph let
ter TO Prince Windisch- Graetz warmly
thanking him for his self-sacrifcinS dc
votion TO the country and its interests,
and conferred upon him the Grand Cross
of the Order of st. Stephen. He also sent
gracious letters, and has conferred decora-
tions upon the other retiring ministers.
The emperor has requested Marquis de
Bacquehem, minister of the interior in the
late Austrian cabinet, TO hold himself at
the emperor's service. This is supposed TO
indicate that he will be tho next premier.
History OF the Cabinet.
Like Count Taafe's ministry which pre-
ceded IL, Prince Windisc, -Graetz's cabinet
owes its downfall to the sh;frage question
Now, too, as when Taafe's ministry was
compelled TO resign, DIR. Won Plener was
the immediate cause of the downfall by
the withdrawal Of the support of his party,
the German Liberals from the coalition
which formed the ministry. Count Taafe
and his colleagues resigned on Oct. 20,
1893, but the emperor would not immedi-
ately accept their designations leaving the
matter In abeyancc while he consulted the
various party leaders.
Ultimately Prince Windisch- -Graetz was
Instructed to form q coalition government,
and he negotiated to that end with the
Poles, Conservatives and German Liberals.
The cabinet was announced on Nov. 8, but
some of Its members were changed before
1t was officially constituted on Nov. IL
On March the coalition governments
eclectorial reform bill was submitted to
the leaders Of the reichsrath. II left the
electoral system as it was, only creating a
new class Of voters, with power to return
% more deputies TO the reichsrath. This
class was TO include all lawful Austrian
citizens who had paid the direct govern
ment tax for tive years, or could produce
= certificate Of confidence In a handicraft,
or had belonged for at least year to a
mutual benefit society. II was estimated
that this would increase the number of
enfranchised from 2, ,00o, 900 to 8, 800, 900.
This bill was attacked on all sides;
those who olamorod for universal suffrage
said that II offered no great Improvements
to the situation Of the Industrial classes,
and the conservative element, although
the bill was much less liberal than the
electoral reform bill that had caused the
downfall Of the Taafe ministry, though, 10
too sweeping. Defending it In the Reichs-
rath in April, 1894, Prince Windisch-
Graetz said that the trainers of the bill
wished to extend the franchise to several
classes hitherto excluded from it, but at
the same time to preserve TO the state the
needed influence Of the conservative po-
litical elements.
He saw, however, that he would be un-
nble to force II through the reichsrath and
was obliged to drop it. The industrial
classes still kept UP their clamor for tho
suffrage, and Prince Windisch- Graetz,
finding himcslf unable TO satisfy these de-
mands, feels obliged to resign.
Prince Windisch Grastzs ministry has |
also had difficult time In dealing with |
the Czech question. After adopting,a con- |
vention with Great Britain for the protec- |
tion Of the literary copyright on Dec. 0, |
1898, Its attention was turned TO this mo- |
mentous problem. The exceptional meas
ures employed by Count Taafe's govern
nent to suppress tho young Czech agita-
ton at Prague were sanctioned by both Of |
the Austrian Houses.
It was generally stated that much of
this agitation was due to the action of a
secret society called the Omladina In
deed, DIR. Hereld, the young Czech leader,
expressly charged the association with
having carried out all the demonstrations
In Prague, and referred to one of its lead.
crs as being an agent provocateur. This
leader, q youth named Mrva, was mur-
dered by three men whe had been his as.
sociates. Numerous arrests were made,
and about 80 members Of the omladina
were brought to trisl Mt Prague on Jan 10
OF last year. Sentences were delivered in
the following February, bearing from
seven months to q years hard labor for
the smaller sHenses, and from two and
half to eight years for high treason.
A commercial treaty between Austria,
Hungary and Russia was concluded on
April 2, 1894 the car himself having, IL is
said, intervened to urge the acceptance of
the Austrian terms upon his governments.
Since then the principal acts of the Win
disch-G -Graetz ministry have been In con.
nection with the suffrage question.
May Prove Had For Black Flags.
Hone KONG, June 20.-The Black Flag
general has demanded the withdrawal of
~ British marines at Anping, in the
island of Formosa. The British officer
commanding the marines has refused ~
Withdraw and Is preparing TO fight.
Russian Town swept by Flames.
ST. PETERSBURG, June 20.--The town OF
Danilow has been the scene Of a great fire
which destroyed several public buildings,
. church and numbers Of private houses.