The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-22
A CABINET CRISIS AT BERLIN.
DISPOSITION OF THE YEARS SUR
PLUS THE CAUSE.

Prussfa's Minister of Finance Final
Iy Carries the Day Over the I'm
periaI Minister of the Treasury.
Danger of designations Now
Averted-The Inquiry Into the Ac-
cusatiOns Against Dr. Peters.
Berlin, March A.-The strong divergence
of opinion existing between DR.. MIGUEL.
Prussian minister of finance. and Count
POsadOwsky-Weh imperial minister of
the treasury, over the question of the dis
position Of the years surplus of the Inn
perial revenue has come very near pro-
ducing a cabinet crisis. The affair has
been very widely discussed by the press
and public, and has divided public inter
est with the matter of the attitude of the
dreibund toward the Anglo-Egyptian ex-
pedition. The newspapers have made tho
announcement that Count Posadowsky
had resigned and have also hinted at DIR.
Miquels resignation, but neither the an
nouncement or the suggestion was true.
The facts OF the case are than an actual
crisis has been averted. leaving DR.. Mi
quel in occupation of a stronghold of ad-
vantage fortified by the statutes Under
the laws and constitution of the empire
the surplus of the imperial revenue goes
The trouble came about in this way:
Count PosadOwsky proposed to comply
with the spirit of a recent vote OF the
Reichstag and divert part OF the surplus
for the amortization of the debt OF the
empire and Dr. Ideber, leader or the cen
trist party, supported Count Posadowsky
by introducing in the Reichstag motion
proposing the creation OF an imperial sink
| ing fund, while DR.. MIGUEL adhered TO the
statutes, providing for the division of the
surplus among the federated states. The
| dispute came during the proceedings OF a
/ cabinet council, at which the emperor un-
/ expectedly made his appearance. Not one
| Of the ministers seems to have suspected
! the intention of the emperor to Interfere,
| and it is probable that his action was the
! result of a suddenly formed resolution.
| His majesty first drove to the chancellerie,
| presuming that the council was being held
/ there. He found that Prince Hohenlohe
| was absent and that no council was in
| session there. From the chancellerie no
| drove to the Reichstag building and en-
| tered the Bundesrath chamber, where the
ministers were assembling. He took
| seat next to Prince HOhenlohe, and gave
| close attention to the discussion.
In the debate which ensued DR.. MIGUEL
/ supported the Bavarian, Wurtemburg and
/ SaXony plenipOtentiaries in the Bundles
| rath. He insisted upon the strict observ-
| ance of the provisions of the statutes, con-
| tending that the question had close rela-
| ton to financial reforms which ne had
| long planned. 1t was necessary, he said,
| to demonstrate to the Reichstag that the
| disposal OF the surplus of the imperial
! revenue must have a bearing upon those
\ plans 1t was finally agreed to prepare
| priation of funds for the purpose Of the
amortization Of the imperial debt from
| part Of the surplus as will not Interfere
| with the claims of the federated states.
| This decision is a compromise endorsing
the principle of DR.. Lieber's proposal with
| out infringing upon the statutes.
| The debate in the Reichstag on the colo
| nial estimates has had another victim be-
| sides DR.. Peters in DR.. Kayser, the direc-
| tor of the colonial department OF the for
| eign office. who resigned. 1t is probable
| that Prince Arenberg Will become the head
| of the colonial department and Freiherr
Won Marschal Bieberstein minister of for
eign affairs. with a view of making the
! post acceptable to Prince Arenberg, who
! is understood to be willing to raise the
| colonial office from a mere adjunct to the
foreign office to an Independent section
| with q secretary of state at its head. This
| would imply that Prince Arenberg will be
a colleague of the foreign minister, not a
| subordinate as DR.. Kayser has been. This
| step will secure to the government the
! support of the colonial party and the CEN
trists in the Reichstag. It is possible, how
| ever that the emperor will not find Prince
| Arenberg to his taste as a secretary Of
| state as the latter is a strong opponent
of the idea Of increasing the strength of
The inquiry into the accusations made
against Dr. Peters has been confided to
the direction of Councillor Schwartkof-
| fen. The principal witness Will be Herr
| Baumann, Austrian consul to Zanzibar,
who went TO Kilimanjaro after the execu-
| tions which DIR. Peters ordered had oc-
! CURED and CLEANED from the natives the
details of the execution. The inquiry prom
ises to last a long time, as the necessary
| witnesses are scattered throughout the
| globe but the investigation will not be
! suffered to fall through in consequence
Of the delays which will be inevitable. The
| centrists, FreissingeS and socialists are
| as eager to see DR.. Peters punished as
the other parties to see them vindicated If
| possible.