The herald., 1897-05-23
EVERY MEETING OF GERMANS
PLACED WHOLLY UNDER POLICE
CONTROL
The Press and People Unite in Ener-
getic Protest Against the EN-
peror's Tendencies

| Another ministerial crisis mas grown
out of the curious manner in which the
imperial chancellor, Prince Hohenlohe,
nominally fulfilled his solemn promise
in introducing bill for the abolition OF
the most liberal paragraph of the old
law of associations. The bill introduced
in the diet is purely reactionary, its pro-
visions placing all political meetings
and associations wholly and exclusively
under police control Prince Hohenlohe,
Baron Marschal Won Bieberstein, Df.
Won Boetticher and DR.. Miguel were out
voted at the cabinet meeting, which
fixed the wording Of the bill by the
Prussian minister for the interior, Baron
Won Der Recke-von Der Horst, the re-
dictionary member of the cabinet, and
his six colleagues, Baron Won Der Recke-
Won Der Horst being the sole author of
| the bill. AS it was certain that the
measure would be Overwhelmingly de-
feated if introduced III the reichstag, 1t
was introduced in the diet, where the
conservatives have nearly half the seats.
The decision lies with the National Lib
erals, and three or four of their votes
would suffice to give the bill majority.
In the meanwhile the reichstag has
taken the matter up and has pronounced
against the measure. The two days
debate in the reichstag were the most
exciting and interesting of this session.
| The speakers expressed themselves with
energy and fearlessness on the emper-
or's reactionary tendencies and the evil
Influence of his irresponsible Camarilla,
which created a sensation throughout
Germany. Herr Richter's speech was
especially bitterly sarcastic. Among
other things, he said that the German
people could not, as in the case or
Russia, be governed automatically
Numerous mass meetings agaist the diet
| bill have been held. sixty-flve of them
| in Berlin alone On Thursday the en-
tire press, with the single exception OF
part Of the conservative press, vigor-
ously denounced the measure.
That the bill is mainly intended to hit
Socialism Is admitted, but the Vor-
waerts, the Socialist organ. says: 1T
seems that socialism cannot be killed by
any measure. Bismarck failed in the
task. and Won Der Recke will fail in
worse manner"
The whole cabinet is now unanimously
attacked by the press and In the reich
stag a number of speakers called upon
the ministers to resign. The speakers OF
the Centre party, though usually moder-
ate. taunted the government with its
evident intention of provoking coup
d'etat and openly charged the minis
ters with violating the constitution, as
| logislating on the right OF association Is
specially reserved by the constitution
for the reichstag and not for the dles.
SOCIAL DO1NGS
The whole international political Sit
uation is such that important surprises
NAV be disclosed at any moment
| Emperor William and his family stay
ed nearly a week at Weisbaden, where
series of elaborately prepared and mag
nificently mounted performances at the
theater have been given. Monday the
imperial family had with them in the
imperial box the Grand Duke and
Grand Duchess of Heese. The public
appearance of the young couple was evil
,dently brought about in order to silence
the scandal in regard to their separation
and the emperor took pains to publicly
show his affection for both the grand
duke and his wife.
| At banquet at Weiebaden on Tues
day, Emperor William, in toasting the
czar, created establishment by referring
to the latter as my dearest friend" a
term hitherto only used by his majesty
when speaking of Emperor Francis
Joseph OF Austria.
Won TAUSCH'S TRIAL
The long delayed trial of Herr Vor
Tausch, the former commissioner of the
secret political police, who was arrested
on December Sth last, on the close of the
sensational Luzow-Leichers trial, a
which Prince Hohenlohe and Baron Vor
lBieberstein were among the witnesses es
has finally been fixed for Monday next
Among the witnesses summoned are
Baron Marschal Won Bebe retein, Coun
Philip Gutenberg, German ambassador
at Vienna, and possible future chancel
llor; ex-Ministers Won Koeller and Gen
eral Broneart Won Schellendorf, Polio
President Wernheim, Herr Bebel, th
Socialist leader, and about fifty news
paper men, besides number of official
in the different ministries. The tria
will probably last week.
LESE MAJESTE LAW
The reichstag debate on the abuse q
the lese majeete paragraph of the pena
code is bearing fruit. The Leipzeige
Zeitung, the official organ Of the Saxon.
government, publishes an article depre
eating the habit of the emperor of talk
ing freely on various subjects. adding
that it directly provokes replies fron
those themselves hit and leads to a mas
of wholly unnecessary lese majest
cases.'
NOTES
The present of the sultan of Turkey I
Emperor William, large collection o
costly ancient Turkish weapons, ha
been placed on view in the royal arsena
in Berlin.
The Munish Freie Presee issue of yes
terday was confiscated on accounts of a
editorial satirizing the emperor, and ii
editor was arrested in bed at midnigh
The new style of rifle has been intro
duced and will be tested in a practice
way in the army. The whole Jaege
battalion of the guard already has thi
: rifle. 1t ie loaded with gas cartridges
enabling several shots to be fired with
out reloading. The men having tn
> rifles in their possession are special
bound to the utmost secrecy regardin
: the construction OF the weapon.
! Paul Potter. representing the heirs {