Year: 1878

the Throne commenced by alluding tt


the painful events of the summer, which


nevertheless, had given occasion for the
display of the patriotic feeling of the
people. The Emperor hoped that the
deplorable alteration of Socialism would
be vanquished by the confident co op


Grafton of the powers upholding the
State. The chief task before the Diet
was the solution of the financial diff


culties,and until a remedy was provided
by the measures of fresh taxation refer


red to the Empire the necessary resour-
ces would have to be furnished by loan


The Speech proceeded to announce the
presentation of various measures of In
ternal interest, comprising bills for
modify ing the jurisdiction of the Minis


terial Departments, for the imposition Of
communal taxes, for giving execution to
the Imperial Judicial laws, and for the
establishment Of agricultural banks,
chiefly for mortgage purposes. Bills
were also announced for transferring to
the regular Courts the special jurisdic-
ton which Universities have hitherto
possessed, and for forming improvement
Associations, the chief object of which is
to improve the means of communication
in rural districts, more particularly by
the construction of roads. If the pre-


parations for the purchase by the State
of important railways now worked by
private enterprise and for the construc


ton of urgently needed lines could be
concluded in time, bill would be in
troduced for regulating the railway
system and extending the railway net
work of lines. The first sitting of the
Lower House of the Diet was opened
with an address from the President.
Connecting his remarks with the attempt
made on Sunday upon the life of the
Sovereign of a friendly nation, he re-
minded the members present of the day
of terror when the dear life of Emperor
King was imperiiled. These days. he
said, are days Of serious warning to the
representatives Of the Prussian people to
gather with renewed energy, fidelity,
and devotion round the King and his
dynasty, and round the monarchy, as the
firm foundation of the commonwealth
and the existing system of laws. The
President concluded with call for three
cheers for the Emperor King, which was
responded to with much enthusiasm


Eleven Government Bills were then laid
on the table, and the members drew by
lot to form the usual sections The Upper
House was opened by Duke Ratibor
with similarly patriotic speech and
three cheers for the Emperor King.


The epidemic of regicide which broke
out few months ago in the half witted
fury of the wretched fanatic HodeI has
not yet died out. Fortunately, the hand
of the assassin has again foiled him. 1t
was OILY a few weeks ago that the King
of Spain narrowly escaped from an am


buscade of the same kind at Madrid.
Both these crimes have probably been
inspired by the two recent deliberate
attempts upon the life of the German
Emperor. The ancient capital of the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies teens with
men who hold human life cheap, and
who would be restrained by no super
stitious reverence from shedding the
blood OF King. 1t is one of the blots
upon the fame of regenerate Italy that
assassination is still common, and there
it goes every day unpunished. Nowhere
in Italy is there less detestation for the
crime of murder than in Naples, and
nowhere is there more passionate ma
lures upon which anaticism or mslig


nifty can work with murderous intent


In the native land of Camorra,organized
assassination is familiar to the popular
mind. If the Neapolitan assassins dag


ger had struck King Humbert down the
Monarchy in Italy, which is still a young
and tender plant, would have been ex


posed to all the risks of a regency. The
heir to the Throne, the youthful
Prince Of Naples, is just nine years
ofage, and long minority, even with as
popular a Queen Mother as Queen


Marguerite, would have given the fac
tions many an opportunity of threaten
ing the Constitutional settlement Of the
kingdom. 1t is possible that the attack
on King Humbert may strengthen his
hold upon the Italians. who will admire
the hereditary courage with which he
confronted the sssassins, and who may be
reminded by their sovereign's peril OF
the difficulties and distractions into
which the country would be plunged
were the throne upset either by Repub


lican or clerical ccnspirators. Italy has
been most fortunate in securing already,
at the close Of her revolutionary period,
many OF the advantages Of the stability
whichC Constitutional Monarchypronises


1t would be crime against the national
interests as well as against the moral
law to strike at these advantages for the
pro61ofa . disappointed party. There is
in every modern society type OF feeble
minded knaticism which is easily infect


ed with longing to initiate every novel
and famous crime. Murders and suicides
follow the same course for q while, when
once the faehion is set by q criminal
with little originality. So it is with
regicide. The fanatics who dream that
it is their glorious mission or their fatal
destiny TO nd the world OF this monarch
or that are, for the most part, men of no
force of character. If they we're, they
would be more formidable as disturbers
of kingdoms. But, being weaklings, they
do not take their lives in their hands and


pursue only their terrible purpose.
They falter and look behind them for
their wsy of escape, and almost invariar
bly, they fail Nobiling went nearer to
the execution Of his designs than any
regicide conspirator Of our day. Az for
Hodel and Noncasi. the Madrid assasin,
and the author of the attempt on King
Humbert's life, they can only be regard
ed q unpleasant symptoms OF the bitter