Year: 1872

Emperor william and the Prassisn


Parlfament.


In Prussia the deadlock promises to be
brought to an end by the vigorous action of
Emperor William. 1t was made known to the
members Of the Upper House that the EN-
peror was in favor Of the Reform bill, which
had for its object the extension of municipal
privileges to the counties and the improvement
of local self-government in them. In Spite
however, Of the declared wishes of the EN-
peror that the Upper House should accept the
measure which the Lower House had adopted
the County Reform bill was thrown out by
vote OF one hundred and forty-fve as against
eighteen. The vote shows the tremendous
strength of the tory, or, as we should call it,
conservative element in Northern Germany;
and it is difficult to regard it in any other light
than as at once blow to the democracy and
an insult to the Emperor.


The Emperor, however, and the Lower
House are likely after oil to win. The EN-
peror had threatened that ssif the measure was
not adopted the government would dissolve
the Diet and convoke O new one.' His
Majesty, acting in his capacity of King of
Prussia, resolved the difficulty, temporarily,
yesterday by proroguing the session of the
Diet. Minister at War, General Won Room,
read the royal message TO the assembled legis-
lators The action and its exponent SAVIOR of
the sword. The constitutional franchise Of
the people remains intact, Notwithstanding.
nkoko hoo v,1o
himself in appeal to the "true source Of legiti-
mate power This, or dissolution, is pre-
cisely what would happen to-day in England in
similar circumstances. In 1872, when Earl
Grey and Lord John Russell carried their Re-
form bill through the House of Commons by
overwhelming majorities for a first and q
second and third time, the House Of Lords
resolutely refusing to accept the measure, the
King dissolved Parliament and ordered
general election. The new Parliament was
more in favor of the Reform bill than the
Parliament which had gone before it;
but the House of Lords remained
as stubborn and unyielding as be-
fore. Taking advantage of provision Of
the constitution, the King empowered Earl
Grey t2 nominate IS many new peers as would
give him q majority in the Upper House.
The result was that the peers took fright, and
when the bill was again brought before them
large numbers Of the opposition lords were
absent and so the bill became law. similar
threat was made by the Crown when Mr..
Gladstones Irish Church disestablishment
measure was opposed by the lords, and again
the peers found it convenient to yield. The
Prussian Parliament is substantially the same
as that Of England. There are two houses
an Upper, or House of Lords, and o lower,
or Chamber Of Deputies. To the Upper
House belong all the princes Of the blood
royal; oil princes formerly sovereign, but now
subject to the Prussian Crown q number of
hereditary peers; certain number of peers
for life, and thirty members elected by munic-
ipal corporations. The Chamber of Dep
uties is composed of three hundred and fifty
two members elected by q suffrage which is
oil but universal The King has, of course,
the veto power, while the Legislature has the
right to originate bills It is not unreason-
able to take it for granted that Emperor
VAAou WILL CAsiLA uAi Cuo poWcT WACA WIS 30
effectively exercised by the English sovereign.


If the new Chamber Of Deputies is as deter
mined on reform as its predecessor, and if the
House of Lords remains stubborn as before,
the King can again dissolve the assembly and
order another election, or he can, following
the example Of England, create sufficient
number of new peers to secure liberal ma
jority in the Upper House, and so stiAe the
opposition and pass the bill into law. Prince
Bismarck is not the man to be easily beaten.
He has done many things in direct opposition
to the will and wishes Of Parliamentary majori-
ties, and Prince Bismarck is the Emperor's
adviser. 1t will be well, however, if the EN-
peror can prove himself the peoples friend
without doing violence to the constitution.
Whatever the course adopted or the means
employed, we have no doubt that the Emperor
will stand by the people and secure for them
the victory.


The Address OF General Ducrot to the


French Army.


Nothing wins more lasting respect for an
individual or nation than to bear misfortune
with calm dignity. When France, after q
gallant, if not heroic, resistance to the over
whelming power of Germany, accepted the
result Of the war which Napoleonism had pro-
volrad tho fro okpooe with which bar ,,ao,,Io