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la Nation la plus libre et la plus riche du monde. Je ne doute pas qu'ils apprécieront les exigences d'une situation que nous n'avons pas créée, et j'espère même qu'ils y puiseront cette confiance dans l'avenir de l'Autriche régénérée, cette confiance que nous professons hautement et que nous saurons mériter, en adoucissant autant que possible les sacrifices que nous sommes obligés à réclamer.

"Ma présente dépêche était déjà écrite à la veille des débats de la Chambre des Députés sur les questions de finances. Les efforts énergiques faits par le Ministère pour contenir la mesure de l'impôt sur la rente dans les limites voulues, ainsi que le chiffre important de la majorité lui prêtant son appui serviront à convaincre l'étranger combien le Gouvernement s'applique à atténuer les effets de certaines nécessités qu'il déplore, mais qu'il ne dépend pas de lui de faire disparaître. Les créanciers de l'Etat, je n'en ai aucun doute, ne tarderont pas à reconnaître que la mesure qui soulève aujourd'hui de si nombreuses plaintes est le corollaire indispensable d'une œuvre de réforme et de reconstruction dont ils seront les premiers â recueillir les bienfaits.

"Je Vous prie, M. le Comte, de lire cette dépêche à Lord Stanley et de lui en laisser copie.

"Recevez, etc."

The Reichsrath, which had remained adjourned during the negotiations with Hungary, had barely resumed its sittings, when the Cis-Leithan Bishops, dreading the debate which was to take place on

protest

proposed

the Con

cordat.

Mühlfeld's and Herbst's Bills, presented an ad- Episcopal dress to the Emperor energetically protesting against the against any and every alteration of the Concordat, alteration of This injudicious step produced an effect quite contrary to that which they anticipated. It excited the bulk of the population of Western Austria, and petition followed petition for the abrogation of the obnoxious treaty. The Emperor met this outburst in a wise and most constitutional manner, by referring the Episcopal Address to the consideration of the Reichsrath. Baron Beust, having clearly demonstrated that the existence of the Concordat did not in any way limit the sovereign rights of the Crown, nor the constitutional prerogative of Parliament, the House determined to abstain from any resolutions on the Concordat as such, and proceeded to the discussion of "the four fundamental laws of the realm." The first of Laws affect

ing the

these, which clearly defined the rights of citizens, Concordat.

naturally clashed in many particulars with the unfortunate convention with Rome. The others were what are termed the "Confessional Laws :' these provided, first, for the legalisation under certain

* See Note IV.

circumstances of civil marriages; second, for the establishment of secular education, and the separation of the schools from the direct supervision and interference of the clergy; and, third, for the regulation of the relations between the various creeds, and the removal of all religious disabilities. The stormy debates which took place upon these bills, and the opposition they met with at the hands of the feudo-clerical party in the Upper House, will be in the recollection of our readers. But notwithstanding this, and the still more dangerous action of the Court of Rome (to which we have referred at length in the second portion of this work), they were carried, and remain as lasting memorials of the triumph of liberal progress over bigoted intolerance.

The other acts which also

passed the Reichsrath at this period were those regulating the executive power of the Government and that of the judges and high court of the whole Empire, and the general revision of the constitution of February, 1861, which, owing to the compromise with Hungary, required many alterations. In the debate on the last of these measures, a most important question arose as to the relations

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