PRINCE BISMARK.

Dunstan Times, Issue 686, 11 June 1875, Page 4

PRINCE BISMARK.

The following anecdote, relating to what happened at one of Prince Bismark’s parliamentary soirees, appears in the German papers One forenoon the debate had been in th Reichstag whether the Governmental authorities and the landed property of the State were subject to duty, and the Chancellor said, jokingly, that it was an attempt to tap the imperial cask. On the evening of the same day the deputies were assembled at the Chancelloi’’s, and drank, as is customary, in his house, Bavarian beer A cask of this beer of the finest quality is sent to tbe Prince from Munich direct as soon as the other is empty, and this evening it chanced to be a fresh cask that was to be tapped. The Prince was the first to fill his tumbler but his guests noticed that he did not relish the savoury beverage that evening. The Chancellor is a judge of •beer, and knowing that if the cask is not completely filled the quality of the liquid is not so good, he proceeded to assure himself whether it had been full before he drew off his tumblerful. He soon convinced himself that there was a very considerable vacuum in the cask and, turning to the deputies who were standing round him with inquisitive countenances, he said, “ Do you see that, gentlemen 1 Not even this imperial cask can they leave untapped on its road from Munich here; and, besides, the beer is tco cold !” “ Yes,” he added, addressing some of his guests, who were from the south of Germany, '• everything that comes from South Germany is cold at first when it arrives ; but it soon geti warmer with its stay in our capital