THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS IN GERMANY.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1722, 27 August 1879, Page 3

THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS IN GERMANY.

The Berlin correspondent of the “Times ” telegraphs on July 2nd:—“ What has been circulating hare as trustworthy rumour is now admitted by all to be sober truth — namely, that three chief Ministers of moderate Liberal views in Hv»*Prußsian Cabinet, Herr Hobrecht, Dr. Falk; and Dr. Friedenthal, have all appli d to the Emperor for leave to resign their portfolios, and it is not doubted that his Majesty in this particular instance will grant them the liberty they desire. As for the Minister of Public Worship, it is said that his resolution has been formed for months, and that he merely reserved to himself the choice of a fitting opportunity to withdraw from the office ho has so long and so brilliantly held. The resignation of Dr. Falk is stated on the best authority to have no connection whatever with the “ Culturkampf,” or with any change in the Minister’s views in regard to the same. The pending negotiations with the Vatican engage the fullest sympathy of the author of the May laws, and have hitherto been conducted by him in accordance with his previous principles—slightly modified, perhaps, but very slightly. The reasons which have actuated him in tho step he has now taken are believed to |be mainly connected with his relations to the Evangelical Church of Prussia, which some few months ago, you may remember, threatened to bring about his resignation. Each of tho three Ministers above mentioned, indeed, has fallen in defence of the particular interests intrusted to them —the financial, the agricultural, and the Protestant ecclesiastical affairs of Prussia, though their simultaneous resignation has doubtless been occasioned by causes connected with the present Conservative and reactionary policy of Prince Bismarck. Thus tho game of combination and permutation of parties goes on here, and it would bo utterly impossible to infer from their attitude to one another to-day what their position to-morrow i will be. That must depend on the will of i Prince Bismarck, and on that alone. Moani while the “National Zeitung,” tho leading ’ Liberal organ, takes a very gloomy view of ; affairs. It traces the present confusion to the 1 way in which 'public business is conducted, ■ “and the continuance of this method,” it r concludes, “ enables us to say that, far from ) tho culmination of chaos having already been T reached, we are only at the beginning of a i serious and gloomy period of our political life s which has few parallels,”