SCENE IN THE REICHSTAG.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2659, 27 July 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

SCENE IN THE REICHSTAG.

By the arrival of the R. M.S. Arcadia at Albany, the Argus received the following message, dated 24th May, from its London correspondent :—Prince Bismarck made au unexpected appearance in the Reichstag on May IS, when he camo to help the Government in passing the Bill for the insurance of the old and indigent. The Chancellor looked hale and strong, and delivered a speech lasting an hour and a half, full of brilliant passages, lie spoke impressively, but in a low tone, so that some of his sentences were almost inaudible. After stating that his absence from the debate was due not to lack of interest iu the Bill, but to the necessity of confining himself to the .superintendence of the foreign and domestic policy of Prussia and the Empire which required all his strength, delivered a phillipie against the parties that make up the Opposition, which has been expected for months. He dealt first with the ExtremeLeft—the Socialists. They lived, he said, at war with us, and, like the French would take up arms as soon as they felt strong enough. Their whole policy was to prepare for that event. He was not surprised at the Opposition of the German Liberals, as they had never voted for him. At this moment the members of the Opposition cried, "The Army Bill," and then ensued a scene. Prince Bismarck answered, "I do not know whether your support then was due to the love of the Empire, or to the lessening of your dislike for me, or to party necessity." Upon this Herr Eugene Richter cried " Shame." The Chancellor in a state of great excitement, took several steps towards the Left, and said, "If any one cries ' shame' to me I call him insolent." At this there was a great uproar on the Left, and slight cheering on tho Right. You do not like to hear the truth, but lam compelled to tell it to you. I will not be insulted by you, otherwise I will insult in return, i regard it as an expression of hatred of those people (pointing to the Left), of which I have been the object for years. As a Christian I can forgive that, but as Chancellor I shall tight against it. As I stand here I do not permit anyone to say such a thing to me unanswered." The Chancellor's anger against the Germ in Liberals was expressed more moderately. As to to those whom he called the friends of the the French, he added that Germany by no means went to war in order to inoculate herself with the Frenchmen who were rashly admitted into the Reichstag to take part in legislation for the whole Empire. This remark referred to the fourteen protesting members for Alsace-Lor-raine. Of the extreme Conservatives, he said that when roused they differed but little from tho Socialists. Tho Chancellor concluded with a second appeal to tho Government parties to shake themselves free from the Socialists, Poles, Guelplis, Alsatians, Frenchmen, and German Liberals, and quoted the lines from Goethe's " Faust, in which Gretchen expresses her regret at seeing Faust in the devil's company.