THE LATE KING OF BAVARIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 652, 28 May 1864, Page 2

THE LATE KING OF BAVARIA.

(Froiri the London " Telegraph."

Maximilian Joseph, King of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, Franconia, and Suabia, was born •n November 28, 1811. His early education was entrusted to Schelling, and he after wards entered the University of Gottingen, where he remained from 1829 to 1831. He4hen set out on a visit to Italy, and other countries. He made a second tour over the same ground between the years 1837 and 1840. In 1830 he was created a major-general in the army, by the King, his father, and appointed councillor of state in 1836 ; but he carefully abstained from taking any part in public matters up to the time he ascended the throne on; the abdication of Ludwig, in 1848. The circumstances which led to that abdicationare of, so unusual a character, and necessarily so intimately connected with the, history and fortunes of the late King, that a retrospective glance may here be taken at them. King Ludwig of 'Bavaria, father of Maximilian 11., was in the early part of his reign a liberal monarch, and very popular with his subjects. Unfortunately for himself and his subjects, he allowed his love for the fine arts to wean him from his duties as a sovereign, and at length the desire to collect and possess himself of sculptures, paintings, &c, became an absolute passion with him. He commenced the erection at Munich of the Glyphtotheca, a magnificent museum, and in this and similar ways expended such large sums of money that the administration of the finances of the country became seriously embarrassed. About 1830 his political sentiments began to exhibit a de- • cidcd change ; and from being a liberal monarch, in the full sense of the word, he alarmed and disappointed the greater part ■of hi 3 friends and subjects by yielding to the influence of the more violent of the Catholic clergy. He became thoroughly imbued with Ultramontane views, violated the constitution in many ways, and illegally and arbitrarily exiled, or forced to quit the country in fear of severer punishments, several eminent men, including BehT, Eisenman, and Volkhardt. At length the influence of the priests over the Royal mind commenced to decline ; but still destined to \te the slave of his passions, the fine arts and the Ultramontanists merely gave way to the fascination? of the celekrated Lola Moutea. who captivated the Jieart of the elderly monarch in 1846. Kola Montes, who had been a theatrical dancer, was. created Countess of Landsfeld, - a revenue of L5OOO per annum being attached to the title. She professed to be tke friend df the Liberal party in Bavaria, aad showed, her sincerity so far as to cause tke King to dismiss, the Minister Abel, wbo was entirely "devoted to. the Ultramontanistsi: But the scandal of her posiion was intolerable, to the nation; and he agitation; consequent on the French Revolution', of < 1848 having spread to IBavaria, the King-was forced by the popular clamour! to send' away his, mistress. During the month of February he made several attempts to, return to that political conduct which: > was alone acceptable to the great' .majority-- of his subjecis; kut>he' could not regain the cqh■fidence of hia people,- and in March he . abiicated in-, favor of hia eldest aon, the sovereign -. fjust \ deceased. Maximilian commenced'dtis! reign -by making the- most liberal concessions to, the popular, feelings •f the day. „:H e.p roclaimed a general amnesty for political offences,, sanctioned legislativefenactmentsiestablishing- Ministerial responsibility^ ; abolished. ; several abuses, ana 'proclaimed the liberty of the press*. Tlje, . country", /had, how e ver> been too nnu h agitated/to- be easily. quiejed. ;In; the following year, 18~49, political troubles' aaain broke out in the Palatinate of the U.hine, ant! he King considered it neces-

sary to resort to strong measures. He called upon the Chambers to expel certain deputies ; and this being objected to, he dissolved the Diet, and exiled several persons without assigning any motive. These reactionary measures were only partly successful,' and it took several years before a good understanding and mutual confidence were re-established between sovereign and subjects. In foreign relations, the policy of the late King appears to have been to confirm the independence of Bavaria by carefully avoiding any dangerous connection with the German Confederacy, and all subserviency to the great German Powers ; and abo to place I hi« country iv as high a position as possible amongst the nations of Europe. "With these objects, he overthrew the pretensions of Prussia to interfere with the kingdom ; and subsequently entered into negotiations with the sovereign of that country and Austria with the view of forming a German triumvirate, which should dominate the Confederacy and represent a great German Power on the Continent. Tn this," however, he was unsuccessful, to the great joy of his people, who — at that time at least — were enthusiastically in favor of a United Germany on & Democratic basis. At the time of the Russian war Maximilian carefully abstained from favoring either side, his neutrality being chiefly due to the fact of his brother Otho being then King of Greece. As a private individual, the late King may be classed among the savaiis. He inherited much of his father's taste for the fine arts, was well [ versed in philosophical questions, and proi tected and encouraged literature, art, and science, by gathering around him such men as Liefcig, Pfeufer, Siebold, Carriere, Geibel, &c. Maximilian married the Princess Frederica of Prussia, by substitute, at Berlin, on October sth, 1842, and personally at Munich on the 12th of the same month. This lady was the daughter of the late Prince William, the uncle of the present King of Prussia. The issue of the marriage was Prince Ludwig Otho, born in August, 1845 ; and Prince Otho William, born in April, 1848. The firstnamed Prince succeeds his father on the throne of Bavaria.