BISMARCK'S RESIGNATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1931, 26 February 1891, Page 17

BISMARCK'S RESIGNATION.

A NEW AND DRAMATIC VERSION. In a summary of the events of the past year, M. Blowitz gives the readers of The Times a new and highly dramatic version of the circumstances attending Prince Bismarck's resignation. The correspondent says: — "Bismarck . . ; . had latterly become an obstacle, an embarrassment, a cause of irritation for everybody, a constant difficulty In the despatch of public affairs. Of late he had seen none of the Ministers of whom he was the chief. He was almost inaccessible, received only those whom his caprice invited around him, tolerated no objection, and listened with a condescending smile — condemning them beforehand — to the ideas submitted to him by his young master. He had even really ceased to work. He had become the terror of all who bad to approach him. Nobody ventured to contradict him, and even William II saw him. only occasionally, either because he was afraid of disturbing him, or was irritated by his conduct. At last the moment came when the pupil, now the master, confronted the master, now the chief servant. The quarrel broke out on a minor question, and the Imperial discontent, long restrained, poured forth. The Chancellor, taken bysnrprise, was disconcerted, and suddenly said : — • Then I can only offer your Majesty my resignation.' The Emperor was silent. Prince Bismarck withdrew. Two hours afterwards, the resignation not having arrived, the Emperor sent an aide-de-camp. The Chancellor greeted him very affably, convinced that the Emperor wished him to | go back and reconsider his idea of resignation. The fact was just the contrary. Prince Bismarck was aghast. The aide-de-camp had been sent for his written resignation. The Prince was very uneasy, made an excuse for not having drawn it up, and deferred it to the morrow. On the morrow the aide-de-camp reappeared. This time Prince Bismarck was calmer, but again ha made an excuse, saying that before preparing his written resignation, he was bound to pay a visit. Prince Bismarck accordingly paid the visit, which— incredible as it may appear, but I can vouch for it — was a visit to the Empress Frederick. Yes, in the panic of his fall, this man, who but the day before had been the great Chancellor, stooped before her whom he bad so long humbled. He begged her to intervene so as to prevent disasters to Germany, remorse to her sovereign, and unmerited humiliation to his most faithful servant. The Empress heard him out. She saw him humiliating himself before her, the man who bad implacably hated her husband and herself, and who had sown distrust between son and father, And in a single sentence, becoming the mother, Empress, and woman, she returned to this cringing diplomatist all the insults which he had cast on her: — 'I much regret being quite powerless. I should have been extremely glad to intervene with my son in. your favour, but you have so employed all your powers in estranging his heart from me and making his mind foreign to mine that I can only witness your fall without being able to ward it off for a moment. When you are no longer there, my son will, perhaps, draw nearer to cue, but it will then be too late for me to help you.' The Prince, on returning home, found the aide-de-camp, who for the third time had come for his resignation, and he handed it to him."

A Christian convention was held yesterday in Mr Walker's paddock, at Blanket Bay, between two or three miles from St. Leonards. Christians of all denominations were invited to be present upon the occasion, and between 200 and 300 put; in an appearance, but it was anticipated that there would have been a very much greater number at tbe gathering. The bulk of those who attended the convention were conveyed to Blanket Bay by the 10 a.m. train from Dunedin, which usually does not stop at that place. The meeting was conducted on the lines of the famous Eeswick Convention. A large marquee had been erected in a snitable spot in the paddock, and shortly after the arrival of the train, the visitors to the ground assembled in the marquee foe devotional exercises. After about an hour's adjournment for refreshments, the marquee was again resorted to, and a number of speakers, lay and clerical, gave short addresses on the snbject of "Christian unity." After a second adjournment, of a shorter duration than the previous one, the marquee was again repaired to and several more addresses were given, the subject this time being " Walking with God." Ifc should be mentioned thab the Salvation Army Band was in attendance during the day, and rendered good service while the hymns were being sung. The weather, although somewhat boisterous, remained fine all day, and the convention broke up in time for the visitors thereto to return to town by the 5 p.m. train. The preparations for taking the census on the night of Sunday, April 5, are practically com* pleted. The colony has been divided iato 23 sections, composed each of one or more counties and boroughs included in them. To each is allotted * chief enumerator, and there are in all about 660 sub-enumerators. The work id to be done partly by contract and partly by day work, the pay for the latter rat>giDg from 10a per day on foot to 15s to £1 where a horse has to be employed. Maintenance. — At the City Police Court on the 12th inst. William Nelson was charged with leaving his wife Esiber Nelscn without adequate means of support.— Mr Fraser appeared for the complainant, and Mr Solomon for the defendant.— ln opening the case for the prosecution, Mr Fraser said he was instructed that Me Nelson was possessed of adequate means to support his wife ia a suitable mauner. They had been living together for some time, and the defendant bad on more than oik* occasion turned hiß wife out of doors and treated her with violence.— Tha complainant stated that she was 54 years of age and had been married to the defendant for nearly 13 n outbs. Their married life had been very unpleasant. On a recent occasion her lia-b-nl came home drnnk, illtreated her, and turned her out of doors. Si q had no means of her own, and no home to go to.—* Evidence was also given for the prosecution by

Constable Power.— Mr Solomon said this case was the inevitable result of an ill-advised marriage. The defendant was an old man 83 or 84 years of age. The complainant went to his house as housekeeper, and refused to stay there, in consequence of the danger to her reputation, unless he married her. He accordingly complied with her request and married her. Sh?ee then she had been continually drinking. It was perfectly true that there had been great rows between the complainant and the defendant-, bat it was quite untrue that the latter had abused his wife. He told her on several occasions that if ahe did not give up drinking that she would have to go. He did not wish to deprive her of a home, but it was quite absurd to give her a sum .of money per week, as that would be offering a premium for dissipation. Hewanted her to go and live on his farm in the country.— The i defendant stated that since he married his wife he had never known her to be sober for a, month at a time. He sometimes got drunk himself, but it was owing to the conduct of his wife. She was a perfect fiend. He struck her on one occasion in self-defence, but he had marks on his arm where he had been struck by his wife. [The defendant pulled, off his coat and showed the bench the marks in question.] He was quite willing to give his wife a home on his farm at Waipahi. He received £100 a year rent from the farm, and he had £400 in the bank.— Wm. Rogers, the defendant's' landlord, said the complainant was drunk, on her wedding day, and he had seen her drunk scores of times since. She had one of the worst tongues that he had ever heard in his life.— ln reply to Mr Carew, the defendant stated that he was qnite -willing to give his wife a home, but he wanted a guarantee for her good conduct.— -Mr Carew said he could not give a guarantee, and would not like to do so. He also stated subsequently that, under the circumstances of the case, he could not make an order for maintenance.