HUNGARIAN POLITICAL CRISIS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12906, 21 February 1906, Page 5

HUNGARIAN POLITICAL CRISIS.

PROTEST AGAINST DISSOLUTION.

(Jnrted Prest Association—Per Electrio

Telegraph—Copyright. VIENNA, February 19. M. Kossuth, leader of the Independent Party, has informed his followers that General Nijiri, the Emperor Francis Joseph's Commissary,. "... possessed plenary powers to enforce the dissolution, and was fully; resolved to use them.. Ml Kossuth urged : calmness and avoidance of violent conflict, even if - force were used, since that would detract from the value of s the Constitutionalists' protest. ■ It was clear that the Government "intended to irreparably infringe the Constitution of 1867, and if; ever it. was restored it must be on a much wider basis..... .-.:. Other sections of the Liberals resolved to protest against the dissolution. PARLIAMENT SURROUNDED BY TROOPS. THE DEPUTIES DISPERSE. THE MILITARY THEN ENTER, Received 12.15 a.m.. Februarv 21st. February 20. Three thousand troops and twelve hundred police surrounded the Hungarian Parliament. The - Deputies after, refusing to recognise the ■ King's Commissioner's right to dissolve,' returned' him his rescript unopened because it was not counter-signed by the Premier, and then dispersed. The military entered Parliament, and an officer, read ths. rescript of dissolution., to empty benches. ' The building was cleared and locked. The Deputies declare that they wilt ;iaee£ -agaifi: Wednesday. ~- . With respect to the reference to the Constitution of 1867, it may be of interest to. bur. readers to .-■ learn that AustriaHungary, or according to the official denomination, the Austrb-Hungarian Monarchic ..consists df two States, the Empire of Austria and the" Kingdom of Hungary.. Each of the States has its own Constitution and Parliament, and for most branches of State affairs, its own Ministry and Administration, but they aTe closely bound together by the identity of the Ruler and by a permanent Constitutional Union, which, upon.the common principle of possessionand defence., was first proclaimed by the Pragmatic Sanction of 1725, and has since been reflated bv the so-called Compromise" of 1867. 'According to the Constitutional Union foreign affairs and the greater p art cf war affairs (Army and Aavy), Together with, the finances concernmg them^ ; ,re de£x by common ministries, j. lie c-.-ntrol - o: the official actions oi these ministers and the voting of the common budget is- exercised bv Delegations consisting-of 60 members chosen .from the Upper B<>ttSe- "of Austria and Hungary and from each Lower House. In every other

respect lci;>.-',a t joii concerning the common affaire belongs to the two Parliaments, and each Stale provides separately for its contribution to the common expenses. The propo-rt-ic-u to be contributed by each- State is fixed by mutual agreement, renewable every 10 years, and the last so made and renewed expired in 1897. No new proportion having been agreed the quota (65.6 per ceiil- for Austria and 34.4 per cent, for ITurig.ivy) is at present fixed by the Emperor-King's decision.