Empire have followed hitherto may be their path henceforth too. Let them be faithful to their past, and bring with them the glorious traditions of former times.

"Progressing in science and in the spirit of the times, strengthened by new elements, it will inspire respect to the enemy and be a stronghold of Throne and Empire."

The Emperor, as King of Hungary, brought the Session of the Hungarian Diet to a close on the 10th of December, when he delivered a speech, in which he said, "Gentlemen, my Lords, and Representatives,-The present Legislature ceases to-day, and we wished to close in person the Diet whose fruitful activity stands unparalleled in the long history of Hungary.

"We called you together three years ago, under difficult and anxious circumstances, to accomplish a great task.

"Our common aim and endeavour has been to solve all those questions which, not only in these last times, but for centuries, have been the sources of distrust and of collisions.

"Although prejudices inherited from times past, the power of habit, suspicions nourished by events, and the seeming antagonism of interests, contributed to complicate the situation, we have succeeded, nevertheless, in accomplishing our difficult task successfully.

"This success is owing to the loyal alliance between the King and the nation.

"To this Diet belongs the glory of having put an end to the political uncertainty which has benumbed the noblest forces of the

nation.

"Mutual friendship and esteem have taken the place of the political struggles between the two States of our Monarchy.

"Both States of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, by means of their Constitutional and Parliamentary Government, arrange their own affairs independently; while in those important questions which concern the common affairs of the Monarchy, as stipulated by mutual consent, each of them exercises in the same measure its constitutional influence. The Monarchy, having sought and found its centre of gravity within itself, progresses with renewed vigour on the new path, the goal of which is peace and prosperity as well as the maintenance of that position which the Monarchy is called upon to occupy among the States of Europe.

"Thus the source from which came the evils of the past is stopped, and over it Hungarian loyalty, patriotism, and moderation have raised a lasting monument, on which history has already inscribed a long list of great and salutary achievements.

"Having been solemnly crowned with the crown of St. Stephen, inherited from my ancestors, the Hungarian Constitution has become a full reality; we have re-established the ancient honour and weight of the title of the King of Hungary, and we feel that by this our empire has not only not been weakened, but, on the contrary, has only regained its old basis and strength.

"We have therefore adopted with regard to foreign countries a title for our empire which is in conformity with the laws and the facts.

"A political compromise on the basis of equity and of common interests has been effected with Croatia and Sclavonia, which renews the link which has existed for centuries in weal and woe between the two sister nations. We hope confidently that this alliance will unite again in devotion to my house and to the common country the Hungarian and Croatian nations for centuries

to come.

"The union of Hungary and Transylvania has become an accomplished fact.

"Thus the integrity of the empire of St. Stephen has been restored in a way in which it has not existed for the last three hundred years.

"One of the guarantees of the integrity both of the Hungarian Crown and of our empire, is the new army organization. Moved by confidence, and judging with deep wisdom, you have recognized the necessity of a common army, and thus the defensive force which is to protect the development of the Monarchy has been created.

"You have promoted the intellectual welfare of the nation in passing such a law on education that, if it requires sacrifices from single special interests, it inaugurates, at the same time, a system of education which will serve as a support to material and intellectual progress.

"You have extended the civil and political rights which the citizens belonging to the different races had already enjoyed, to the use of their language likewise, granting all those wishes which are not in opposition to the law and good government.

"We hope that our non-Hungarian subjects will find tranquillity in the conviction that the Constitution insures to every citizen equal freedom and the development of his mother tongue.

"You have followed the principle of equality of rights in extending political rights to the Israelites, who until now knew only the charges, and not the advantages of the Constitution.

"You have regulated the relations of the different confessions on the basis of civil and religious equality.

"Not waiting for the Constitutional discussion of the law reforms, which demand considerable time, you have by the new regulation of judicial procedure facilitated the prompt administration of justice and the consolidation of private credit.

"The progress of Hungary in the field of material prosperity has not been hitherto in proportion to its natural wealth; but the Legislature has understood the importance of material progress in all its bearings; it has ordered the building of new railways, and has concluded several favourable commercial treaties with foreign Powers.

"All these measures could be taken without disturbing the

equilibrium of the Budget, and in some respects-as, for instance, the price of salt-it could even lighten the burden of taxation.

"The Diet has accomplished great and difficult works, and the result has strengthened the conviction in us that the basis on which in so short a time so many salutary institutions could be founded has all the conditions of solidity; that this basis is good, and is conformable to the true interests of the nation. . ...

"The symptoms of material and moral improvement which are apparent every where may fill your hearts with joy, and if once the success follows with which Providence rewards perseverance and energy, posterity will gratefully remember those who have been the instruments of the welfare of the country.

"May the Almighty make this loyal understanding lasting,this understanding which has not only produced great political results, but which has linked together Sovereign and people in the bonds of mutual confidence and love, and which has made us feel that only a happy nation can have a happy Sovereign. "We declare the Hungarian Diet closed."

The following "Explosive Bullet Treaty" was signed in November at St. Petersburg, by the representatives of Bavaria, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Greece, Holland, Italy, Persia, Portugal, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Würtemberg :

"Considering that the progress of civilization ought to result in diminishing as much as possible the sufferings inseparable from war; that the only legitimate object pursued in war is to weaken the force of the enemy; that to attain this it suffices to place as many men as possible hors de combat; that to make use of expedients which shall unnecessarily enlarge the wounds of the men placed hors de combat, or entail inevitable death, is incompatible with the before-mentioned object; that to make use of such expedients would, moreover, be contrary to the teachings of humanity;

"The undersigned, in virtue of the instructions given them by their Governments, are authorized to declare as follows::

"I. The contracting parties engage, in the event of war between any of them, to abstain from the use of missiles of any description possessing explosive power, or filled with explosive or inflammable material, weighing less than 400 grammes. This restriction to apply to the army and navy alike.

II. They likewise invite all those States not represented at the deliberations of the Military Commission assembled at St. Petersburg, to subscribe to this mutual engagement.

"III. In the event of war this engagement is to be observed only towards the contracting parties, and those that may subsequently subscribe to it. It need not be observed towards any who have not signified their assent to the above stipulations.

"IV. The above engagement likewise ceases to be valid if a

State that has not signed it takes part in a war between parties that have signed it.

"V. Whenever the progress of science results in any new definite proposals being made for improving the equipment of the troops, the contracting parties, as well as those who have subsequently joined this engagement, will assemble to maintain the principles laid down to reconcile the requirements of war with the demands of humanity."

DENMARK.

At the opening of the Danish Diet on the 5th of October the King, adverting to the question of the re-annexation of North Schleswig to the Crown of Denmark, said, "The confidential negotiations with Prussia respecting the free vote in North Schleswig, provided for in the Treaty of Prague, have hitherto been without result. Our views of what justice and the wellunderstood interests of both countries require in this matter are unaltered. We must regard it as our first duty to co-operate towards no arrangement which, while not satisfying the wants of the inhabitants, might lead to future difficulties for the Danish Kingdom in its relations with a country with which we wish to remain upon a friendly footing. We are convinced that Prussia approves these motives, and we hope to succeed in attaining the long-expected settlement on the basis of the above considerations."

SERVIA.

Prince Michael, the Sovereign of Servia, was assassinated at Belgrade on the 10th of June. He was walking in the Topschieder Park in company with his cousin Anka Konstantinovich and her young daughter, when they were met by three members of the Radovanovich family, the father and two sons. The father had been condemned to twenty years' imprisonment, which however had been reduced to seven. It does not appear how he came to be at large, but so it was. After he and his sons had passed the Prince they turned and fired with pistols at him and the two ladies. The Prince was mortally wounded, and was then despatched by the assassins with their swords. The mother fell dead on the spot and the daughter also received a mortal wound. The regicides were seized and committed for trial, ten other persons being arrested as implicated in a conspiracy to place Prince Karageorgewicz upon the throne.

A Provisional Government was immediately formed, and Prince Milan, of the same Obrenovic family as the late Prince Michael, was elected to fill the vacant throne. He was a minor, and a Council of Regency was established to hold office until he came of age. At a meeting of the Chambers, or Skuptschina, as they are called, it was resolved that Prince Alexander Kara

[1868. georgewicz and his descendants should never be permitted to wear the Servian crown.

The persons implicated in the murder, thirteen in number, were brought to trial, and the acte d'accusation declared the existence of a conspiracy to overthrow the Government in favour of Prince Karageorgewicz. Several of them were convicted and sentenced to death.

GREECE.

At the official reception on new year's day the King said in reply to the address of the President of the Ministry, "My heart and that of the Queen bleed at seeing so many thousand Christians obliged to find a refuge on the maternal soil of Greece. Humanity and the indissoluble laws of fraternity impose upon us a duty to give what succour we can under so great a calamity. I hope and trust that the new year will be a happier one than the last."

This had reference to an insurrection in Crete, a province of Turkey, of which the inhabitants are Greek, and where for some time past a desperate attempt had been going on to throw off the Turkish yoke.

The Greek Government not only connived at but almost openly encouraged the revolutionary movement in Crete. Armed cruisers were fitted out in the Greek ports and sailed for the island, while volunteers in uniform paraded the streets of Athens. The tone of the press was very warlike, and ridiculed the power of Turkey, as if Greece alone were more than a match for her. In reality, however, the Greek Government relied upon the support of Russia, and believed that whatever might be the result of a war, the great Powers would never ultimately permit the Sublime Porte to regain possession of a country which had been wrested from it by the battle of Navarino. But the situation became intolerable to Turkey, and on the 10th of December the Turkish Minister at Athens delivered an ultimatum from his Government demanding the dispersion within five days of the volunteers; that the formation of other similar corps should be forbidden; that the ships for the re-victualling of Crete should be dismantled; that the Cretans who had sought refuge in Greece should be sent back; that those persons should be punished by whom a Turkish officer at Syra had been wounded; and, finally, that the Greek Government should conduct itself in conformity with existing treaties.

This ultimatum was rejected by the Greek Government, and diplomatic relations between it and the Sublime Porte were broken off. A Greek blockade-runner called the "Enosis" exchanged shots near Syra with a Turkish man-of-war, and took refuge in the port of that island, which was blockaded by the Turkish Admiral, Hobart Pasha. The result was that France proposed a Conference of the great Powers to consider the state of affairs, and we shall give the result in our next volume.