The Select Committee on the Falk Laws, or rather on
the proposal of the Prussian Government to lodge in the hands of officials discretionary power to apply these laws or not, at the will of the Administration, has decided on a report altogether against the Bill. Of course the Diet is not compelled to adopt the report of the Select Committee, and it is barely possible that, on the motion of Prince Bismarck, the Bill may be passed in spite of this report. But, as the very object of referring it to the Select Committee was to mutilate the discretionary power asked for by the Government, this result is very unlikely. If the conversation reported to have been held between Prince Bismarck and a writer in the Cologne Gazette, to which we have elsewhere referred at some length, can be trusted, Prince Bismarck, in his anger at the result, is likely to advise the King to dissolve the Diet, and appeal to the Prussian people. But supposing that course to be taken, it is not very probable that the appeal would be successful. The Prus- sian people, no doubt, admire Prince Bismarck, and distrust the Roman Catholics ; but though they will support him in scourging the Catholics, they will hardly give him the power to. scourge the Catholics or not to scourge them, just in proportion as they prove politically unmanageable or manageable. Those who are most disposed to persecute the Catholics, would be least disposed to let them off only because they were servile to the Minister of the day.
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