The Friesian Parliament is greatly interested by a very serious
scandal. Herr Laeker has asserted in his place that persons in office, naming specially Privy Councillor Wegener, have sold railway concessions, and demanded a public inquiry. The Minister of Commerce, Count Itzenplitz, repudiated the charge, and at first it was believed that the Government would endeavour to stifle inquiry, fearing that the scandal would cover many
officials. The latest telegrams announce, however, that the King, who has all his life set his face sternly against robbery of the State, has interfered, and that the fullest inquiry will be con- eerled, the latter Statement being confirmed by Reuter. The whole story suggests that the modern poison, the thirst for quick gains in money, has penetrated Prussia also, and indeed better could hardly be expected. If a soldier may honourably take a fortune out of spoil extracted at the sword's point from a neighbouring country, an official may naturally fail to see why he also should not have a share of somebody else's money, and under that theory concussion becomes the pleasantest of operations. The French may yet be avenged for that indemnity in an un- expected way, and the Prussians may yet be compelled to rejoice that a bribe is no temptation to a King. If the last American scandal is true, that the Vice-President, blr. Schuyler-Colfax, has accepted one, that temptation seems irresistible to everybody else. We have not read a more miserable story than that of his acceptance of a few thousand dollars from the American Credit Mobilier, on the implied understanding that he would protect the company from official inquiry. He has demanded inquiry, but being Vice-President, is beyond question except by impeachment, a process for which, as his term was within a week of expiry, there was no time.
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