1 AUGUST 1903, Page 2

The Hungarian Chamber has been shaken by an unprece- dented

scandal. Some one has been stupid enough to try to bribe Dr. Papp, a leader of the Obstructionists, offering him £420 to stay away from the House for twelve days. There seems to be no doubt of the facts, Dr. Papp producing the actual banknotes placed in his hands, and giving up the name of the person who paid them,—a well-known journalist. As money is not plentiful with journalists in Hungary, the Extremists at once leaped to the conclusion that the money had been paid by order of Count Khuen Hedervary, the Premier. The Count assented to a Commission of Inquiry, but the incident so encouraged and enraged the Obstruc- tionists that they succeeded in preventing him from speaking. It seems that they can bring Parliamentary proceedings to a deacl-lock, and that they will do it unless further concessions are made about the separation of the Austrian and Hungarian armies. The obvious remedy is a Dissolution, as Count Khuen Hedervary believes that the nation is opposed to the Extremists, but many observers are convinced that the Emperor must suspend the Constitution. In England or America the minority would be at once fettered by new rules, but in Hungary this is allowed on all hands to be nearly or quite impossible.