1 JANUARY 1876, Page 10

A quarrel has recently broken out between Vienna and Berlin,

which, it is said, was only terminated by diplomatic representa- tions. Herr von Schmerling, formerly Premier of Austria, recently made a speech to an association of journalists, in which he stated that he, though now a Judge instead of a Minister, had never given up his project of raising Austria to the headship of Germany, and he believed Austria would yet be successful. It is surmised that he expected help from the Clerical party, and the Provincial Correspondence, the official journal of Berlin, was immediately instructed to say that if Herr von Schmerling's policy should be accepted, the most stringent measures would be adopted by the German Government. The Viennese journalists did not like this hectoring, and explained that Austria was independent ; and the dispute might have become dangerous, when representa- tions were addressed to Berlin from*the Viennese Foreign Office which soothed away the effect of the incident. It must be pleasant for a State just now to have Germany on its frontier, more especially if the State is strictly allied to her in a revived Holy Alliance,—nearly as pleasant as for the " reassured " canary to see the " friendly " cat washing her face in tranquillity by the cage- door.