King Milan of Servia did not shine brightly in the
war with Bulgaria ; but he is certainly not a man without an opinion of Cs own. His present Ministers are very Russian, and their majority in Parliament have sent up an address condemning the last Ministry, which was Austrian, and asking for certain reforms, particularly in Church matters. In a reply, telegraphed on Tuesday, the King tells them if he had accepted the address, within twenty-four hours explanations would have been asked by the Government of Austria-Hungary, "which during the last seven years has given us so many proofs of its sincere friendship." Farther, says the King, you are touching my prerogatives, " which I will not allow to be curtailed. What have you to do with ecclesiastical affairs ?" "As to the doings of the Ministry that was last in office, I plainly tell you that during seven years it acted under my commands, and I accept the fall responsibility for what it did. I therefore beg you to confine your attention to interior affairs and questions of economy. Should you not do so, but seek to trespass in any way on questions which concern me alone, I will call other Ministers to my Council." "I would willingly see power more equally divided between the King and the Skuptschina, but so long as I hold my existing powers, I shall exercise them to the beet of my ability without flinching." That reply carries us back to the days of Elizabeth, and means, of course, that the King intends to continue governing, and if Austria and Russia fight, will make Servia join the former, even if the Parliament does not like it. As the King possesses all the powers claimed by Napoleon III., he has not stepped outside his legal position.
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