Count Tisza, the Hungarian Premier, made a speech on November
14th which a few years ago would have marked him as a dangerous character. He is determined to prevent, or at least to limit, the use of obstruction in the Hungarian Parliament ; and on Monday, in defending his proposal, he used this unusual argument. Hungary, he said, must preserve her public life, for it is theoretically possible that a contest between the dynasty and the people may again occur, a con- test arising from the fact that the wearer of the crown of St. Stephen rules also over another State. In such a contest, if it were a worthy one, no patriot would hesitate to face the bullet or the gallows. "Public life in Hungary depends upon her Parliament, and therefore Parliament must remain worthy, and not be turned into an arena for every clown fit for the music-hall." That is "strong tslk," as the Times corre- spondent calls it; and one would like to know whether Count Tisza really speaks from a hypothesis, or is secretly looking forward to such a possibility. There seems at present little danger, for the Monarchy is evidently willing to yield much to Hungarians ; and the people, like every other people within the wide Hapsburg dominion, know that with great Empires on every side they cannot hope to stand alone.
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