On Friday week in the Lower House of the Diet
the Prussian Government withdrew its Franchise Reform Bill, which had just been sent down from the Upper House. We do not suppose that the loss of such illiberal reforms will make the Prussian people feel that they are much worse off than they would have been if the Bill had become law. As for the Government, it is pretty clear that it was trying to use the Bill as a means for creating a new bloc. In this Herr von Bethmann Hollweg has failed. The Conservatives and National Liberals, who formed the bloc before the decline of Prince Billow's power, are as far apart as ever. Before the Bill went to the Upper House it was helped through its stages by the unusual combination of Conservatives and the Roman Catholic Centre. But in the Upper House Herr von Beth- mann Hollweg introduced changes which he had apparently repudiated. These were resisted; but on a special appeal from the Chancellor, the Conservatives of the Upper House came to heel. Not so the Conservatives of the Lower House on Friday week ; they stood stoutly by the Centre. The Government did not care to accept the Bill in the form to which it would be agreeable to this combination, and there- fore abandoned it. It will be interesting to see what Herr von Bethmann Hollweg will do next. He apparently dis- likes intensely accepting the help of the only combination which is ready to come to his support on what seem tolerably easy terms.
