The Vienna correspondent of the Times, who has seldom proved
wrong, is gloomy in his anticipations of the next meeting of the Austrian Parliament, which begins on May 8th. A language Bill is to be introduced, and it is believed that the Czechs, aided by the Slovenes and some other factions numbering altogether about a hundred, will indulge in violent obstruction. In that case the Korber Ministry will resign, and as there is no other to follow it, it is believed that the present Constitution must be declared unworkable, and that the Emperor must decree a new one. That would be a safe device as far as the throne is concerned if he greatly enlarges the suffrage, and the new ground law might contain provisions against ob- struction as drastic as those which Italy has just adopted, but we cannot help fancying that Francis Joseph will fihrink from extreme measures. He had such terrible evidence of their futility at the beginning of his reign. He threatened action, however, the other day when it seemed that the language dispute was entering the Army, and he may be greatly pressed by the Treasury, which finds its Bills stopped like every other Department, and which cannot avail itself of
Article 14. The Executive can under that Article decree most emergent measures, but business men will not advance money on promises not endorsed by a representative House of some kind. Except when a plebiscite can be taken, the money question is a serious obstacle to coups d'etat.
