Prince Bismarck has carried his Railway projects through the Prussian
House of Deputies, with the aid of unexpected allies. It was believed that he would be supported by the Con- servatives and the Ultra.montanes, but at the last moment he refused the principal demand of the Vatican, the restoration of the Bishops, and the Centre fell back upon its old position. Thereupon the Minister of Commerce announced that the Government would concede certain " guarantees " demanded by the National Liberals, and hitherto refused—the guarantees constitute a rather intricate arrangement for avoiding loss to the State, some Railway bondholders being amerced if the profita do not yield their guaranteed four per cent.—and with their aid the Chancellor obtained a vote of 226 votes to 115. Only four lines have been absorbed by the present Bills,. but the vote will enable the Government to propose the absorption of the remainder, and ultimately of all lines within the Empire, the Prussian vote usually indicating the vote of the Reichstag. It would seem to come to this,—that the Chan- cellor must always win. If he throws over the Liberals, the Ultramontaues are at his service ; and if he breaks with the Ultramonta,nes, the Liberals are only too eager to take him up once niore upon their shoulders. We are not sure we do not prefer Cavour's plan of asking, that in view of great political dangers, the King's order, countersigned by the Cabinet, shall,. for a specified and limited time, have the force of an Act of Parliament. That does not destroy the prestige of the Repre- sentative system.
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