THE GERMAN MILITARY DESPOTISM.
[To THE EDITOR 07 THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—In your "News of the Week" of December 6th, after reporting that the motions of censure on the Imperial Chan- cellor were carried by the crushing majority of 293 votes against 54, you say, "The Reichstag is only a very eminent debating society." That notion is also the keynote of your leading article, " The German Military Despotism." Now that "debating society " holds the Imperial purse-strings and may also put a complete stop to all legislation—both things in essential analogy with the British House of Commons, and it has always been understood that these powers are the back- bone of the supremacy of the House of Commons as a factor of the British Constitution. So then. a majority of the Reichstag is at all times in a position to make government practically impossible for any Chancellor of whom it dis- approves strongly enough to make a conflict worth while. In view of this condition of facts, the observations submitted in your articles in question are to a large extent beside the mark.
—I am, Sir, &c., C. WICHMANN. The speech of the German Chancellor in the Reichstag on Tuesday supplies the answer to our correspondent's letter.— En. Spectator.]
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