15 JANUARY 1870, Page 2

The situation is very curious in Austria. The Ministry is

divided into two sections, the one German and centralizing, the other decentralizing and federal, and it is assumed in all the Vienna papers, and is apparently true, that the Reicliskanzler, Baron Beust, favours the latter policy, the policy of Taafe and his friends. Certainly, when the Ministry met the Chamber, they were not agreed amongst themselves whether to support the address of the federalizers, or the address of the German party, i. e., the ma- jority. Indeed, three of the Ministry are known to be favourable to the one address which points to decentralization, and the other five to the other. The Chamber very naturally commented severely on the Ministry for meeting them in this divided state, and we see that in consequence both parties have urged the acceptance of their resignations. It is strange to find Baron Beust apparently hand and glove with the non-German party. If he does not take care, the Germans will call Prussia into consultation,—and then ?