was renewed for another period of ten years. Now in 1897 it must be
renewed again.

Austria thinks Hungary is now in a position to pay a larger proportion
of the expenses, but Hungary cannot see the force of this at all. She
is, however, willing to make a fresh compact for one year, during which
time the whole matter can be thoroughly discussed.

The attempt to get the compact arranged for the one year offered has
been one of the causes of the trouble in the Reichsrath, or Parliament.

The Austrians do not want to renew the agreement unless they can get
better terms, the Hungarians will not pay any more, and the Bohemians
are opposed to every motion that is made, because they insist that their
own grievance about the language shall be settled before any other
business is done.

In consequence of this, the Austrian Parliament has become a
bear-garden.

Mr. Clemens (Mark Twain), who happened to be in Vienna during these
uproarious sittings of Parliament, and witnessed one of them, declared
that the nearest approach to such a riot in his experience was the
lynching of a man out West for stealing a horse--but even that was a
mild scene compared to the proceedings of the Parliament.

While Mr. Clemens was watching, an Austrian member tried to speak on the
Hungarian question; whereupon Mr. Wolff, the Bohemian member, began to
slam the lid of his desk and then pound it with a ruler. A scuffle
ensued in the attempt to wrench off the lid of the desk, during all of