Im österreichischen Abgeordnetenhause wird’s immer toller | 26 Nov. 1897
Abendblatt. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.), 26 Nov. 1897. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045004/1897-11-26/ed-1/seq-2/>
The following article presents an account of a sitting of the Austro-Hungarian Parliament ("Reichsrat") on 26th November 1897. The debate was repeatedly interrupted by shouting, name-calling, and other disruptive behaviour displayed by various members of parliament. The police tried to intervene but was equally met with loud resistance. On the same day, protests took place in front of the Parliament Building which lasted into the night. Mark Twain was among those visitors to the Parliament who had to leave the building due to the general unrest when the sitting was interrupted. He had watched previous debates and wrote about one of his visits in his essay "Stirring Times in Austria".
Only part of the text is translated below as it mentions Mark Twain's presence at the event.
| Transcription | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Im österreichischen Abgeordnetenhaus wird's immer toller | In the Austrian House of Representatives, things are getting increasingly out of hand |
| Wien, 25. Nov. | Vienna, Nov. 25. |
| Als das Abgeordnetenhaus sich heute wieder versammelte, waren sämmtliche [sic] Minister anwesend und die Zugänge zur Tribüne des Präsidenten waren durch Thüren, die seit den gestrigen schmachvollen Auftritten angebracht worden waren, abgesperrt. | When the House of Representatives met again today, all the ministers were present and the entrances to the president's podium were blocked off by doors that had been installed after yesterday's disgraceful scenes. |
| [...] | [...] |
| Die Auftritte im Abgeordnetenhause, die als ein parlamentarischer Staatsstreich angesehen werden, wurden von dem britischen Botschafter, Sir Horace Rumbold, Mark Twain und anderen Ausländern mit angesehen. Der Antrag des Grafen Falkenhayn, [des] früheren landwirthschaftlichen Ministers, wurde mit Hülfe eines vorher zwischen dem Präsidenten und der Rechten verabredeten Signals angenommen, denn man konnte kein Wort von der Rede des Präsidenten hören. | The events in the House of Representatives, considered a parliamentary coup d'état, were witnessed by the British Ambassador, Sir Horace Rumbold, Mark Twain, and other foreigners. The motion of Count Falkenhayn, former Minister of Agriculture, was adopted with the aid of a signal previously arranged between the President and the Right, as not a word of the President's speech was audible. |
| [...] | [...] |