minister for
foreign affairs. The minister for foreign affairs was at first called the
_Reichskanzler_; but in 1871, when Andrassy succeeded Beust, this was given
up in deference to Hungarian feeling, for it might be taken to imply that
there was a single state of which he was minister. The old style
_Kaiserlich-Koeniglich_, the "K.K." which has become so familiar through
long use, is still retained in the Austrian half of the monarchy. There
are, therefore, _e.g._, three ministries of finance: the _Kaiserlich und
Koeniglich_ for joint affairs; the _Kaiserlich-Koeniglich_ for Austrian
affairs; the _Kiralye_ for Hungary.

[Sidenote: Common affairs.]

The settlement with Hungary consisted then of three parts:--(1) the
political settlement, which was to be permanent and has since remained part
of the fundamental constitution of the monarchy; (2) the periodical
financial settlement, determining the partition of the common expenses as
arranged by the Quota-Deputations and ratified by the parliaments; (3) the
Customs Union and the agreement as to currency--a voluntary and terminable
arrangement made between the two governments and parliaments. The history
of the common affairs which fall under the management of the common
ministries is, then, the history of the foreign policy of the empire and of
the army. It is with this and this alone that the Delegations are occupied,
and it is to this that we must now turn. The annual meetings call for
little notice; they have generally been the occasion on which the foreign
minister has explained and justified his policy; according to the English
custom, red books, sometimes containing important despatches, have been
laid before them; but the debates have caused less embarrassment to the
government than is generally the case in parliamentary assemblies, and the
army budget has generally been passed with few and unimportant alterations.

[Sidenote: Foreign policy.]

For the first four years, while Beust was chancellor, the foreign policy
was still influenced by the feelings left by the war of 1866. We do not
know how far there was a real intention to revenge Koeniggraetz and recover
the position lost in Germany. This would be at least a possible policy, and
one to which Beust by his previous history would be inclined. There were
sharp passages of arms with the [v.03 p.0019] Prussian government regarding
the position of the South German states; a close friendship was maintained
with Fr