sponsibility of the cabinet extends to the military prerogatives of the
crown, and that "the legal influence of parliament exists in this respect
as in respect of every constitutional right." The programme, however,
expressly excluded for "weighty political reasons affecting great interests
of the nation" the question of the military [v.03 p.0024] language; and on
Tisza's motion the Liberal party adopted an addendum, sanctioned by the
crown: "the party maintains the standpoint that the king has a right to fix
the language of service and command in the Hungarian army on the basis of
his constitutional prerogatives as recognized in clause 11 of law XII. of
1867."

Notwithstanding the concessions, obstruction was continued by the Clericals
and the extreme Independents, partly in the hope of compelling the crown to
grant the Magyar words of command and partly out of antipathy towards the
person of the young calvinist premier. In March 1904, Tisza, therefore,
introduced a drastic "guillotine" motion to amend the standing orders of
the House, but withdrew it in return for an undertaking from the Opposition
that obstruction would cease. This time the Opposition kept its word. The
Recruits bill and the estimates were adopted, the Delegations were enabled
to meet at Budapest--where they voted L22,000,000 as extraordinary
estimates for the army and navy and especially for the renewal of the field
artillery--and the negotiations for new commercial treaties with Germany
and Italy were sanctioned, although parliament had never been able to
ratify the Szell-Koerber compact with the tariff on the basis of which the
negotiations would have to be conducted. But, as the autumn session
approached, Tisza foresaw a new campaign of obstruction, and resolved to
revert to his drastic reform of the standing orders. The announcement of
his determination caused the Opposition to rally against him, and when on
the 18th of November the Liberal party adopted a "guillotine" motion by a
show of hands in defiance of orthodox procedure, a section of the party
seceded. On the 13th of December the Opposition, infuriated by the
formation of a special corps of parliamentary constables, invaded and
wrecked the Chamber. Tisza appealed to the country and suffered, on the
26th of January 1905, an overwhelming defeat at the hands of a coalition
composed of dissentient Liberals, Clericals, Independents and a few
Banffyites. The Coalition gained an absolute majority