ar that a Reichsrath chosen in these circumstances
would refuse to ratify it, and this was probably Belcredi's intention. As
the existence of the empire would thereby be endangered, Beust interfered;
Belcredi was dismissed, Beust himself became minister-president on the 7th
of February 1867, and a new edict was issued from Vienna ordering the diets
to elect a Reichsrath, according to the constitution, which was now said to
be completely valid. Of course, however, those diets in which there was a
Federalist majority, viz. those of Bohemia, Moravia, Carinthia and Tirol,
which were already pledged to support the January policy of the government,
did not acquiesce in the February policy; and they refused to elect except
on terms which the government could not accept. The first three were
immediately dissolved. In the elections which followed in Bohemia the
influence of the government was sufficient to secure a German majority
among the landed proprietors; the Czechs, who were therefore in a minority,
declared the elections invalid, refused to take any part in electing
deputies for the Reichsrath, and seceded altogether from the diet. The
result was that Bohemia now sent a large German majority to Vienna, and the
few Czechs who were chosen refused to take their seat in the parliament.
[Sidenote: Beust's compact with the Poles.] Had the example of the Czechs
been followed by the other Slav races it would still have been difficult to
get together a Reichsrath to pass the Ausgleich. It was, however, easier to
deal with the Poles of Galicia, for they had no historical rights to
defend; and by sending delegates to Vienna they would not sacrifice any
principle or prejudice any legal claim; they had only to consider how they
could make the best bargain. Their position was a strong one; their votes
were essential to the government, and the government could be useful to
them; it could give them the complete control over the Ruthenes. A compact
then was easily arranged.

Beust promised them that there should be a special minister for Galicia, a
separate board for Galician education, that Polish should be the language
of instruction in all secondary schools, that Polish instead of German
should be the official language in the law courts and public offices,
Ruthenian being only used in the elementary schools under strict
limitations. On these terms the Polish deputies, led by Ziemialkowski,
agreed to go to Vienna and vote for the Ausgleic