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APPENDIX XIX

THE ROUMANIAN PROGRAMME OF 1905.

(From Pester Lloyd, Jan. n, 1905).

The programme of the year 1881 remains in full force. The party demands that the Roumanian people be recognized as a constructive political individuality in the state, and that its ethnical and cultural development be secured by constitutional guarantees, the territorial integrity of the lands of the Crown of St. Stephen being always fully respected.

The party demands the single language of command in the army, with effective recognition of the individual regimental languages : the introduction of two years' service, and the abandonment of Magyarizing efforts in the army.

The party demands the complete and strict execution of the Law of Nationalities, the legal enforcement of the use of the various languages in administration, justice and education.

The public officials shall be bound to show a knowledge of the language of the people in word and writing.

All denominations shall receive complete autonomy and shall be subventioned from State funds.

Elementary Instruction shall be free: where the Roumanian population is in the majority the language of instruction shall be the Roumanian. A solemn protest is entered against the Berzeviczy Primary Education Bill.

Obligatory Church marriage shall be introduced, and lack of Church connections (Confessionslosigkeit) shall be entirely abolished. The Communes and Counties shall receive complete autonomy and be newly divided up with regard to linguistic boundaries.

Virilism and the right of the higher administrative officials to nominate candidates shall be abolished.

The party demands the introduction of Universal Suffrage with voting by ballot, a redistribution of the constituencies, and the holding of elections at the official seats of public notaries. The party further demands the right of the minority to represen­tation in Parliament.

It demands the regulation by law of the right of Assembly and Association, and unrestricted press freedom, it demands the al­teration of the system of taxation on the basis of progressive taxes, the abolition of taxes on the most necessary articles of daily consumption, the reduction of the land tax, the abolition of en­tails (Fideikommisse), the renting out of state property in allot­ments, and the inalienability of a minimum of property (Unveräusserlichkeit eines Besitzmiminums.)