, 1910, the sovereign at last succeeded in securing a new
ministry, presided over by Count Hedervary, and in the programme of
this Government the introduction of manhood suffrage was accorded a
place of principal importance. June 26, 1910, the Speech from the
Throne, at the opening of the newly elected parliament, announced that
a franchise bill would be submitted "on the basis of universal
suffrage and in complete maintenance of the unitary national character
of the Hungarian state." Various circumstances co-operated, however,
to impose delay and, despite the sovereign's reiterated interest in
the reform, no action as yet has been taken. The Hungarian franchise
remains the most illiberal and the most antiquated in Europe. The (p. 497)
racial situation seems utterly to preclude the possibility of a reform
that will be in all respects satisfactory; indeed, it seems almost to
preclude the possibility of reform at all. Yet, that the pressure will
be continued until eventually there shall be an overhauling of the
present inadequate system can hardly be doubted.[700]

[Footnote 700: On the question of the Hungarian
suffrage see S. Aberdam, La crise hongroise, in
_Revue Politique et Parlementaire_, Oct. 10, 1909,
and Les recentes crises politiques en Hongrie, in
_Revue des Sciences Politiques_, May-June and
July-Aug., 1912; G. Louis-Jaray, Le suffrage
universel en Hongrie, in _Questions Diplomatiques
et Coloniales_, February 16, 1909; R. Henry, La
crise hongroise, ibid., June 1, 1910; J. Mailath,
Les elections generales hongroises, ibid., Aug. 16,
1910, and The Hungarian Elections, in _Contemporary
Review_, Oct., 1910; F. de Gerando, Le radicalisme
hongroise, in _Revue Politique et Parlementaire_,
July, 1911; A. Duboscq, La reforme electorale en
Hongrie, in _Questions Diplomatiques et
Coloniales_, July 1, 1912; S. Huszadik, La Hongrie
contemporaine et le suffrage universel (Paris,
1909); and B. Auerbach, Races et nationalites en
Autriche-Hongrie (2d ed., Paris, 1910).]

*549. Electoral Procedure.*--Elections are conducted in each town or
_comitat_ (county) by a central