1867; but when, in 1877, the commercial treaty
between the two halves of the monarchy expired he contrived to procure
increased advantages for Hungary, and among them the conversion of the
Austrian National Bank into a joint institution of the two states.
Opposition to the Tisza regime arose from two sources principally, i.e.,
the Kossuth party of Independence, which clung still to the principles
of 1848, and the National party, led by the brilliant orator Count
Albert Apponyi, distinguishable from the Independence group, on the
one hand, by its provisional acquiescence in the Ausgleich and (p. 502)
from the Liberals, on the other, by its still more enthusiastic
advocacy of Magyarization. At Vienna, Tisza was regarded as
indispensable; but growing discontent in Hungary undermined his
position and March 13, 1890, he retired from office.

With the fall of Tisza there was inaugurated a period of short
ministries whose history it would be unprofitable to attempt to
recount in detail. The Liberal party continued in control, for there
had appeared no rival group of sufficient strength to drive it from
power. But the rise of a series of issues involving the relations of
church and state injected into the political situation a number of new
elements and occasioned frequent readjustments within the ministerial
group. The ministry of Count Szapary, which succeeded that of Tisza
was followed, November 21, 1892, by that of Dr. Sandor Wekerle, and
it, in turn, after a number of the religious bills had been passed,
was succeeded, January 11, 1895, by a cabinet presided over by Baron
Banffy. At the elections of 1896 the Liberals were overwhelmingly
triumphant, acquiring in the lower chamber a majority of two to one.
The Nationalist contingent was reduced from 57 to 35.

*555. The Era of Parliamentary Obstructionism.*--The period covered by
the Banffy ministry (January, 1895, to February, 1899) was one of the
stormiest in Hungarian parliamentary history. At the close of 1897 the
decennial economic agreement with Austria came automatically to an
end, and despite its best efforts the Government was unable to procure
from Parliament an approval of a renewal of the arrangement. Through
two years successively the existing agreement was extended
provisionally for twelve months at a time. It was only during the
ministry of Szell, who took office in February, 1899, that a renewal
was voted, covering the period to 1907. In Hungary there i