Austin, Alfred

an English poet; b. at Headingly, near Leeds, May 30, 1835. He graduated at the University of London in 1853, and was called to the bar of the Inner Temple in 1857, but has devoted his life to literature. His poems include The Seasons: A Satire; The Human Tragedy; The Golden Age; Savonarola; English Lyrics, and various other volumes. In addition, he has written three novels and many political articles. He was appointed Poet Laureate Jan. 1, 1896, an appointment which drew much ridicule from the critics, who did not consider Austin's poetry as worthy of this honor. Austin, in Pennsylvania, a borough of Potter co. Pop. (1890) 1,679. Australian Ballot. A system of secret voting first adopted in Australia, but since introduced widely into the U. S. This system, or some modification of it, is now the legalized system in very nearly all the States. A list of candidates is furnished the voter, who is instructed to erase the names of candidates for whom he does not wish to vote, or to indicate by a cro -mark those whom he prefers; differing methods being in use in different States. A private room or stall is provided, where the voter can mark and fold his ballot unobserved. See BALLOT REFORM. Austria, Continued from SEC. I. A treaty of peace was shortly afterward signed at Vienna (Oct. 30, 1862), by which Denmark made over Schleswig, Holstein, and Lauenburg to A. and Pru ia. But A. speedily suffered terrible retribution for the part she had taken in this affair. By inducing Austria to join with her, Pru ia succeeded in removing part of the odium of the proceeding from herself, and she also succeeded in obtaining the aid of a rival power to secure territories which she had previously determined to appropriate as her own. A., desirous of the formation of the duchies into a separate state, supported the claims of the duke of Aug us ten burg to them. This was strenuously opposed by Pru ia, who regarded the public meetings that were permitted to be held in Holstein in support of this as a breach of agreement. A. referred the question to the Frankfort diet, which decided in favor of the duke. Pru ia, which had long looked with jealousy upon the power of A. , and considered a war with that country for the supremacy of Germany as sooner or later a nece ity, entered into an alliance with Victor Emmanuel (March 27th, 1866), the latter undertaking to declare war against A. as soon as Pru ia commenced hostilities, while the former engaged to secure Venetia for her Italian ally. A. was in an unprepared state when the war actually broke out, but the Pru ian forces, on the other hand, were thoroughly equipped. On June 16th three Pru ian armies entered Saxony and then Bohemia. On June 26th a first engagement took place at Podol, and on the following days the Austrians, under command of General Benedek, were defeated in various engagements, with a total lo of 30,000 to 40,000 men. On June 30 the king of Pru ia joined the army, and the decisive battle of Königgrätz, or Sadowa, was fought and lost by the Austrians on July 3d. (See) SADOWA.) The archduke Albert, who had the command of the army in Italy, with which he had inflicted a severe defeat on the Italians at Custozza, was recalled to take the chief command in place of Benedek; but the emperor of A. seeing the disastrous state of his affairs, claimed the mediation of the emperor Napoleon. through whom an armistice was agreed upon, July 22d. A treaty of peace was signed at Prague, Aug. 23d, by which A. gave up to the kingdom of Italy Venetia and the fortre es of the quadrilateral, namely, Peschiera, Mantua, Verona, and Legnano; recognized the di olution of the late German Confederation, and consented to a new formation of Germany, in which she should have no part; gave up all claim to the duchies of Holstein and Schleswig; and agreed to pay a war indemnity of 40,000,000 thalers, le 20,000,000 allowed her on account of the duchies. Having thus obtained peace, the emperor now turned his attention to home affairs, his first effort being to conciliate Hungary, which was still. in a very troubled and di atisfied state. At the open. ing of the diet on Nov. 19, 1866, an imperial rescript, signed by the emperor, was read, in which he promised to do justice to the claim of Hungary for self-government so far as it would not affect the unity of the empire and the position of A. as a great European power; on June 8, 1867, the emperor and empre were crowned king and queen of Hungary at Pesth. On May 25, 1868, marriage was made a civil contract; and on July 30, 1870, the concordat with Rome was declared to be suspended in consequence of the promulgation of the doctrine of Papal infallibility, and it was abolished in 1874, measures being at the same time adopted for restricting the powers of the clergy. In 1873 an International exhibition was held at Vienna. In 1878, by the treaty of Berlin, the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina was confided to A. On July 31 of that year, the Austrian troops cro ed the Herzegovian frontier, and the news roused the Mohammedan fanatics to desperate efforts, but their ineffectual efforts at resistance were soon crushed, and the occupation was completed before the end of the year. Since that period A. has been concerned in sustaining pacific working relations with Germany and Ru ia, especially in regard to the Eastern Question, and in seeking to reconcile the conflicting claims of her varied peoples, Germans, Magyars, Slavs, Roumanians, Jews, . This has been only partly accomplished, and the diversity of origin of the population remains a source of danger to this composite empire.