§ 3.28 p.m.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT KILMUIR)My Lords, your Lordships will remember authorising me to send on behalf of your Lordships' House to the Federal Council of the Austrian Republic a message of congratulations on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the restoration of the Austrian Republic. I have now received a reply from the President of the Federal Council, which I think your Lordships will wish me to read to you.
§ "MY LORD CHANCELLOR,
§ "I have the honour to thank you in the name of the Federal Council of the Austrian Republic for the kind message of greetings which you sent to the Austrian Parliament on behalf of the British House of Lords on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the restoration of the Austrian Republic.
813§ "The Austrian Parliament is honoured by the appreciation accorded to its work during the past ten years which you expressed on behalf of the British House of Lords.
§ "It has been the special endeavour during the past ten years of the Federal Council—as the representatives of the different States comprising our Federal nation—to further the unity of our country in its Parliamentary life. Nothing could therefore be a greater reward to our labour than the ultimate conclusion of a State Treaty bringing with it the restoration of full sovereignty to our democratic State.
§ "May I therefore assure you, my Lord Chancellor, of the Federal Council's deep satisfaction that your message to us should have expressed the wish that our hopes might soon be fulfilled and that the patience of our Nation might soon gain its reward in the achievement of complete freedom.
§ "With the expression of my highest esteem,
§ "I remain, my Lord Chancellor,
§ HANS RIEMER."