Page:British and Foreign State Papers, vol. 61 (1877).djvu/107

Rh Each member of the Confederation can nominate as many Plenipotentiaries to the Council of the Confederation as it has votes; but the totality of such votes can only be given in one sense.

VII. The Council of the Confederation determines:

1. What Bills are to be brought before the Imperial Diet, and on the resolutions passed by the same;

2. As to the administrative measures and arrangements necessary for the general execution of the Imperial Legislation, in so far as no other Imperial Law has decreed to the contrary;

3. As to defects which have made themselves manifest in the execution of the Imperial laws or the above-mentioned measures and arrangements.

Every member of the Confederation has the right to propose bills and to recommend them, and the Presidency is bound to bring them under debate.

The decisions take place by simple majority, with the reservation of the stipulations in the Articles V, XXXVII, and LXXVIII. Non-represented votes or votes without instructions are not counted. In equal divisions the Presidential is the casting vote.

In decisions upon affairs, wherein according to the rules of this Constitution, the whole Empire has not a common interest, only the votes of those Confederated States are counted which are interested in common.

VIII. The Council of the Confederation forms permanent Committees from its own members;

1. For the land-army and fortresses.

2. For naval affairs.

3. For customs and taxes.

4. For commerce and intercourse.

5. For railways, post, and telegraphs.

6. For affairs of justice.

7. For finances.

In each of these Committees, besides the Presidency, at least 4 of the Confederated States will be represented, and in the same each State only has one vote. In the Committee for the land-army and fortresses, Bavaria has a perpetual seat, the other members thereof as well as the members for the Naval Committee are nominated by the Emperor; the members of the other Committees are elected by the Council of the Confederation. The composition of these Committees is to be renewed for every session of the Council of the Confederation or respectively every year, when the outgoing members may be re-elected.

Besides these in the Council of the Confederation a Committee for Foreign Affairs will be formed, comprised of the representatives of the Kingdoms of Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurtemburg, and of two