Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 3.djvu/468

452 the AltmiihL There is an extensive network of telegraphs, all of which belong to, and are -worked by, the Govern ment post-office.

The Bavarians proper form a distinct section of the German race, speaking a well-defined dialect of the High German, but a large portion of the population of the country is of Swabian origin. The national character resembles that of the Austrians, being generally marked by fidelity and loyalty In matters of religion they are credu lous and even superstitious ; and the will of their superiors is received by the lower orders with great deference both in political and ecclesiastical affairs. Independence of thought and action have, however, been gradually increas ing ; and now that the country has become part of the German empire, a rapid transfusion of intellectual and political life is apparently taking place.

The present form of government is founded partly on long-established usage and partly on a constitutional act, passed in May 1818, and modified by subsequent acts, of .which the most important was passed in 1848-9. The monarchy is hereditary, with a legislative body of two houses. The title of the sovereign is simply king of Bavaria; that of his presumptive heir is crown-prince of Bavaria. The executive power is vested altogether in the king, whose person is declared inviolable, the responsibility rests with the ministers, whose functions are nearly the same as those of ministers in England ; and there are offices for foreign affairs for the home department, for religion and education, for the treasury, the army, and the administration of justice. These are all situated in Munich, the capital. The upper house of the Bavarian parliament, known as the Chamber of the Reichsrathe, comprises the princes of the blood-royal, the two archbishops, the barons or heads of certain noble families, a Roman Catholic bishop and Protestant clergyman appointed by the Crown, and any other members whom the king may nominate either as hereditary peers or as coun sellors for life; but these last must not exceed a third of the hereditary members. The lower house, or Chamber of Representatives (Wahlkammer), consists of about 150 deputies, who formerly were chosen in definite proportions from the different classes of the community, an eighth part from the nobility, another eighth from the clergy, a fourth part from the burghers, and the remaining half from the landed proprietors; but since 1848 they may be selected without any such restrictions. A general election takes place once in six years, one deputy being allowed for every 7000 families in the kingdom. The election, however, is indirect, electoral proxies, or Wahlmanner, to whom the real election is entrusted, being chosen by the general body of electors at the rate of one proxy to every 500 men. The king generally convenes the parliament once a year, and by the constitution it is obligatory on him to do so at least once in three years.

The following is a statement of the budget for the year 1874-5, in marks (equal to Is. sterling):—

Direct Taxes. Marks. Land tax 11,438,323 Tax on buildings 1,995,086 Tax on licences 2,820,000 Tax on capital 1,628,571 Tax on income....: 857,143 Indirect Taxes. Registration 10,889,006 Stamp-duty 3,286,02 J Malt tax 17,727,137 Customs 1,344,171 18,739,123 33,246,343 51,985,466 Brought forward, 5I.93fi.466 Royalties and State Establishment s. Mines and Salt-works. 8,788,285 Coinage 24.5,045 Railways 58,281,257 Post-office 7,705,2,61 Telegraphs 1,315,029 Ludwig canal 138,581 Sundries 437,772 76,911,240 Domains 36,212,277 Special duties 55/306 Other receipts 598,183 Surplus of eleventh financial period 10,851,428 Imperial subsidy 34,580,760 Share of French indemnity 857,143 Total receipts 212,051,868 Marks, or 10,602,593

Public debt 27,581,400 OMllist 5,415,470 Council of state 104,985 Parliamentary expenses 346,006 Royal household and foreign affairs 671,091 Justice 11,764,613 Home department 18,209,522 Treasury 2,359,553 Religion and education 18,476,318 Contribution to imperial funds 14,747,091 Army 34,580,700 Pensions to widows and orphans 1,689,771 Reserve fund 899,409 Total 130,846,594 Expenses of administration... 75,205,274 212,051,868 Marks, or 10,602,593 The Bavarian army forms, since the 23d November An 1870, a separate portion of the army of the German empire, with a distinct administration ; but its organiza tion is subject to the general imperial rules, and in time of war it is placed under the command of the emperor. It comprises two corps d armee, each divided into two divi sions. In time of peace its infantry consists of 20,590 men, distributed in sixteen regiments ; besides which there are ten battalions of chasseurs, 5500 strong, and thirty-two battalions of landwehr ; the cavalry numbers 7200 men divided into ten regiments, and the artillery amounts to 5528 men in six regiments ; there are also two battalions of pioneers and as many of the military train. In time of war the total force is raised to 149,892, or rather more than trebled.

The districts of Lower Bav-aria, Upper Bavaria, and the Rel Upper Palatinate are almost wholly Catholic, while in the Rhine Palatinate, Upper Franconia, and especially Middle Franconia, the preponderance is on the side of the Pro testants. The exercise of religious worship in Bavaria is altogether free. The Protestants have the same civil rights as the Catholics, and the sovereign may be either Catholic or Protestant. Of the Roman Catholic Church the heads are the two archbishops of Munich-Freising and Bamberg, and the six bishops of Eichstadt, Spire, Wiirzburg, Augs burg, Regensburg, and Passau, of whom the first three are suffragans of Bamberg. The &quot; Old Catholic &quot; party has recently taken considerable hold of the country, and has organized congregations in all the more important towns. Among the Protestants the highest authority is the general. consistory of Munich. The proportion of the different religions in 1871 was as follows : Roman Catholics, 3,464,364; Protestants, 1,342,592; Jews, 50,662 ; lesser Christian sects, 5453 ; other religions, 379.

Bavaria was formerly as backward in regard to educe-