Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/176

 140 GERMANY — WURTEMBERG.

March 25, 1818, daughter of Duke Eu<rene of Wiirtemberg, nephew of the king; married Oct. 9, 1845, to Landgrave Karl of Hesse- Philippsthal. 3. Prince Eugen, brother of the preceding, born Dec. 25, 1820; married, July 15, 1843, to Princess Mathilde of Schaumburg-Lippe. 4. Prince Wilhelm, brother of the preceding, born July 20, 1828; colonel of infantry in the service of Austria.

5. Princess Alexandrine, sister of the preceding, born Dec. 16, 1829.

6. Prince Nicolaus, brother of the preceding, born March 1, 1833; married May 8, 1868, to his cousin, Princess Wilhelmine of Wtir- temberg, born July 11, 1844, the daughter of Prince Eugen.

7. Princess Louise, sister of the preceding, born Oct. 13, 1835 ; married Feb. 6. 1858, to Prince Heinrich XIV. of Reuss-Schleiz.

The former duchy of Wiirtemberg was erected into a kingdom by the Emperor Napoleon, by decree of Jan. 1, 1806, having been enlarged previously by the annexation of the territories of a number of small princes and ecclesiastical dignitaries. The congress ol Vienna acknowledged the change, in consideration of the timely transference of the troops of King Friedrich I. to the army of the Allies. Wilhelm I., the second king, soon after his accession gained the goodwill of his subjects by the grant of a constitution, as well as the satisfactory settlement of the question of right in the royal domains, or property of the crown. The civil list of the king was fixed at a sum of 882,400 florins, or 73,566^., with an additional amount for the other members of the royal family.

Constitution and Government.

The constitution of "Wiirtemberg bears date Sept. 25, 1819. It vests the legislative power in a Diet, or Landtag, consisting of two Houses, called together every three years, or oftener if ne- cessary. The Upper Chamber, or House of Standesherren, is composed of the members of the royal family, the heads of the principal noble families of the country, the representatives of certain territories and estates possessing formerly a vote in the German Diet, and a number of members nominated by the king for life, which number, however, must not exceed one-third of that of the whole House. The second Chamber, or House of Deputies — Abgeordneten — consists ot 13 members of the nobility, elected by the Ritterschaft, or landowners of the kingdom ; 6 superintendents of the Protestant Church ; one Roman Catholic bishop; two other representatives of Roman Catholic bodies ; the chancellor of the university of Tubingen ; and 71 deputies of towns and rural districts. All the members of the second Chamber are chosen for six years, and they must be thirty years of age; pro- perty qualification is not necessary. To be a member ol' the first