Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/187

 CONSTITUTION AND REVENUE.

I>I

composed of two Chambers. The Upper Chamber comprises the princes of the reigning line who are of age ; the heads of ten noble families; the proprietors of hereditary landed estates worth MOD, 000 florins, or 25,000/.; the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Freiburg; the superintendent of the Protestant Church ; two deputies oi Universities; and eight members nominated by the grand-duke, without regard to rank or birth. The second Chamber is composed of 63 representatives of the people, 22 of which are elected by burgesses of towns, and 41 by the inhabitants of rural districts. Every citizen not convicted of crime, nor receiving parish relief, has a vote in the elections. To be a deputy, it is necessary to possess tax-piying property to the amount of 10,000 florins, or 833Z. ; or to hold a public office with a salary of not less than 1,500 florins; or 125/. The elections are indirect ; the citizens nominating the Wahlmanner, or deputy-electors, and the latter the representatives. The members of the second Chamber are elected for eight years. The Chambers have to be called together at least once every two years.

The executive is composed of six departments, headed by the ' Private Cabinet of the Grand-duke,' which office is filled by the chief of the cabinet. The departments are, the Ministry of the Grand-ducal House and of Foreign Affairs ; the Ministry of the Interior; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Finances and of Commerce ; and the Ministry of War. The ministers are indi- vidually and collectively responsible for their actions, both to the legislature and to every individual citizen who may choose to lodge complaints against them before the ' Oberhofgericht,' or Superior Tribunal of the country.

The budgets are granted for the term of two years by the Cham- bers. For the term 1868 and 18G9 the estimates were —

Gross revenue Cost of Collection Net revenue.

1868

1869

1868-69

Florins

19,327,343

4,888.242

14,439,101

Florins

19,328,263

4,868.366

14,459,897

Florins

38.655.606

9,750,608

28,898,998

Expenditure, ordinary and extraordinary

33,884,933 £ 2.823,744

Deficit

.

4,985,935 £ 415,494

The actual revenue for the years 1866-G7 amounted to 18,G80,327 florins, or 1,556,694/., per annum, and the actual expenditure to