Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/197

 GERMANY — BRUNSWICK. 1 6 1

the two sons of the latter, who became the founders of the lines of Brunswick- Wolfenbuttel and Brunswick-Liineburg, the former of which is represented at present in the ducal house of Brunswick, while the latter is merged in the royal family of Great Britain.

The Duke of Brunswick is one of the wealthiest of German sove- reigns, being in possession of immense private estates, including the principality of Oels, in Silesia, and large domains in the district of Glatz, in Prussia. It is believed that the Duke has bequeathed the whole of these estates to the Emperor of Austria. The Duke's civil list, amounting to 220,722 thaler, or 33,108/., is not set down in the budget, being paid out of a special fund, the ' Kammercasse,' the revenues of which are derived from the State domains. The ex-duke, Charles, residing chieily at Paris, has also a large private income, amounting, it is stated, to above 200,000/. per annum.

Constitution, Revenue, and Population.

The Constitution of Brunswick bears date October 12, 1832, but was modified by the fundamental law of November 22, 1851. The legis- lative power is vested in one Chamber, consisting of forty-three members. Of these, nine are elected by the highest-taxed landed proprietors; ten by the magistrates of the chief towns ; three by the Protestant clergy ; ten by the inhabitants of towns, and eleven by those of rural districts. The Chamber meets every three years, and the deputies hold their mandate for two sessions. The executive is represented by a responsible Ministry, consisting of two departments, namely, the Ministry of State and of Foreign Affairs ; and the Ministry of the Interior.

The budget was formerly voted for the period of three years, but since 1867, in conformity with the constitution of the North-German Confederation. For the year 1869 the estimates of revenue were 2,480,000 thaler, or 372,000/., with an expenditure of the same amount. The public debt of the duchy, at the commencement of 1869, was 15,368,750 thaler, or 2,305,313/., four-fifths of which sum was contracted for the establishment of railways.

The duchy has an area of 1,526 scpiare miles, with a population of 302,792 inhabitants, according to the Zollverein census of 1867. Nearly the whole of the inhabitants in 1867 were members of the Lutheran Church, the exception being 1,676 Calvinists; 3,775 Roman Catholics ; 216 members of other Christian sects, and 1,107 Jews. The latter enjoy civil and religious equality.