Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/201

 GERMANT — SAXE-MEININGEN. 1 65

nor rural populations send any deputies. There are sixty-two such proprietors in the province of Stargard, only a small number of whom, however, choose to take their seats.

The executive is entirely in the hands of the Grand-duke, and is exercised by him through one ' Minister of State,' which appointment, however, has at times been vacant for several years. Accounts of public income and expenditure are never made known, and the whole state revenue forms the civil-list of the Grand-dnke.

The population, which, according to the census of 1867, numbered 98,770, is decreasing steadily, a strong tide of emigration having carried off nearly 8,000 inhabitants in a course of eight years. The area of the country is 997 English square miles, the owner- ship of which territory is divided between the sovereign, the feudal proprietors, and the corporations of certain towns, in the following manner : — 527 square miles belong to the Grand-duke; 353 to the titled and untitled nobles, and 117 to the town corporations. Nearly one-fourth of the Grand-ducal property consists of forest lands.

XII. SAXE-MEININGEN.

(HERZOGTHUM SACHSEN-MEININGE^ T ., )

Reigning Sovereign.

Georg II., Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, born April 2, 1826, the son of Duke Bernhard I. Succeeded, on the abdication of his father, September 20, 1866. Married, May 18, 1850, to Princess Charlotte of Prussia, who died March 30, 1855. Offspring of this union are a son and a daughter: — Bernhard, born April 1, 1851 ; and Marie Elizabeth, born September 23, 1853. Married, in second nuptials, October 23, 1858, to Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, born July 7, 1839. Offspring of this second marriage are two sons, Ernst, born September 27, 1859, and Friedrich, born Oct. 12, 1861.

The line of Saxe-Meiningen was founded by Duke Bernhard, third son of Ernst I. of Saxony, surnamed the Pious, the friend and com- panion in arms of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. The duchy was only one-third its present size up to the year 1826, Avhen, by the extinction of the ancient family of Saxe-Gotha, the territories of Hildburghausen and Saalfeld fell to the present duke. He has a civil list of 225,000 florins, or 18,750/., paid out of the produce ot the State domains.