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 I70 GERMANY — SAXE-ALTENBURG.

XV. SAXE-ALTENBURG.

(Herzogthum Sachsen-Altenburg.)

Reigning Sovereign and Family.

Ernst I., Duke of Saxe-Altenburg, born September 16, 1826, the son of Duke Georg of Saxe-Altenburg and Princess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Succeeded to the throne, at the death of his father, August 3, 1853; married, April 28, 1853, to Princess Agnes, born June 24, 1824, the daughter of Duke Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau. Issue of the union is a daughter, Princess Marie, born August 2, 1854. Heir-apparent is the only brother of the Duke, Prince Moritz, born October 24, 1829, and married, October 15, 1862, to Princess Augusta of Saxe-Meiningen, by whom he has issue three daughters.

The reigning family of Saxe-Altenburg, formerly called Saxe- Plildburghausen, dates its origin from the year 1482, when the separation took place between the Ernestine and Albertine lines of Saxony. Up to the year 1826, Saxe-Altenburg formed part of Saxe-Gotha, and was then, by a general exchange of territories among the Saxon princes, made over to the Hildburghausen family. The Duke has a civil list of 143,000 thaler, or 21,450Z.. amounting to above one-sixth of the revenue of the whole country. On December 20, 1862, the Chamber raised the ducal income to this sum— from 128,000 thaler, or 19,200/., which it had been previously

on condition that the whole of the domains, formerly belonging to

the reigning family, should be made over definitely to the State.

Constitution, Revenue, and Population.

The Constitution bears date April 29, 1831, but was altered at subsequent periods. It vests the legislative authority in a Chamber composed of twenty-four representatives, of which eight are chosen by the Ritterschaft, or land-holding nobility, eight by the inhabi- tants of towns, and eight by those of rural districts. The Chamber meets every three years, and the deputies are elected for two sessions.

The executive is divided into three departments, namely, — the Ministry of the Ducal House, of Education, and Ecclesiastical Affairs ; the Ministry of the Interior and of Justice ; and the Ministry of Finance. The budget is voted for three years, the last period of 1865-6S exhibiting an annual revenue of 878,904 thaler, or 131,885?., and an expenditure of 878,888 thaler, or 131,832J. The annual receipts during the term 1862-64