Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1025

 CONSTITUTION AND FINANCE — AGRICULTURE

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(2) Morganaticall}', to Frecleiika von Saalburg. Offspring of first marriage : — I. Prince Hcinrich XXVII. , born November 10, 1858 ; married November 11, 1884, to Princess Elise, born September 4, 1864, daughter of Prince Hermann of Hohenlohe-Langenburg ; four chiklren. II. Princess Elisabeth, born October 27, 1859 ; married November 17, 1887, to Prince Hermann of Sohus-Braunfels.

The reigning house forms a younger branch of the Reuss family. As in Reuss-Greiz, a great part of the territory of the Principality is the private property of the reigning famOy.

All the princes are called Hcinrich, and to distinguish them they have numbers attached to their names, beginning and ending in each century. Number I. is given to the first prince of the branch born in the centuiy, and the numbers follow in the order of birth until the century is finished, when they begin again with number I.

Constitution and Finance.

The Principality has a Constitution, proclaimed November 30, 1849, and modified April 14, 1852, and June 20, 1856. Under it restricted legislative rights are granted to a Diet of sixteen members, of whom three are elected by those paying the highest income-tax, and twelve by the inhabitants in general. The head of the collateral Reuss- Kostritz family is hereditarily a member. The Prince has the sole executive and part of the legislative power. In the administration of the State a cabinet of three members acts under his direction. On November 27, 1892, the hereditary prince (Hcinrich XXVII.) received authority from the reigning prince to carry on the government in his name.

The annual estimated public income was given as 2,386,900 marks for the financial period 1896-98, with an expenditure of 2,379,734 marks. There is a public debt (1898) of 1,040,550 marks.

Area and Population.

The area of the Principality is 319 English square miles, and the popula- tion in 1895 was 132,130 (64,042 males and 68,088 females). Population per square mile 414. Of the total population in 1895 (132,130), 129,382 were Protestant, 2,090 were Catholic, 477 other Christians, and 181 were Jews. The capital, Gera, has (1895) 43,544 inhabitants. In 1896 there were 1,181 marriages, 5,613 births, and 3,312 deaths ; surplus of births 2,301. Of the births 214 (3"8 per cent. ) were stillborn, and 690 (12'3 ])er cent.) illegiti- mate. Emigi-ants in 1892, 237 ; 1893, 169 ; 1894, 75 ; 1895, 94 ; 1896, >5 ; 1897, 60. In 1896 there were 1,020 criminal convictions, or 110-5 per 10,000 of population over the age of 12.

Agriculture.

In 1895 there were in the Principality 8,558 farms, as follows : — under 1 hectare, 3,657 ; 1-10 hectares, 3,429; 10-100 hectares, 1,443 ; over 100 hectares, 29. Their total area was 75,134 hectares. These farms supported a population of 23,080, of whom 11,666 were actually engaged in agriculture. In 1897 the cultivated area and produce were as follows :-

Crop

Hectares

1,000 kilog.

Crop

Hectares

1,000 kilog.

Rye

Wheat ... Barley

7,752 1,977 3,340

9,664 ' 3,316 ,

4,497 ,

Potatoes ...

Oats

Hay

5,153

6,884 14,070

42,343

8,400

33,628

Railways (1897), 53 miles.

British Consul- General. — Freiherr C

C. B. von Tauchnitz (Leipzig).