Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1028

 672

GERMAN EMPIRE: — SAXE-COBURG AND GOTHA

junction with two separate chambers, one for the Duchy of Coburg and the other for the Duchy of Gotha. For the common affairs of the two Duchies the two Chambers meet in common. The Coburg Chamber consists of eleven, and that for Gotha of nineteen members, chosen in as many electoral divisions, by the indirect vote of all the electors. Every man above the age of twenty-five who pays direct taxes has a vote, and every fully-qualified citizen above thirty may be elected a deputy to the Landtag or Chamber. Deputies resident in Coburg or Gotha receive six marks per diem, the others ten marks per diem and travelling expenses. New elections take place every four years. The two assemblies meet separately, regularly in the first and last years of their duration, otherwise when necessary ; the ' United Parliament ' meets alternately at the towns of Coburg and of Gotha.

The doraain budget is voted for the term of four years for Gotha and of four years for. Coburg, and in the financial State-accounts a distinction is made between domain-revenue and State-revenue. The annual domain revenue for Coburg 1897-1901 is estimated at 439,600 marks, and expenditure 255,600 marks ; revenue for Gotha 1893-97, 2,144,226 marks, expenditure 1,182,425 marks. The special State revenue for each year from 1897 to 1S99 for Coburg is set down at 942,840 marks, and for Gotha at 2,052,570 marks ; while the common State-revenue of Coburg and Gotha is set down at 2,318,333 marks, and expenditure 2,994,148 marks. The public debt, in 1897, amounted to 2,778,300 marks for Coburg, and to 146,558 marks for Gotha, both being largely covered by productive investments.

Area and Population.

The area of the Duchy is 755 English square miles, and the population in 1895 was 216,603 (104,668 males, and 111,935 females), 776 being foreigners. Population per square mile 279*5. Of the total in 1895 212,514 were Protestant and 2,956 Catholic ; there were also 580 Jews. The chief towns, Gotha and Coburg, have respectively 31,671 and 18,689 inhabitants (1895). In 1896 there were 1,902 marriages, 7,727 births, 4,381 deaths; surplus of 'births 3,346. Of the births 252 (3 '3 per cent.) were stillborn, and 898 (11*6 per cent.) illegitimate. Emigrants, 1893, 198 ; 1894, 73; 1895, 102; 1896, 66; 1897, 33. In 1896 there were 1,500 criminals convicted, or 98 "0 per 10,000 of population over 12 years of age.

Agriculture.

In 1895 there were in the Duchy 29,458 separate farms, as follows : under 1 hectare, 15,230 ; 1-10 hectares, 11,100; 10-100 hectares, 3,053 ; over 100 hectares, 75 ; their total area was 154,805 hectares. These farms supported a population of 60,633, of whom 29,073 were actually engaged in agriculture. In 1896 the cultivated area and produce were as follows :—

Crop

Hectares

1,000 kilog.

1

Crop

1

Hectares

1,000 kilog.

Rye

Wheat Barley

13,147 11,059 12,843

19,440 15,427 21,979

! Potatoes ...

i Oats

Hay

10,775 16,938 19,369

119,648 22,030 73,388

There are 173 miles of railway.

British Minister-Resident. — Sir A. Condic Stephen, K.C.M.G., C.B.

Consnl-General. — Freiherr C. C. B. von Tauchnitz (Leipzig).