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 912 GERMAN EMPIRE :■ — HAMBURG

State, consisting at present of three departments, namely — of State, Foreign Affairs and Finance, of Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs, and of the Interior.

Area, 1,418 square miles ; population (1910), 494,339. There were only 25,888 Catholics in 1910, Marriages, 1911, 4,123 ; births, 12,231 ; deaths, 8,426 ; excess of births, 3,805 ; still-births, 415 ; illegitimate births, 1,407.

The capital, Brunswick (Braunschweig), had 143,552 inhabitants, 1910.

The budget is voted by the Chamber for the period of two years, but each year separately. It is in two parts ; the first, Staatshaushalts-Etat, com- prehends the particular expenditure of the State, the other, Kloster-und- Studienfonds-Etat, principally the expenditure for schools, arts and sciences. For the year from April 1, 1912, to April 1, 1913, the budget of the Staatshaushalt is fixed at 738,220Z. revenue and 748,075^. expenditure. The revenue and expenditure of the Kloster-und-Studienfonds-Etat are put at 219,820Z, Not included in the budget estimates is the civil list of the Duke — 56,266Z. The public debt of the Duchy, exclusive of a premium-loan repayable by 60,990^. yearly till 1924, on August 31, 1912, was 1,481,093/., three-fifths of which were contracted for railways. The property of the State consists chiefly of domains and forests and of active funds amounting to about 1,882,200/. in 1912, besides an annuity of 131,250Z. till 1932, stipulated at the sale of the railways of the State.

British Minister Plenipotentiary. — Right Hon. Sir W. E. Goschen, G.C.V.O., K.C.M.G.

Consul- General. — Walter R. Hearn (Hamburg).

References.

Beitrage zur Statistik des Herzogthum Braunschweig, Hefte I.— XXV. Handelskauinierbericlite.

Knolluml Bode, Das Herzogthuin Braunschweig, 1897.

Rhamm (A.), Die Verfassungsgesetze des Herzogtums Braunschweig Braunschweig, 1900.

HAMBURG.

(Freie und Hanse-Stadt Hamburg.)

Constitution. — The state and Free City of Hamburg is a republic. The present Constitution came into force on January 1, 1861 ; revised 1879 and 1906. The Government is entrusted, in common, to two Chambers of Repre- sentatives, the Senate and the Blirgerschaft, or House of Burgesses. The Senate, which exercises chiefly, but not entirely, the executive power, is com- posed of eighteen members, one half of whom nuist have studied law or finance, while seven out of the remainder must be merchants. The members of the Senate are elected for life by the House of Burgesses ; but a senator may retire at the end of six years. A first and second burgomaster, chosen annually by ballot, preside over the Senate. No burgomaster can be in office longer than two years ; and no member of the Senate may hold any other public office. The House of Burgesses consists of 160 members, 80 of whom are elected by ballot by all tax-paying citizens. Of the remainder, 40 are chosen, by ballot, by the owners of house-property, while the other 40 are chosen, by ballot, by burgesses who are or have been members of the Senate or of the House of Burgesses or members ol various guilds, corporations, and courts of justice. All the members of the House of Burgesses are chosen for six years, in such a manner that every three years new elections take place for