Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1049

 CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT 927

or instructions. They cannot be called to account, either for their votes or for opinions uttered by them in the Chambers. No member of the Chambers can, without its assent, be submitted to examination or arrest for any proceeding entailing penalties, unless seized in the act, or within twenty-four hours of the same. All criminal proceedings against members of the Chambers, and all examination and civil arrest, must be suspended during the session, should the Chamber whom it may concern so demand. Members of the Abgeordnetenhaus receive and must accept travelling expenses and diet money from the State, according to a scale fixed by law, amounting to 15 marks, or 15 shillings, per day.

Lower House composed as follows : — Conservatives, 151 ; Free Conser- vatives, 62 ; National Liberals, 65 ; Progressives, 37 ; Centre, 103 ; Poles, 15 ; Socialists, 6 ; Independents, 4,

The executive government is carried on by a Staatsministeriuni, or Ministry of State, the members of which are appointed by the king, and hold office at his pleasure. The Staatsministerium is divided into nine departments, as follows : —

1. President of the Council of Ministers^ Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Imperial Chancellor. — Dr. von Bethman Hollweg.

2. Minister of State and Minister of Finance. — Dr. Lentzc ; appointed August, 1910.

3. Minister of State and Minister of Public Works. — Breitenhach, born 1856 ; appointed June, 1906.

4. Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs and Instruction. — Dr. von Trott zio Solz; appointed July, 1909.

5. Minister of Agriculture, Domains, and Forests. — Dr. Frhr. von Schorlemer ; appointed 1910.

6. Minister of Justice. — Dr. Beseler, appointed November, 1905.

7. Minister for Interior. — Von Dallwitz, appointed July, 1910.

8. Minister of Commerce and Industry. — Sydoio ; appointed Oct., 1909.

9. Minister of State and Minister of War. — General von Ileeringen', appointed 1909.

Imperial Secretary of State for the Interior. — Dr. Delhi iick', appointed Minister (without portfolio), July, 1910. Imperial State Secretary of the Foreign Office. — Von Kiderlen-Wachter, September, 1910. Imperial State Secretary of the Naval Office. — Von Tirpitz, born 1849 ; Minister since March 29, 1898.

The salary of the President of the Council is 54,000 marks, and that of each of the other ministers 36,000 marks, and, since 1905, 14,000 marks " representation-money."

For local government Prussia is divided into Provinces, Government dis- tricts {Regierungshezirke), urban circles (Stadtkreise), and rural circles {Landkreise). Urban circles consist of towns of over 25,000 inhabitants ; rural circles consist of the smaller towns, rural communes (Landgemeindcn), and manors {Gutshezirke). For provinces and rural circles the local authori- ties of the constituent areas elect deliberative assemblies which appoint executive committees. Each province has a governor {Oherprdsident) ; each government district has a president, and deals chiefly with local affairs of State concern. In towns the deliberative authority is the town council {Stadt- verordnetenversammlung), elected on the 3-class system of property suffrage. The executive is a magistracy with the burgher-master as president. Each rural circle has a Landrai. Local administrative business varies accordin;;' to