Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1059

 SAXE-COBURG AND GOTHA 987

SAXE-COBURG AND GOTHA.

(HeRZOGTHUM S ACnSEN-COBUEG-GOTHA. )

The reigning Duke is Charles Edward (H.R.H. Duke of Albany), born July 19, 1884, son of the late Leopold Duke of Albany, and Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont, succeeded his uncle, Alfred, July 30, 1900 ; married October 11, 1905, to Princess Victoria Adelheid, daughter of Duke Friedrich Ferdinand of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Gllicksburg ; offspring Prince Johann Leopold, born August 2, 1906 ; Princess Sibylla Kalma Marie, born January 18, 1908 ; Prince Dietmar Hubert, born August 24, 1909.

Sister of the Duke is Princess Alice, born February 25, 1883 ; married February 10, 1904, to Prince Alexander of Teck.

The immediate ancestor of the reigning family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was Duke John Ernst, seventh son of Duke Ernst the Pious, who succeeded his brother Albrecht, Ernst's second son, in 1(309, in the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg, to which he added Saalfeld. John Ernst's two sons ruled in common, under the title Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld ; but their single successor Ernst Frederick I. (1764-1800) introduced the principle of primogeniture. On the extinction of the line of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg in 1825, Ernst I. received, in 1826, Gotha in exchange for Saalfeld, which was assigned to Saxe-Meiningen, and assumed the title of Ernst I. of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The family is in possession of a large private fortune, accumulated chiefly by Duke Ernst I., to whom the Congress of Vienna made a present of the Principality of Lichtenberg. "This Principality he sold, September 22, 1834, to the King of Prussia, for a sum of two million thalers, and other advantages. According to an agreement of July 19, 1905, the income of the Gotha domains is divided between the Duke and the State. The Duke further receives one-half of the excess of revenue over expenditure from the Coburg domains.

The fundamental law of the two Duchies, proclaimed May 3, 1852, vests the legislative power in the Duke in conjunction 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, tlie others ten marks per diem and travelling expenses. New elections take place every four years. The two assemblies meet sepaiately, regularly in the first and lastyearsof their duration, otherwise when necessary ; the 'United Parliament meets alternately at the towns of Coburg and of Gotha.

The domain budget is voted for four years for Coburg. The annual domain revenue for Coburg 1909-1913 is estimated at 27,035Z. , and ex- penditure 15,965Z. The special State revenue and expenditure for the years ending March 31, 1911-13, for Coburg are 65,072Z., and 66,252^. respectively, and for Gotha 216,045Z. ; while the common State-revenue and expenditure (1911-13) of Coburg and Gotha, are 121,734Z. Public debt, 1912, 89,500Z. for Coburg, andl22,546Z. for Gotha, both being largely covered by real property and stocks. In 1910 there were 250,454 Protestant, 4,951 Catholic, and 319 other Christians ; 783 Jews, and 670 persons of other religion. The chief towns, Gotha and Coburg, have respectively 39,553 and 23,789 inhabitants (1910).

British Minister-Resident. — A, C. Grant Duff. Vice- Consul. — R, M, Turner,