Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1360

 1238 SERVIA.

(Kealyevina Srbiya.) Reigning Sovereign and Family.

Peter I ^o"i June 29 (O.S. ), 1844, son of Alexander Kara-Georgevitch ; married July 30 (O.S.), 1883, to Princess Zorka, daughter of Prince Nikolas of Montenegro; widower March 4 (O.S.), 1890; ascended the throne June 2 (O.S.), 1903. The children of the King are Princess Helene, born October 23 (O.S.), 1884; Prince George, born August 27 (O.S.), 1887 ; on March 27 (N.S.), 1909, Prince George renounced his right of succession to the throne to which Prince Alexander will succeed; Prince Alexander, now heir apparent, born December 4 (O.S.), 1888.

The Kin<^ has one brother, Prince Arsene, born April 4, 1859 ; married, April 15, 1892, to Aurora Demidoff (divorced in 1896); offspring: Prince Paul, born April 15, 1893. .

The founder of the dynasty was Kara-George {i.e. Black George) Petrovitch, who in 1804, was proclaimed Commander-in-Chief in Servia, but was murdered in 1817, leaving two sons— Alexis, born 1801, and Alexander, born 1806 In 1842 Alexander was chosen reigning Prince by the Skupsh- tina and the title was confirmed by the Porte, but the dignity was not . hereditary In 1858 Alexander had to abdicate and was banished, and in 1885 he died in exile. King Peter is thus the third of his house who have ruled in Servia. He succeeded to the throne on the murder of Kino- Alexander of the Obrenovitch dynasty ; was elected King by by the "Skupshtina June 2 (O.S.), and assumed royal rights and duties

June 12 (O.S.), 1903. . w -u ^ v. ,■ ^

The independence of Servia from Turkey was established by article 34 of the Treaty of Berlin, signed July 13, 1878, and was solemnly proclaimed by Prince (afterwards King) Milan at his capital, August 22, 1878. The King's civil list amounts to 1,200,000 dinars.

Constitution and Government.

The Constitution voted by the Great National Assembly, January 2, 1889 (December 22, 1888, old style), continued in force till May, 1894, when it was repealed, and the constitution of July, 1869, revived. On the 6/19 April, 1901 a new Constitution was granted by King Alexander, entailing the succession to the throne of Servia upon his direct descendants of either sex. On June 15, 1903, after the murder of King Alexander, the Constitution of 1901 was abolished, and that of 1889 was revived. The executive power is vested in the King, assisted by a council of eight Ministers, who are, indi- vidually and collectively, responsible to the King and the National Assembly. The lef^islative authority is exercised by the King, in conjunction with the National Assembly, or ' Narodna-Skupshtina. ' The State Council consists of members appointed partly by the King, and partly by the Assembly. It decides complaints of injury to private rights resulting from Royal and Ministerial decrees, questions of administrative competence and obligations, matters relative to departmental and communal surtaxes and loans, and the transfer of their real property, the expropriation of private property for public purposes the final settlement of debts due to the State, and which cannot be collected', the outpayment of extraordinary sums sanctioned by the Budget fmd exceptional admissions to the privilege of Servian citizenship. Ihis body is always sitting. The National Assembly is composed of 166 depu- ties elected by the people. Every male Servian (with the exception of offi- cers and soldiers under the colours) 21 years of age, paying 15 dinars in