Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/745

 CONSTITUTION AND GOVEKNMENT

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of the Academy of Sciences of Cracow (Krakaii)] ; (3) the representatives of o-reat estates, elected by all landowners payiug land taxes of not less than 100, 200, 400, or 500 crowns, according to the provinces in which their estates are situated ; (4) the representatives of towns, elected by those citizens who possess municipal rights or pay a certain amount of direct taxation ; (5) the representatives of boards of commerce and industry, chosen by the respective members ; (6) representatives of the rural communes, elected by all inhabi- tants, who pay a small amount of direct taxation. The election is in Tyrol, Silesia, Galicia, and Dalmatia indirectly (by deputies called Wahlmanner), in other lands directly. In Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Triest and district, Gorz and Gradiska, Istria, Vorarlberg, Moravia, and Bukowina, there is, besides, a general electoral class in which every qualified male subject of the State over 24 years of age, who has been domiciled for the required time has a vote. Where a general electoral class exists, persons authorised to vote in the other electoral classes are authorised to vote also in the general electoral classes : this is not the case with respect to votes for the Land tag, in Styria, Vorarlberg, and in the cities of Vienna and Triest. In Moravia, under the arrangement made by the Provincial Diet, November 27, 1905, the pioportional system was intro- duced for the electoral classes of the great landowners and the chambers of commerce and industry ; the other electoral classes (ti>wns, country parishes, and general electoral classes) are divided into constituencies according to nationality, German and Bohemian electoral districts being formed, so that German and Bohemian voters choose their representatives separately.

The strength of the seventeen separate Diets is shown in the following table : —

Lower Austria Upper Austria Salzburg

Steiermark (Styria) Carinthia Carniola

Trieste and distric Gorz and Gradiska Istria.

No. of Members 127 09 39 87 43 50 80 30 47

Tyrol.

Vorarlberg

Bohemia

Moravia

Silesia

Galicia

Bukowina

Dalmatia

No. of

Members

68

26

. 242

151

31, 161

63

43

The deputies to the Provincial Diets are elected for six years. The Diet> are summoned annually.

The Provincial Council (Landesausschuss) is an executive body composed of the president of the Diet (called Landmarschall in Lower Austria and Galicia ; Oberstlandmarschall in Bohemia ; Landtagspraesident in Dalmatia ; Landeshauptmann in the other lands, nominated by the Emperor) and other members elected.

III. Local Government.

Each commune has a council to deliberate and decide, and a committee to administer all its affairs. The members of the council are elected for three (in Galicia for six) years. All who have a vote are eligible if of age. In the towns with special statutes a corporation takes the place of the communal committee.

District representative bodies are, in Styria (Steiermark), Bohemia, and Galicia, interposed between the communal bodies and Provincial Diets. They ilclibcrate and decide on all affairs affecting the interests of the district