The Constitution of the Empire bears date April 16, 1871. By its terms, all the States of Germany 'form an eternal union for the protection of the realm and the care of the welfare of the German people.' The supreme direction of the military and political affairs of the Empire is vested in the King of Prussia, who, in this capacity, bears the title of Deutscher Kaiser. According

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to Art. II. of the Constitution, the Emperor represents the Empire internationally,' and can declare war, if defensive, and make peace, as well as enter into treaties with other nations, and appoint and receive ambassadors. To declare war, if not merely defensive, the Kaiser must have the consent of the Bundesrath, or Federal Council, in which body, together with the Reichstag, or Diet of the Realm, are vested the legislative functions of the Empire. The Bundesrath represents the individual States of Germany, and the Reichstag the German nation. The members of the Bundesrath, fifty-eight in number, are appointed by the Governments of the individual States for each session, while the members of the Reichstag, 397 in number (about one for every 118,000 inhabitants), are elected by universal suffrage and ballot, for the term of three years. By the law of March 19, 1888, the duration of the legislative period is five years; the law to come into force in the legislative period beginning in 1890. The various States of Germany are represented as follows in the Bundesrath and the Reichstag:

Alsace-Lorraine is represented in the Bundesrath by four commissioners (Kommissäre) without votes, who are nominated by the Statthalter.

The total number of electors to the Reichstag inscribed on the lists was 9,769,802, or 20.9 per cent. of the population, at the general election of 1887, while the number of actual effective voters was 7,540,938 at the same election, or 77.5 per cent. of the total electors; in 1890 it was 7,031,460. Of the 397 electoral districts, 21 consist solely of towns, 107 of districts, each containing a town of at least 20.000 inhabitants, and 269 of districts without any large towns. In 252 districts Protestantism is predominant, and in the remainder Roman Catholicism claims the majority. Of electoral districts with 60,000 of a population and under, there were 5 in 1887; between 60,000 and 80,000, 26; between 80,000 and 100,000, 74; between 100,000 and 120,000, 130; between 120,000 and 140,000, 105; between 140,000 and 160,000, 21; and above 160,000, 36. Of electoral districts with 12,000 voters or less, there were 4 in 1887; 12,000–16,000, 26; 16,000-20,000, 60; 20,000– 24,000, 121; 24,000-28,000, 103; 28,000-32,000, 41; above 32,000 voters, 42. Both the Bundesrath and the Reichstag meet in annual session, con. voked by the Emperor. The Emperor has the right to prorogue and dissolve, after a vote by the Bundesrath, the Reichstag. Without consent of the Reichstag the prorogation may not exceed thirty days; while in case of dissolution new elections must take place within sixty days, and a new session must open within ninety days. All laws for the Empire must receive the votes of an absolute majority of the Bundesrath and the Reichstag. The Bundesrath is presided over by the Reichskanzler, or Chancellor of the Empire, and the President of the Reichstag is elected by the deputies.

The laws of the Empire, passed by the Bundesrath and the Reichstag, to take effect must receive the assent of the Emperor, and be countersigned when promulgated by the Chancellor of the Empire. All the members of the Bundesrath have the right to be present at the deliberations of the Reichstag

The following are the imperial authorities or Secretaries of State; they do not form a Ministry or Cabinet, but act independently of each other, under the general supervision of the Chancellor.

1. Chancellor of the Empire.-General George von Caprivi.--General George von Caprivi de Caprera de Montecucculi, born 1831; entered the army 1849; Chief of Staff to the 10th Corps, 1870; Commander of 30th Division at Metz, 1883; appointed head of the Admiralty, 1884; appointed Chancellor of the Empire, and President of the Prussian Council of Ministers, March 20, 1890.

2. Ministry for Foreign Affairs.—Count Herbert von Bismarck.

3. Imperial Home Office and Representative of the Chancellor.'-Herr von Boetticher.

4. Imperial Admiralty.-Herr Heusner.

Chief.-Herr Freiherr von der Goltz.

Admiral Commanding-in

5. Imperial Ministry of Justice.-Herr von Oehlschläger. 6. Imperial Treasury.-Freiherr von Maltzahn.

And, in addition, the following presidents of imperial bureaus :

7. Imperial Post-Office.-Herr Dr. von Stephan.

8. Imperial Railways.--Herr von Maybach.

9. Imperial Exchequer.-Herr von Stünzner. 10. Imperial Invalid Fund.-Dr. Michaelis.

11. Imperial Bank.-President, Herr von Dechend.

12. Imperial Debt Commission.-President, Herr Meinecke.

Acting under the direction of the Chancellor of the Empire, the Bundesrath represents also a supreme administrative and consultative board, and as such has twelve standing committees-namely, for army and fortifications; for naval matters; tariff, excise, and taxes; trade and commerce; railways, posts, and telegraphs; civil and criminal law; financial accounts; foreign affairs; for Alsace-Lorraine; for the Constitution; for the Standing Orders; and for railway tariffs. Each committee consists of representatives of at least four States of the Empire; but the foreign affairs committee includes only the representatives of Bavaria, Saxony, Württemberg, and two other representatives to be elected every year

Area and Population.

I. PROGRESS AND PRESENT CONDITION.

The following table gives the area and population of the twenty-five States of Germany in the order of their magnitude, and of the Reichsland of Alsace-Lorraine, as returned at the two last census-periods :

The population of the lands now included in the German Empire was 24,831,396 in 1816, and 31,589,547 in 1837, showing an average annual increase of nearly 1.3 per cent. The following table shows the actual increase in population at various periods, with the annual rate of increase per cent. The small increase in 1867-71 is explained by the intervention of the war with France.

The increase of population during 1880-85 was greatest in Hamburg, Reuss-Schleiz, Reuss-Greiz, Saxony, Brunswick, Anhalt, Lübeck, and Bremen. In the two Mecklenburgs and in AlsaceLorraine there was a decrease.

The number of inhabited houses in 1885 was 5,630,304, and of households 9,999,558. Of the total population (in 1885) 437 per cent. lived in towns of 2,000 inhabitants and above; in 1880, 41 per cent. Of every 100 inhabitants there lived in—

Of the total population in 1885, 22,933,664 were males and 23,922,040 were females. Boys under 10 years of age numbered 5,798,288; girls, 5,778,674; men over 80 years of age numbered 88,516; women, 113,939. With respect to conjugal condition, the following was the distribution:

According to the occupation-census of June 5, 1882, the population of Germany was divided as in the table below. Of the total, 18,986,494 were actually engaged in the various occupations.