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April 30, 1884; offspring, Alice, born February 25, 1885; married to Prince Andrew of Greece, October 6, 1903; Louise, born July 13, 1889; George, born Nov. 6, 1892; Ludwig, born June 25, 1900. 3. Franz Josef, born September 24, 1861; married to Princess Anna of Montenegro, May 19, 1897.

The former Landgraves of Hesse had the title of Grand-duke given them by Napoleon I., in 1806, together with a considerable increase of territory. At the Congress of Vienna this grant was confirmed, after some negotiations. The reigning family are not possessed of much private property, but dependent almost entirely upon the grant of the civil list, amounting to 1,265,000 marks.

Constitution.

The Constitution bears date December 17, 1820; but was modified in 1856, 1862, 1872, and 1900. The legislative power is vested in two Chambers, the first composed of the princes of the reigning family, the heads of a number of noble houses, the Roman Catholic bishop, the chief Protestant superintendent, the Chancellor of the University, two members elected by the noble landowners, and a number (twelve) of life-members, nominated by the Grand-duke; while the second consists of ten deputies of the eight larger towns, and forty representatives of the smaller towns and rural districts. Electors (Urwähler) are Hessians above twenty-five years of age who pay direct taxes. Elections are indirect the electors nominate the deputy-electors (Wahlmänner), and the latter choose the representatives. The members of the Second Chamber are elected for six years, one-half of the number retiring every three years. The Chambers must be called together every year. Members of both Chambers whose seats are not hereditary, and who do not reside at the seat of the Legislature, receive an allowance of 9s. a day and travelling expenses.

The executive is represented by a ministry of State, divided into three departments, namely, of the Interior; of Justice; and of Finance. The minister of state is also minister of the Grand-ducal House and Foreign Affairs, and head of the department of the Interior.

For administrative purposes, the Grand-duchy is divided into three provinces, eighteen circles (Kreise), and 993 communes (Gemeinden).

Area and Population.

The area and population were as follows on December 1, 1890, 1895, and 1900:

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There were 558,240 males and 561,653 females in 1900-i.e. 100 6 females per 100 males. Increase from 1895 to 1900 was at the rate of 1.56 per cent. per annum. There were 9,720 marriages in Hesse in 1903, 38,441 births and 22,190 deaths, leaving a surplus of 16,257 births. Among the

births 1,270, or 3.30 per cent. were stillborn, and 2,619, or 6.87 per cent., illegitimate children. Emigrants: 558 in 1896, 468 in 1897, 316 in 1898, 333 in 1899, 216 in 1900, 287 in 1901, 386 in 1902, and 434 in 1903. Of the total number in 1903, 412 went to the United States.

Of the population in 1900, 46.3 per cent. lived in communes with 2,000 inhabitants and upwards; 53.7 per cent. in smaller communes.

The largest towns of the Grand-duchy are Mayence or Mainz, with 84,251; Darmstadt, the capital, 72,381 (including Bessungen); Offenbach, 50,468 ; Worms, 40,705 (including Hochheim, Neuhausen und Pflffligheim), Giessen, 25,491 inhabitants, at the census of December 1, 1900.

Religion and Instruction.

Somewhat more than two-thirds of the population are Protestant; nearly three-tenths Catholic. At the census of 1900 there were 746,201 Protestants, 341,480 Catholics, 7,458 of other Christian sects, 24,486 Jews, and 268 unclassified, or of no religion. The Grand-duke is Protestant and head of the Evangelical or Protestant Church, which is governed by a synod (with 56 members), and whose affairs are administered by a consistory (Oberconsistorium). The Roman Catholic Church has a Bishop (at Mainz). The Protestant Church has 421 parishes, the Roman Catholic Church 170; the former are divided among 23 deaneries, the latter among 19. The contributions of the State to the Protestant Church amounted in 1904 to 310,000 marks; to the Roman Catholic Church, 171,372 marks. The Jews have 8 rabbinates. Instruction is compulsory in Hesse. The elementary schools are maintained by the communes, but with contributions by the State. There are 995 public elementary schools with (1904) 2,760 masters, 340 mistresses, and 182,077 pupils. The boys who leave the elementary schools proceed to the continuation schools (Fortbildungsschulen) In 1903-1904 the number of these schools was 902; of the pupils, 23,083. Hesse has 11 gymnasia, 2 progymnasia, 3 realgymnasia, 5 oberrealschulen, 12 realschulen, and 31 incomplete Realschulen (höhere Bürgerschulen), with (1904) 613 teachers, and a total attendance of 10,980; 5 higher girls' schools with (1903-1904) 49 masters, 45 mistresses, and 2,827 pupils; and 42 private schools with (1903) 4,000 pupils. In addition, there are a University at Giessen with 1,093 matriculated students and 49 listeners, and a Technical High School (Technische Hochschule) at Darmstadt, with 1,477 students and 308 "hospitants," in 1904. Besides, there are many industrial, technical, agricultural and other special institutes.

In 1902 there were 8,550 persons convicted of criminal offences in the Grand-Duchy.

Finance.

The ordinary revenue and expenditure were estimated for the year 1903 to balance at 75,641,100 marks; for 1904, at 81,581,600 marks.

The direct taxes paid to the State are income-tax and property-tax (only to be considered as a supplementary tax); the direct taxes paid to the communes are an income-tax, land-tax, trade-tax, and rent-tax; the indirect taxes are chiefly a stamp-tax, dog-tax, duties on successions, &c.

The public debt amounted to 346,779,542 marks in 1904, of which nearly the whole is railway debt.

Production and Industry.

Of the area, 641 per cent. is under cultivation; 31.2 per cent. forests; 4.7 per cent. uncultivated (houses, roads, water, &c.). Arable land occupies 381,143 hectares; meadows and pastures, 100,528; vineyards, 14,933; and forests, 240,727 hectares; of the latter. 69,390 belong to the State, 89,950 to the communes, 1,713 to other bodies, and 79,674 to private persons.

The number of agricultural enclosures, each under one household, was (1895) 133,840, with a population of 366,619, of whom 165,880 were actively engaged on the farms. Of these farms 59,043 were less than 1 hectare each; 65,419 ranged from 1 to less than 10 hectares, and 9,255 from 10 to less than 100 hectares, while there were 123 having a surface of 100 hectares and upwards. Their total area was 570,616 hectares. The areas and yield of the chief crops in 1903 were as follows (1 hectare 2:47 acres: 1 metric

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In 1903, 32,362 hectares were under beetroot and turnips; 13,403 hectares were under vines, yielding 518,483 hectolitres of wine.

The number of domestic animals in Hesse on December 1, 1900, was :-Horses, 59,342; cattle, 330,666; sheep, 81,596; swine, 313,382; goats, 125,958.

Minerals to the value of 2,039,370 marks, and salt of 573,439 marks were raised in 1902. The principal manufactures are leather, cloth, paper, chemicals, furniture, wagons, railway cars and carriages, machinery, musical instruments, tobacco and cigars, sparkling-wine.

Hesse has 878 miles of railway.

British Chargé d'Affaires.—A. J. Herbert.

Consul-General.-Francis Oppenheimer (Frankfort-on-Main).

References concerning Hesse.

Hof-und-Staats-Handbuch des Grossh. Hessen. 1904. Darmstadt. Beiträge zur Sta tistik des Grossh. Hessen. 52 Bde. Darmstadt, 1862-1901. Mitteilungen der Grossh. Hess. Zentralstelle für die Landesstatistik. 33 Bde. Darmstadt, 1862-1903. Statistisches Handbuch für das Grossh. Hessen. Darmstadt, 1903.

Hessler (C.), Geschichte von Hessen. 8. Cassel, 1891.

Küchler (F.), Bearbeitet von Braun (A. E.) und Weber (A. K.). Verwaltungsrecht des Grossh. Hessen. 5 Bde. Darmstadt, 1894-96. Kuenzel (H.), Grossherzogtum Hessen. 2nd ed. 8. Giessen, 1893.

Verfassungs-und

Zeller (Dr. W.), Handbuch der Verfassung und Verwaltung im Grossh. Hessen. 3 Bde. Darmstadt, 1885-93.

LIPPE.

(FURSTENTHUM LIPPE.)

The Prince, Karl Alexander, died January 13, 1905, while the rightful successor to the sovereignty was not settled. The actual Regent is Count Leopold, born May 30, 1871, son of Count Ernst of LippeBiesterfeld, and Carola, Countess of Wartensleben; married August 16, 1901, to Princess Bertha of Hessen Philippsthal-Barchfeld; offspring: Ernst, born June 12, 1902, Leopold Bernhard, May 19, 1904. Count Leopold assumed the Regency in succession to his father, September 27, 1904, but the right of succession is claimed by Prince Adolphus of Schaumburg-Lippe, and the dispute is now before a judicial court at Leipzig for decision.

The house of Lippe is the eldest branch of the ancient family of Lippe, from which proceeded in the seventeenth century the still flourishing collateral lineages of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Lippe-Weissenfeld, Schaumburg-Lippe, &c. For the expenses of the court, &c., are allotted the revenues arising from the Domanium (farms, forests, &c.), which, according to the covenant of June 24, 1868, are indivisible and inalienable entail estate of the Prince's house, the usufruct and administration of which belong to the reigning Prince. By the law of March 24, 1898, the Regent draws all the revenues from the domanium, and therefrom makes annual payments to the Landkasse and for the maintenance of the Prince.

A charter of rights was granted to Lippe by decree of July 6, 1836, partly replaced by the electoral law of June 3, 1876, according to which the Diet is composed of twenty-one members, who are elected in three divisions determined by the scale of the rates. The discussions are public. To the Chamber belongs the right of taking part in legislation and the levying of taxes; otherwise its functions are consultative. A minister presides over the government.

The capital, Detmold, has 11,968 inhabitants (1900). Except 5,157 Catholics and 879 Jews (1900), the people are Protestants. Marriages, 1903, 1252; births, 4910; deaths, 2462; surplus, 2448; of the births 176 were stillborn, and 234 illegitimate.

For 1904-1905 the revenue was estimated at 2,933,114 marks, and expenditure at 2,945, 407 marks. Public debt in 1904, 1,285,000 marks. British Consul-General.—Sir William Ward, C. V.O. (Hamburg). Reference.-Amtsblatt für das Fürstenthum Lippe-Detmold.

LÜBECK.

(FREIE UND HANSE-STADT LUBECK.)

The free city and State of Lübeck form a Republic, governed according to a Constitution proclaimed December 30, 1848, revised December 29, 1851, April 7, 1875 and December 15, 1902. The main features of this charter are two representative bodies-first, the Senate, exercising the executive, and, secondly, the Bürgerschaft, or House of Burgesses, exercising, together with the Senate, the legislative authority. The Senate is composed of fourteen members, elected for life, and presided over by one burgomaster, who holds office for two years. There are 120 members in the House of Burgesses, chosen by all citizens of the town. A committee of thirty burgesses, presided over by a chairman elected for one year, has the duty of representing the legislative assembly in the intervals of the ordinary sessions, and of carrying on all active business. The government is in the hands of the

Senate, but the House of Burgesses has the right of initiative in all measures relative to the public expenditure, foreign treaties, and general legislation. To the passing of every new law the sanction of the Senate and the House of Burgesses is required.

The State comprises a territory of 128 English square miles, of which the population on December 1, 1900, was 96,775 (47,784 males and 48,991 females). The city proper in 1900 had 82,098 inhabitants. Marriages in 1903, 759; births, 3,131; deaths, 1,699; excess of births, 1,432.

In 1903 there were 269 illegitimate births, or 8.6 per cent. of the total births, and 105 still-births, or 3.4 per cent.

On December 1, 1900, Protestants numbered 93,671 (96.9 per cent.), Roman Catholics 2,176 (2.2 per cent.), other Christians 227, Jews 670, and ' unclassified' 31 (0.9 per cent.). Education is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 14. In the city and suburbs there are (1904) 24 elementary schools (12 for each sex), with 9,633 pupils; for boys 1 gymnasium (562 pupils), 1 real gymnasium (807 pupils), 1 private higher school (416 pupils), and 4 public middle schools (1,942 pupils); for girls there are 1 public high school (527 pupils), 2 private high schools and 1 private middle school (640 pupils). There are also a public technical school for apprentices, one architectural school, one naval school, and 2 private commercial schools. Four daily newspapers, one weekly and one bi-weekly periodical, are published in the city. Lübeck contains an Amtsgericht and a Landgericht, whence the appeal lies to the 'Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht' at Hamburg. The police force number 112 men, and in 1904-05 cost 465,302 marks. In 1897, 831; 1898, 898; 1899, 875; 1900, 886; 1901, 725; 1902, 794 criminals were convicted. In 1902-03, 1,652 persons received poor-relief from the City Armen-Anstalt,' which spent, in 1902-03, 134, 964 marks out of a revenue of 105,910 marks.

The estimated revenue for the year 1904-05 amounted to 10,201,016 marks, and the expenditure to 10,201,016 marks. About one-fourth of the revenue is derived from public domains, chiefly forests and industrial establishments; and over one-third from direct taxation. Of the expenditure, one-sixth is for the interest and reduction of the public debt, the latter amounting, in 1903, 1 April, to 37,064,585 marks.

British Vice-Consul.-H. L. Behncke.

References.

There are published annually by the Handelskammer, Tabellarische Ubersichten des Lübeckischen Handels.

MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN.

(GROSSHERZOGTHUM MECKLENBURG-SCHWERIN.)

The reigning Grand-duke is Friedrich Franz IV., born April 9, 1882; son of Friedrich Franz III. and Anastasia Michailowna, daughter of the Grand-duke Michael Nikolajewitsch of Russia, married June 7, 1904, to Alexandra, daughter of Ernst August of Brunswick-Lueneburg, Duke of Cumberland; succeeded to the throne on the death of his father, April 10, 1897. Sisters of the Grand-duke are: 1. Alexandrine, born December 24, 1879; married April 26, 1898, to Prince Christian, eldest son of Frederik, Crown-prince of Denmark. 2. Cecile, born September 20, 1886.

Uncles and Aunts of the Grand-duke.-İ. Paul Friedrich, born September 19, 1852; married May 5, 1881, to the Princess Marie of Windisch

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