112 AUSTRIA Dec. 21, 1867, regulating the representation of the people, defining the general rights of citi- zens, the judicial, administrative, and execu- tive power, and appointing an imperial court (Rewhsgerieht). The Austro-Hungarian mon- archy is an empire hereditary in the Hapsburg- Lorraine dynasty. After the entire extinction of the male line, the crown may be inherited hy female descendants. The emperor attains his majority when 18 years old, and must be- long to the Roman Catholic church. On en- tering upon the government, he must take an oath to support the constitution. He is ad- dressed as imperial and royal apostolical ma- jesty, and has three different titles, the short- est of which is emperor of Austria, king of Bohemia, &c., and apostolical king of Hun- gary. The emperor shares the legislative power with the representative assemblies of Cisleithania and of Hungary, and with the provincial diets. Without the consent of these bodies no law can be made, altered, or abol- ished. With regard to the affairs common to the whole empire, the Austrian Reichsrath and the Hungarian diet exercise their legisla- tive rights through two delegations, consisting each of 60 members, one third chosen from the upper and two thirds from the lower house. The delegations serve only one year, and meet alternately at Vienna and at Pesth. The mem- bers of the imperial ministry for the common affairs of the empire, namely, the ministers of foreign affairs, of war, and of the imperial finances, are responsible to the delegations. The Reichsrath of the Cisleithan provinces consists of a house of lords (fferrenhaus) and a house of deputies (Abgeordneten-Haus). The upper house embraces all imperial princes who are of age, the chiefs of a number of noble families who have been declared hereditary members of the house, all the archbishops and prince-bishops, and an unlimited number of distinguished men whom the emperor may ap- point as life members. The house of deputies in 1872 consisted of 203 members, chosen by the provincial diets from their own members for a term of six years. Their term ceases sooner, however, if they cease to be members of the provincial diet. If a provincial diet does not send delegates to the Reichsrath, the emperor has the right to order direct elec- tions. The provincial diets exercise a legisla- tive right with regard to subjects which have not expressly been reserved for the Reichsrath. These diets consist of the archbishops and bishops of the province, of the rector of the university, and of delegates chosen by the hold- ers of large estates, by towns and other places, by the chambers of commerce and industry, and by the rural communities. Both the Reichsrath and the provincial diets are con- voked annually. The ministers of Cisleithania are responsible to the Reichsrath, which may impeach them. The decision in such a case is given by a special state court organized by the Reichsrath. Every citizen 30 years of age is eligible to the provincial diet, but the right of voting is made contingent on the payment of a tax, the amount of which is fixed by law. The particular ministry of Cisleithania con- sists of seven sections, namely: interior, wor- ship and education, commerce, agriculture, the defence of the country, justice, and finances. The provinces or crown lands are governed by governors (Statthalter), or provincial presidents (Landetpr&iidenten). Municipal officers are elected in accordance with the imperial law of March 5, 1862, by citizens possessing a cer- tain amount of property and paying a certain amount of taxes. The administration of jus- tice was reorganized in 1851, and again by the fundamental laws of 1867. All privileged ju- risdiction has been entirely abolished. There are three degrees of jurisdiction. The district courts and district collegiate courts (894 in 1869) have original jurisdiction in civil suits up to a certain value, and in petty criminal cases, and the county courts (Landesgerichte), of which there were 62 in 1869, have original jurisdiction in all other civil cases and in all criminal cases ; they have also appellate juris- diction in cases tried by the district courts. Offences of the press are, according to the law of March 9, 1869, tried by juries. The provin- cial courts (Oberlandesfferichte), of which there are 9 in Cisleithania, are the courts of last re- sort for cases tried by the district courts, and of second resort for civil cases tried by the county courts. The highest tribunal of the monarchy is the court of appeals (Olerster GerichU- vnd Caasationshof), at Vienna. The civil law is ad- ministered according to the code of 1811. The criminal code of 1804 was amended in 1852. The number of persons sentenced for crime in Cisleithan Austria in 1869 was 25,665, or 1 for every 787 of the population. The finances have at all times been the sore point of the Austrian administration. Having been utterly prostrated by the Napoleonic wars, their con- dition was slowly improving when the revolu- tions of 1848, and the consequent wars in Italy and Hungary, again brought Austria near the verge of bankruptcy. The government paper currency fell some 20 per cent, below par. The prospect had begun to brighten when the east- ern war and the position of armed neutrality maintained by Austria once more destroyed every hope of bringing the income and the ex- penditure to balance each other. The income has been steadily increasing, but so has the expenditure. By keeping a separate account YEARS. Income. Expenditure. Deficiency. Florini. Florins. Fiorina. 1848. 121,819,815 186,679,486 64,857.871 1849. 144,018,753 289,468,0*3 145,454,290 1860. 191,296,467 268,458,060 77.161,608 1861. 228,252,038 278,420,470 55.168,482 1858. 287,186,998 298,960,628 56,828.685 1854. 245,888,724 294529,681 49.195,957 1856. 268.508,796 821.877.664 52.868.868 1882. 898,657.965 610,859,852 111,701,887 1S6. 495,004,288 535,148,884 40,139,146
