German Austria.
The first constitution of German Austria, or 'Cisleithania,' was granted under date of March 4, 1849, but this was repealed by an Imperial decree of Dec. 31, 1851, which substituted a more absolute form of government; and, during the following years, new edicts altered the public charter. Finally, by an Imperial diploma, dated Oct. 20, 1860, followed by a decree, or 'Patent,' of February 26, 1861, the present Constitution, temporarily suspended from 1865 till 1867, was established. Its main features are a double Legislature, consisting, first, of the Provincial Diets, representing the various states of the monarchy, and secondly, a Central Diet, called the Reichsrath or Council of the Empire. There are fourteen Provincial Diets — namely, for Bohemia, Dalmatia, Galicia, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Bukowina, Moravia, Silesia, Tyrol and Vorarlberg, and the coastland, or Istria and Trieste. The Diets of all these provinces are formed in nearly the same manner, only differing in the number of deputies. Each consists of only one assembly, composed, 1st, of the archbishop and bishops of the Roman Catholic and Oriental Greek churches and the chancellors of universities; 2nd, of the representatives of great estates, elected by all landowners paying not less than 100 florins, or 10l., taxes; 3rd, of the representatives of towns, elected by those citizens who possess municipal rights; 4th, of the representatives of boards of commerce and trade-guilds, chosen by the respective members; and 5th, of the representatives of rural communes, elected by such inhabitants as pay a small amount of direct taxation. The Provincial Diets are competent to make laws concerning local administration, particularly those affecting county taxation, the cultivation of the soil, educational, church, and charitable institutions, and public works executed at the public expense.
The Reichsrath, or Parliament of the western part of the Empire, consists of an Upper and a Lower House. The Upper House (Herren-haus) is formed, 1st, of the princes of the Imperial family who are of age, twelve in number in 1870; 2nd, of a number of nobles — fifty-three in the present Reichsrath — possessing large landed property, in whose families the dignity is hereditary; 3rd, of the archbishops, nine in number, and bishops, seven in number, who are of princely title, inherent to their episcopal seat; and 4th, of any other life-members nominated by the emperor, on account of being distinguished in art or science, or who have rendered signal services to Church or State — ninety-four in the present Reichsrath. The Lower House (Abgeordnetenhaus) is composed of 203 members, elected by the fourteen Provincial Diets of
