2. Navzi.—The formation of a German navy, due to the initiative of Prussia, dates from 1848, and of late years rapid progress has been made. In Nov., 1875, the imperial fleet consisted of 62 steamers, 11 of which were iron-clads (5 turret-ships), 14 frigates and corvettes, 29 gunboats, and 7 avisos or despatch boats, with a total tonnage of 80,580 tons; and of 4 sailing-vessels, having a tonnage of 2,762. In there were 11 iron-clads, 18 corvettes, 22 gunboats, 11 torpedo boats, 23 transports, 6 avisos, 3 vessels serving as barracks, 5 pilot boats, etc. The fleet was manned in 1878 by 5,800 seamen and boys, and officered by one admiral, 1 vice-admiral, 3 rear-admirals, 61 captains, and 200 lieutenants. The total sea-faring pop. of Germany is estimated at 80,000, of whom 48,000 are serving in the merchant navy at home, and about 6,000 in foreign navies. The empire has 3 ports of war: Kiel (q./.) and Dautzig (q.v.) on the Baltic, and Wil helmshaven (q.v.) iv the Bay of Jande on the North sea..
regard to religion, it may, stated generally that Protestantism pre dominates in the n., and Roman Catholicism in the s., although very few states exhibit exclusively either form of faith.
The following is the proportion of the different denominations, according to the census of Dec., 1871: Protestants (Lutheran and Calvinist), 25,500,000; Roman Catholics, 15,000,000; various small Christian sects, as Herrenhuters, Mennonites, etc., 110,000; Jews, 440,000.
Political the states of the empire recognize four distinct orders— viz., the nobility, clergy, burghers,, and peasantry, and all distinguish three distinct grades of nobility. The highest of these includes the members of reigning houses, and -the descendants of families who belonged at the time of the old empire to the sovereign nobility of the state, and were reichsunmittelbar, or directly connected with the empire, as holding their domains directly under the emperor, but whose houses have subse quently been mediatized, or deprived of sovereign power in accordance with special treaties between the state and the princes. There are at present 50 princely and 51 gra' fliche (countly) mediatized families, who, in accordance with the act of the diet of 1806, have equality of rank with reigning houses, and enjoy many of the special privileges which were accorded to the high nobles of the empire. The second grade of nobility is composed of counts and barons not belonging to reigning or mediatized houses, whilst the third and lowest grade includes the knights and hereditary patri monial proprietors of Germany.
Before we proceed to consider the political organization of the new Germanic empire, we will briefly describe—lst, the principal features of the constitution of the old Germanic empire, which was overthrown by the first Napoleon in 1806; and 2d, that bond or federal government which lasted from 1814 to 1866, when Austria was excluded from the confederation, and the hegemony of Germany was transferred tc, Prussia.
The old Germanic states of this empire comprised three chambers or colleges: 1. The electoral college, which consisted of the archiepiscopal electors of Mainz, Treves, and Cologne; and the secular electors, of whom there Were originally only four, but whose number was subsequently increased to five, and, who at the dis solution of the empire, were represented by the sovereigns of Bohemia, Bavaria, Saxony, Brandenburg, and Brunswick-Ltineburg or Hanover (see ELECTORS). 2. The college of the princes of the empire, who had each a vote in the diet, and were divided into spiritual and temporal princes. 3. The free imperial cities which formed a college at the diet, divided into two benches, the Rhenish with 14 cities, and the Swabian with 37; each of which had a vote. These colleges, each of which voted separately, formed the diet of the empire. When their respective decisions agreed, the matter under discussion was submitted to the emperor, who could refuse his ratification of the decisions of the diet, although he had no power to modify them. Ordinary meetings were usually sum mooed twice a year by the emperor, who specified the place at which the sittings were to be held, and which, during the latter periods of the empire,' were at Regensburg (Ratisbon). The diet had the right to enact, abrogate, or modify laws, conclude peace and declare war, and impose taxes for the general expenses of the state. The Aube chamber, and the cameral or chief tribunal of the empire, decided in cases of dispute between members of the diet. The emperors were chosen by the electors in person or, by their deputies; and after their election and coronation, both of which usually took place at Frankfurt-on-the-Main, the emperor swore to the ' capitulation ' or constitu tion of the empire. After the dissolution of the empire, in 1806, its place was nomin ally taken by the confederation of the Rhine, which owed its existence to Napoleon, and which lasted till 1815.