GOVERNMENT. The constitution of Baden dates from August 22, ISIS. The sovereignty is vested in the eldest of the male line, which failing, the female inherits. The sovereign is bound by the constitution. Parliament is summoned every two years and is divided into two chambers. The Upper Chamber is composed of the princes (of full age) of the grand-ducal house. the heads of the seigniorial families. 8 members elected for eight years by the landed nobility, the Arch bishop of Freiburg and the Protestant prelate, 2 representatives of the State universities, and S members appointed by the Grand Duke regard less of rank or birth. The Lower Chamber is composed of 63 representatives returned by 56 election districts (Karlsruhe and Mannheim sending 3 each, and Freiburg, Heidelberg, and Pforzheim, 2 each). The members of the Lower House are elected indirectly for a period of 4 years, half of the members retiring every 2 years. Every male citizen 25 years old or over has the right to vote, and every male citizen after reaching the age of 30, is eligible to office.
Baden is represented by 3 members in the Bun desrat and 14 deputies in the Reichstag of the Empire. For purposes of administration it is divided into 11 circles. The Council of State is divided into the four ministries of the interior (including commerce, industry, and agricul ture) ; foreign affairs (including railways, posts, and telegraphs) ; justice, worship and instruc tion, and finance. The capital is Karlsruhe, with a population in 1900 of 97,000.
The revenue is derived mainly from direct and indirect taxes, domains, railways, and customs. The budget of Batten is characterized by extreme fluctuations. Thus in 1900-01 the revenue and expenditures are given as 149,600,000 marks ($35.604,000) and 158,500,000 marks ($37,723, 000) respectively. The railway debt of Baden (the only indebtedness of the grand duchy) amounted at the beginning of 1900 to 333,367,804 marks ($79,341,537).