PROVINCIAL DIETS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. The provincial diets of Cisleithania are in many cases the ancient assemblies, established in the different provinces before they were brought under one rule; the diets, therefore, are the rallying-grounds of national parties, and in a way. the internal political condition of Aus tria is affected as much by the attitude of the various provincial legislatures toward the general problems of government as by the relations of parties in the Reiehsrat. The diets are uni mineral, and comprise (1) the archbishops and bishops of the Catholic Church and the rectors of the universities within the crown-land. and (2) the representatives of landed proprietors and the Chambers of Commerce. and the members elected by the rural communities and the towns. The size of the diets varies from 242 members in Bohemia to 21 members in Vorarl berg. The president of the assembly is ap pointed by the Emperor, who through this offieer, as well as through the exercise of the right of prorogation and dissolution, exerts very considerable influence on the legislative bodies. The authority of the provincial assembly extends to questions of local government and local taxa tion. agriculture and public works, the control of the territorial domains, and the management of secondary schools and charitable institutions. The executive power is vested in a committee (Landes-Ausschuss). consisting of a president appointed by the Emperor. and a certain num ber of members elected by the Diet.
For administrative purposes, every province constitutes a department (Landesregierung) un der a governor Vtatthalter or Landes-Priisident) appointed by the Emperor. The Landesre gierung is subdivided into districts (Desirks hauptmannschaften)and communes (Gemeinden). The police, as well as the civil power. is vested in the governor. Ile presides over the boards of education and of health, and controls directly the magistrates of the towns and the heads (Bezirkhauptmanner) of the districts. There is no uniform municipal code in Austria, each provincial diet having the power to model the municipal government after its own fashion. But within each province there is perfect uni formity of administration except for some of the largest cities, such as Vienna, Prague, etc., which are governed by special charters. The common features of all the municipalities in Austria include a Gemeindeausschuss, or munici pal council, elected generally for a period of three years by the members of the commune, and a Gemcinderorstand. or executive board, elected by the council. This board consists of a small number of men under the presidency of the burgo master, and earries out the decisions of the council.
Justice is administered in the first place by 939 district courts, which try minor offenses and misdemeanors, and hold prisoners for the higher tribunals. For the trial of more serious charges, there are 72 provincial and circuit courts of original jurisdiction. Cases involv ing severe penalties, or concerned with political and press offenses, are brought before the jury courts. Appeals are taken to the higher pro vincial courts, 9 in number. The court of last resort is the Supreme Court of Justice and Cassation at Vienna. There are also numerous courts for the trial of special matters, such as commercial, revenue. and military eases. The Court of the Empire at Vienna decides ques tions of jurisdiction and eases involving conflict of laws. Before the High Court of Administra tion are brought all controversies between pri vate citizens and public officials.
The Kingdom of Hungary comprises Ilungary proper, with Transylvania and the crown-lands of Croatia-Slavonia. The constitution of the Kingdom is based on a series of statutes be ginning with the Golden Bull of 1222, the char ter of Hungarian liberties. The fundamental law of June S. 1867. confirmed the sweeping reforms which the Revolutionists of 1S-18 had effected in abolishing old feudal privileges, ex tending the suffrage, and reconstructing insti tutions on a modern basis. Subsequent legis
lation has modified the constitution only in matters of detail and procedure. The King is bound by the same constitutional limitations as in his Austrian dominions; but, by reason the greater homogeneity of the Lower House of the Hungarian Parliament, does not exercise so great an influence in its deliberations as over those .of the Austrian Reiehsrat. As in Austria, 'decrees must be countersigned by a responsible minister to acquire validity. The Hungarian Parliament is composed of an Upper House Table of Magnates—and a Lower House— the House of Representatives. The Table of Magnates in 1900 consisted of 17 members of the royal family, 42 archbishops, bishops, and other dignitaries of the Catholic and Greek churches, 12 representatives of the Protest ant churches, 225 hereditary peers. 76 life peers, 17 high officers of State, holding their seats ex officio, and 3 delegates from Croatia Slavonia. The House of Representatives, which is chosen by the entire male population over the age of twenty, the qualifications being the payment of a small direct tax or the pos session of a certain income, contains 453 mem bers (413 from Hungary and 40 from Croatia Slavonia), elected for a period of five years. In the Parliamentary scheme, the Table of Mag. plays an important part. The majority of its members are great landowners, possessing extensive influence in the country, and as such .often enter into opposition to the popular cham ber. In the Parliament as a whole, the Magyar dement is strongly predominant, and of the Magyars it is the gentry, or minor nobility, that make up the bulk of the House of Repre sentatives and are the controlling political power of the country. The establishment of the Magyar supremacy has been steadfastly pursued in all walks of public life, and the Magyar language is the only recognized language in the courts and schools of Hungary proper, the army, etc. Although the other raees combined out number the Magyars by 4,000,000 out of a total population of 19.000,000, the only race that has reeeived recognition from the Magyars is the Slavic race of Croatia-Slavonia. The Hungarian Parliament legislates for Hungary and for all affairs that are common fo Hungary and Croatia Slavonia. For purposes of local legislation i.e. for such matters as agriculture, education, police, and ninny features of civil and criminal law—Croatia-Slavonia has a diet of its own, consisting of 7 ecclesiastical dignitaries, 26 peers and officers of State, and 90 representatives of the rural communities and towns.
The executive power in the Kingdom of Hun gary is vested in a cabinet consisting of 9 minis ters and a minister-president. The 9 ministers are those of (1) Finance, (2) Interior, (3) Agri culture, (4) Industry and Commerce, (5) De fense, (6) Justice, (7) Education and Public Worship, (S) for Croatia-Slavonia, (9) :Minister ad lot us—i.e. near the person of the King. The ministers are responsible to Parlia ment. The chief executive in Croatia-Slavonia is the Ban, who stands under the control of the Hungarian ministers. Hungary proper (includ ing Transylvania) is divided into 63 counties, at the head of each of which is a governor (German Obergespan), and 25 independent municipalities, the latter comprising the free royal cities. The counties are subdivided into 106 incorporated towns, governed by magistrates, and 410 presi dencies and the presiden cies are further portioned out into greater and smaller communes. In these ultimate units the representative body is composed, half of deputies, elected by all males over the age of twenty, pay ing a small tax, and half of the highest tax payers in the communes. The executive power rests with a council appointed for varying terms in the rural and town communes. The presi dencies have no legislatures, but are mere admin istrative divisions.