390 
German Act of Confederation. 
Art. 1.—The Sovereign Princes 
and free cities of Germany, in- 
cluding their Majesties the Em- 
pe of Austria and the Kings of 
russia, Denmark, and the Ne- 
therlands, namely, the Emperor 
of Austria and the King of Prus- 
sia, for those of their possessions 
which formerly belonged to the 
German Empire, the King of Den- 
mark for Holstein, the King of 
the Netherlands for the Grand 
Duchy of Luxemburg, unite 
themselves into a perpetual league, 
which shall be called the German 
Confederation. 
I].—The object thereof is the 
maintenance of the internal and 
external security of Germany, and 
of the independence and inviola- 
bility of the different German 
States. 
III.—The Members of the Con- 
federation have, as such, equal 
rights; they bind themselves, all 
equally to maintain the act of con- 
federation. 
IV.—The affairs of the confede- 
ration shall be managed by a ge- 
neral assembly, in which all the 
Members of the Confederation 
shall be represented by their ple- 
nipotentiaries, who shal] each 
have one vote either severally, or 
as representing more than one 
member, as follows :— 
Austria 1 vote, Prussia 1, Ba- 
varia 1, Saxony 1, Hanover 1, 
Wurtemburg 1, Baden 1, Elec- 
torate of Hesse, 1, Grand Duchy 
of Hesse 1, Denmark for Holstein 
1, the Netherlands for Luxem- 
burg 1, the Grand-Ducal and Du- 
eal Saxon Houses 1. Brunswick 
and Nassau J, Mecklenburg 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1815. 
Schwerin, and Mecklenburg Stre- 
litz, 1, Holstein Oldenburg, An- 
halt, and Schwartzburg 1, Ho- 
henzollern, Lichtenstein, Reuss, 
Schamberg Lippe, Lippe and 
Waldeck 1, the free cities of Lu- 
beck, Frankfort, Bremen, and 
Hamburgh 1 ; total 17 votes. 
V.—Austria has the presidency 
in the Diet of the Confederation ; 
every member of the league is em- 
powered to make propositions and 
bring them under discussion; and 
the presiding member is bound to 
submit such propositions for de- 
liberation within a fixed period. 
ViI.—When these propositions 
relate to the abolition or altera- 
tion of the fundamental laws of 
the Confederation, or to regula- 
tions relating to the Act of Con- 
federation itself, then the Diet 
forms itself into a full committee, 
when the different component 
members shall have the following 
votes proportioned to the extent 
of their territories ;— 
Austria, Prussia, Saxony, Bava- 
ria, Hanover, and Wurtemburg, 
four votes each; Baden, Electo- 
rate of Hesse, Grand Duchy of 
Hesse, Holstein, and Luxemburg, 
three votes each; Brunswick, 
Mecklenburgh-Schwerin, and Nas- 
sau, two votes each; Saxe Wei- 
mar, and a great number of mi- 
nor German Princes, with the 
free towns, one vote each; total 
69 votes. 
VII.—Questions in the Diet shall 
be decided by a simple majority 
of votes, on ordinary occasions, 
the President to have the casting 
vote; but when in full committee, 
the question must be decided by a 
majority of at least three fourths. 
VIIJ.—The Diet of the Confe- 
