Aug.] 



CHRONICLE. 



Ill 



The commission mustbe chosen 

 before the close of the Diet, or 

 before any prorogation thereof, 

 in both Chambers ; by a relative 

 majority of votes. 



52. '1 he Chambers cannot as- 

 semble of their own accord, nor 

 deliberate after their dissolution 

 or prorogation. 



IV. Authority of the Representa- 

 tive Body. 



53. No tax can be imposed or 

 levied without the consent of the 

 Chambers. 



54. Tlie revenue law will be 

 regularly passed for two years. 

 Such duties, however, as in con- 

 sequence of contracts are appro- 

 priated for a longer time, can 

 undergo no alteration before the 

 expiry of such contracts. 



55. Along witli the plan of the 

 revenue law will be given the 

 state budget, and a detailed view 

 of the application of the sums 

 granted for the previous years. 

 No charge shall be made for 

 secret expenditure, without a 

 written assurance from the Grand 

 Duke, countersigned by the 

 State-Ministry, to certify that 

 the sums are or shall be applied 

 for the real interests of the State. 



56. The Chambers cannot con- 

 nect conditions to the levying of 

 taxes. 



57. No loan can be legal with- 

 out the concurrence of the Cham- 

 bers, except however those loans 

 by which fixed receipts are anti- 

 cipated for fixed expenditures, 

 as well as the revenues of the 

 sinking fund, which, according to 

 its fundamental laws, are applied 

 to that object. 



In case of an extraordinary, 

 unforeseen, and urgent state 



necessity, the amount of which 

 would not be equivalent to an 

 extraordinary assembling of the 

 Cliambers, and to which a vote of 

 credit could not extend, the con- 

 sent of the majority of the Com- 

 mittee is sufficient to render the 

 receipt legal. The necessary 

 proceedings must be referred to 

 the next Diet. 



58. No domain can be alienated 

 without the consent of the Cham- 

 bers, except such alienations as 

 have been already concluded for 

 the liquidation of debts, the 

 redemption of fiefs, hereditary 

 property, &c. or the purchase of 

 buildings and lands situated in 

 neighbouring states ; and all 

 alienations which have been made 

 with views of state economy, for 

 the promotion of agriculture, or 

 to remove a prejudicial manage- 

 ment. The redemption must be 

 applied to new acquisitions, or 

 paid as interest to the liquidating 

 fund. 



59. Though the domains, ac- 

 cording to the general and 

 acknowledged principles of the 

 State and Royal privileges, are 

 indisputably the patrimonial pro- 

 perty of the Sovereign and his 

 family, and we, in virtue of our 

 office as head of the family, 

 hereby confirm them to be so, 

 yet we will devote to the main- 

 tenance of the country's burdens 

 the produce of the domains, 

 besides the Civil List and other 

 depending taxes, until by the 

 restoration of the finances we 

 shall be enabled to relieve our 

 subjects according to oar sincere 

 wish. 



The Civil List cannot be in- 

 creased without the consent of the 

 Chambers, nor diminished without 



the 



