

BAVARIA. 



March 8, 1870), Count von Bray-Steinburg ; 



Minister of Finance, A. von Pfretzschner ; 



Minister of Commerce and Public Works, G. 



lil.uT ; Minister of War, Mujor-Genoral 



i I'raukh; Minister of Justice, J. von 

 I.ntz; Minister of Public Worship and In- 

 -miction, J.von Lutz; Minister ot the Inte- 

 ii I'. ran n. The Council of State is 

 composed of the King, the Princes Luitpold 

 ami Adalbert of Bavaria, and the ministry. 



id is divided into the following prov- 

 inces: 



Of these 4,824,421 inhabitants, 3,441,029 

 (or 71.82 per cent.) were Roman Catholics ; 

 1,328,713 (or 27.55 per cent.) Protestants; 

 49,840 Jews; 8,267 Reformed; 143 Greeks; 

 and 4,696 Mennonites, Baptists, and German 

 Catholics. The public debt on December 31, 

 1869, amounted to 425,855,554 florins, com- 

 prising a railroad debt of 163,428,800 florins. 

 The annual revenue and expenditures for one 

 year of the ninth financial period (1868 and 

 1869) are estimated at 87,144,606 florins.* 



In October, 1869, the Second Chamber was 

 dissolved, as the two great parties were equally 

 strong, and the election of President of the 

 Chamber was made impossible by an unchange- 

 able tie-vote. A new election took place in 

 November, at which the " Patriots " (Catholic 

 party) received a majority of 6 (80 against 74, 

 of whom 63 belonged to the party of progress, 

 and 11 were independent [Wilde]). This re- 

 sult caused a ministerial crisis, the extremists 

 of the Patriotic party demanding the formation 

 of a new Cabinet, while the Liberals petitioned 

 the King for the retention of the prime-minis- 

 ter, Prince Uohenlohe, who, in September, 

 1869, had in vain endeavored to bring about a 

 compromise and reconciliation between the 

 parties of the Diet. The now Diet met in 

 Munich on the 3d of January, and organized 

 by electing the ministerial councillor Weis 

 President, Count Seinsheim, Vice -President, 

 Dr. J6rg (editor of the Historisch-Politische 

 Bl&tter), of Munich, first Secretary. The royal 

 speech, which was delivered on the 17th of Jan- 

 uary, promised a new liberal electoral law ; and, 

 with regard to the question of the unification 

 of Germany, announced that the treaties with 

 the JN orth-German Confederation would be 



* For a statement of the army, tee AMEBICAX ANNUAL 

 CYCLOP XDI A for 1868. 



VOL. x. 5 A 



faithfully observed, and that the King desired 

 a restoration of a national union of the German 

 States, provided, however, that it would not 

 endanger the independence of Bavaria. The 

 addresses of the Chambers in reply to the 

 royal speech strongly urged the formation of a 

 new Cabinet, representing the majority of the 

 two Chambers. The King refused to receive 

 the deputation of the First Chamber, which 

 was to present to him their address, but was 

 finally (March 7th) prevailed upon to accept 

 the resignation of the prime-minister, Uohen- 

 lohe : in his place ho appointed, however, not 

 a member of the Patriotic party, but Count 

 Bray, who professed the same political views 

 as the Prince Hohenlohe, and, in spite of the 

 hostile majority in both Chambers, pursued the 

 same policy. 



With regard to the Council in Rome, the 

 Government regarded the doctrine of papal 

 infallibility as dangerous to the State Govern- 

 ments, and forbade its official promulgation by 

 the Bavarian bishops. When, however, the 

 Catholic papers generally published the text 

 of the doctrine, the Government desisted from 

 further measures against it. 



On the outbreak of the German-French War, 

 the Government at once showed a readiness to 

 fulfil the obligations imposed upon it by the 

 treaties of 1866. A large portion of the Patri- 

 otic party demanded the neutrality of Bavaria, 

 but, after animated debates, a considerable 

 majority of both Chambers granted the war- 

 Credits demanded by the Government. In 

 the negotiations which subsequently arose 

 concerning the union of the South-German 

 States with Forth Germany, the Govern- 

 ment showed itself favorable to the union, 

 but demanded several concessions, which none 

 of the other members of the Confederation 

 possessed. A treaty which gave to Bavaria 

 some of the required concessions was signed 

 at Versailles, November 27th. A few days 

 later the King of Bavaria took the initiative 

 in a movement for the restoration of the im- 

 perial dignity of Germany, by writing the fol- 

 lowing letter to the King of Saxony : 



Most Serene and Powerful Prince ! Dear Friend, 

 Brother, and Cousin ! Victoriously led by Prussia's 

 heroic King, the German races, who for centuries 

 have been united in language, manners, science, and 

 art, now celebrate a brotherhood of arms, which 

 gives a glorious proof of the importance of the 

 power of a united Germany. Animated with a de- 

 sire to cooperate with them in their endeavors to 

 effect this unity of Germany, I have not delayed en- 

 tering into negotiations, calculated to bring about this 

 result, with the Chancellor of the North-German 

 Confederation at Versailles. I now address myself 

 to the German princes, and especially to your Maj- 

 esty, to propose that you should, together with me, 

 urge upon his Mnjestv the King of Prussia that the 

 exercise of the presidential rights should be united 

 with the title of Emperor. It is for me a sublime 

 thought that I can feel myself called upon, both by 

 my position in Germany and by the history of my 

 country, to take the first step toward crowning the 

 work of German unity, and I entertain the joyful nopo 

 that your Royal Majesty will accord to me your 

 friendly assent. While I thus have the pleasure of 



