CF.UMAN'Y. 



STB 



Prussian pnjcct, and maintained the continu- 

 ance of tli. with all its rights 

 ami ill iti.-, declaring that no member was at 

 v to secede from the " bund," and that the 

 ,. Tinany had a right to demand that 

 ration should remain intact. He 

 !.y inviting the Diet to unite with 

 him in soK-mn protest for the preservation of 

 and competency of the "bund," 

 which should continue in full vigor and bind- 

 ing upon all its members. The Diet adopted 

 rcs-ini; its adherence to the 

 of the Austrian representative. 

 lollowin^ states soon followed Prussia in 

 withdrawing from the Confederation : The two 

 nl iiirgs (14th curia); Saxe-Weiraer, Saxe- 

 Alk-nburg and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (13th curia); 

 ( >l<]cnburg, Anbalt, Scbwarzburg (15th curia) ; 

 the two Lippes, Waldeck and Reuss, younger 

 line (16th curia) ; Hamburg, Bremen, Lubeck 

 (17th curia). 



By article IV. of the Treaty of Peace, con- 

 cluded on August 23d, between Prussia and 

 Austria, the Emperor of Austria agreed to rec- 

 the dissolution of the German Confed- 

 eration, and to give his consent to a recon- 

 ; ion of Germany without the participation 

 of the Austrian Empire. The emperor also 

 promised to recognize the new Confederation, 

 which the King of Prussia would establish north 

 :i, and declared himself satisfied that 

 tho German States south of the Main should 

 Mi an association, the national connection 

 of which with the North German Confedera- 

 tion was to be left to further agreement, and 

 which would receive an international and inde- 

 pendent existence. The kings of Bavaria and 

 Wurtemberg, as well as the grand dukes of 

 Baden and Hesse-Darmstadt, in the separate 

 treaties of peace concluded with them, gave 

 their adhesion to the above stipulation of 

 the Prusso-Austrian treaty. Hesse-Darmstadt 

 - >1 to enter with the province of Upper 

 Hesse into tho North German Confederation. 

 The last sitting of the Federal Diet was held on 

 August 24th, when it was declared that in con- 

 sequence of tho war and of the treaties of peace 

 the German Confederation was dissolved. From 

 the last publication of the Diet, a volume, con- 

 taining the proceedings and acts of that body 

 during 1866, it appears that from the installa- 

 tion of the Diet on the 5th of November, 1816, 

 to the 24th of August, 1866, the day of its dis- 

 solution that is to say, a period of forty-nine 

 years, six months, and ten days it has held 

 1,712 sittings. Its labors were suspended from 

 the 12th July, 1848, to the 29th December, 

 1849. Its average annual sittings were thirty- 

 live. 



If. NORTH GERMAN CONFEDERATION. Tho 

 North German Confederation consists of Prus- 

 sia (with the annexed States of Hanover, Hesse- 

 Casscl, Schleswig-HolsteSn, Nassau, and Frank- 

 fort), and the German States north of the river 

 Main. The population of the new confedera- 

 tion is as follows: 



Prussia. 2S,MO,64S 



Saxony 2,84S,W4 



Mecklenburg-Schwerin 652,618 



Mecklenburg-Strelitz 9,00 



Oldenburg 801,812 



Saxe-Weimar 280,201 



Brunswick 292,70 



Anhalt 198,046 



Saxe-Meiningen 178,065 



Saxe-Coburg-Gotha 164,627 



Saxe-Altenburg 141,889 



I,i|>pe-Detmold 111,886 



Wafdeck M, M ' 



Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 78,762 



Scharzburg-Sondershausen 66,18! 



Reuss Younger Line w v' - 



Schaumburg Lippe 81,382 



Reuss Elder Line 43,924 



Hamburg. 229,941 



Lubeck 50,614 



Bremen 104,066 



Province of Upper Hesse (belonging 



to Hesse-Darmstadt) 225,695 



Total. 29,220,862 



The area of the North German Confederation 

 is 159,940 English square miles. 'Of the in- 

 habitants, 70.78 per cent, are Protestants; 26.- 

 95 per cent. Eoraan Catholics; and 2.27 per 

 cent, members of other denominations. In 

 point of area the North German Confederation 

 is exceeded by five European States (Russia, 

 Sweden, and Norway, Austria, Spain), and in 

 point of population by four (Russia, France, 

 Austria, Great Britain). The merchant marine 

 of the confederation numbers 7.167 vessels, with 

 an aggregate tonnage of 1,336,719. 



The first step toward the permanent estab- 

 lishment of the confederation was an offensive 

 and defensive treaty, which was signed at Ber- 

 lin on the 18th of August, and the ratifications 

 of which were exchanged on the 8th and 10th 

 of September. The treaty is as follows : 



ART. 1. The Governments of Prussia, Saxe-Weimar, 

 Oldenburg, Brunswick, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Co- 

 burg-Gotha, Anhalt, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, 

 Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Waldeck, Reuss (junior 

 line), Schaumburg-Lippe. Lippe, Lubec, Bremen, 

 and Hamburg, have concluded oy this treaty an of- 

 fensive and defensive alliance for the preservation of 

 the integrity and independence, as well as the inner 

 and outer safety of their respective States, and enter 

 immediately on the joint defence of their present pos- 

 sessions, which they guarantee each otlier by this 

 treaty. 



ART. 2. The objects of this alliance shall bo en- 

 sured by a federal constitution, based on the funda- 

 mental principles laid down by Prussia on the 10th 

 June, 1866, and with the coSperation of a national 

 parliament, to be convened jointly by the allied 

 powers. 



AKT. 8. All treaties and conventions existing be- 

 tween the allies remain in full force if not specially 

 modified by this treaty. 



ART. 4. The military forces of the allied Govern- 

 ments are placed under the supreme command of his 

 Majesty the King of Prussia, and their several ser- 

 vices in time of war shall be regulated by special 

 agreement. 



ART. 5. The allied Governments engage to makt 

 the needful arrangements in their separate States for 

 the election of members of Parliament in accordance 

 with the stipulations of the Electoral Law of April 

 12, 1849, and convene them at the same period that 

 Prussia does. At the same time they promise to 



