352 



GERMANY. 



The extension of electric telegraphs is shown 

 by the following table (in kilometres ; 1 kilo- 

 metre = 0.62 mile) : 



The postal statistics of the empire were, ac- 

 cording to the latest official publications, as 

 follows : 



The Reichstag, after a vacation of two weeks, 

 resumed its sessions on January 4, 1875. On 

 January 7th it ratified the convocation between 

 Germany and Russia relative to bequests, and 

 on January 8th the consular treaty between 

 these two countries. One of the most impor- 

 tant bills of the session, that on the Landsturm, 

 was, January 22d, adopted by 198 against 84 

 votes. The bill was intended to carry out Art. 

 VI. of the imperial military law, which had an T 

 nounced that the duties of the Landsturm 

 would be regulated by special law. The new 

 bill essentially changed the character which 

 the Landsturm had in the War of Liberation in 

 1815. By placing it under the military law 

 and giving it military signs, it secured to it the 

 protection which the law of nations confers in 

 time of war upon organized armies in opposi- 

 tion to freeshooters. It also intended to facili- 

 tate partial mobilization of the Landsturm. 

 The Minister of War, Kameke, who pointed out 

 the essential features of the new bill, called 

 attention to the fact that the new regulations 

 had in view the employment of the Landsturm 

 for merely defensive purposes. The Party of 

 Progress opposed several clauses of the bill, 

 but from motives of patriotism voted for the 

 bill as a whole when their amendments were 

 rejected. Their speakers declared that in their 

 opinion it was important to show to foreign 

 nations that, whatever differences of opinion 

 might exist on some features of the bill, in 

 time of war the whole nation was ready for 

 the defense of the country. The Catholic 



Centre, the Poles, and the Socialists, who de- 

 sired to substitute for the Landsturm bill one 

 for arming the entire nation, persisted in their 

 opposition to the last. All other parties vot- 

 ing solidly for the bill, it was on January 22d 

 adopted by 198 against 84 votes. Three days 

 later, on January 25th, the civil marriage bill 

 was adopted by 207 against 72 votes. During 

 the debate preceding the vote Dr. Faustle, 

 the Bavarian Minister of Justice, pointed out 

 that the clause of the bill by which the eccle- 

 siastical matrimonial courts in Bavaria will be 

 abolished, did not violate either Bavaria's re- 

 served rights or the concordat with Rome. 

 He added that, notwithstanding the concordat, 

 civil matrimonial courts existed in the Bava- 

 rian Palatinate. In conclusion, the minister 

 said the distress caused in Bavaria by the con- 

 ditions for contracting marriage could only be 

 terminated by a minute definition of the lim- 

 its of jurisdiction between church and state. 

 This bill extends civil registration of births, 

 deaths, and marriages, from Prussia to the whole 

 empire. The new statute is a consequence of 

 the resolution adopted some time ago to en- 

 large the powers of the central Legislature, 

 and include civil law among the topics apper- 

 taining to the empire. In all Germany this law 

 does away with the services of the clergy in 

 celebrating the three great domestic events of 

 life. It allows of children entering on their 

 earthly career without being baptized or as- 

 signed to any religious denomination whatever. 

 It enables men and women to marry indepen- 



