GOVERNMENT AND LAW. 



87 



To these departments must be added : 

 The Common Court of Public Accounts. 

 The ministers are responsible for the dis- 

 charge of their official functions to the Dele- 

 gations. 



Religion. In Austria the relation of the State to the 

 religious bodies is regulated by the statutes of Decem- 

 ber '21, 1867, and of May 25, 18(8. In these the leading 

 jirincijile is religious liberty, the independence of the 

 Church as regards the State, saying the rights of the 

 sovereign arising from ecclesiastical dignity. Full 

 liberty of faith and conscience is secured, and the en- 

 joyment of civil and political rights is independent of 

 religious profession. Every religious body, legally recog- 

 nized, has the right of ordinary public worship, the 

 management of its own affairs, and the undisturbed pos- 

 session of its premises, endowments, and funds for the 

 purposes of worship, instruction, or charity. Recog- 

 nized religious bodies in Austria are: The Roman 

 Catholic, Old Catholic, Greek-Oriental, Evangelical 

 (Augsburg or Lutheran, and Helvetian or Reformed), the 

 Evangelical Brotherhood, the Gregorian-Armenian, and 

 the Jewish. The Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs will 

 grant legal recognition to any religious bodies if their 

 doctrine, worship, constitution, and designation con- 

 tain nothing illegal or immoral. 



In Hungary there is perfect equality among all legally 

 recognized religions. These are : The Roman and Greek 

 Catholic, the Evangelical (Augsburg and Helvetian), the 

 Greek -Oriental, the Gregorian-Armenian, the Unitarian, 

 and the Jewish. Each has the independent administra- 

 tion of its own affairs. 



Justice. In Austria the ordinary judicial authori- 

 ties are : 



(1) The Supreme Court of Justice and Court of Cassa- 

 tion (Oberste Gerichts-und Kassationshof) in Vienna. 



(2) The 9 higher provincial courts (Oberlandesgerichte). 



(3) The 71 provincial and district courts (Landes-und 

 Kreisgerichte), and, in connection with these, the jury 

 courts (Geschworenengerichte). (4) The 937 county 

 courts (Bezirksgerichte). Of these the third and fourth 

 groups are courts of first instance; the second group 

 consists of courts of second instance. Courts of first 

 instance act as courts of inquiry and have summary ju- 

 risdiction. Courts of second instance are courts of ap- 

 peal from the lower courts, and have the supervision of 

 the criminal courts in their jurisdiction. The jury 

 courts try certain cases where severe penalties are in- 

 volved, political offenses, and press offenses. The 

 county courts exercise jurisdiction in cases of misde- 

 meanor in the counties, and co-operate in preliminary 

 proceedings regarding crime. 



There are in allfor Austria 71 provincial and 937 county 

 or district courts. 



There exist also special courts for commercial, reve- 

 nue, military, and other matters. 



In case of 'conflict between different authorities the 

 Imperial Court (Reichsgerichte) in Vienna has power to 

 decide. 



In Hungary the ordinary judicial authorities are : 



The Royal Court (kir. kuriaj in Budapest and the 

 Supreme Court of Justice (Table of Septemyirs) in 

 Zdgrilb (Agram), of the highest instance in all civil and 

 criminal matters; 12 Royal Tables (kiralyi tablak) of 

 second instance. As courts of first instance, 76 courts 

 (torve'nysze'kek) with collegiate judgeships; 45G county 

 courts (jarj'isbmisagok) with single judges; 15 jury 

 courts (sajtdbirdsagok) for press offe'nses, besides ah 

 army special court. 



Instruction. Public education in Hungary, com- 

 prises the following grades: (1) Infant schools ; (2) ele- 

 mentary schools; (3) middle or secondary schools, 

 gymnasia and realschools (in Croatia and Slayonia, real- 

 gymnasia); (4) preparatory and training institutions for 

 infant-school nurses and male and female teachers; (5) 

 academies (high schools) of law; (6) institutions for 

 religious education; (7; universities; (8) polytechnicum 

 Jtecnnicalhigh school). The schoolsforspecialsubjccts, 

 such as agricultural, industrial, commercial, mining, 

 ;md military schools, are for the greater part adminis- 

 tered by the competent ministries, while the philan- 

 thropic and artistic schools are placed under the 

 authority of the Ministry of Public Instruction. 



Compulsory school attendance was established by law 

 in 1868, for children of six to twelve years, and repeti- 

 tion courses for children of twelve to fifteen years ; the 

 industrial law of 1872 requires special courses for ap- 



prentices; and by the law of 1891, children from three 

 to six years of age may be sent to infant schools, unless 

 otherwise provided for. 



Every parish or commune is bound to maintain an 

 infant school. 



The educational organization of Austria comprises: 



(1) Elementary schools; (2) gymnasia and realschu- 

 len; (3) universities and colleges; (4) technical high 

 schools; and (5) schools for special subjects. 



The erection of elementary schools is incumbent on 

 the school districts. Compulsory attendance begins 

 with the completion of the sixth year, and continues 

 in Austria generally, till the completion of the four- 

 teenth. 



In Austria there are eight universities maintained by 

 the State, each comprising four faculties, viz. : the- 

 ology, law, medicine, philosophy. 



In addition to the universities there are in Austria 48 

 theological colleges, viz. : 44 Roman Catholic, 1 Greek 

 Catholic, 1 Armenian Catholic, 1 Greek Oriental, and 1 

 Protestant, with a total of 2,008 students. 



There are six Government technical high schools for 

 various branches of engineering and technical chemis- 

 try, and a high school for agriculture in Vienna. 



BELGIUM. 



According to the Constitution of 1831 Bel- 

 gium is " a constitutional, representative, and 

 hereditary monarchy." The legislative power 

 is vested in the King, the Senate, and the 

 Chamber of Representatives. The royal suc- 

 cession is in the direct male line in the order 

 of primogeniture. By marriage without the 

 King's consent, however, the right of succes- 

 sion is forfeited, but may be restored by the 

 King with the consent of the two Chambers. 

 The King's person is declared sacred ; and his 

 ministers are held responsible for the acts of 

 the Government. No act of the King can 

 have effect \inless countersigned by one of his 

 ministers, who thus becomes responsible for it. 

 The King convokes, prorogues, and dissolves 

 the Chambers. In default of male heirs, the 

 King may nominate his successor with the 

 consent of the Chambers. If the successor be 

 under eighteen years of age, which is declared 

 to be the age of majority, the two Chambers 

 meet together for the purpose of nominating a 

 regent during the minority. 



According to the law amending the consti- 

 tution, promulgated 7th September, 1893, the 

 Senate consists of members elected for eight 

 years, partly directly, and partly indirectly. 

 The number of Senators elected directly is 

 proportioned to the population of each prov- 

 ince, and is equal to half the number of mem- 

 bers of the Chamber of Representatives. The 



