GERMANY. 



377 



The total length of railroads of Germany, open for traffic, was as follows on December 

 31, 1877 (in kilometres) : 



The postal statistics of the empire according 

 follows : 



to the latest official publications were as 



The extent of electric telegraphs (in kilometres ; 1 kilometre = 0-62 mile), and the amount 

 of their business, are shown in the following table : 



The German Parliament was opened on 

 February 6th by Herr Camphausen, the Vice- 

 President of the Prussian Ministry, who read 

 the following speech from the throne : 



His Majesty the Emperor has deigned to com- 

 mission me to open the session of the German Par- 

 liament in his name and in that of the allied Gov- 

 ernments. Your deliberations will be required for 

 ft number of important subjects. The estimates for 

 the ensuing year supplying fresh evidence that our 

 unavoidable expenditure is more rapidly increasing 

 than the revenue, the allied Governments have ar- 

 rived at the conclusion that the deficit shall be cov- 

 ered, not by additional contributions on the part of 

 the individual states, but by fresh sources of reve- 



nue being placed at the disposal of the Imperial Ex- 

 chequer. To this end, bills providing for the intro- 

 duction of a stamp-tax and the raising of the tobacco 

 duty and the excise will be submitted to you. In 

 addition to this, a bill authorizing a new loan will 

 be introduced to enable the Government to defray 

 certain extraordinary expenses which can not be 

 met by the ordinary income. 



To supply an omission in the text of the German 

 Charter, a bill is being discussed by the Federal 

 Council, allowing the Chancellor to appoint deputies 

 to perform his functions, either in their entirety or 

 in separate branches of his official activity. These 

 deputies are also to have the right of signing papers 

 and decrees. In connection with the judicature acts 

 passed last session, a bill will be laid before you 



