EECENT LEGISLATION IN PRUSSIA. 361 



pire, bat in certain provinces under principles that are essentially differ- 

 ent. These differences may be stated under four principal heads : 



1. In the provinces of Prussia, Pomerania and Posen, Mark and 

 Silesia the State supervision is restricted to a consent to sales or changes 

 in the enjoyment of the lorest-products of cities, and to clearings and 

 extraordinary cuttings in the communes. In Hanover, its Inspection is 

 limited to watching over the maintenance of capacity for supply. With 

 these exceptions, the communes administer their forests as they see 

 proper. 



2. In th^ provinces of Saxony, Westphalia, and the Rhine the com- 

 munes look after their own iorests, but they are bound to submit, for 

 the approval of the District Government, all projects of sale, clearing, or 

 extraordinary cuttings, conforming themselves for technical manage- 

 ment, to the principles sanctioned by the Department. They are to em- 

 ploy agents properly instructed and examined by the Government. The 

 district authorities may cause local examination to be made as to tech- 

 nical management, according to annual plans of production and working. 

 The right of state supervision in the formerly Bavarian portions of the 

 country, and substantially in the earldoms of Hoga and Diepholz, iu 

 Hanover, is regulated in the same manner. 



3. In the former principalities of Calenberg, Gottingen, and Grubenha- 

 gen, in the province of Hanover, as well as in the old duchy of Nassau, 

 the technical administration of communal forests rests with the State 

 forest officers (" Oberforsi-beamten^^ and "• Oberforster "). Under the di- 

 rection of the District Government, these officers are required to prepare 

 plans for the general administration, for the annual cuttings, and for 

 management. They are to see to the execution of these plans, and to 

 cause the expenses to be properly placed. They are to give direction 

 regarding mast, leaves, grass, and pasturage. The communes are re- 

 quired to pay a fixed sum per morgeu for these expenses. They have 

 no voice in the appointment of these agents. Besides this, the com- 

 munes of both sections are required to employ and pay special officers for 

 the protection of the forests, the appointment of whom in Nassau is with 

 the supervising authority, and in the Hanoverian part of the country 

 with the communes under the direction of the business administration. 

 In both sections, the technical administration is limited to a hearing in 

 regard to their wishes respecting the settlement of the general and 

 annual plans of administration. The communes are required to furnish 

 the pecuniary means necessary for the execution of the annual plans for 

 cutting and management. The disposition of the timber when cut is 

 left to themselves. 



4. Finally, in the former electorate of Hesse, the working of the com- 

 munal forests is vested in the State authorities, in the same manner as 

 those belonging to the Crown. The '■'' Staatsrevierforster" {Ohertovstei) 

 fixes the plans for working and annual cuttings, which the Forst-inspec- 

 tors examine, and the jDherforst collegium, as the judge of the inspection, 

 causes them to be executed. The Eevier/orstcr is required to execute 

 these plans, and to deHv<T to the local authorities all of the forest pro- 

 ducts and revenues. In the disposition of these products, the latter are 

 not restricted. The Obcrforst collegium appoints the forest servants, as 

 needed for the protection of the forests, and reserves disciplinary power 

 over them. The management of communal forests is therefore wholly 

 under State supervision, except as in a very limited way, united with 

 the local authorities. 



In the former grand duchy of Hesse and in Hesse-Homburg the main 

 points of the law are similar, except that the presidents of communes 



