HUNG A-R Y. 



and these letters often contain a statement of the differ- 

 ent points that are to be there discussed, that the coun- 

 ties and free cities may give proper instructions and 

 powers to their deputies. According to the coi 

 tioti, no one but a noble, that is, one who possesses 

 landed property, ran -it and deliberate in the diet. 

 When assembled, all the members are considered as 

 upon an equality ; neither baron nor bishop having any 

 privileges more than a simple pentlemsn. They meet 

 in separate chambers : the chamber of mognots, where 

 the palatine presides, and which is composed of the 

 prelates, the barons of the kingdom, the governors of 

 counties, and all the counts and baron* who may be 

 members of the diet ; the other deputies, who are the 

 most numerous body, constitute the chamber of itatcs, 

 where the grand judge presides. When a motion has 

 pa*aed both chambers, the king has the power of con- 

 Arming or 'rejecting it, his approbation being necessary 

 to give it the force of a law. 



The internal police of the kingdom is administered 

 by the supreme aulic chancery, the council of govern- 

 ment, ana other subordinate courts. The fii>t >its at 

 Vienna, and is composed of an aulic chancellor, vice- 

 chancellor, and ten aulic counsellors, all chosen by the 

 king. Of the counsellors, two are bishops, two mag- 

 nate, and six noble*. It i* the organ by which the king 

 exercise* his royal authority, and directs the political 

 of the interior. It expedite* all letter*- patent, 



Statistic*. 



granting favour* and privilege*, and also all diplomas, 

 nominating to vacant bishoprics, ecde*ia*tical bene- 

 fice*. and other office*. The council of government tit* 

 at Buda, and consist* of the palatine, who i* president. 

 awl 8* counsellors. It ha* the superintendance of all 

 inferior courts, and of all matter* regarding general po- 

 lice and public safety, and the inspection of churches, 

 universities, &e. ; il encourage* agriculture, industry, 

 and commerce ; and decide* in all matters of litigation 

 respecting the cervices at ffannti toward* their lords, 

 \c. 



The subordinate courts are those of the counties and 

 free cities. Each county ha* it* governor and two vice- 

 , a procurator and vice-procurator-fiscal, a rc- 

 ral and assistant, a notary, ice. The go* 

 appointed by the king, except in the case* 

 of the palatine, the primate, the prince* E*terha>y and 

 Bathyany, the count* Kohari, Ille*hasy, Pally. Nadaady, 

 X honborn. Caky, Erdody, and baron Revay, who are 

 hereditary governor* of counties ; the other magistrate* 

 are appointed bv the county, and are renewed enwry 

 three year*. The governor convoke* the county when- 

 ever he think* it neceMary, and all the nobility within 

 it* bound* have a right to deliberate and vote. The 

 subjects which are there ducuswd, regard the police 

 nd agriculture of the county ; U* election of th 

 puties and magintrate* ; the levying of contribution* 

 and imposts ; and the publication ofthe decree* of the 

 and of the council of government. The 



tracy of a free city consist* of judge, a burgomaster, 

 a counsel, a notary, &c. to whom are entrusted the ad- 

 laiaiktration of justice and police within the royalty. 



The tribunals of justice, which posses* general juris- 



diction throughout the kingdom, are the septemviral 



table, and the royal table. The teptrmiiral table con. 



*ited formerly only of seven members, but it is now 



enu-d to twenty-two, of whom the palatine is pre- 



t. It is only a court of caMation, and receive* 



pro***** by appeal from the royal table and int-rior 



nal*. The royal table, where the grand judge 



preside*, i* competed of icvcutcen member*, nine of 



VOL. II. PART I. 



Special 



Juri<pfu- 

 dc " cr ' 



whom must be present, in order to constitute its deci- 

 sions valid. It pronounces on all disputes respecting 

 property, the maiming or murdering of noblfs, and 

 crimes of high treason. It is also a court of appeal, 

 and holds t'mir sessions during the year. 



The inferior and special judicatories are the four tri- 

 Imnals ofthe circles, which decide only in civil cases, 

 havinfj no criminal jurisdiction ; the county tribunals, 

 which have also four sessions, and take cognizance of 

 all matters civil and criminal, except in cases of high 

 treason ; the <litriit tribunals : the city tribunals ; and 

 the tribunals of individual nobles. Croatia has also a 

 court of appeal called tabula banalis, which s.its at Air- 

 ram, and of which the ban of Croatia and Sclavonin is 

 .i-nt. It hits the same jurisdiction within thc.<e 

 provinces as the royal table at 1'esth, with this differ- 

 ence, that an appeal may be carried from the tabula 

 banalis to the royal table. 



The bases of Hungarian jurisprudence are the corpus 

 juris Hunfarici; decrctum Irifartiliim ler/mcczianum, 

 and deciii.aes rurialti. The corput juris Jiang, is 

 collection of all the decrees passed by the diet from the 

 commencement of the monarchy, and was first formed 

 ^-ince that time it has received so many ad. 

 ditkxis, that it is increased one half; but, latterly, these 

 laws have been so ill digested, and so intermixed with 

 other matter*, that the confusion which is thus occa- 

 sioned renders the study of them both difficult and la- 

 borious. The Jfcrrfum Iripartitum f'erboeczianum, is a 

 collection of customs introduced into the administration 

 of justice, which, by long usage, have received the 

 force of law*. This collection was made by Verboecx, 

 the grand jndge in the rtign of Ladislatic II.; and 

 though it ha* been rejected at a national code by seve- 

 ral diets, yet, through the course of time, it has ac- 

 quired such reputation, that it is actually acknowledged 

 throughout the kingdom as forming a legitimate p.-irt 

 uf Hungarian law. The drcittanct cmriale* are the de- 

 cision* of the judges of the royal table on certain ques- 

 tions to which no existing law could be directly ap- 

 plied. They were collected by order of Maria There- 

 sa in 1?(>9 ; and, after having been revised liy the sen- 

 temviral and royal table*, were published under the 

 title ot planum curialf. 



The revenue of Hungary arise* from three source* ; Revenue. 

 the royal domain*, the regal duties, and the contribu- 

 tions or impost*. The royal domain* consist ot the 

 kroH-guter, or *uch property a* i* attached to the crown, 

 ami i* unalienable; and the kammer-eutrr, that which 

 belongs to the king personally, and which he can dis- 

 pose of at hi* pleasure. The annual value of both 

 amount* to 6,000,000 of florin*. The regal Juliet com- 

 prehend the management of the salt, which i* supposed 

 to yield nearly 6,800,000 florins ; the mines, which, 

 after deducting all expences, produce 1,097,000 florin*; 

 the duties upon export* and import*, valued at 1,300,000 

 florin* ; the quit-rent* of the royal free cities, and of the 

 sixteen cities of the Zips, amounting to 34,000 florins ; 

 the royal exchequer, which brings 94,000 florins ; the 

 toU-ration tax paid by the Jews, producing 100,000 flo- 

 rins ; the, tax of 5 per cent, upon all employments, to 

 which is attached a retiring pension, yielding S7,OOO 

 florins; the ecclesiastical subsidy, which, in 1781, was 

 7 1, 000 florin*. To these may be added the pout-office, 

 the tolls upon the bridges, the tax of 10 per cent, w In h 

 all must pay who carry their fortune out of the country ; 

 the 1'ittiTv ; and the bank*, of which there are two, <>nr 

 at I'resbourg, and the other at Huda. The contribu- 

 tion! or impotU are levied upon the counties and cities. 

 8 7. 



