G E R IM A N Y. 
tliey, in confequence of this free conference, concur, 
they invite the tliird college to accede to their joint 
opinion; which invitation is generally complied v.'ith : 
but fiiould this college return a refulal, the opinion of 
the other two colleges is in foine few cafes engrolfed in 
the chancery, and delivered to the emperor’s commilfary 
as the opinion of the empire. The opinion of the third 
college is merely mentioned at the clofe. However, 
though the fuperior colleges do in effeift conftitute the 
diet, yet the received maxim is, that no two colleges 
conftitute a majority, that is, the majority of voices at 
the diet; nor can the emperor confirm the opinion of 
two colleges as an opinion of tlic diet. By the peace of 
Weftphalia, a dccifive vote was recognized as a right 
of the imperial cities, which the two fuperior colleges 
fliould not infringe upon; their vote being, by the fun¬ 
damental law, of equal weight with that of the eleftors 
and princes. After a meafure is approved of by the 
colleges, it is fubmitted to his imperial majefly to re¬ 
ceive his negative or con.^rmation. Should lie approve 
the point, it is publlihed in his name as the refolution 
of the empire, which ftates are exhorted to obey, and 
tribunals direfted to confider as fuch. 
The diet not only makes and explains all laws, but 
decides ambiguous cafes. The common adminiflration 
of juliice, however, is referred to the imperial chamber \ 
the members of which are a judge of the chamber, and 
twenty-five aflellbrs, partly proteffants, partly papifts. 
'fhe prefident is appointed by the emperor, the affcflors 
by the fhites. The court receives appeals from inferior 
jurifdidtions, and decides dubious titles; and all caufes 
before it between prince and prince, or princes and pri¬ 
vate perfons, are adjudged according to the laws of the 
refpeedive parties, or according to the imperial law. 
This tribunal is under the infpecfionof vifitors appoint¬ 
ed by the Hates; and, during their vifitation, the fen- 
lences of the court are fubjebt to revifion. Appeals lie 
afterward alfo from the judgment of the vifitors to that 
of the diet. 
The aulic council receives appeals from inferior jurif- 
diftions; and to it belong the referred rights of the 
emperor; and to the imperial chamber alfo are annexed 
peculiar powers. The imperial chamber fubfifts during 
a vacancy of the throne under the authority of the vicars 
of the empire; whereas the aulic council does not exift 
until appointed by the fucceeding emperor. It confifls 
of a prefident, vice-prefident, and feventeen afleffors, of 
whom fix are proteffants. The vice-chancellor of th.e 
empire is alfo intitled to a feat; and all decrees iffuing 
from the council pals through his hands to thofe who 
are to execute them. This tribunal obtains for the em¬ 
peror, through the appeals from the courts of other 
princes, a new authority befides'that which he poffefl'es 
troin his referred rights ; but eledlors and fome princes, 
as thofe of Hanover, Auftria, Brunfwick, Swedifh Po¬ 
merania, Heffe, arc free from this dependence on the 
emperor, to whofe aulic council their fubjedls cannot 
appeal ; nor can it take cognizance of eccleliaflical or 
criminal caufes, both of which appertain only to terri¬ 
torial julHce. 
Over each of the nine circles prefide directors, to 
•whom the tribunals of juftice commit the execution of 
their decrees. The office of direBor is permanent and 
hereditary, as it belongs always to the firlf prince in the 
circle, upon whom it confers high authority ; for all the 
decrees of the imperial chamber and aulic council are 
of no avail unlefs the director will execute them. The 
directors of the circles are not only inltruments of war 
but of peace : for in cafe of an imperial war, they are 
to collect the troops of the circle ; and if any Itate or 
prince of their refpettive circles fuffer violation from 
others, they are to yield protedtion and enforce the 
peace ; or, Ihould there be any tumultuous uprifmgs of 
the people, the fupprellion of fuch belongs to them. 
The emperor is the executive inllrument of the whole 
I 
empire; but as it is impoflible for the head of the em¬ 
pire to prefide indifferent tribunals at the fame time, 
or to tranfport himfelf to the extremities of Germany, 
with the promptitude which the decilion of procefl'es fo 
frequently require, the office of count palatine was in- 
llituted. The bufinefs of this magilfrate is to fuperin- 
tend the adminiftration of jufiice in the various pro¬ 
vinces. To him an appeal lies from the ordinary tribu¬ 
nals, in caufes which were npt of lufficient importance 
to be carried before the eimieror. By him too the im¬ 
perial ban is piibliflied, and by him the finances are ad- 
miniffered. Thefe officers were firft eftablilhed in Ba¬ 
varia, Saxony, Swabia, and upon the Rhine. 
Every prince of a feparate Hate is arbitrary in laws of. 
policy, but not of revenue ; for no new tax or impoH 
can be laid on his country, without the confent of the 
nobles and fubjedfs. For this purpofe, on the/ani mg, 
or day on which his fubjedfs are to be convened, whicit 
is once in the period of four or five years, and at no 
other time can he alfemble them, he calls together the 
nobles and commiffaries or deputies of the towns of his 
dominions. The nobles ufually attend in perlon, but 
may fend reprefentatives. To this afiembly the prince 
propofes the taxes. See. and a majority of voices (li<- 
pofes of the meafures. On the land tag, the relpedlive 
quotas of each place are fixed, in order to difeharge the 
princes contingent in cafe of a war. There is indeed nq 
fixed Handing ai'iny; but the various Hates are obliged 
to furnifii their quotas, when called upon by the diet 
in cafe of war. The whole number of torces thus to 
be railed is faid to be as follows : by the eccleliaHical 
princes, 74,500; by the temporal princes, 379,000; and 
by the emperor, 90,000, as head of the houle ot AuHria. 
Total, 543,500 effective men. The whole revenue has 
been calculated at 20,000,000!. Herling.—E.xtraordinary 
aids are occafionally granted by the (fates lor the lup- 
port of the empire ; or the forts thereof. Inch as Phi- 
liplburg, Kehl, and Mentz ; or for a war againH the 
Turks, the expences of an embalfy of the empire, the 
maintaining of the forts, &c. The granting of thele 
aids in Germany is regulated according to what is called 
Roman months, which denomination deduces its origin 
from thofe times in which the emperors, in order to re¬ 
ceive the papal coronation, took a journey to Rome, 
and the German Hates of the empire were bound to con¬ 
duct them with a certain number of men, confiding of 
horfe and foot, for fix months, at their own expence ; 
or to pay twelve florins monthly for a horleman, and 
for a footman four, which money obtained the name ot 
Roman months. This Handard was afterwards retained, 
and the rate of each Hate, either in men or money, is 
fettled in what is called the matricula of the empire. 
But though certain Roman months were Irequently 
granted the emperor, yet they were not always duly 
paid. A Roman month from the whole empire brings 
in 58,280 florins. 
From the great extent of the German empire, every 
variety of foil is to be found within its circuit; and 
from which refults abundant lources of the grand lup- 
port of national wealth,—commerce. The middle parts 
of the empire are productive in corn and cattle ; the 
fouthern abound with excellent wines and fruits. I'he 
northern parts, from their chilnefs, are rather unia- 
vourable to vegetation ; but even there agriculture im¬ 
proves daily. 'I'heir mines are great lources ot wealth ; 
they produce, excepting tin, almoH every metal. Ot 
quicklilver, one mine alone is computed to yield fitty 
thoufand pounds weight a-year. They furnifh a very 
fine clay for porcelain ; and the Ihores abound with ex¬ 
cellent and extenfive ialt works. Its mineral produc¬ 
tions are decidedly the firit native articles for trade ; 
after which its medicinal waters, fait, iieinp, flax, linen, 
filk, wines, fruits, corn, cattle. Huff's, cloths, timber, 
porcelain, wrought iron and Heel, drugs, oil, and co¬ 
lours, are their leading articles of commerce. 
Literature 
