SAXE-MEININGEN / 6
SAXE MEININGEN.
(Hkuzogthum Saciiskn-Meininuen. ) Reigning Duke.
Georg II., born April 2, 1826 ; the son of Duke Bernhard I. Succeeded, on the abdication of his father, September 20, 1866. Married, (1) May 18, 1850, to Princess Charlotte of Prussia, who died March 30, 1855; (2) October 23, 1858, to Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, who died February 10, 1872 ; (3) niorganatically, March 18, 1873, to Ellen Franz, Baroness von Heldburg. Offi^pring (first marriage) : — I. Prince Bernhard, born April 1, 1851 ; married February 18, 1878, to Princess Charlotte, ehlcst daughter of the late German Emperor Friedrich Wilhelm ; offspring of the union is Feodora, born May 12, 1879 ; married September 24, 1898, to Prince Henry XXX. of Reuss, Younger Branch. II. Princess Marie Elizabeth, born September 23, 1853. (Second marriage) III. Prince Ernst, born September 27, 1859 ; married morganatically Sept. 20, 1892, to Katharina Jensen, Baroness von Saalfeld. IV. Prince Friedrich, born October 12, 1861 ; married April 25, 1889, to Adelheid, Countess of Lippe Biesterfeld ; offspring two daughters and two sons, Georg, born October 11, 1892, and Ernst, born September 23, 1895.
The line of Saxe-]\Ieiningen was founded by Duke Bernhard, third son of Ernst I. of Saxony, surnamed the Pious, the friend and companion in arms of King Gustaf Adolf of Sweden. The Duchy was only one-third its present size up to the year 1826, when, by the extinction of the ancient family of Saxe-Gotha, the territories of Hildburghausen and Saalfeld fell to the father of the present Duke. The Duke has a civil list of 394,286 marks paid out of the produce of the State domains. Besides these he receives the half of the surplus, which is estimated for the 3 financial years 1897-99 at 410,800 marks.
Constitution and Finance.
The charter of the Duchy bears date August 23, 1829, and is supplemented by the laws of 1870, 1873 and 1896. It provides for a legislative organization, consi-sting of one Chamber of twenty-four representatives. Four of these are elected by those who pay the highest land and property tax, and four by those who pay income tax on an iiicome of 3,000 marks or more ; sixteen by all other inhabitants. The Chamber meets as often as necessary, and in any case for the arrangement of the budget every three years, and new elections take place eveiy six.
The budget for the 3 financial years 1897-99 states the revenue at 7, 624, 330 marks, and the expenditure at 6, 802, 800 marks. More than one third of the revenue is drawn from State domains belonging to the ducal family. The chief items of expenditure are Matrikularbeitrage (or contributions) for the Empire, the interest of the public debt, and the expenses for the adminis- tration of the State domains and of the State. The debt in 1898 amounted to 9,160,847 marks. Most of the debt is covered by productive State capital.
Area and Population.
The area of the Duchy is 953 English square miles, and the population in 1895 was 234,005 (114,424 males and 119,581 females). Population per square mile 245-5. Of the total 231,969 were Protestants; 3,179 were Catholics; 1,487 were Jews. The capital, Meiningcn, had, in 1895, 12,869 inhabitants. In 1896 there were 1,987 marriages; 8,538 births; 4,716 deaths; surplus of births, 3,822. Of the births 305 (3*6 per cent ) were stillborn, and 1,076 (12-6 per cent.) illegitimate. Emigrants: 1892, 183; 1893, 6^
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