POLITICAL DIVISIONS. [THE EMPIRE OF GERMANY.] POLITICAL DIVISIONS.

other Christians, and over three millions of Jews. The receipts and expenses of the government are a little over one hundred and twenty millions of dollars.

ceeded to form a constitution for the German Empire, which, however, after being passed, was not recognized by the several important states. Discussion ensued; and on May 30, 1849, the Assembly resolved to The German Customs League.-Formertransfer its place of meeting to Stuttgart. ly every different state in Germany had "But this resolution not being acqui- its own custom-houses, its own tariff esced in by the government, it resolved to and revenue laws, which frequently dif remain at Frankfort, while a large body of fered very widely from those of its neighthe members withdrew to Stuttgart, where bors. Each petty state endeavored to prothe so-called German Parliament was sum- cure a revenue for itself, or to advance its moned for June 6th. This was the final own industry by taxing or prohibiting the death-blow to that assembly, which at one productions of those by which it was surtime seemed destined to play so important rounded, and customs' officers and lines of a part in German history. Subsequently custom-houses were spread over the counto this period Prussia endeavored to form a try, instead of being reciprocal and dependconfederation, with herself at the head of it. ent. Now, throughout the whole extent This plan was opposed by several states, of this immense country, there is nothing including Austria, which last, proceeding to prevent the freedom of commerce. A to act on the old law of the Confedera- commodity, whether for consumption or tion, by which, since 1815, the Diet of Ger- transit, that has once passed the frontier man States had been annually assembled of the League, may be subsequently conat Frankfort, convoked the Diet, notwith- veyed without let or hinderance through. standing the remonstrances of Prussia. out its whole extent. With the exception of Prussia and Oldenburg, all the states obeyed the summons.

"Subsequently to this period, the pretensions of Prussia to form and head a separate confederation nearly involved Germany in a general war, which was, however, happily prevented. Meetings between the ministers of Prussia and Austria took place, and differences were so far arranged that these two leading powers, with the concurrence of the other states, united in attempting to re-constitute the German Confederation, which was finally accomplished."

The present ruler of Prussia is Frederick William, born March 22, 1797; became regent October 9, 1858; and succeeded his brother January 2, 1861, under the title of William I., since which time he has accepted the imperial crown. His son, the Prince Imperial, married the Princess Victoria, daughter of the Queen of England, January 25, 1858. The emperor is descended from the younger branch of the house of Hohenzollern, which has been rapidly augmenting in importance for the past five hundred years, while the elder branch has been dying out. Prussia is governed by a Constitution, adopted January 31, 1850. The population is 24,039,543, nearly half of whom are Protestants, eight million Catholics, ninety-two thousand of

Throughout Germany thirty pounds of baggage is allowed free of expense; all above that is charged.

Minden, a strongly-fortified town on the River Weser, contains 15,000 inhabitants. Hotels, Eisenbahn Gasthof and Stadt London. The new barracks and cathedral are its principal buildings. The last has some very pretty windows. The fortifications were blown up by Frederick the Great at the end of the Seven Years' War, but have since been rebuilt. A little north of the town lies the field where the battle of Minden was fought in 1759, where Prince FerMoney.-Accounts are kept in Prussia dinand of Brunswick defeated the French. in thalers and silver groschens. 30 silver The Weser is here crossed by a fine stone groschen 1 thaler. 1 thaler=73 cents bridge 600 feet long, one of the arches of U. S. In Brunswick and Hanover, 1 tha- which was blown up by the French in ler=24 good groschens. The silver coins 1813. There is nothing to be seen here are marked 3 einen thaler = thaler 244c. of sufficient importance to detain the travU.S.; thaler=124 c. U. S.; thalereler. You change cars at this station, and

lands. Beneath the old town hall, built been incorporated with that of Prussia. in 1405, are the famous wine-cellars, con- The late reigning family derived its oritaining vats filled with hock, said to begin from the union of the Marquis d'Este, over 100 years old. In one compartment of this cellar are some casks called "Rose and the 12 Apostles!" It is said the hock contained in them is 150 years old, and was formerly sold for two dollars a glass! Vessels of large size stop at Bremerhaven, near the mouth of the river. Those drawing 13 or 14 feet of water ascend as far as Vegesack, 13 miles below Bremen, and those not drawing more than seven feet come up to the city. Steamers leave twice a week for New York. Fare $120. From Bremen to Hull, every Tuesday; from Bremen to London, every Monday and Thursday. Fare $10.

From Minden to Hanover, distance 40 miles.

in the eleventh century, with a wealthy princess of Bavaria, the issue of which received the surname of Guelph from his maternal ancestors, and inherited the dukedom of Bavaria. Henry the Proud, third in descent from him last mentioned, married Gertrude, the ruling princess of Brunswick. Their son, well known in the history of the Crusades as Henry the Lion (born 1129), was the first Guelph Duke of Brunswick. He married a daughter of Henry II., king of England, and from this marriage both the houses of Brunswick and Luneburg are descended. The Reformation numbered the princes of Brunswick among its most zealous supporters, and their subjects, during the thirty years' war, warmly seconded their anti-papal efforts. Ernest of Zell, the reigning duke, was one of the most eloquent defenders of Luther at the Diet of Worms. His endeavors to improve the people, by establishing clerical and general schools, when learning was esteemed only by the few, show him to be a man of enlightened views. His grandson, Ernest Augustus, married Sophia, granddaughter of James I. of England (by his daughter Elizabeth, the wife of the Elector-Palatine), and on this marriage was founded the claim of the elder branch of the house of Brunswick to the English crown, acknowledged by Parliament in 1701. George Louis was issue of this marriage, and became King The kingdom of Hanover occupies a of England in 1714, from which time till large part of northwestern Germany. Its 1837, at the death of William IV., both northern boundary is the North Sea; on England and Hanover have had the same the south it is bounded by the Prussian sovereign. The Salic law, which is in dominions; on the east by Prussia and the force in Hanover, by which the crown does course of the River Elbe, which divides it not pass in the female line, then conferred from Mecklenburg and Holstein; and on the Hanoverian crown on Ernest, duke of the west by Holland. A small detached Cumberland, fifth, but eldest surviving son portion of Hanover is separated from the of George III.

KINGDOM OF HANOVER.

rest of the kingdom by the little territory In 1804 Prussia took possession of Hanof Brunswick. In the detached part of over, but ceded it in the same year to Hanover, to the southeast, is the metallif- the French, who constituted it a part of the erous group of the Hartz Mountains, their kingdom of Westphalia, established in highest summit, the Brocken, famous for 1808 to make a kingdom for Jerome Bonaits spectral appearances-a gigantic repro- parte. At the peace of 1813, the King of duction of the figures of the spectator and Great Britain reclaimed his rightful doof surrounding objects upon the white veil minions, which were much enlarged by of mist which envelopes the mountain at the stipulations of the treaty of Vienna, early dawn. and formed into a kingdom, until absorbed The kingdom of Hanover has lately in 1866 by the King of Prussia.

ing to decay. The gardens are laid out in the old French style-straight walks, lined with high clipped hedges.

If wishing to visit Hamburg, here leave the direct road passing Celle and Luneburg.

From Hanover to Brunswick is 37 miles.

DUCHY OF BRUNSWICK.

Hanover, situated in the midst of a sandy plain, upon the banks of the Leine, an affluent of the Weser. Population 74,000. Principal hotels are H. de Russin, H. de Royale, and H. de l'Europe. There is nothing to be seen in Hanover of much importance, although it is the res- Celle is a beautiful town, noted for its idence of the king. The old town, on the inhabitants speaking the language in its right bank of the river, has crooked and greatest purity. The Handel School is narrow streets, and is poorly built and highly spoken of, as is its principal, Dr. dirty. The streets of the new town are Feidler. more regular, and lined with handsome houses, particularly George Street and Frederick Street, opening on Waterloo Platz, which serves for a parade-ground. It is adorned with a handsome monumental rotunda of Liebnitz, the philosopher and mathematician. On the south side of the square stands the Waterloo column, 156 feet high, sacred to the memory of the Hanoverians who fell in the battle of Waterloo. On the north side of the square stands a statue of General Alten, commander of the Hanoverian legion in Spain. The principal public buildings are the royal palace or Schloss, of very good exterior, and splendidly fitted up within. The Ritter-Saal, or Knight's Hall, is splendidly furnished, and contains some very fine portraits. Among the best are Napoleon, Wellington, George I., II., III., IV. of England. The Reliquarium contains some very curious relics, some of which were brought from Palestine by Henry the Lion. The Opera-house is a very handsome building; also the Mint, Arsenal, and viceroy's palace. The royal stables, where the well-known breed of black and cream-col- They are allowed to be the best situated, ored Hanoverian horses are kept, are well in point of comfort and village economy, worth a visit. This is the same stock that of all the Germans, and the aspect of the draws the state carriage of the Queen of whole country is indicative of good order England. The Schloss Kirche is one of the and prosperity. It is one of the best-govhandsomest churches in the city; it con-erned states in Europe. The public debt tains the remains of the Electress Sophia is less than one million of dollars, and is and her son, George I., king of England. being rapidly reduced. In the picture-gallery of Bauroth Hausman there are some very fine pictures.

The duchy of Brunswick embraces three detached portions of moderate size, inclosed between the kingdom of Hanover and the Prussian dominions, together with several pieces of much smaller extent. The inhabitants of this duchy are mostly descended from a branch of the ancient Saxons, and the low German language is universal among the villagers, except on the Harz Mountains, where the mining population speak high-German. Personal courage and open-heartedness are the leading characteristics of the Brunswickers.

The present Duke of Brunswick is a lineal descendant of Henry the Lion, the About half a mile from Hanover is Mount last of the house of Welf, who held the Brilliant, the king's country residence, and united duchies of Bavaria and Saxony. In formerly the seat of Count Walmsden, who their rivalry with the Swabian house of enriched it with a gallery of very fine pic- Hohenstaufen, in the 12th century, the partures. About one and a half miles distant ty of the powerful Welfs was stronger in is the old palace of Herrenhausen, the fa- Italy than in Germany, and the jealousy vorite residence of George I., who built it entertained of their power in the former for his mistress, Countess Platen. It is country caused all the princes of the emheavy and tasteless, and appears to be go- pire to unite with the Emperor Frederick

Barbarossa in humbling them. Henry the corps which crossed his passage, with equal Lion, having refused to aid that emperor good fortune and bravery he succeeded in in his wars with the free Italian cities and embarking for England, where his troops the Pope, was deprived, by a decree of the joined the British army, with permission Diet in 1180, of both his duchies, and only to retain the black uniform which their left the possession of his allodial domains bravery had rendered celebrated, and of Brunswick and Luneburg (or Hanover), served until 1814 in the Peninsula. Havwhich were subsequently split into numer- ing regained his dominions under the stipous branches, but merged finally into the ulations of the Treaty of Vienna, Frederstill reigning lines of Hanover and Bruns- ick William fell at the head of his troops wick, which is the elder branch. As such while maintaining his position at Quatre the crown of England would have de- Bras, two days before the battle of Water volved to this line, which claims descent loo. In the German Confederation Bruns from the daughter of Henry II., on the ex-wick has the thirteenth voice conjointly tinction of the house of Stuart, had not the with Nassau, and has two voices in the Duke of Luneburg, afterward George I., Plenum.

by marrying the daughter of Elizabeth, Brunswick, capital of the duchy, conCountess Palatine, the daughter of James tains 51,000 inhabitants. Hotels are H. I. of England, procured a prior claim to d'Angleterre, H. de Prusse, and Schrieder. the younger line. Henry the Lion made this city his resiTreaties of mutual inheritance exist be- dence in the 12th century, fortifying and tween the houses of Hanover and Bruns- adorning it. From this prince the present wick, and the succession only passes to the royal family of England are descended. female side when legitimate male heirs fail. The principal objects of curiosity to be The intimate family connection which in seen are the new palace or Residenzschloss: the last century subsisted between the it is erected on the site of the Graue Hof, houses of Brunswick and the reigning fam- which was burnt by the mob in 1839. It ilies of Great Britain and Prussia, engaged is a tasteful Greek structure, and is elethe princes of Brunswick in political alli- gantly furnished, containing many very ances with these two powers, in opposition pretty modern pictures, and some of the to France and occasionally to Austria. The old masters. The exorbitant fee of two Prussian army, at the outset of the disas- dollars is charged for admission, and it is trous campaign of 1806, was commanded hardly worth it. The Cathedral of St. by the Duke Charles William Ferdinand Blaize was finished by Henry the Lion: of Brunswick, who fell in the battle of Jena, it is an interesting solid structure in the Although he had declared his duchy neu. Byzantine Gothic style. It contains the tral, and no Brunswick troops were with monuments of Henry the Lion and his wife the Prussian army, yet his lands were Matilda (sister of Richard Cœur de Lion). immediately seized by the conqueror, and In the vaults beneath the church lie the incorporated with the kingdom of West- coffins of Duke Charles William Ferdiphalia. His youngest son, Frederick Wil- nand, who fell at the battle of Jena, and liam, after the death of his eldest, and the his son, Duke Frederick William, who fell abdication of his second brother, the sole at Quatre Bras, nobly avenging his father's remaining heir, served some time in the death. Small black flags (the color of his Prussian, and afterward in the Austrian uniform), presented the one by the matrons, army. In 1809 this adventurous prince the other by the maidens of Brunswick, raised a small corps, and attempted, in co- hang above Duke Frederick's coffin. Close operation with the grand Austrian army, to these lies the coffin of Caroline of Brunsto excite a diversion in the north of Ger- wick, the unfortunate queen of George IV., many; but, finding his cause ruined by the king of England. The church contains victory of the French at Wagram, he cross- numerous relics brought from the East by ed the whole of Germany at the head of a Henry the Lion, his own statue, the highsmall body not exceeding 2000 men, and priest's servant's ear, the bone of a whale marched from the Bohemian frontier to which was formerly passed off as one of the sea-coast near Bremen Eluding and Goliath's ribs, and various other articles. alternately fighting the various French Near the Cathedral stands a large bronze