[Luxemburg and Limburg.] No. 406.-PROTOCOLS OF CONFERENCES between Great Britain, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands and Luxemburg, Prussia, and Russia, respecting the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg and the Duchy of Limburg. London, May, 1867. Protocol "State Papers," vol. lx. No. 1. Presidency of the Conference. Admission of an Italian London, 7th May, 1867. No. 2. Collective Guarantee of Neutrality of Luxemburg agreed to. London, 10th May, 1867. No. 4. Rights of Neutral Powers to maintain and improve their Fortresses and means of defence. Adoption of Article IV. London, 11th May, 1867. Annex. No. 5. Signature of Treaty. 497 501 503 507 507 *Declaration. It is understood that Article III in no way affects the right of the other Neutral Powers to maintain, and if necessary to improve, their Fortresses and other means of defence. [During the War between France and Prussia in 1870, 1871, those Powers mutually engaged to respect the Neutrality of Luxemburg (No. 421).] [North German Constitution:] No. 407.—CONSTITUTION of the North German Confederation. Adopted by the Diet, 16th April, and promulgated, 14th June, 1867.* 11 to 19. Prussian Presidency (Præsidium) of the Confederation. Right to declare War; to make Peace; to conclude Treaties with Foreign Powers; and to send and receive Ambassadors. SECTION V. Customs and Commerce. Lubeck, Bremen, and Hamburg; Free Ports. SECTION VII. to 55. The Navy and Navigation. Ports of Kiel and Jahde. * See Constitution of the German Empire, 16th April, 1871. His Majesty the King of Prussia, His Majesty the King of Saxony, His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of MecklenburgSchwerin, His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Saxe-WeimarEisenach, His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of MecklenburgStrelitz, His Royal Highuess the Grand Duke of Oldenburg, His Highness the Duke of Brunswick and Luneburg, His Highness the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and Hildburghausen, His Highness the Duke of Saxe-Altenberg, His Highness the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, His Highness the Duke of Anhalt, His Serene Highness the Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, His Serene Highness the Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, His Serene Highness the Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Her Serene Highness the Princess Reuss of the Elder Line, His Serene Highness the Prince Reuss of the Younger Line, His Serene Highness the Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe, His Serene Highness the Prince of Lippe, the Senate of the Free and Hanse Town of Lubeck, the Senate of the Free and Hanse Town of Bremen, the Senate of the Free and Hanse Town of Hamburg, all for the whole extent of their State Territory, and His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse, &c., for the parts of the Grand Duchy of Hesse situated to the north of the Main, enter into a perpetual Confederation for the defence of the Federal territory and of the rights prevailing therein, as well as for fostering the welfare of the German people. The said Confederation will bear the name of the North German Confederation, and the following will be its Constitution. SECTION I.-The Federal Territory. ART. I. The Territory of the Confederation consists of the [North German Constitution.] States of Prussia with Lauenburg, Saxony, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Saxe-Weimar, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Oldenburg, Brunswick, SaxeMeiningen, Saxe-Altenburg, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Anhalt, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, Waldeck, Reuss of the Elder Line, Reuss of the Younger Line, Schaumburg-Lippe, Lippe, Lubeck, Bremen, Hamburg, and the parts of the Grand Duchy of Hesse situated north of the Main. SECTION II.-The Federal Legislation. ART. II. The Confederation exercises the right of Legislation within the aforesaid Territory, according to the provisions of this Constitution, and to the effect that the Federal Laws take precedence of the Laws of the respective Countries. The Federal Laws acquire their binding force by publication on the part of the Confederation, which takes place by means of a Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt). If the published Law does not fix another date for the beginning of its binding force, it comes into force on the 14th day after the close of the day on which the number of the Federal Law Gazette containing it was published at Berlin. ART. III. There exists for the whole extent of the Federal Territory a common Birthright (Indigenat), which so operates that a person, subject, or citizen, belonging to any one of the Federal States is to be treated in any other Federal State as a native, and to be admitted accordingly to a fixed residence therein, to carry on business, to fill public offices, to acquire landed property, to obtain the right of citizenship, and to enjoy all other civil rights on the same conditions as the native, and also to be treated in like manner with regard to legal proceedings for prosecution or defence. No person belonging to the Confederation must be restricted in the exercise of this right either by the authorities of his native place, or by those of any other Federal State. The regulations respecting provision for the poor and admission into the local Communal Union, are not affected by the principle laid down in the first paragraph. Existing Treaties between the separate Federal States relative to the reception of persons who are to be expelled, the care of sick and the burial of Deceased Subjects, remain in force for the present. [North German Constitution.] In regard to the fulfilment of Military Duty towards the Native Country, the necessary measures will be arranged in the way of Federal legislation. With reference to Foreign Countries every one belonging to the Confederation has an equal claim to its Protection. ART. IV. The following matters are subject to the supervision of the Confederation and to its legislation. 1. The regulations on freedom of expatriation, on domiciliation and settlement, right of citizenship, passports, and police for foreigners, also on matters of business, including the system of insurance, in so far as these subjects are not already settled by Article III of this Constitution, likewise on colonisation and emigration to other than German countries; 2. The Customs and Commercial Legislation, and the Taxes to be applied to Federal purposes; 3. The regulation of the systems of Weights, Measures, and Money, including the settlement of the principles for the emission of funded and unfunded paper money; 4. The general regulations for Banking; 5. Patents of invention; 6. The protection of intellectual Property; 7. The organisation of a common protection for German Commerce abroad, of German Navigation and its Flag at Sea, and the establishment of a common Consular representation to be endowed by the Confederation; 8. Railways, and the formation of Roads, and Water-communications for the defence of the Country and for general circulation; 9. Floating and Navigation on the Waterways common to several States, the condition of those Waters, as well as the River and other Water-Tolls; 10. The Tostal and Telegraph service; 11. The regulations for the reciprocal execution of Judgments in civil causes and the fulfilment of requisitions in general; 12. Also those on the attestation of Public Documents; 13. The common legislation on contract law, penal law, commercial law, the law of bills of exchange, and the legal procedure; 14. The Military affairs of the Confederation and the Navy; 15. Measures of medical and veterinary Police. ART. V. The Legislation of the Confederation is performed by |