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532
GER MA N r. [Saxony.
does not atftually occupy it himfelf, the Amtman has no jurlfdidlion over
him, excenting in real adlions, A Land-ftate is one who, either with refpcdt
to his fortune, or on account of a certain privilege, or ehe on account
of defcent, enjoys both feat and voice at provincial and feledl Diets. The
provincial Diets confift of three clafles. To the firft belong the prelates,
which are the foundations of Meiffen, Merfeburg and Naumburg. 2. The
Counts and Lords : namely, formerly the Counts, but at prefent the
Princes, of Schwarzbiirg, together with the Counts of Mansfeld, Solms^
Stolberg, Barby and Schonburg ; and, laftly, the two univerfities of Leipzig
and Wittenberg. The Prelates, Counts and Lords form together a peculiar
college; and the univerfides alfo, ever fince the year 1666, another; but
their deputies have their places among the prelates. To the fecond
clafs belongs the nobility in general. Each nobleman who, by virtue of the
eledoral ordinance of the year 1530, can produce eight degrees of defcent
both by the father's and mother's fide, and is polTeffed of an ancient immediate
nobleman's eftate, enjoys both feat and voice at the provincial Diets,
and is alfo fummoned by a private or fealed order ; but he has only one
voice though poffefled of two, three or mora immediate eftates. Any
ancient nobleman, however, having a new immediate elfate, may indeed
appear, but has not his expence defrayed unlefs he be exprefly mentioned
in the Sovereign's ordinance iffued for that purpofe. Compofed of this
nobility each of the feven circles of the eleftorate takes its
feat at aflemblies
at a table to itfelf, according to its refpedive rank, though each member
indeed feats himfelf, without diftindion, juft as occafion or fancy lead
him. Every circle has its diredor and co-diredor, who fit always in the
middle at the table. The mediate nobility are fummoned together, at the
command of the regency, by the Amtmen ; but appear only by deputies,
of whom two at mofl: are fent out of each prefedurate. The third provincial
clafs is formed of the towns in general, of which there are feventeen
in the eledoral circle, feven in that of Tburingia^ twenty-three in that of
MeiJJen, fifteen in that of Leipzig, thirty-two in the circle of the Erzgebirge
five in that of the Vogtland, and three in the circle of Neufladt, amounting
in all to one hundred and two.
The general provincial Diets here are ordinarily held every fix years, the
provincial grants ufually extending to that time, or whenever a new regency
commences. The regency difpatches for that purpofe printed fummons
to each immediate vailal of Prelates, Counts and Lords, nobility, towns
and univerfities, fummoning them to appear in perfon ; but the mediate
vaflalsare convoked by the Amtmen of the refpedive prefedurates to which
they belong. The immediate vafials appear in perfon at the provincial
Diets ; the Prelates, Counts, Lords and towns by their deputies : the laft
of whom, according to their bignefs, fend two, three or more reprefentatives
J
and the mediate vafials, out of each prefedurate, two or three nobles
r
invefled