arise. The Government has ridden the Reichstag
with a strong hand, turning awkward corners by concessions to the various
groups in turn, and the Reichstag has responded to this treatment. Bismarck
"took his majorities where he could get them"; and Prince Buelow's book
contains some illuminating pages about the clever methods which that
statesman adopted to "manage" his Parliaments.

Above the Reichstag is the Bundesrat or Federal Council, on which all the
Federated States are represented, Prussia having seventeen members as
against forty-two from the other States. The Bundesrat sits in secret; its
members are selected by the different State Governments and vote according
to instructions received. All Bills originate in the Bundesrat before they
are submitted to the Reichstag, and are re-submitted to the Bundesrat, to
be passed or vetoed, after alteration in the Reichstag. The twenty-six
members of the German Federation represented in the Bundesrat comprise four
kingdoms (Prussia, Bavaria, Wuertemberg, and Saxony), a number of Grand
Duchies and smaller ducal States, three Free Cities (Hamburg, Luebeck, and
Bremen), and the Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine. All these (except
the last named) preserve their own local Parliaments and institutions, and
the second largest, Bavaria, even preserves in peace-time, like the British
self-governing Dominions, her own military organisation and has also her
own postal system. But Prussia in size, influence, and military strength
is by far the most important, and for practical purposes her power
preponderates over that of all the other States combined. The real control
of legislation naturally lies with the State which controls two-fifths
of the votes in the Bundesrat, where legislation is initiated and can
be vetoed; it is wielded by the Kaiser, as King of Prussia, and by his
Imperial Chancellor, President of the Bundesrat and always a Prussian
Minister. The Imperial Chancellor, who is the only Imperial Minister, is
chosen by the Kaiser and is responsible to him alone: he countersigns all
the Kaiser's orders and edicts, and has the function, it may be added, of
explaining away his indiscretions.

It is inevitable, under these circumstances, that the policy and
legislation of the central government should largely reflect Prussian views
and ideals. On the other hand, the temper of the rest of Germany must
always be kept in mind. As Prince Buellow, the late Imperial Chancellor,
say