The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-09


Ratisbon, and endowed with an artiflcialIy
constructed State and revenue composed
of the bishopric and principally Of katis-
bon, the town and county OF Wetzlar. the
prinoipality OF AschafYenburg and cAarg"
Of 900 900 aorins on the Rhenish ootroi'
The Grand Masters of the Teltonic ordei
and Of the Order OF ST. John represented
all that was left OF the thirty-four eccieeias-
tioal votes In tho Diet. In the College OF
Princes tho majority passed from the
Catholics to tho Professionals. from tho
South to the North. from the party OF
Austria TO the party OF Prussia In ti"'
distribution Of territory the claims OF Inc
small princes and knighta who had con-
stitutad the Austrian garrison In the west
were wholly or partially dsregarded'
After the defeat OF Austria and Russia
1t AuSterlitS the treaty Of Preseourg
(Dec. 20, ls05) excluded the House of hap6-
burg alike from Italy. Switzerland ana
the Rhine. The Tyrol and the Vorarl-
berg the great mountain barrier winch
commands the connection between Italy
and the Danube--was given to the Elector
OF Bavaria, who received in addition the
principality of Eichstadt the remaining
portion Of the bishoprc Of Passau. the
town and territory Of Augsburg. tho
bishoprics Of Trent and Bri1en, the town
of Lindau. the nlargravate OF Bingen and
other lordshps OF less Importance. The
electors Of Wtrtemberg and Baden divided
between them the remaining Austrian
possessions in the West, and the only COM
pensations which Austria received tor these
huge sacrifices were the electorate. OF
Salxberg, which in 1903 had been adjudged
to the Archduke Leopold (now transferred
to the princlpalty OF Wnrzburg), and the
right Of appointing an Austrian Archduke
TO the post Of Grand Master OF the Teutonio
Order. An advance in title and dignity
was secured to the Napoleonic allies and
recognized by Austria. Bavaria and Wir-
temburg, which had been celebrates,
were henceforth monurhes; the Elector
OF Baden and the Landgrave OF Hesse-
Darmstadt $ook the title of Grand Duke.
Perhaps the most important concession,
however, to the rulers Of Bavaria, Wur-
temburg and Baden was the declaration.
in an article Of the Treaty Of Pressburg.
that they should enjoy. complete and I'M
divided sovereignty over their own States
This clause practically shattered the links
OF dependence which bound the three Courts
to the chief OF the Holy Roman Empire.
The dissolution OF the Holy Roman
Empire was now seen TO he imminent. II
was rendered inevitable by the Treaty OF
the Confederation Of the Rhine, which was
signed AZ Paris on July II, 1908. Fifteen
Princes OF the empire joined tho new league,
to wit: the Kings Of Bavaria and Wtirtem-
burg, Charles Of Dalberg arch Chancellor
of the German Fmpirel, the Elector OF
Bavaria, the Duke Of Cleves and Berg,
the Landgrave Of Hesse- Darmstadt. the
two Princes OF NassauU singen and Nassau
Weilberg. the two Princes Of Hohenzollern-
Sigma ringen and Hrchingen. the two
Princes Of Salm-Salm and Salm-kirburg,
the Prince of Isenberg- Birstein, the Duke
Of Ayrenberg and the Count Won der Leyen.
These fifteen sovereigns declared them
selves separated forever from the territory
OF the German Empire. ard united by a
special confederation under the name OF
Confederate States OF the Rhine. 1t was
stipulated that the Princes Of the confed-
Grafton should not take service of any kind
save in the Confederate States or with the
allies Of the Confederation. In tho event
of the French Empire becoming involved in
war, each Of the Confederate States OF the
Rhine was 10 furnish fixed contingent of
soldiers. On. Aug, l., 1905. the text OF the
treaty was communicated to- the Diet OF
R-ltis,on. together with the announcement
that the Emperor OF the French had ac-
cepted the title Of Protector OF the Rhine.
The members of the Diet Of Ratisbon recog-
nized that they had no longer any pretext
for existence. On Aug q the Emperor
Francis formally renowned the imperial
! title and the Holy Roman Empire was
at an end.