re of the crown
must be countersigned by a minister; and every minister is immediately
and actually responsible to Parliament for all of his official acts.

[Footnote 690: Law III. of 1848, Sec. 3. Dodd,
Modern Constitutions, I., 94.]

*543. Composition and Status of the Ministry.*--The ministry consists of
a president of the council, or premier, and the heads of nine
departments, as follows: Finance, National Defense, Interior,
Education and Public Worship, Justice, Industry and Commerce,
Agriculture, the Ministry for Croatia and Slavonia, and the Ministry
near the King's Person. The last-mentioned portfolio exists by virtue
of the constitutional requirement that "one of the ministers shall
always be in attendance upon the person of His Majesty, and shall take
part in all affairs which are common to Hungary and the hereditary
provinces, and in such affairs he shall, under his responsibility,
represent Hungary."[691] All ministers are appointed by the king, (p. 492)
on nomination of the premier. All have seats in Parliament and must be
heard in either chamber when they desire to speak. They are bound,
indeed, to attend the sessions of either house when requested, to
submit official papers for examination, and to give "proper
explanations" respecting governmental policies. They may be impeached
by vote of a majority of the lower chamber, in which event the trial
is held before a tribunal of twelve judges chosen by secret ballot by
the upper house from among its own members. Inasmuch, however, as the
lower house has acquired the power by a simple vote of want of
confidence to compel a cabinet to resign, the right of impeachment
possesses in practice small value. The ministry is required to submit
once a year to the lower house for its examination and approval a
statement of the income and needs of the country, together with an
account of the income administered by it during the past twelve
months.[692]

[Footnote 691: Law III. of 1848, Sec. 13. Dodd,
Modern Constitutions, I., 94.]

[Footnote 692: Law III. of 1848, Sec. 37. Ibid.,
I., 97.]

III. PARLIAMENT--THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM

*544. The Table of Magnates.*--The Hungarian parliament consists of two
houses, whose official designations are _Foerendihaz_--Table, or
Chamber, of Magnates--and _Kepviseloehaz_, or Chamber of Deputies. The
upper house is es