inting out that under
the Imperial constitution the right to commission and despatch diplomatic
(though not consular) agents is not withdrawn from the individual states.
In most instances, however, the maintenance of diplomatic representatives
abroad has long since been discontinued. Saxony, Bavaria, and (p. 209)
Wuerttemberg retain to-day only their posts at Vienna, St. Petersburg,
and the Vatican.

[Footnote 296: Laband, Das Staatsrecht des
deutschen Reiches, Secs. 11-13.]

*219. Constitutional Amendment.*--It is stipulated within the Imperial
constitution that amendments may be adopted by a process identical
with that of ordinary legislative enactment, save that an amendment
against which as many as fourteen votes are cast in the Bundesrath is
to be considered rejected. The practical operation of this
last-mentioned provision is to confer upon Prussia, possessing
seventeen votes and controlling twenty in the federal chamber, an
absolute veto upon all propositions looking toward constitutional
change. Clauses of the constitution whereby special rights are secured
to particular states may be amended only with the consent of the
states affected.[297] In 1873, 1888, and 1893 the text of the
constitution was amended, and upon several other occasions important
modifications have been introduced in the working constitution without
the formality of altering the letter of the instrument.

[Footnote 297: Art. 78. Dodd, Modern Constitutions,
I., 351.]

CHAPTER X (p. 210)

THE IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT: EMPEROR, CHANCELLOR, AND BUNDESRATH

I. THE EMPEROR

*220. Status and Privileges.*--Under the North German Confederation of
1867-1871 the king of Prussia was vested with supreme command of the
federal navy, the functions of Bundesfeldherr, or commander-in-chief
of the federal army, and a large group of purely governmental powers,
including the summoning, proroguing, and adjourning of the Bundesrath
and Bundestag, the appointment and dismissal of the Chancellor and of
other federal officials, the publication of the federal laws, and a
general supervision of the federal administration. These powers were
exercised by the king in the capacity of _Bundespraesidium_, or chief
magistrate, of the federation. Upon the accession of the south German
states in 1870-1871 Bismarck and his royal mas