“ XLI. Railways which are considered necessary for the defence of Germany, or for the sake of the common intercourse, may, by virtue of an Imperial law, even against the opposition of the members of the Confederation whose territory is intersected by the railways, but without prejudice to the prerogatives of the country, be constructed on account of the empire, or concessions to execute the works may be granted to private contractors, with the right of expropriation. ”

“ III. For entire Germany one common nationality exists with the effect, that every person (subject, State-citizen) belonging to any one of the Confederated States is to be treated in every other of the Confederated States as a born native, and accordingly must be permitted to have a fixed dwelling, to trade, to be appointed to public offices, to acquire real estate property, to obtain the rights of a State-citizen, and to enjoy all other civil rights under the same presuppositions as the natives, and likewise is to be treated equally with regard to legal prosecution or legal protection. ”

“ The Empire has to determine the method of ascertaining the burden of sea-going vessels, to grant bills of admeasurement, as well as to regulate the ship-certificates, and to determine the conditions upon which the permission to command a sea-going vessel depends. ”

“ The Empire has likewise to take heed that the railway boards keep the lines at all times in such a state of repair as to insure safety, and that they provide them with the working material necessary for the traffic. ”

“ XXIII. The Imperial Diet has the right to propose laws within the competency of the Empire, and to forward Petitions which have been addressed to it to the Council of the Confederation, or to the Chancellor of the Empire. ”

“ In voting on a matter which, according to the stipulations of this Constitution, is not common to the whole Empire, only the votes of those members will be counted who have been elected in those Confederate States to which the matter is common.
XXIX. The members of the Imperial Diet are Representatives of the entire people, and are not bound by orders and instructions. ”

“ XXX. No member of the Imperial Diet can at any time be proceeded against either judicially or by way of discipline, on account of his votes, or for expressions made use of in the exercise of his functions, nor can he be made responsible in any other way out of the Assembly. ”

“ These dues, as well as the dues payable for making use of such artificial water-ways as are State property, must not exceed the expenses which are requisite for the maintenance and ordinary repairs of such erections and works. These regulations are also applicable to floatage so far as it takes place on navigable water-ways.
The imposition of other or higher dues on foreign ships, or their cargoes, than those paid by the ships of the Federal States does not belong to any single State, but solely to the Empire. ”

“ XX. The Imperial Diet is elected by universal and direct election with secret votes.
Until the legal arrangement reserved in § 5 of the Election Laws of 31st May, 1869, (“Federal Law Gazette,” 1869, page 145) has been made, there are to be elected—in Bavaria, 48; in Wurtemburg, 17; in Baden, 14; Hesse, south of the Maine, 6 members, and the total number of the members consists, therefore, of 382.
XXI. Officials do not require any leave of absence on entering into the Imperial Diet. ”

“ XLV. The Empire exercises the control over the tariffs, and will especially operate to the end:
1. That working regulations, in conformity with each other, be introduced as soon as possible on all German railroads ”

“ LXX. To provide for all common expenses, any balances of the preceding year are first of all employed, and likewise the common revenues derived from the duties, the common consumption taxes, and from the postal and telegraph services. ”

“ That the greatest possible equalization and reduction of the tariffs shall take place, and particularly for greater distances an abatement of the tariffs for the transport of coals, coke, timber, ores, stones, salt, raw iron, manures, and similar articles, so as to be more in proportion to the necessities of agriculture and industry, and that the one pfennig tariff may be introduced as speedily as possible. ”