The members of the Diet, or Parliament, are elected for three years by the people. As in the United States, each of the sovereignties is independent in its local government, and exercises all powers which are not expressly delegated to the Diet. All legislation relating to trade, commerce, emigration, colonization, and insurance companies, belongs to the Parliament. The empire also regulates the tariff, coinage, weights and measures, banking, patents and copyrights, navigation, both internal and external, post office and telegraphs, the army and navy, and laws relating to the press. The legislature consists of two branches, the Federal Council and the Diet, or Parliament, the latter of which has nearly four hundred members. The Federal Council is composed of the representatives of the several governments. Prussia has seventeen votes in this body; Bavaria, six; Würtemberg and Saxony, four each; Baden and Hesse, three each; Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Brunswick, two each; and all the others, one each, making fifty-eight in all. Each state may send as many members as it has votes, but all from one state must vote together, representing but one opinion. The emperor represents the empire, concludes treaties, sends ambassadors, and receives the ministers of other powers. He declares war in the name of the Confederacy, but unless its territory is invaded or menaced, he must have the consent of the Federal Council. The executive power is practically delegated to the King of Prussia, whose navy now belongs to Germany, and the army is under his command. To all intents and purposes Prussia is Germany. The Zollverein, or Customs Union, controls all matters relating to the trade and commerce of the German states. It has a council and parliament, like those of the empire. Its object is to levy uniform duties on imported merchandise, to superintend the collection of the revenues, and to regulate trade. All the receipts of the Zollverein are paid into a common treasury, and distributed according to the population among the several states. As soon as the professor finished his lecture, a steamer came alongside, and took off the students who were to make an excursion to Königsberg. CHAPTER XVII. FROM KÖNIGSBERG TO DANZIG. "Do you remember that amber chamber we saw in the palace of Czarskoé Sélo?" asked Dr. Winstock, as the steamer left the ship. "Yes, sir; the amber was presented by Frederick the Great," replied Lincoln. "Probably he obtained it from this vicinity, where it is largely gathered on the sea-shore, after a storm. It is also dug out of the ground in the interior of the country." "What is amber?" inquired Norwood, who was listening to the conversation.