Only the Assembly could decide constitutional questions and could do so without consulting anybody else. Meanwhile, however, although keeping control the members could limit themselves, if they wished, in authority--and this is one of the instances in the provisional constitution characterized by its spirit of compromise--if this limitation seemed to them in the general interest and necessary to the prompt accomplishment of their work. In fact, the National Assembly limited itself in this matter of the constitution only on one point, a fundamental one--the territorial status of the states. According to Article 4, paragraph 2, of the law dealing with that question “the territories of the component republics cannot be modified except by their consent.” This meant that the sovereign National Assembly did not permit even itself to change the territorial map of Germany. Minister Preuss explained to the Assembly that he had to make this concession, for they could not with a stroke of the pen and by a simple decision change the boundaries of the respective states without their consent. This provision was necessary to reassure the states, being given especially in view of the announced intentions of the government of the Reich on a territorial regrouping and a partition of Prussia. But it was distinctly specified by Preuss that this provision would hold only until the definitive action on the Constitution by the Assembly. For in this Constitution the National Assembly could of its own accord and without limitations take whatever decision it wished. In other words after the definite adoption of the Constitution the states could no longer invoke article 4, paragraph 3 of the law of February 10, 1919, in order to oppose the operation of article 18 of the Constitution of Weimar,[7] in case an individual state were so minded. * * * * * 2. ORDINARY LAWS.--The National Assembly had other work to do besides the Constitution. They recognized (Article 1 of the law of February 10, 1919) that beside the Constitution they had to vote “other urgent laws for the Reich.” But here in contrast to the procedure in the adoption of constitutional laws the National Assembly did not adopt laws except in agreement with the representatives of the individual states. No project could become a law until it was accepted both by the representatives of the individual states and by the National Assembly. For this purpose the law of February 10, 1919, created a Commission of States.