II. MOVEMENT OF THE POPULATION.

The following table shows the movement of the population for the five years 1884-88:

In 1888 3.77 per cent. of the total births were stillborn, and 7·98 per cent. illegitimate. The latter rate varied from 269 per cent. in Westphalia to 12.77 per cent. in Berlin.

The emigration from Prussia by German ports and Antwerp in 1882 was 129,894, in 1885 68,307, in 1886 50,461, in 1887 63,036, in 1888 63,103, in 1889 57,957. The following table, indicating the emigrants from each province in 1889, shows that the northern provinces contribute most largely:

The following table gives the population of the 26 principal towns at the census of December 1, 1885:

Religion.

Absolute religious liberty is guaranteed by the Constitution. Nearly two-thirds of the population are Protestants, and nearly one-third Roman Catholics. The numbers and proportions of the different creeds at the census of 1885 were as follows:-Protestants, 18,244,405, or 64-4 per cent.; Roman Catholics, 9,621,763, or 33.9 per cent. ; other Christians, 82,030, or 29 per cent. ; Jews, 366,575, or 1-29 per cent. ; others and unknown, 3,697. Protestants are in a decided majority in the provinces of SchleswigHolstein, Pomerania, Brandenburg, Saxony, Berlin, Hanover, East Prussia, and Hesse-Nassau (from 98 to 70.3 per cent.); Roman Catholics are in the majority in Hohenzollern (95 per cent.), Rhineland (71), Posen (66), Silesia (52), Westphalia (52), and West Prussia (50). Jews are most numerous in Berlin (4.8 per cent.), Posen (3), Hesse-Nassau (2·7), West Prussia (17), and Silesia (1.2).

The Evangelical or Protestant Church is the State Church, and since 1817 has consisted of a fusion of the Lutheran and Calvinistic bodies, from which, however, there are still a few dissenters. It is governed by 'consistories,' or boards appointed by Government, one for each province. There are also synods in most circles and provinces, and general synods representing the old provinces only. The constitution of the Catholic Church differs in the various provinces. In the Rhenish provinces it is fixed by the concordat entered into between the Government and Pope Pius VII. But in every other part of the Monarchy the Crown has reserved to itself a control over the election of bishops and priests. There were in 1880 9,146 Protestant ministers and 8,300 Roman Catholic priests, besides 300 monks and 4,600 nuns. The higher Catholic clergy are paid by the State, the Prince Bishop of Breslau receiving 34,000 marks a year, and the other bishops about 22,700 marks. The incomes of the parochial clergy mostly arise from endowments. In the budget of 1888-89 the sum of 3,928,883 marks is set down as direct expenditure in Evangelical Churches, and 1,297,306 marks for the Catholic Church.

Instruction.

Education in Prussia is general and compulsory. Every town, or community in town or country, must maintain a school supported by local rates, supplemented by the State, and administered by the local authorities, who are elected by the citizens, and called aldermen or town councillors. All parents are compelled to send their children to one of these elementary schools, in which all fees are now abolished. No compulsion exists in reference to a higher educational institution than elementary schools, but parents who send more than one child to any school supported by the community have, in many cases, a reduction made in the charge, and a limited number of pupils whose parents cannot

afford to pay the full rate either enjoy this reduction or are admitted entirely free, at the discretion of the authorities. The school age is from 6 to 14 years, and the number of children of that age in 1885 was returned at 5,240,016.

The following table gives the educational statistics of Prussia :—

The number of elementary schools in Prussia in 1822 was 20,440; in 1843, 23,646; in 1864, 25,056; in 1878, 31,963; and in 1886, 34,016.

There are also 3 technical high schools, 2 forestry schools, 2 technical mining schools, 2 agricultural high schools, with agricultural institutes connected with universities, two veterinary high schools, 175 other schools for various aspects of agriculture, besides other special schools and State establishments for art and music.

The Universities, all the high schools, some of the Gymnasia, Realgymnasia, and similar schools, as also all the normal schools, are maintained and administered by the Government, while all the other scholastic institutions are supported by the community, under control of the Government. (For number of professors, teachers, and students at each of the Universities of Prussia in 1889, see table on p. 528.)

The whole of the educational establishments in Prussia are under the control of the Minister of Public Instruction and Ecclesiastical Affairs, but there is a local supervision for every province. The administration of each of these, as far as regards the Regierungs-Bezirke, is vested in a President, who is the head of the Civil Government (Regierung). But as far as provinces are concerned, the administration of the affairs of the Protestant Church is vested in the hands of the Consistorium, under co-operation with the Governments in respect of church-building affairs; while the manage ment of the higher (secondary) schools and the normal schools belongs to the Provincial Schul-Collegium, under the supervision of the Oberpräsi dent, who is the head of the Civil Government of the province. The Consistorium, which has no jurisdiction in the school administration, and the Provincial Schul-Collegium are separate provincial authorities, not sections of the same authority. As a general rule, the administration of school funds provided by the State is under the control of the Civil Government, which likewise takes upon itself nearly the whole management of the

The system of secondary education common to Prussia and the rest of Germany is described on pp. 526-27.

lower and elementary schools, while the Schul-Collegium is responsible for the higher schools, for the general system of instruction and discipline therein, the proper selection of school books, the examination and appointment of masters, and the examination of those who leave school for the Universities.

According to the Constitution of 1850, all persons are at liberty to teach, or to form establishments for instruction, provided they can prove to the authorities their moral, scientific, and technical qualifications. But private as well as public establishments for education are placed under the superintendence of the Minister of Public Instruction, while all public teachers are considered State servants.

In the budget of 1888-89 the sum of 64,459,503 marks was set down for instruction of all categories. Of this amount 60,622,143 marks are ordinary or permanent expenditure. On the ordinary expenditure there were allotted to Universities, 10,241,288 marks; higher institutions, 6,245,675 marks; elementary instruction, 38,408,301 marks; technical schools of the upper and lower grade, 5,726,879 marks.

Justice, Crime, and Pauperism.

Prussia contains 15 Oberlandesgerichte (see Germany, p. 526). The Oberlandesgericht at Berlin is called the Kammergericht, and serves as an ultimate appeal court for summary convictions; though for all cases the court of final instance is the Reichsgericht at Leipzig. The prosecution in all criminal cases is conducted by Staatsanwälte, or public prosecutors, paid by the State. In 1887 there were 221,147 criminal convictions in Prussia, or 110-3 for every 10,000 inhabitants above the age of twelve. In 1885 528,257 persons, with 425,035 dependents, received public poor relief; i.e. 3.36 per cent. of the population were paupers. The following table shows the criminal (1887) and pauper (1885) statistics for the different provinces:

From these figures it will be seen that there is little or no local connection between the highest or lowest returns of paupers and criminals.

Finance.

The estimates of public revenue and expenditure submitted by the Government to the Chambers are always prepared to show an even balance, without surplus or deficit.

In the budget estimates for the year ending March 31, 1891, the sources of revenue and expenditure were given as follows:—

REVENUE.

Ministry of Agriculture, Do

mains, and Forests :

A. Working Expenses:

Domains and forests

80,682,184

Various

2,000,150

Ministry of Agriculture, Domains,
and Forests
Finance

39,519,180

45,470,150

Ministry of Public Works :

Administration of mines, &c.

102,943,243

Ministry of Finance :

,, railways

522,079,184

Direct taxes

165,746,800

Indirect taxes

67,349,000

Lottery

8,291,500

Marine Bank

2,052,000

Mint

Fund:

246,320

Addition to Krondotation' of the

King.

8,000,000

Interest of public debt, inclusive

Ministry of Public Works :

railway debt

200,661,791

Produce of mines, iron furnaces,

Sinking fund of debt

46,835,531

and salt works.

121,282,170

Annuities, management, &c.

2,197,042

State railways

851,685,405

Chamber of Lords

174,570

Total Ministry of Public

Deputies

1,211,020

Works

972,967,575

Contribution to imperial funds

Appanages, annuities, indemni

Total charges on Consoli-
dated Fund

Administrative Expendi
ture:-

155,754,017

93,589,581

508,423,555

State Administration :

Ministry of Finance

56,855,275

Ministry of State

1,524,229

Foreign Office

20,954,381

4,600

Commerce and In

Ministry of Finance

2,811,813

dustry

Commerce and In

4,362,543

Justice

87,029,000

43,840,441

Justice

51,156,000

3,903,668

and Forests

14,894,255

Public Worship and

3,583,190

Instruction

92,480,572

Public Worship and

State

3,982,342

Instruction

2,651,783

,, Foreign Affairs

503,000

War.

" War.

121,752

Total administrative expen

Total ordinary expenditure 1,543,458,873

Extraordinary expenditure.

Total expenditure

48,215,069

. 1,591,673,942

diture