135 between 20,000 and 50,000. According to the results of the census of December 1, 1900, the population of the principal towns at that date was :

The Constitution provides for entire liberty of conscience and for complete social equality among all religious confessions. The relation between Church and State varies in different parts of the Empire. The order of the Jesuits is interdicted in all parts

of Germany, and all convents and religious orders, except those engaged in nursing the sick and purely contemplative orders, have been suppressed. There are five Roman Catholic archbishops, and twenty bishoprics. The Old Catholics' have a bishop at Bonn.

The following are the results of three religious censuses:

Roman Catholics in 1900 were in the majority in only three of the German states, and formed more than 20 per cent. of the population in only four others, as follows:

A. States with more than 20 per Cent. of Roman Catholics.

In all the other States the Roman Catholics formed less than 60 per cent. of the population.

Instruction.

Education is general and compulsory throughout Germany. The laws of Prussia, which provide for the establishment of elementary schools (Volksschulen), supported from the local rates, in every town and village, and compel all parents to send their children to these or other schools, have been adopted, with slight modifications, in all the States of the Empire. The school age is from six to fourteen.

Y Y

The following table shows for the different German States the number of elementary public schools, the teachers employed in them and children attending them, with the expenditure on their account in recent years :

There were also in Germany 643 private schools with 41,328 pupils who received instruction similar to that given in the Public Elementary Schools.

The system of secondary education is also practically homogeneous. Above the elementary schools rank the middle schools of the towns, the Bürgerschulen and Höhere Bürgerschulen, which fit their pupils for business life. Children of the working classes may continue their education at the Fortbildungs-Schulen or continuation schools, which are open in the evening or other convenient time. The Gymnasia are the most fully developed classical schools, preparing pupils in a nine years' course for the universities and the learned professions. The Progymnasia differ from these only in not having the highest classes. In the Realgymnasia, Latin, but not Greek, is taught, and what are usually termed 'modern subjects' have more time devoted to them. Realprogymnasia have a similar course, but have no class corresponding to the highest class in the preceding.

In the Oberrealschulen and Realschulen Latin is wholly displaced in favour of modern languages. In 1903, 1,122 secondary schools (including 55 private schools), also 185 public LehrerSeminare and 33 public Fachschulen: total 1,340 institutions, possessed the right of granting certificates to pupils, entitling them to serve in the army as one-year volunteers. The teachers in German schools are required to hold a Government certificate, and to have undergone a year's probation. Higher schools for girls are called Höhere Töchterschulen. Besides these there are numerous Gewerbeschulen or technical schools, Polytechnica, normal schools, seminaries, and the universities.

In 1903 the number of secondary schools was as follows:

Nine schools, originally founded as trade or polytechnic schools, are now fully-equipped Technical High Schools, with the power of granting degrees. They have departments for giving instruction in architecture, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, metallurgy, and other subjects. They are all aided by the States to which they respectively belong. The total teaching staff and the total number of students at these schools in 1902 were as follows:

Of the students, 12,565 were fully qualified students; 2,489 were foreigners.

For instruction in agriculture there are Agricultural High Schools at Berlin (636 students in 1902), Hohenheim (105), and Poppelsdorf (233); at 8 of the universities there are Agricultural Institutes; at Weihenstephan (Bavaria) an agricultural and brewing academy; in Prussia 16 secondary agricultural schools, and in other German States 6; in Prussia 26 farming schools, in other States 19; in Prussia 118 lower agricultural winter schools, and in other States 77; besides many schools for special agricultural instruction (in Prussia alone, 1,320). Other technical schools are 5 Veterinary High Schools with 1,470 students; 15 schools of mining; 15 schools of architecture and building; 9 academies of forestry; 27 schools of art and art-industry (Kunst and Kunstgewerbe-Schulen); 429 commercial schools (including 4 commercial universities); about 100 schools (including universities) for textile manufactures; 12 for special metal industries; 12 for wood working ; 4 for ceramic industries; 11 for naval architecture and engineering; 8 for

ships' engineers; 19 for navigation; and 7 public music-schools. There are also numerous smaller as well as private music and other schools, and a large number of artisans' or trade schools. There is a naval academy and school at Kiel, and military academies at Berlin and Munich; besides 47 schools of navigation, 9 military schools, and 9 cadet institutions.

In 1902 the proportion of illiterates among the recruits was '04 per cent. The highest proportion was that of West Prussia, 20 per cent. ; then that of Posen, 17 per cent. ; and of East Prussia, 16 per cent. Most of the smaller States had no illiterates.

There are 21 universities in the German Empire, besides the Lyceum Hosianum at Braunsberg (13 teachers), which has only faculties of theology (Roman Catholic) and philosophy.

The following table gives the number of teachers for the winter half-year, 1904-05, and the number of students for the summer half-year 1904 :

There are besides a number of non-matriculated students-the majority 5,335, at the University of Berlin.

In four universities, namely, Freiburg, München, Münster, and Würzburg, the faculties of theology are Roman Catholic; four are mixed, both Protestant and Roman Catholic-Bonn, Breslau, Strassburg, and Tübingen; and the remaining thirteen are Protestant.

Justice and Crime.

In terms of Judicature Acts in 1877 and 1879 a uniform system of law courts was adopted throughout the Empire not later than January 1, 1879, though, with the exception of the Reichsgericht, all courts are directly subject to the Government