the population, and Roman Catholicism decreasing. When Silesia was acquired by Prussia, in 1763, the mass of the population were Catholics; but at present the Protestants form the majority in the two most important provinces, the regencies of Breslau and Liegnitz.
The Protestant Church is governed by 'consistories,' or boards appointed by Government, one for each province. There are also synods in most circles and provinces, but no general synod has yet been held. 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, at the census of 1864, more Roman Catholic priests than Protestant ministers, the number of the former amounting to 6,706, and of the latter to 6,531. The Protestants at the same date had 8,401 churches, and 1,113 other religious meeting-places, while the Roman Catholics had 5,548 churches, and 2,567 chapels, besides 243 convents and monasteries. The higher Catholic clergy are paid by the State, the archbishop of Breslau receiving 1,700 ₤ a year, and the other bishops about 1,135 ₤. The incomes of the parochial clergy, of both sects, mostly arise from endowments. In general, Government does not guarantee the stipend either of Protestant or Catholic clergymen; but in some parishes the clergy enjoy a public provision from the State. This is the case in the Rhenish provinces, in virtue of a concordat with Rome.
Education in Prussia is general and compulsory. Every town, or community in town or country, must maintain a school supported by the taxes, 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, whether they can pay the school fees or not. The fees are one grosschen, or rather more than a penny a week in villages, and ten grosschen, or a shilling per month in towns. The money thus raised goes towards maintaining the schools, and any deficiency is made up from the local taxes. 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 a reduction made in the charge, and a limited number of pupils whose parents cannot afford to pay the full rate enjoy either this reduction or are admitted entirely free, at the discretion of the authorities. Thus the higher schools, as the commercial or colleges, are not established merely for the rich, but are likewise open to the poorest, the fee being 15s. a quarter, while reductions are made to large families or poor persons who cannot afford to pay the full sum.
