Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/82

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
46
DENMARK.

the privileges of episcopal dignitaries in Great Britain, except that of voting in the legislature. Complete religious toleration is extended to every sect. It is enacted, by Art. 76 of the Constitution, that 'all citizens may worship God according to their own fashion, provided they do not offend morality or public order.' By Art. 77, no man is bound to contribute to the support of a form of worship of which he is not a member; and by Art. 79 no man can be deprived of his civil and political rights on the score of religion, nor be exempted on this account from the performance of his duties as a citizen.

According to the census of 1860, there were only 12,907 persons, or less than one per cent, of the population, not belonging to the Lutheran church. Of this number nearly one-third, or 4,214, were Jews; the remainder comprised 1,240 Roman Catholics; 1,761 members of the Reformed church, or Calvinists; 2,657 Mormons; 2,270 Anabaptists; 114 members of the Anglican church; and 202 individuals forming part of the sect called 'Frimenighed,' or the free community.

Elementary education is widely diffused in Denmark, the attendance at school being obligatory from the age of seven to fourteen. In conformity with Art. 85 of the Constitution, education is afforded gratuitously in the public schools to children whose parents cannot afford to pay for their teaching. The system of mutual instruction, introduced in 1820, was generally adopted in 1840. Besides the university of Copenhagen, there are 13 public gymnasia, or colleges, in the principal towns of the kingdom, which afford a 'classical' education, and under them are a large number of Middle Schools, for the children of the trading, and higher working classes. Instruction at the public expense is given in the Parochial Schools, spread all over the country, to the number, in August 1869, of 2,940, namely 28 in Copenhagen; 132 in the towns of Denmark, and 2,780 in the rural districts.—(Report of the Royal government to the Statesman's Year-book.)

Revenue and Expenditure.

The Danish financial year runs from the 1st of April to the 31st of March. The budget is presented to the Folkething towards the end of the calendar year. In the course of the winter it is discussed, and its details are settled by the middle or end of March.

The actual revenue and expenditure of the State were as follows in the five financial years 1864 to 1868:—