.1806.] Statijricd Virjo of tlic ?mffian Domi'nwni> 



3i9 



But as the annual charges on repro- 

 duction, mid the wages of labour and 

 iuduftrv, which iniift be deducted from 

 this fiini, amount to 29,BUO,000/. fieil- 

 iiiii, there remauis n neat annual produce 

 ori4,','00,000/. ilerliug. The annual in- 

 come of every indivitiual is only -l/. lis. 

 ilerhns ; the funilhiefs of which fum fut- 

 ficientty accounts for the fruiiality of the 

 nation'in iiencral. There arc, however, 

 numbers of weallhv families, and very 

 lan-e capitals emploved in trade, parti- 

 ticulurlv at Danlzig, Brellan, and Ber- 

 lin. 



- Arts and fciences flourilh to a great 

 degree ; the fchools and univeriities are 

 excellent ; and there rei;j,iis m Prulha a 

 perfect toleration of all creeds and reli- 

 gious opinions. The morals of the peo- 

 ple are less corrupted than m other 

 countries; frugality and patriotifm are 

 the prevailinir virtues ; the latter in fome 

 places deiienerates even into national 

 pride. The laws are mild. In the whole 

 extent of the Pruflian dominions, the 

 number of thofe who fuffer capital pu- 

 nilliment never exceeds fourteen in the 

 courfe of a year. Every criminal is tried 

 without the'leaft expence to the piole- 

 cutor. . . 



\\ ith refpcrl to the conftitution of the 

 ftate, PrulVia is a monarchy in the ftrictell 

 feiiic of the word, as it is not tempered 

 by unv fundamental laws. Did the King 

 of Prulhu not prefer the hiHuence of a 

 futlicr to the dominioii of a tyratit, he 

 luisiit bear ablblutc Iway. He has the 

 uncontronled riL'ht of enacting and re- 

 ppalinii; laws, and of impofing taxes, with- 

 out the content of the" fubject ; but the 

 •profcnt King lias never yet abuled his 

 authority, and by fubftitutmg to the 

 iieedicfa luxury and pernicious magnifi- 

 cence of his father, an economy equally 

 removed from fordidners and prulution, 

 ■ Lc has rc-ehablilhed the equilibrium be- 

 tween the income and expenditure of 

 the llate. The annual revenue of the 

 crown is about (ix millions fterling. 



The civil adminifnation is confided to 

 fifteen miniftcis, who form the piivy 

 council ; but act each, independently m 

 their rcfpcftlvc departmeius, and are 

 accountable to the f-in<i only. Any, even 

 tiie mcaneli, fubject who fnpputes him- 

 lelf ay,grle\cd or opprelltd, may ixpplv 

 dircdly to the King in writing, and is 

 fure of an immediate invelligiiiou of his 

 coiDolaint. 



The army coRs annually <ifi $0,0001.^ 

 fterlinj. It conlills of i'd rcjiiiuento of 



infanti7 of two battalions each ; 30 gre- 

 nadier" battalions ; 57 dcpolit, or third 

 battalions ; 24 battalions of fu'uliers, or 

 light infantry ; 3 battalions of chalffurs, 

 belides the loot guards; 1:5 rciiimeiits of 

 cuiralliers, each of ten fquadrons ; 2 re- 

 giments of heavy dragoons, of ten Iqua- 

 drons each, and 12 rc.j;imcnts <jf five 

 fqnadrons; 10 regiments of hulfars, or hght 

 dratioons, of' ten tijuadrons each, belides 

 the horfe guards, a detached buttahon of 

 liulVars, a corjis of Towarczyf/ and c/iuf- 

 fcurs a ckevul ; 4 regiments and 1 batta- 

 "lion of artillery, 15 companies of garnfou 

 artillery, and"? companies of uildUnc a 

 cheval'; befuies 4 ccmipanies of juuiei-s, 

 pontoniers, and a corps of engincei-s. 

 The whole amounting to 250,(XjO men ; 

 couimauded by 3 lii^id-marlhals, 7 gene- 

 rals of inl'antry, 7 of cavalry, SO hciH 

 tent-generals of infantry, 16 of cavalry,' 

 and 45 miijor-gencrals of infantry, and 

 21 of cavalry. There is no dillVronre 

 between the" peace and war elUibhlb- 

 ment, except that in times of peace each 

 redment has Its full com[)!cment of men 

 during fix or feveu weeks only previous 

 to the annual reviews, which take place 

 at ftated times. When thefe general re- 

 views are over, the native Pruihans are 

 difmitVed to tlitir rcfpective homes on 

 furluuglis, till the piolpcrt of war de- 

 mands'thcir recall to the regiment, or 

 till the next review. Every male fubject 

 in Prulha, who is of tlic reqvuhte iize, 

 and does not belong to any of the privi- 

 legfd clalTes, is obliged to ferve la the 

 regiment of which his native place is the 

 canton, or recruiting diilrict. The whole 

 country is liable to tins military coufcnp- 

 tiou, e'xceptthe towns of nerhn, Brcllaii, 

 Potl'dam, Magdeburg, Dantzig, and the 

 nobilitv, clergy, public functionaries, 

 Jews, "i^Iennonitcs, and fome manufac- 

 turers. The number of privileged per- 

 fons, together with their fa.nilies, amounts 

 to about two millions an;! a half. Some 

 of the uncoimecied provinces, as Ealt 

 rriellnna, pay for their exemption from 

 the militarv 'confcription. There are 

 about 854,932 families tor ths rccruituig 

 of the infantry ; i::!5,:>05 for the heavy 

 dragoons, 84,<)9(J for the cuiraificrs, and 

 5:1,775 for the artillery. But that por- 

 tion of men who continue in aCiuaUer- 

 vice all the veur long, is procured from 

 recruits railed in other pares of Geiinuny 

 not belonging to Prulha, or fro-n voUuir 

 teers out'of tlie privileged towu^^. The 

 fervice of thefe men is limited to eight 

 years, and they receive a handlome 

 ' bountj 



