EUROPE. 



EUROPEAN CONGRESS. 



389 



tinned throughout the year. (See POLAND.) In 

 August 17th a Congress of the Princes and 

 Representatives of the free towns of Germany 

 met at Frankfort, upon the invitation of the 

 Emperor of Austria, to consider a plan for the 

 reformation of the Federal Constitution of Ger- 

 many. The Austrian project was adopted by 

 all but six votes ; but the refusal of the Prus- 

 sian Government to take part in the Congress, 

 or to adhere to the Austrian project prevented, 

 up to the end of the year, the introduction of 

 any reforms. (See GERMANY.) In November, 

 one of the standing European complications, 

 that of Schleswig-Holsteiu, suddenly assumed a 

 warlike aspect, in consequence of the disputed 

 succession in those two duchies, after the death 

 of King Frederic VII. of Denmark. The ma- 

 jority of the minor German governments and 

 the German people generally sustained the 

 claims of the Prince of Augustenburg to the 

 succession. Austria and Prussia were willing to 

 acknowledge the claims of King Christian IX. 

 of Denmark, but agreed with the other German 

 States in the opinion, that the Danish Govern- 

 ment had in several essential points violated 

 the existing international treaties and the rights 

 of the two duchies. Though differing on the 

 succession question, the two Great German 

 Powers, and the Federal Diet were in favor of 

 a warlike demonstration against Denmark. The 

 Federal Diet of Frankfort, in December, declared 

 in favor of "Federal execution" (execution of 

 the Federal laws) in the duchy of Holstein, and 

 the new year opened with the certain prospect 

 of war. (See SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN.) 



For many years the progress of liberal and 

 democratic tendencies has been steady and 

 uninterrupted throughout Europe, and nearly 

 every government finds it necessary to inaugu- 

 rate or sanction some liberal reforms, and to 

 make some concessions to the popular spirit. In 

 September, the diet of the Grand Duchy of Fin- 

 land was opened by the Emperor Alexander of 

 Russia with a speech, in which he avowed a 

 belief in the efficacy of a constitutional form 

 of government, and which was therefore re- 

 garded as the inauguration of a constitutional 

 era. (See RUSSIA). At the reelection of the 

 Corps Legislatif in France, the opposition par- 

 ties gained considerably, electing together 34 

 members, against 5 in 1857. (See FRANCE.) In 

 Prussia, at the reelection of the Second Cham- 

 bers, the Party of Progress gained a signal 

 triumph. (See PRUSSIA.) In Spain, at the re- 

 election of the Cortes, the majority of the rep- 

 resentative party resolved to take no part in 

 the election. (See SPAIN.) In Austria, the Gov- 

 ernment had the satisfaction to see the diet of 

 Transylvania elect, for the first time, deputies 

 to the council of the empire, and to see the 

 Croatians disposed to follow this example. (See 

 AUSTRIA.) The crown of Greece, vacant by 

 the expulsion of King Otho, was, after long ne- 

 gotiation, definitely accepted, on April 22d, 

 by Prince Christian of Denmark (now King 

 Christian IX.) for his son William, who as- 



cended the throne under the name of King 

 George I. 



The countries of Europe greatly differ as to 

 density of population. While in England and 

 Wales there were 352 inhabitants living in one 

 English square mile, in Russia there are only 

 10 ; in Norway, 12 ; in Sweden, 22 ; in Greece, 

 56 ; in Spain, 89 ; in Poland, 91 ; in Moldavia, 

 100; in Portugal, 1*04; in Denmark, 119; in 

 Switzerland, 161; in Prussia, 165; in France, 

 176; in Brunswick, 194; in Holland, 280; in 

 Wurtemberg, 373 ; in Belgium, 393. How- 

 ever, if we take the population of England 

 alone, leaving out the Principality of Wales, 

 the density is one of 377 individuals to the 

 square mile, and in this case Belgium is the 

 only country in Europe more thickly crowded 

 with inhabitants than England. In England, 

 for the last few years, the proportion of mar- 

 riages to the population has been one in 123, 

 which is a higher rate than that of most Euro- 

 pean countries. In Norway the proportion is 

 one in 124; in Hanover, one in 128; in Hol- 

 land and Denmark, one in 129 ; in Sweden, one 

 in 135 ; in Spain, one in 141 ; in Bavaria, one 

 in 160; and in Greece, only one in 174. Pro- 

 portionately more marriages than in England 

 and Wales are made in France and Belgium ; 

 in both countries the rate is one in 122 ; in 

 Austria, where it is one in 117; in Russia, 

 where it is one in 111 ; and in Prussia, where 

 it is one in 106. Rather more fixed is the pro- 

 portion of births to population. It is one in 

 28 in England and Wales ; one in 29 in Spain 

 and Bavaria ; one in 30 in Belgium, Holland, 

 and Norway ; one in 32 in Sweden ; one in 33 

 in Hanover, the Hanse Towns, and Denmark ; 

 one in 34 in Greece ; and one in 38 in France. 

 Consequently the natural increase of population 

 is lower in France, in spite of the high mar- 

 riage rate, than in any other European State. 

 More fertile than England are only Wurtemberg, 

 where the proportion of births to population 

 is one in 26 ; Russia, where it is one in 25 ; 

 Austria, Saxony, and Prussia, where it is one 

 in 24 ; and Poland, where the proportion is 

 one in 23. 



A French statistician, Mr. Blook, in a recent 

 article of the Revue des deux Mondes, publishes 

 the following estimates of the population of the 

 principal States of Europe a century hence, if 

 the present rate of increase should continue : 



At present, 



Millions. 



Russia 66 



France 37 



Austria 35 



Great Britain 29 



Italy without Rome and 



Venice 22 



Prussia 18 



Germany 18 



Spain 16 



A century hence. 



Millions. 



Russia 135 



Great Britain 58 



Austria 55 



Prussia 47 



France 46 



Italy 44 



Germany 86 



Spain 32 



EUROPEAN CONGRESS. The speech with 

 which the Emperor of France opened on No- 

 vember 5th the French Chambers, was looked 

 upon by the European papers of all parties as 



