626 



PEUSSIA. 



has been stated to them calling for their 

 interference." Dr. Lee moved that the act of 

 1865 be rescinded. After a debate which lasted 

 a whole day, the assembly divided, when the 

 vote for Dr. Pirie's motion was 207 ; for Dr. 

 Lee's 94 majority, 113. 



VIII. British Colonies. The union of the 

 Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces 

 of British North America and the Presbyterian 

 Church of New Brunswick, took place in the 

 city of St. John, N. B., on the evening of Sep- 

 tember 2d. Tlie Synod of the Presbyterian 

 Church of the Lower Provinces was made up 

 of the two bodies known by the names of the 

 Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia and the 

 Free Church. Six years ago the union took 

 place between these two bodies, and they have 

 been since known by the name of the Presby- 

 terian Church of the Lower Provinces. The 

 ministers belonging to it amounted to between 

 ninety and one hundred, diffused throughout 

 Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Prince Edward 

 Island, and Newfoundland, and one or two in 

 New Brunswick. The Synod of New Bruns- 

 wick consisted of between twenty and thirty 

 ministers, chiefly in the Province of New 

 Brunswick. The name of the now united 

 body is the Presbyterian Church of the Lower 

 Provinces the designation of the larger body 

 before the union. 



PRUSSIA, a kingdom in Europe. Eeigning 

 king, William I., born March 22, 1797; suc- 

 ceeded his brother, Frederic "William III., on 

 January 2, 1861. Heir-apparent, Prince Fred- 

 eric William, born October 18, 1831. (For a 

 full account of the Constitution of Prussia, see 

 ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA for 1865.) The year 1866 

 will be memorable for the large increase of the 

 area, population, and power of the kingdom. 

 In consequence of the German-Italian war, the 

 Government of Prussia annexed the States of 

 Hanover, Hessc-Cassel, Nassau, and Frankfort, 

 the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, and 

 Borne districts ceded by Bavaria and Hesse- 

 Darmstadt. Thus the area of Prussia rose from 

 108,212 English square miles to 135,602; and 

 the population from 19,304,843 to 23,590,543. 



As regards the religion of the inhabitants, 

 the relation of Protestant, Roman Catholic, and 

 other denominations, is as follows : 



PER CENT. OF 



3,000,000 of the inhabitants, about 2,000,OOC 

 of whom are Poles, and 170,000 Danes (in 

 Schleswig). 



The revenue in the year 1865 (exclusive o{ 

 the newly-annexed territory) amounted to 173,- 

 934,739 thalers; the expenditures to 169,243,- 

 365; surplus, 4,691,374. The public debt, in 

 1866, amounted to 280,820,427. 



The Prussian army in time of peace num- 

 bered at the beginning of the year 1866, about 

 212,000 men, and in time of war, inclusive oi 

 the landwehr of the second call, 742,498. Tho 

 fleet consisted of the following vessels: 40 

 steamers (276 guns), 8 sailing vessels (140 guns), 

 36 rowing vessels (68 guns). Total, 84 war 

 vessels, with 484 guns. The movement of ship- 

 ping was, in 1865, as follows: 



To non-German nationalities belong nearly 



The -merchant navy, in 1865, consisted of 

 1,200 vessels, of a total burden of 180,821 lasts. 



The disagreement of Prussia with Austria in 

 the Schleswig-Holstein and the Federal-German 

 questions, assumed, soon after the beginning of 

 the year 1866 a threatening aspect (see AUSTRIA, 

 GERMANY, and the GERMAN-ITALIAN WAR), and 

 led, in June, to the outbreak of a great war, 

 and the withdrawal of Prussia from the Ger- 

 man Confederation. The success of Prussia in 

 the war exceeded the boldest expectations. 

 The ability of the generals, the bravery of the 

 troops, and the efficiency of the needle-gun, as- 

 tonished the world. After a brief and decisive 

 campaign, Prussia dictated the terms of a treaty 

 of peace with Austria and the South German 

 States, by which Austria renounced all con- 

 nection with the German Confederation, con- 

 sented to the construction of a new German 

 confederation under the leadership of Prussia, 

 and ceded to Prussia her claims to Schleswig 

 and Holstein, which accordingly were incorpo- 

 rated witli the Prussian monarchy. The Gov- 

 ernment of Prussia by right of conquest also 

 annexed (by decrees dated September 20th) the 

 Kingdom of Hanover, the Electorate of Hesse- 

 Cassel, the Duchy of Nassau, and the Free City 

 of Frankfort, and formally took possession of 

 them on October 8th. Small districts' were 

 also ceded to Prussia by Bavaria and Hesse- 

 Darmstadt. (See BAVARIA and HESSE-DARM- 

 STADT.) The annexed states are provisionally 

 to remain under a separate administration, un- 

 til the preparations for the introduction of the 

 Prussian Constitution and their conversion into 

 Prussian provinces shall have been completed. 

 Ministerial orders introduced, however, in No- 

 vember the system of general liability to mili- 

 tary service. The aggrandizement of Prussia 

 led to a demand on the part of France for the 

 cession of some Prussian territory. The demand 

 met with a firm refusal, and was consequently 



