BEL 



181 



BEL 



vince at the last census has already been given from official 

 authority. From the same source we derive the following 



particulars of the movement of the population in the year 

 1833: 



The number of births, marriages, and deaths, proportion- 

 ally with the population, and the average number of children 

 to each marriage in the different provinces, are as follows: 



Religion. The great bulk of the inhabitants of the 

 kingdom profess the Roman Catholic religion. The follow- 

 ing table embraces every province excepting Limbourg, 

 the returns for which are wanting : 



The people of all religious persuasions enjoy the most 

 perfect freedom in every thing connected with the expres- 

 sion of their opinions and the modes of worship which they 

 may adopt. The incomes of the ministers of each denomi- 

 nation of religionists are derived from the public treasury : 

 the expense of the whole in the year 1834 was as under. 



Catholics 



Protestants 



Jews 



3,352,900 francs, equal to 134,116 

 65,000 2,600 



10,000 400 



3,427,900 fr. 



137,116 



The Catholics are under the spiritual charge of the Arch- 

 bishop of Malines and of five bishops, viz., of Bruges, Ghent, 

 Liege, Namur, and Tournay. The salary of the archbishop 

 is 1 00,420 francs, equal to 4016/. per annum. The salaries 

 of the hi, hops vary from 56,300 francs, the lowest, to 77,300 I 

 francs, the highest, or from 2252/. to 3092A per annum. 

 Out of these revenues they have to pay a very large propor- 

 tion for the support of vicars-general and canons, as well as 

 a fixed sum of 800 francs each for seminaries of education, 

 leaving net incomes of 21,000 francs or 8401. per annum 

 to the archbishop, and of 14,700 francs or 588/. per annum 

 to each of the bishops, the difference in their gross incomes 

 being rendered necessary by the different amount of ex- 

 penses to which each is liable. 



The officiating clergy in connexion with the Catholic 

 Church are distributed through the provinces as follows : 



Provinces. 



Antwerp 

 South Brabant 

 West Flanders 

 East Flanders 

 Hainault 

 Liege 

 Limbourg 

 Luxembourg 

 Namur 



Total 



Cures, 

 1st cl;iss 



10 

 12 



19 

 21 



6 



6 



5 



1 



1 



81 



Cure?, 

 2nu class. 



11 



17 

 17 

 15 

 26 

 18 

 17 

 29 

 15 



165 



Inferior 

 clergy. 



362 

 625 

 431 

 498 

 506 

 436 

 606 

 652 

 306 



4422 



The salaries paid out of the public treasury are 



To cures of the 1st class 975 florins, equal to 82 per ann. 

 To cures of the 2nd class 670 55 



To the inferior clergy the allowances vary from 1 00 florins 

 to 375 florins (from 8 guineas to 30 guineas) per annum. 



The allowances made to the Protestant clergymen vary 

 from 200 to -'000 florins for each (from 16/. 16.'to 168^.) ; 

 the greater number receive about 1000 florins (84/.) per ann. 



The sum of 10,000 francs contributed for the support ol 

 the Jewish faith is thus distributed : 



To the high priest 



Two officiating priests . 

 Secretary .... 

 Expenses of synagogues, 

 cemetery, &c. 



2,400 francs, or 96 per ann. 

 2,500 100 

 400 16 



4,700 



188 

 400 



1 0,000 fr. 



Very recently the chambers have granted the sum of 

 12,000 francs, to encourage religious establishments in the 

 principal towns of the kingdom, for the celebration of 

 worship according to the rites of (he Church of England. 



Education. Belgium contains three universities, at 

 Ghent, Liege, and Louvain, in which are classes for medi- 

 cine, law, moral philosophy, and physical and mathematical 

 sciences. The number of students in 1832 were : 



Medicine. 



University of Ghent 141 



Liege 97 



Louvain 129 



Together 



367 



Law. 



151 

 147 

 125 



423 



Other 

 sciences. 



108 

 141 



249 



Total. 

 292 

 352 

 395 



1039 



Bruges, Brussels, Namur, and Tournay, eacn contain a 

 public school (Athince), in which the usual branches of 

 literary education are taught. These schools, in 1 832, gave 

 instruction to 876 scholars, viz.: 



Bruges 

 Brussels 

 Namur 

 Tournay 



131 

 181 

 240 

 324 



87G 



Descriptions of these schools will be found under the 

 names of the different localities in which they are situated. 



In addition to the establishments already mentioned, a 

 great number of elementary schools (Kcoles Primaires) are 

 opened in the different provinces. The number of these 

 schools, and of the scholars attending them, in 1832, are 

 here given. 



