AGRICULTURE ON THE RHIXE. 235 



they are managed in diplomatic form like treaties of peace 

 and war. The Chambers have given up their claim to 

 control the import, export, and transit duties, but retain 

 the privilege of voting the number of simpla of which the 

 land-tax is to be composed. 



As the Government undertakes the charge of many 

 things that in England form objects of local taxation, 

 what we should call county and even parish rates are 

 usually included in the consolidated tax raised from the 

 land, and from the traders and industrious classes gene- 

 rally, whose assumed profits have been calculated, like 

 those of the farmer, at a very low rate. In all the Rhe- 

 nish States the care of the high roads is undertaken by- 

 Government. In Prussia a charge is specified for this 

 purpose in the provincial budget. In Nassau there is a 

 foundation fund, appropriated from the proceeds of the 

 alienated church lands confiscated during the revolu- 

 tionary wars. This fund furnishes a sum annually for the 

 care of the high roads, another for augmenting the revenues 

 of the poorer clergy, and a third sum in aid -of education. 



We have already noticed the excellent system of 

 schooling that is met with everywhere in Germany, and 

 nmst here point to a feature that has been generally dis- 

 regarded by both Fren<'h and English writers on this 

 interesting subject, but which seems to us to form the 

 mainspring that causes the German system to work so 

 well. The schoolmaster in Germany is a public officer 

 placed in the district to which he devotes his labour. His 

 importance is in no way dependent upon the power of 

 courting parents or of tyrannising over children. Ills 

 acts are all public, and he is under the constant control 

 of public opinion. But with these restraints against mis- 



