PRUSSIA.
Prussia is the smallest in extent, and enjoys the fewest natural advantages of all the European states of the first class. Her territory is not much more than two-fifths of that of Austria; it is but indifferently fertile; has few valuable mines; few resources for manufactures; she has, however, pretty 'large extent of sea-coast, and a considerable com merce. Her possessions are straggling and disjoint ed; they present an extensive frontier, with little depth, and no natural barriers; and are inhabited by people who speak different languages, and have few common ties or interests. Prussia has sustained her rank chiefly in consequence of the superiority of her internal organization. Her government, unlike those of the other monarchies of Europe, being of very re cent origin, is not encumbered by those ancient establishments which the change of circumstances has converted into abuses. The frame of her pub lic institutions was improved and completed by the Great Frederick, who availed himself of all the lights and philosophy which the age furnished. He esta blished a complete toleration in matters of religion ; curtailed the oppressive privileges of the nobles ; simplified the administration of justice; and intro - duced order and economy into every department of the government. He left the kingdom to his successor with a large and well disciplined army, and a high reputation for policy and prowess. The "iopulation of Prussia, of whom two-thirds are Pro testants, is more intelligent than that of Austria, in cludes a greater proportion of Germans; and alto gether she is more of a German power. The large rivers that water her territories have generally a very level course, and being joined by canals, they afford a great extent of inland navigation. Of all the old provinces, Silesia is the most industrious and flourish ing. It doubled its population in the 73 years be. tween 1742 and 1815.• The Westphalian and Rhen ish provinces are the most populous; ancient Prussia and the Polish provinces the least. In many parts of Prussia vassalage existed lately, and perhaps still exists. It was only subsequent to the disasters of 1807, that the nobles, who amounted, in 1802, to 20,000 families, lost their monopoly of military of fices of rank, and the right of holding property ex empted from public burdens; and since that period also the restrictions on industry in towns have been done away by the abolition of corporation privileges. (Crome, 417; MS. Travels in Germany.) Agriculture remains in a low state in Prussia, in consequence of the ignorance and depressed state of the peasantry, the small size of the farms, the defi ciency of capital, and the want of markets for the surplus produce. Besides the common species of grain, tobacco, mulberries, vines, flax, and hemp, are cultivated. Great quantities of potatoes are also raised. Horned cattle and sheep are pretty nume rous in most of the provinces. M. Krug estimates the mean rent of an arpent of corn land, for the whole Prussian states, at rix-dollars (about 7s.), and the net produce of an arpent of corn land at two-fifths of the gross produce; but of pasture land at one-fourth or one-fifth only, including poultry and bees.t According to returns made from the different provinces to the government, the whole annual produce of grain in Prussia about 1802, when the population was 8,754,000, was 4,500,000 Wispe/ (equal to 9,600,000 quarters); of which wheat formed 9 parts in the 100, rye 40, barley 24, and oats 27 ; of this quantity one-tenth was exported. The Prussian silver mines yield an
nually about 20,000 mark of silver; the county of Manifield alone furnishes 14,588 centners of copper; and Silesia affords 7600 centners of lead, and 405,900 centners of iron. The whole mineral produce of Prussia is valued at L.1,800,000 annually. (Men telle et Malte-Brun, IV. 428; Crome, 400.) The principal manufactures of Prussia are linen, woollen, cotton, silk, leather, iron, and porcelain, all of which are making progress. The linen, of which the chief seat is in Silesia, is the most considerable, and, as far back as 1804, was computed to produce yearly L.2,500,000 Sterling. The produce of the woollen manufactures, in 1805, was estimated at L.900,000; that of leather at L.600,000. The whole produce of manufactures, including brew eries, we find stated, in 1802, at 41,000,000 of rix dollars, or nearly L.7,000,000, Sterling. Considering the extension of the kingdom, and the progress of domestic improvement, it must now be at least double. Of the commerce of Prussia we have no precise ac count for any recent period ; but, in 1804, the im ports of Silesia alone amounted to L.1,900,000, and the exports to L.2,100,000, exclusive of a transient trade valued at L.700,000; and in tie same year, the imports of six provinces amounted to L.4,585,000. Supposing the trade of the other of which the kingdom now consists, to be in proportion, and allowing for the advancing state of the country, we cannot estimate the whole imports at less than L.8,000,000 or L.9,000,000 Sterling, and the ex ports at as much. In 1802 the exports were stated at L.7,000,000 Sterling, by Malte-Brun.: The public revenue of Prussia in 1817, accord ing to Demian, was 42,000,000 dollars, or about L.7,000,0004 After the great loss of territory in 1807, it was only L.2,700,000. The public debt in 1815, including that of the new provinces, was esti mated at L.40,000,000. The army is about 175,000 men, exclusive of the landwehr.11 in proportion as the other great states of Europe improve their natural resources, the importance of Prussia must decline. The time is past when the good order of her finances, and the discipline of her armies, could raise her to an equality with France and Austria and Russia ; and she can only now sup port her rank by cultivating still farther those moral advantages which were formerly the source of her strength. It is the king's interest to give his sub jects a free constitution and a free press, for which they are better prepared than those of any other great power on the Continent, except France. This would give a new impulse to industry, and create a spirit of improvement, which would more than coun terbalance the natural disadvantages of the soil and climate. Were the king to enter cordially into the new opinions which are rapidly spreading over Ger many, and to put himself at the head of those who support them, in the present temper of men's minds, it is probable he might unite a great part of north ern Germany under his sway.