Elementary education is free and nominally compulsory, though many of the women eannot read. The :Nlontenegrins, who comprise about nine-tenths of the population, are members of the Orthodox Greek Church, their metropolitan his commission from the Iloly Synod in 'Russia. The remainder of the inhabitants (Albanians and Serbs) are either Roman Cath olics or Mohammedans. Though the government is nominally called a limited monarchy. it is actually a mild paternal despotism depending on the will of the Prints., who fills all executive offiees; under present itgime only the best men are found filling every grade of offices throughout the country. The Prince is assisted by a State Council of eight members. half chosen IT himself and the remainder elected by men of military age. The country also has a complete system of local government. There are several hundred village columns elected every three years. levying taxes, distributing charities, and appointing supervisors of education. Women are permitted to speak in the town meetings on public affairs• but are tint allowed to vote.
There is no standing army, but all men physi eally fitted are trained as soldiers and liable to he ealled to arms. the militia numbering about
000 infantry and 1000 artillery. The State revenue. ahont $2511.000 a year. is chiefly derived from customs duties (about Si10J)00 a year). the salt monopoly. and the land and cattle taxes.
The Prince appropriates half of the revenue, be sides having it subvention from the Russian Gov ernment. Austrian. Russian, and Turkish money, weights, and measures are in use. The principal towns arc Cetinje (q.v.), the capital (which is but a few miles distant from the Dalmatian sea port of Cattaro), l'odgoritza, Dulcigno, and N dole.
The external trade is so small that it amounts to only about $2.00 per head of the population. For some years past the exports have averaged about $250,000 and the imports about $300,000 a year. The sales abroad are dried fish, insect powder the two chief exports), smoked sar dines, mutton, cattle, goats, sheep, wool, furs and hides, cheese, tobacco, wine, and olive oil. Cattle are shipped to Malta, Austria, Italy, and France. The chief imports are salt from Sicily, petroleum from Russia (both Government monop olies), maize (of which an insufficient quantity is raised at home), cottons, hardware, sugar, cof fee, and rice.