New-York tribune., 1872-03-04
THE RELIGIOUS QUESTION IN PRUSSIA.


DEBATE IN TIE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO
PLACE THE SCHOOLS UNDER GOVERNMENT
NTENDENCE-HQSTILTTY OF TIE IL
TRAMONTANES TO THE MEASURE.
lFRoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl
BERLIN, Feb. 8.-The great debate of this
years session of the Prussan Landtag has begun. 1t is
the debate bill of the Government concerning
public education. All that concerns public education at
once calls forth the passions OF the German people They
are people Of teachers nowhere else are there so many
Young men eager devote themselves to the office OF
teaching and ready TO undertake IL for so cany allow
snces. When I came to the Chamber of Deputies this
morning found the spacious galleries allotted to the
pube filed to excess which has not been the case dur
ing the proceedings Of the mere State Assembly ITO
which the Prussian Landag now ais reducedl for many
years had already been on their feet for and
against the measure, each OF them heading a list
oitweny that were TO follow. list OF orators, who
have sent up their the Chair before the discus
on begins is sim the rule with the Prussian Landtag,
while the German Parliament have wisely exchanged
this absurd practice for the AngO-Saxon method, by
which tue members rise when they want to speak with
the faulty practice which the Prussian Landtag obst
natev adheres IL is almost unavoidable that all the
speakers being previously prepared, every speaker
repeats what half a dozen have already said,
and speech rarely forms the reply 10 the
ucech delivered Immediately before. The present
proposition Of the Government has the support Of the
Liberal party chiefly because II does away with clerical
mpcrntendence. II is opposed by the Conservative and
Uramontane partes-by the latter very naturally, for
Npa political blow aimed at them. The first speaker on
As aide Of the Opposition did not omit to state this
broadly and complain that he did not see on the Min
stena bench Prince Bismarck, whom he denounced as
e and willy enemy OF the Church of Rome-as, on
political grounds enemy who did not hesitate TO ride
pughshod the sacred convictions of the Catholic
subjects. II seems that Prince Bismarck informed
Without delay OF this personal challenge for in short
Time he stepped into the House with large strides,
having put on his sternest cOuutenance.
In the subsequent debate, in which each of three
speakers occupied more than an hour attention de-
voted particularly TO comparing the extent and quality
popular education ia Catholic with that in Protestant
States Tie assertion Of speaker of the Catholic party
that popular education IN Catholic Belgium was in ad-
Of that in Holland led to the actual statistics of
the being introduced into the debate. 1t found
the recruiting service for the Belgian army, IN 1864,
hat per cent OF the young could neither read nor
write and In the Western Flanders, Of the strong
holds Of the UltramOntane party in Europe there were
GOT more than II per cent who could write. In Holland
the other hand, there were found not more
than II per cent who could neither read nor write. ]
must confess that this comparison does not
sppear quite fair In Holland, the recruiting service
docs not signify what IL does in Belgium. Belgium has
90 feet has only very insignificant commercial
MARINE and colonies. We are not told that it did not
Ippear from the recruiting service how many young
perhaps on this very accOunU have become Sailors or
who went to the Colonies The comparison drawn
between the Catholic countries side, and Prussia
Sn The other far II based the statistics OF
tbe young unable TO read write, who are found
means Of the recruiting service, Is still
E~ lair. For, in Prussia, all classes
society are contributing quite equally
70 the human material OF the army while In all the
O~t1oe States substitution is the rule which provision
oeeessariy fills the army with the most iteral parts OF
e people. And in Prussia school education is compul
WY Which Is not TO every other nations taste Prince
arek had reserved his reply TO the personal attack
Oh MN until the conclusion Of the sitting, which is the
ume h1ed for personal remarks. cannot say that it
me as lust very fortunate He never speaks well
seh De Is excited, but goes stammerDg simple
~rtohs repeating them in but slightly varied forms,
evidently in search OF caustc turn. If he nnd
o0e ne finally winds up with list Of gamatias fol-
Noo ey The deep silence OF the audience. The ad-
F"afhtd debate Will DrObably last many