them being lustin Martyr and Origen (q.v.), and the idea not only belongs to metempsychosis and mysticism generally, but is widely prevalent in Oriental thought. It was condemned by the Council of Constantinople in 540, but has frequently reappeared in modern thought (cf. Wordsworth's Intimations of Immortality) being in fact the natural correlative of a belief in immortality.
PREFACE (Med. Lat. prefatia, for classical praefatio, praefari, to speak beforehand), an introduction to a book, also any preliminary or introductory statement. In liturgical use the
term is applied to that portion of the Eucharistic service which immediately precedes the canon or central portion; the preface, which begins at the words Vere dignum, “ It is very meet, right,
&c., ” is ushered in, in all liturgies, with the Sursum Corda,
“Lift up your hearts, ” and ends with the Sanctus, “Holy, Holy,
Holy, &c.” In the Western liturgies proper prefaces are
appointed for particular occasions (see Liturgy).
PREFECT (préfet), in France, the title of a high official. The
prefects of the department were created by a law of the 28th
Pluviose in the year VIII. (Feb. 17, 1800). They were intended
to be the chief organs of internal administration, and have, in
fact, discharged this function, especially under the First and
Second Empire, surviving, though with diminished importance,
under the other forms of government which modern France has
seen. In comparison with other French officials, they are well
paid (the salary nowadays ranges from 39,000 to 18,000 francs
according to the class).
In the administration of the ancien régime the term “ prefect ” was not employed; practically the only case in which it occurs was in the organization of the establishment of institutions opened by the religious orders, in which there was generally a “ prefect of the studies ” (préfel des études). In the year VIII., in the discussion of the law of the 28th Pluviose, no reason was stated for the choice of this term. But like the “ Tribunes ” and “ Consuls ” of the constitution of the year VIII., it was taken from the Roman institutions which were then so fashionable (see Praefect); it may also be recalled that Voltaire had used the term “prefecture” in speaking of the authority of Louis XIV. over the free towns of Alsace.
The prefect has to a certain extent a double character and two series of functions. Firstly he is the general representative of the government, whose duty it is to ensure execution of the government's decisions, the exercise of the law, and the regular working of all branches of the public service in the department. In so far the role of the prefect is essentially political; he guarantees the direct and legal action of the government in his department. He has the supervision of all the state services in his department, which procures the necessary uniformity in the working of the services, each of which is specialized within a narrow sphere. He serves as a local source of information to the government, and transmits to it complaints or representations from those under his administration. In the name of the state he exercises a certain administrative control over the local authorities, such as the canseil général, the mayors and the municipal councils. This control, though considerably restricted by the law of the 10th of August 1871, on the conseils généraux, and that of the 5th of April 1884, on municipal organization, still holds good in some important respects. The prefect can still annul certain, decisions of the conseil général. He can suspend for a month a municipal council, mayor or deputy-mayor; certain decisions of the municipal councils require his approval; and he may annul such of their regulations as are extra vires. He can annul or suspend the mcLire's decrees and he has also considerable control over public institutions, charitable and otherwise. He may make regulations (réglements) both on special points, in virtue of various laws, and for the general administration of the police.
When the prefects were created in the year Vlll. the intend ants of provinces of the ancien régime were taken as a model, and there is a great resemblance between their respective functions. The prefect, however, is no more than an intend ant in miniature, being only at the head of a department, whereas the intend ant was over a généralité, which was a much larger district. In the same way the sous-préfets correspond to the subdélégués of the intend ants, with the difference that they are actual officials subordinate to the prefects, while the subdélégués were merely the representatives with whom the intend ants provided themselves, and to whom they gave powers.
Secondly, the prefect is not only the general representative of the government, but the representative of the department in the management of its local interests. But his unfettered powers in this respect have been reduced under the third Republic. This has chiefly been the effect of the law of the 10th of August 1871, which has led to decentralization, by increasing the powers of the conseils généraux. The law created a departmental committee (commission départemenlale), elected by the Conseil général which, in the interval of the sessions of the latter, takes part in matters concerning the administration of the departmental interests, either in virtue of the law, or by a delegation of powers from the conseil général.
The sous-préfets, having very limited powers of deciding questions, serve above all as intermediaries between the prefect and the persons under his administration. This function was most useful in the year VIII., when communications were difficult, even within a department, but nowadays it only leads to complications. As a matter of fact their chief service to the administration lies in keeping up good relations with the maires of the communes in their arrondissement, and thus acquiring a certain amount of influence over them. The National Assembly, which passed the law of the 10th of August 1871, had also decided to suppress the sous-préfets, but M. Thiers, who was then president of the Republic, persuaded them to reconsider this decision. Since then the Chamber of Deputies has on several occasions taken advantage of the budget to attempt the suppression of the sous-préfets by refusing to vote the amount necessary for the payment of their salaries. But the government has always opposed this unconstitutional measure, holding that the suppression could only be effected by an organic law, and that it would necessarily involve a remodelling of the administrative organization. So far their view has prevailed in the Chambers. (J. P. E.)
PREHNITE, a mineral consisting of calcium hydrogen ortho-silicate,
H2Ca2Al2(SiO4)3. It crystallizes in the hemimorphic
class of the orthorhombic system, but the hemimorphic character
is usually obscured by twinning. Crystals are generally platy
in habit, but they rarely occur singly and distinctly shaped;
almost invariably they are closely aggregated together to form
barrel-shaped or globular groups with a crystalline surface. This
form, together with the pale oil-green colour, gives the mineral
a very characteristic appearance. It is translucent and has a
vitreous lustre. The hardness is rather over 6 and the spec. grav.
2.80–2.95. Crystals are pyro-electric. Prehnite is sometimes
classed with the zeolites, since it occurs under the same conditions
as these minerals and often in association with them: the
small amount of water (4.4%) is, however, expelled only at a
red heat and is therefore not water of crystallization.
Prehnite occurs as a mineral of secondary origin in the amygdaloidal cavities of basic igneous rocks, such as basalt and diabase, and less often, in veins in granite and gneiss. Fine specimens are found with zeolites in the volcanic rocks of several places in the south of Scotland, e.g. Old Kilpatrick in Dumbartonshire, Bishopton in Renfrewshire, Campsie Hills in Stirlingshire and in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh; also at Paterson and Bergen Hill in New Jersey, and with native copper in the trap-rocks of the Lake Superior region. In the French (at Le Bourg d'Oisans) and Tyrolese Alps it occurs with axinite, epidote, felspar, &c., lining crevices in gneiss. Large masses have been found at Cradock in Cape Colony, from which locality it was brought in the 18th century by Colonel Prehn, the governor of the colony; hence the names “ Cape chrysolite ” and prehnite (of A. G. Werner, 1789). Prebnite is sometimes cut and polished for small ornaments; it then somewhat resembles chrysoprase in appearance.
PREJUDICE (Lat. praejudicium), literally 'judgment or decision beforehand, which in classical usage meant a precedent, a preceding judgment, also a special form of judicial examination precedent to a trial, especially in matters relating to status. The transferred sense, of injury or damage inflicted by decisions or judgments disregarding interests affected, does not appear till post-classical times in Latin. This last use of damage appears in English in relation to legal matters, especially in the phrase “ without prejudice,” i.e. without detriment to rights or claims. When two parties are negotiating for the settlement of a dispute, statements or admissions made by or on behalf of either, with a stipulation, expressed or implied, that the statements are made “ without prejudice ” to the party's claims in the dispute, cannot be put in evidence in litigation to settle the dispute (see Evidence). The general meaning of the word is that of opinion, favourable or hostile, based on prepossessions, and therefore biassed or unreasonable.
PREL, KARL, Freiherr von (1839–1899), German philosopher, was born at Landshut on the 3rd of April 1839. After studying at the university of Munich he served in the Bavarian
