was 43.79; the mortality for every 100 inhabitants was 2.29. The number of emigrants amount. ed in 1849-58, to less than 200,000 individuals, while in the same period, Germany lost by emigration, 1,200,000, and Great Britain 2,750,000. Of 8,752 emigrants in 1861, 2,418 went to Algeria; there were 6,800 emigrants in 1862; of 5,771 emigrants in 1863, 1,486 went to Algeria. As regards nationality, about 32,500,000 of the population in France belong to the French race, (including 12,500,000 of the Provençal branch); nearly 2,000,000 are Germans; 1,800,000 Walloons; 1,100,000 Bretons; 350,000 Italians; 160,000 Basques; 100,000 Spaniards. Departments. The following table gives the population of every Department according to the census of 1866, and the number of deputies for every Department, as officially announced in the Moniteur, for the legislative period from 1867 to 1871: Reigning Sovereign and Family. NAPOLEON III. Charles Louis, Emperor of the French, born April 20, 1808; the third son of Louis Napoleon, formerly king of Holland, and of Queen Hortense, daughter of the Empress Josephine of France, by her first husband, Viscount Beauharnais; attempted to raise an insurrection at Strasbourg, Oct. 1836; sent into exile to America, returned to Europe, 1837; landed at Boulogne to raise an insurrection, Aug. 1840; condemned to perpetual imprisonment; escaped from the fortress of Ham, 1846; elected member of the Constituent Assembly, May, 1848; returned to France, Sept. 1848; elected President of the French Republic for four years, Dec. 10, 1848; dissolved the National Assembly by a coup d'état, Dec. 2, 1851; elected President of the Republic for ten years, Dec. 20, 1851; chosen hereditary Emperor, Nov. 21, 1852. Accepted the imperial dignity, Dec. 1, 1852. Married, Jan. 29, 1853, to Eugenie Marie de Montijo, born at Grenada, Spain, May 5, 1826, the second daughter of Count de Montijo, grandee of Spain. Offspring of this union: Napoleon Eugene Louis, Prince Imperial, born March 16, 1856. Cousins of the Emperor: 1. Princess Mathilde, born May 27, 1820, the daughter of Jerome, youngest brother of Napoleon I. 2. Her brother, Prince Napoleon Joseph, born Sept. 9, 1822, married, Jan. 30, 1859 to Clotilde, born March 2, 1843, the eldest daughter of Victor Emanuel I. King of Italy. The Imperial dignity is hereditary in the male and legitimate descendants of the present Emperor, in the order of primogeniture. In default of male children, Napoleon III. has the right to adopt any of the male descendants of the brothers of Napoleon I. The following is a list of the Sovereigns and Governments of France, with date of accession, from the time of Henri IV. House of Bourbon:-Henri IV., 1589; Louis XIII., 1610; Louis XIV., 1643; Louis XV., 1715; Louis XVI., 1774. Republic:-Convention, 1792; Directoire, 1794; Consulate, 1799. House of Bonaparte:-Napoleon 1., 1804. House of Bourbon:-Louis XVIII., 1814; Charles X., 1824. House of Bourbon-Orleans:-Louis Philippe, 1830. Republic:-Provis ional Government, 1848; President, 1848. House of Bonaparte:-Napoleon III., 1852. Government. The present Constitution of France, decreed in December, 1851, recognizes five powers in the State, namely:-1. The Executive power, represented by the Emperor; 2. the Ministers, nominated by the Emperor; 3. A Council of State, to draft laws under the direction of the Ministers; 4. A Legislative Body, nominated by universal suffrage, to discuss and vote laws; 5. A Second Assembly, formed of eminent men, acting as a moderating power (Senate.) The Emperor is irresponsible; appoints and discharges his Ministers; commands the armies and navies; makes peace and declares war; enters into alliances with other sovereigns and nations; has the sole initiative in legislation. No law is valid without his sanction, and no person can hold any office without taking the oath of fidelity to him. The Council of State, composed of 40 to 50 members, is nominated and dismissed by the Emperor. The Legislative Body is elected at the rate of one member to every 35,000 electors. The members are chosen for six years; the President and Vice President of both Houses are nominated by the Emperor, for the period of a year. The Emperor summons, prorogues and dissolves the Legislative Body; but, in case of dissolution, new elections must take place within six months. The Legislative Body of 1867-1872, numbers 292 members. The Senate is composed of the cardinals, marshals, and admirals of the Empire, and a number of other members, (not exceeding 150), nominated by the Emperor. The dignity is irrevocable and for life. No vote of the Legislative Assembly is effective without the sanction of the Senate. The Ministry. Minister of State, EUGENE ROUHER, born in 1813, appointed 1863; Minister of Justice, ERNEST BAROCHE; Minister of Finance, MAGNE, appointed 1867; Minister of the Imperial House, Count T. B. VAILLANT, appointed 1861; President of the Council of State, Ad. VUITRY, appointed 1864; Minister of War, Ad. NIEL, appointed 1867; Minister of Marine and the Colonies, CH, RIGAULT DE GENOUILLY, appointed 1867; Minister of Foreign Affairs, MARQUIS DE LAVALETTE, appointed 1868; Minister of the Interior, A. DE FORCADE LA ROQUETTE, appointed 1868; Minister of Public Instruction, VICTOR DURUY, appointed 1863; Minister of Agriculture, Commerce and Public Works, GRESSIER, appointed 1868. Education. Public education has made great progress in France within the last generation, In 1863, there were 116 pupils per 1,000 of the population. Catholics rarely visit school after 11 or 12 years of age, Protestants commonly remaining until about 16. Of the children who left school in 1863, 60 per cent. could read, write and cast accounts fairly. There were, in 1863, in France, 82,135 establishments of primary instruction. The 36,499 Communes, provided in 1863, with means of instruction, comprised 41,426 public and free schools; more than one-third of the children were admitted gratuitously. According to a report of the Minister of War, in 1866, the number of conscripts unable to read amounts to 30 out of every 100. Instruction is far more general in the eastern and northern than in the southern districts. The number of scholars in the secondary institutions (lyceums), November 1, 1867, was 36,306; there were also, 253 colleges, numbering 32,453 pupils. The number of political journals, January 1, 1867, was 336, of which 64 were published in Paris; October 31, 1867, the number was 384, of which 74 were published in Paris. October 81, 1887, the number of non-political journals was 886 in Paris, and 805 in the Departments. Finances. The expenditure of the State has, under the present government, almost continually increased. It was, in The city of Paris alone had a budget in 1867, of 241,653,612 francs. EXPENDITURES-ORDINARY AND SPECIAL. The following are the budget estimates for the year 1868: Civil list and dotations. Senate and Legislative Body. Funded Debt.. Ministry of State. Foreign Affairs. 12,933,200 Departmental and Communal Exp.. 98,662,993 66 Interior .206,505,815 The wars and war-like operations of France, since the accession of Napoleon III. have cost the following sums: The public debt of France rose from 5,346,000,000 francs in 1851 to 9,719,000,000 franes in 1861, and amounted in 1864, to 12,316,000,000 francs. The amount of annual interest payable on the public debt, in 1868 was: Franes. 248.892 340,504 20,000 311,900 Floating Debt. Total. Payment to Spain.. 376,487,644 Total public debt of France, in 1868: Capital of consolidated debt, 10,942,768,743 francs; floating debt, 900,000,000 francs; securities, 290,000,000 francs: grand total, 12,132,768,743 francs. Army. The army of France is formed by conscription, to which every man who has reached the age of 21, is liable. By the terms of the new plan of organization of the army, it is to consist of the regular army and the army of reserve, the number of each to be 400,000 men. There is, besides, a standing "National Garde Mobile," to be organized to the number of about 400,000 men, destined as an auxiliary to the active army in the defense of the fortresses, coasts and frontier of the empire. The total strength of the army is, therefore, to consist of 1,200,000 men. Every man drawn for conscription has the right to buy a substitute, but the right to furnish substitutes has become a government monopoly, which encourages greatly the reenlistment of old soldiers, thus giving the army a standing nucleus of experienced troops. The number of volunteers for the army, without bounty, is on the decrease. Advancement to the highest Guards.. military rank is open to every French soldier. The details of the organization of the French army, on a peace-footing, are as follows: INFANTRY. 3 regiments of Imperial Grenadier CAVALRY. Coast Guards... ........6,438 men. 2 regiments of Carbineers. Cuirassiers. .9,361 66 Inf. of the line. Uhlans.. Mounted Chasseurs..11,868 66 66 7,538 66 Tirailleurs of Al 3 66 geria.. Veterans and other troops. Remonte and Cav.Sch. 2,836 66 46 There are also several regiments of engineers (3,000 men), Gendarmerie (24,548), and troops of administration and military equipage (15,705)-Total 48,253 men. The General Staff consisted, in 1867, of 9 Marshals, 90 Division Generals, 160 Brigade Generals. On the war footing there are 12 Marshals, 90 Division Generals, 180 Brigade Generals, 580 staff officers, topographical staff 717, interpreters 75; total, 1,913. The summary of the army is as follows: The whole of France is divided into six "Arondissements Militaires" (army corps), each commanded by a field-marshal. France has 119 fortresses, of which 8 are of the first rank-Paris, Lyons, Strasburg, Metz, Lille, Toulon, Brest, and Cherbourg-12 of the second rank, 23 of the third, and 76 of the fourth rank. Navy. The French navy is governed by the Minister of Marine and the Colonies, who has under him a Council of Admiralty, consisting of four vice-admirals, one rear-admiral, a director of naval construction, and a commissary-general. The navy comprised, July 1, 1867, the following vessels: The strength in guns of the entire navy, Jan. 1, 1867, was 6,784 (excluding 291 vessels in course of construction); the horse-power of the fleet of steamers was 106,241. The most remarkable among the French men-of-war, and patterns, more or less, of the whole of them, are the six iron-clads, Magenta, Solferino, Couronne, Normandie, Invincible and Taureau. The largest iron-clad is the ram Dunderberg, built at New York and purchased by the French Government in 1867; it carries 16 guns and has a total burthen of 5,090 tons. The French navy is manned by conscription, like the army. It was officered and manned, on the 1st of July 1867, by 2 admirals; 16 vice-admirals in active service, and 10 on the reserve list; 24 rear-admirals in active service, and 19 on the reserve list; 130 captains of first-class men-ofwar; 270 captains of frigates; 825 lieutenants; 600 ensigns; 300 midshipmen, and 300 pupils. The maritime population liable to service is stated to be 170,000 men; the number of men inscribed on the navy list is 89,000, which number, after deducting men over 40 years, is reduced to about 66,000 men. The approaches to the French coast are to be defended by 344 batteries and 27 forts. Commerce. The sum total of the general commerce of France in 1865 amounted to 7,614,000,000 of francs, of which 3,527,000,000 represented the imports, and 4,087,000,000 the exports. It was a total increase of 285,000,000 over the preceding year. The import from the United States, in 1865, was 106,000,000, the export to the same country 241,000,000. The general commerce of France with its colonies and foreign countries amounted in 1866 to the actual value of 8,126,000,000 francs, an increase of 512,000,000 over the preceding year. The import of 1866 was 3,845,000,000, the export 4,281,000,000. The imports from the United States amounted to 192,000,000, the exports to the United States, 173,000,000. The chief articles of import in 1866 were cereals (44,000,000). The following table shows the value of the principal articles of import and export in 1862 and 1865: The importance of the greatest centers of commerce will be shown by the amount of duty paid in 1865, as follows: Paris 26,000,000 francs, Marseilles 19,000,000 frs., Nantes 19,000,000 frs., Havre 16,000,000 frs., Bordeaux 14,000,000 frs. The official report of Feb. 7, 1867, states the amount of production of coal to have been about 120,000,000 quintals, of cast iron about 13,000,000, (worth 135,000,000 frs.) The most valuable productions of agriculture are officially stated to be as follows: The number of letters and newspapers sent by the Post Department, was in The length of the telegraph lines was, at the end of 1865, about 19,000 miles; the number of private dispatches nearly 2,500,000. The railroads in France are left to private companies, but superintended, and if necessary, assisted in their operations by the State. They are now almost entirely in the hands of six great companies, which had, in 1867, an aggregate of 7,9894 miles in operation. The expenses of the companies January, 1868, and for finishing conceded lines, exclusive of the State subsidy, were estimated at 7,883,000,000, the largest portion of which falls on the line from Lyons to the Mediterranean Sea. The State subsidies amounted, at the above date, to 984,000,000. The French railroads earned 603,000,000 francs in 1866, and carried $4,000,000 travelers. |