organs uttered comments on the foreign extraction of both the Minister and the UnderSecretary of Foreign Affairs, the former being the son of a Genoese, and the latter (M. Spuller) of a Baden immigrant. The motives assigned (in the decrees) for the creation of the two new portfolios of Agriculture and Fine Arts, formerly coupled respectively with Commerce and Public Instruction, were as follows: That agriculture is the chief element of national wealth; that the Minister of Commerce is sufficiently occupied with international exchanges, customs, and commercial treaties; that Germany, America, Austria, and Italy have made agriculture a distinct department; that foreign competition, bad harvests, and the phylloxera have placed French agriculture in a critical condition; and, as regards art, that nations, but lately imitators of France, have (as proved by the last exhibition) become her rivals in the influence of art-training on producing forces, and in the importance of strengthening technical education. The Minister of Agriculture was to have charge of surveys and subsidies for irrigation, drainage, dredging canals, water-supply, and agricultural improvements; the Minister of Arts, of public buildings, cathedrals, art and technical schools, and drawing

classes.

France, with an area of 528,572 square kilometres (204,081 square miles), is divided into 87 departments, and had, according to the census of 1876, a population of 36,905,788. The movement of population from 1869 to 1878 was as follows:

8 per cent..

Totals...

12,101,852,167 868,040,565 1,788,114

446,096

786

11,152,400 882,061,176 87,442,779 159,459 6,917,472,240 845,878,512 2,432,574

19,862,085,988 748,404,952 4,880,983

The following table shows, from official returns, the number of holders and the amount of rente, at decennial periods, from 1798 to 1870, and in each of the later years therein expressed:

Francs. 25,111,785

1810.

145,668

56,780,588

1820.

199,697

172,784,888

On January 1, 1873, the new army law of July 27, 1872, went into operation. Its first article enacts universal liability to military service. Every Frenchman capable of bearing arms must serve for twenty years, namely, five years in the standing army, four years in the reserve of the standing army, five years in the territorial army, and six years in the reserve of the territorial army.

By a law of July 24, 1873, on the reorganization of the army, France is divided into eighteen districts, each of which is occupied by an army corps. One army corps is also organized in Algeria. Each of the eighteen army corps consists of two divisions of infantry, one brigade of cavalry, one brigade of artillery, one battalion of engineers, one squadron of the train, a general staff and the subordinate staffs. By a law of March 16, 1880, the former general staff, which was a closed corps consisting of 513 officers, has been dissolved, and has been replaced by a new staff which is accessible to all officers who, after completing the course of studies in the military school, have obtained the staff brevet on the ground of their final examination. In this examination all captains may take part, even if they have not passed through the school. Moreover, officers of the staff may receive the brevet under special conditions fixed upon by the Minister of War. The Minister of War selects among the brevetted officers those who are to enter into the service of the general staff. In time of peace they remain in this service for four years, after which they return to their former position. They can not be recalled to the general staff until two years later. While serving in the general staff, their names remain on the lists of their own branch of the army, but they are kept there

GENERAL COMMERCE.

"hors cadre." The brevetted officers who are not called into the service of the general staff form a reserve. The new general staff consists of 300 officers and 150 archivists. Outside of this cadre a land-surveying commission has been established in connection with the war depot, consisting of twelve officers.

The actual strength of the army on a peace footing in 1881 was 498,497 men, of whom 52,750 were in Algeria, while about 39,000 were absent on leave and in hospitals. Here follows the latest published classification by arms:

The total number of recruits in 1879 was 316,662, of whom 34,857 were rejected. Of the total number, 46,636 were unable to read and write, 9,931 were able to read only, 64,409 could read and write, 181,680 had an elementary education, 5,851 held degrees and diplomas, and of 9,155 the degree of instruction was unknown.

The navy, on January 1, 1881, comprised 356 vessels. Of these, 59 were ironclads (32 large war-vessels and 27 for coast defense); 235 steamers (57 cruisers, 39 dispatch-boats, 47 gunboats, 61 transports, and 31 torpedo-boats); and 63 sailing-vessels.

The foreign trade of France is officially divided into "commerce général," which comprises the entire imports and exports, including goods in transit, and commerce spécial," which embraces the imports consumed and the exports produced within the country. The following table exhibits the movements of French commerce from 1859 to 1880 (value expressed in francs):

Imports.

Exports.

1880.

1879.

1878.

1877.

1376.

189,600,000

141,200,000

8.575,600,000 804,000,000

284,000,000

1875.

1574.

219,000,000

8,701,100,000 952,000,000

159,000,000

8,787,800,000 565,000,000

492,000,000

$71,000,000

451,000,000

$13,000,000

1873. 1869-1878. 1861-1868. 1859-1863.

France produced 680,316 gallons (U. S. wine measure) of wine in 1879, against 2,217,600,000 in 1875. The mean price per gallon from 1862 to 1867 inclusive was 36 cents, and the percentage of taxation upon the value, 14:55. The wine exported from France in 1879 was of the total value of $45,917,000; and that imported, $21,074,400. More than 4 per cent of the area of France is vineyard, occupying 7,000,000 persons. Yet the wine consumed in

and exported from France is not all of French growth: 1,400,000 acres of vineyard had, up to 1881, been devastated by the phylloxera, and foreign wines are imported in ever-increasing quantities (nearly 15,700,000 gallons in 1880), mostly from Spain, Portugal, and Italy. The champagne exported to the United States in 1880 was of the value of $2,317,593.

The chief sources of the imports and destinations of the exports in 1880 were as follows:

The senatorial amendments to the Merchants' Shipping Bill having been accepted by the

promulgated on the following day. Clause four provides that, as compensation for the burdens imposed on ship-building by customs duties, a bounty shall be granted of 60 francs per ton gross on iron ships, of 20 francs on wooden ships of not less than 200 tons, of 10 francs on wooden ships of smaller size, of 40 francs on mixed constructions, and 12 francs per 100 kilogrammes on steam-engines and their accessories. Clause five accords, on vessels enlarged,

of tonnage, as also for steam-power inserted after the completion of the ships, together with a bounty of 8 francs per 100 kilogrammes for new boilers of French build. Clause nine grants a premium on long voyages for ten years, a compensation for the burden imposed on merchant shipping by navy recruiting and service. The premium begins at 1 franc 50 centimes per ton net for every 1,000 miles traversed by vessels of French build, and is reduced by of a centime for wooden or mixed ships, and by t

centime for iron ships. Vessels of foreign build will have only half this premium, save those already registered as French, which will have the full allowance, and steamers built on a plan previously approved by the Government will have 15 per cent extra. Fishing and pleasure craft and all vessels of subsidized lines are excluded from the premium. In the event of war, merchant-vessels may be called by requisition to the service of the State, and every ship receiving a premium on navigation will be bound to carry mails gratuitously, and a postoffice official if required. Foreign ships wholly or partially changing hands are henceforth to pay 3 francs for admission to registration, instead of only 2 francs as before.

The number of authorized savings-banks on December 31, 1878, was 526, with 794 branches; the total number of books out being 3,173,721, representing an aggregate of 1,275,606,395 francs to the credit of depositors.

The area and the population of the French colonies and protected countries, according to the most recent official returns, are shown in the following tabular statement:

ART. II. With the view to facilitating for the Government of the French Republic the means of guaranteeing the defense of its interests, the Bey's Government accords the Government of the French Republic every facility for assuring the security of the shore and frontiers of the regency by an occupation, the extent and conditions of which will be determined hereafter.

ART. III. This occupation will cease when the Beylie authorities have shown that they can insure the Republic, on its side, guarantees the Bey's states against all external aggression.

security of the frontiers. The Government of the

ART. IV. The Government of the French Republic guarantees the execution of existing treaties.

ART. V. The Government of the French Republic is represented at Tunis by a minister resident, who will watch over the execution of the above provisions.

ART. VI. The diplomatic agents of the French Republic at foreign courts will protect Tunisian subjects and defend their interests. In return, the Bey's Government engages not to conclude any international treaty, convention, or act, without first giving notice of it to the Government of the French Republic, and without a previous understanding with it.

ART. VII. The Government of the French Republic and the Bey's Government will arrange the terms of the settlement of the public debt and of the rights of the creditors of the regency. The conditions on which that settlement will be made will be fixed hereafter.

ART. VIII. A war contribution will be paid by the frontier and coast tribes; the amount of the impositions and the mode of recovery will be debated in ulterior negotiations.

ART. IX. In order to protect French interests against the smuggling of arms and ammunition, the Bey's Government engages to prevent all importation of powder and arms.

ART. X. The present treaty will be submitted for the ratification of the President of the French Republic.

Algeria, the most considerable, as it is the most costly, of France's colonial possessions, was under military rule until 1871, but the affairs of the colony are now administered by a civil governor-general, except in the unsettled districts, inhabited for the most part by nomadic tribes. The governor-general is invested with legislative powers in civil affairs, but in all important cases he is advised by a colonial council, established by the home government. The present governor-general is M. Louis Tirman, Councilor of State.

In the French financial estimates for 1882, the revenue of Algeria was set down at 26,990,100 francs, and the expenditure at 29,974,599 francs. The normal monetary status of the colony is a considerable excess of cost over the yield.

The commerce for the year 1879 was of the total value of 391,800,000 francs, of which amount 214,000.000 represented the exports. The values of the exports to and imports from the United States were $2,128,880 and $3,562,360 respectively.

In the same year there were 3,013 vessels entered, aggregating 1,127,731 tons; and 3,155 cleared, with a total of 1,154,525 tons. The merchant navy comprised 133 vessels, of an aggregate tonnage of 5,705.

Of railways there were, on January 1, 1881,

In October, 1880, the area of the civil department had been extended to 738,388 square kilometres, and the population had increased to 1,884,124. The classification by nationalities, for the entire colony, was as follows: 198,092 French; 33,506 naturalized Jews; 94,038 Spaniards; 26,322 Italians; 14,313 English; 6,513 Germans; 2,748 Swiss; 2,663 Turks; 792 Belgians; and 2,477,641 native Mussulmans.

Both Houses, formally opened on January 11th, instead of the 13th (the statutory opening day), adjourned to the 20th, and on that day proceeded to the election of office-bearers. M. Léon Say was re-elected President of the Senate by 170 votes, or 23 more than he had received when originally appointed in May, 1880. M. Gambetta, elected for the third time President of the Chamber, received 262 votes, against 259 in 1880, and 314 in 1879. On the 21st both Presidents delivered their inaugural addresses. That of M. Gambetta elicited warm applause, and, on the motion of a deputy, was ordered to be placarded throughout France. The following extract from his discourse embodies an interesting review of the labors, past and future, of the Chamber:

The session now opened, the crowning one of this Parliament, will enable you, not without effort, to complete the heavy task imposed on you by the country. Much has still to be done, but you have already done a good deal. On the very morrow of the memorable struggle of May to October, 1877, you inaugurated the execution of the resolution of France. You have put an end to the enterprises of personal rule and of the old parties. You have restored in all its reality the government of the country by the country. You have restored Paris to the Parliament, and the

Parliament to Paris. By a grand act of clemency and political sagacity you have drawn a veil over the remains of our civil discords, and that without incur ring any peril to republican order. You have favored the efforts that have been directed to national education laws. After restoring in their integrity the too long disregarded rights and laws of the state, you have insured the education of all French youth. By embodying for the first time in the law an absolute respect for liberty of conscience, you have thoroughly remodeled higher and intermediate education, richly endowed the three branches of public instruction, and thereby prepared a splendid crop of men for the future. Public works have received from you a decisive and unprecedented impulse. The populations who had contributed to the creation of the old railways are at length, by a just reciprocity, about to possess new means of transport and exchange. The fine works which France owes to nature and to the past have assumed from your generous co-operation an extension and power which will enable them, from Dunkirk to Marseilles, to compete effectually with the greatest entrepôts in Europe. The roads and the canals, largely subsidized and restored, broadened and constructed, will complete that admirable system of means of communication. Alongside the industrial and economic machinery you have taken a jealous interest in reconstructing and refounding the military and naval machinery of France; you have taken a special interest in the men charged on land and at sea with the custody and employment of that vast machinery. The situation, both in active service and as pensioners, of all the officers and soldiers has been improved; that of the non-commissioned officers has been and is still the subject of your constant solicitude. The staff has been reorganized; it remains for you, by passing the bills laid before you, ministration, fix the rules of advancement, and the to recast the recruiting law, organize the military adbelief is warranted that you will not separate without having given the last touch to the great work of national defense. You have been able to accomplish and thrift of the country, which for five years has such a programme, thanks to the wonderful industry annually yielded you in surpluses the large remissions of taxation by which you have lightened each budget. You have set the budgets in equilibrium, devoted large sums to all the public services, and A special law of the greatest moment for the different rendered the credit of France beyond all comparisons. branches of social economy, the total recasting of our general customs tariff, the postal and telegraphic reform, the fusion of these two services, and a long series of business laws will remain a standing proof ing to place by law public liberties beyond reach of of your activity and competency. Lastly, while waitattack, you have favored the exercise of them. You have already secured the right of meeting. The press will shortly be set free by your coming deliberations, and also the legal recognition of professional found peace, both at home and abroad. More espeassociations. This you have gone through amid procially as regards the maintenance of peace abroad, your harmony with the Government and the country has been unbroken. In spite of assertions reposing on no foundation, the whole world knows that the foreign policy of France neither masks secret objects nor adventures. This is a guarantee which resides in the very form of the republican government, in which all depends on the national sovereignty and on a democracy, in the bosom of which external peace, dignified and well sustained, is at once the means policy, these reforms, these results, and these hopes and the object of democratic progress. At home this will enable you to submit yourselves with confidence to the judgment of the country. Since you began to occupy these seats, several times and in divers ways the nation has had occasion to pronounce itself

Allusion to the decree of July 11, 1880, granting plenary amnesty to the insurgents of the Commune.