REPORT ON EXCHANGES. 



131 



Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Brazil, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Rou- 

 mauia, Servia, and Switzerland. 



It may not be altogether uninteresting to compare them as to extent 

 of territory and population. I gather the following from the Almanaeh 

 de Gotha : 



Countries. 



Square kilo- 

 1 meters. 



United States 9,331,360 



Austria-Hungary. 6"J-\ 168 



Belgium '. 29,445 



Brazil ! 8.337,218 



France (proper) ' 528, 572 



France (colonies) 1,994,113 



Italy (proper) 296,323 



Italy (colonies) 632 



Portugal l proper) i 89,625 



Portugal (colonies) 1, 825, 252 



Roumania 129,947 



Spain (proper) 500, 443 



Spain (colonies) 436, 747 



Servia 48,590 



Switzerland 41,390 



Total 



To the 

 Population, square kilo- 

 meter. 



24,214,835 



50, 



37, 



5, 



10, 



37, 

 30, 



'-'-. 



4, 



3, 



5, 



16, 



8, 

 1, 



2, 



442, 066 

 869,954 

 519, 844 

 108,291 

 672, 048 

 173,234 

 459, 451 

 1,193 

 160,315 

 333, 700 

 376, 000 

 342, 996 

 839, 015 

 700,211 

 846, 102 



5.4 



61.0 



187.0 



71.0 



96.0 



46. 



41.0 

 33.0 



35.0 

 69.0 



242,844,420 



The development of the sciences and literature in the respective coun- 

 tries and the amount of the illiterate classes would doubtless furnish a 

 better gauge of the desirability and advantages of entering into a con- 

 vention of this nature, but in the absence of such statistics the forego- 

 ing will not be altogether useless. 



In addition to the countries represented in the conference, Greece, 

 Russia, Sweden and Norway, and Uruguay have evinced a desire to 

 adhere to the convention. 



The same statistics concerning them are — 



Countries. 



Square 

 kilometers. 



Greece 



Russia 



Sweden and Norway 

 Uruguay 



54,688 



5, 016, 024 



775, 997 



186, 290 



Population. 



To the 

 square kilo- 

 meter. 



1,979,423 



81,598,569 



6,772,568 



438, 245 



31 

 16 



Total | 6,042,999 



90, 788, 805 



The conference met under the presidency of Mr. Rolin-Jacquemyns, 

 the Belgian minister of the interior, on the 10th instant, at 11 A. m. 

 The president, after a short address, declared the general question open 

 for debate, whereupon the Swiss delegate, Mr. Abt, read a statement 

 defining the position of Switzerland, and opposing the extension of the 



