LIBERIA. 



471 



King of Prussia for the sum of 2,500,000 thalers. 

 On September 18th the duchy was formally 

 taken possession- of by Prussia. A royal proc- 

 lamation, dated Berlin, September 13th, an- 

 nounced the transfer to the people of the duchy. 

 The relation of Lauenburg to the dominions of 

 the king is thus defined in the royal proclama- 

 tion : " In accordance with the wishes expressed 

 by the representatives of Lauenburg. we take 

 possession by virtue of this our royal patent of 

 the said Duchy of Lauenburg, with all its sov- 

 ereign rights and attributes, adding to our titles 

 that of Duke of Lauenburg, and ordain by these 

 presents that the succession in the dukedom 

 shall be for the future hereditary, according to 

 the law of succession hitherto in vigor in other 

 parts of our monarchy. We send the inhabit- 

 ants of the duchy our sovereign greeting, and 

 command them to acknowledge us as their legit- 

 imate and rightful master, to take the oath of 

 allegiance to us and our successors, and to re- 

 spect and obey our laws and ordinances, whilst 

 we, on the other hand, assure them of our 

 sovereign protection, promising to govern them, 

 the country, and its inhabitants, according to 

 their own laws, to confirm their well-founded 

 rights and privileges, and to do our best for the 

 continued furtherance of their welfare and hap- 

 piness. 



" "We have created a special minister for the 

 affairs of the Duchy of Lauenburg, and ap- 

 pointed to that office our prime minister and 

 minister for foreign affairs, Ilerr von Bisinarck- 

 Schonhausen, ordering him to carry on the 

 government of the duchy according to the laws 

 and ordinances hitherto in force. It is, more- 

 over, our royal pleasure that all officials of high 

 and low degree in the duchy remain in office, 

 and be confirmed in their appointments upon 

 taking the usual oath of fidelity and allegiance 

 to us." 



LIBEEIA, a Negro Republic in Western 

 Africa. The first settlement was made in 1822, 

 and the proclamation of the Republic of Liberia 

 took place on August 24, 1847. It has been 

 recognized by Great Britain, France, Belgium, 

 Prussia, Brazil, Denmark, Portugal, and (1861) 

 the United States. The republic has about 

 600 miles of coast line, and extends back about 

 100 miles on an average, but with the facility of 

 an almost indefinite extension into the interior. 

 The number of inhabitants is estimated at about 

 500,000, of whom about 16,000 are Americo- 

 Liberians, and the remaining aboriginal inhab- 

 itants. The country is divided into four coun- 

 ties : Montserrado, Grand Bassa, Sinoe, and 

 Maryland. The executive authority is vested 

 in a President and a Vice-President, and the 

 legislative power is exercised by a parliament of 

 two houses, called the Senate and the House 

 of Representatives. The former consists of 

 eight members (two for each county) elected 

 for the term of four years ; the latter of thirteen 

 members, elected for the term of two years. 

 On the increase of population each additional 

 10,000 persons will be entitled to an additional 



representative. The first President of the 

 republic was Joseph Jenkins Roberts. He was 

 succeeded by Stephen Allen Benson. Each of 

 these two Presidents served four terms of two 

 years each. Actual President, Daniel Bashiell 

 Warner. At the general election held in May, 

 1865, the Hon. D. B. Warner and Hon. James 

 N". Priest were reflected President and Vice 

 President of the republic for the ensuing two 

 years from the 1st of January, 1866. 



The last annual message of President War 

 ner states with regard to the relations of 

 Liberia with foreign powers that "they arc 

 pacific," that "the questions which have arisen 

 between the Liberian and the British Govern- 

 ment, out of the repudiation by certain chiefs, 

 in the northwest portion of the republic, of the 

 right of the Liberian Government to exercise 

 authority in territory bought of them in that 

 section of the country, are still in the course of 

 discussion," and that " Great Britain still mam- 

 tains an attitude immensely injurious " to 

 Liberia. Ratifications of treaties of amity, 

 commerce, and navigation with Portugal and 

 with Denmark have been exchanged in Lon- 

 don, by Gerard Ralston, Esq., Consul-General 

 of Liberia. The treaty-with Portugal contains 

 the same important principle of international 

 law first incorporated in the compact between 

 Hayti and Liberia, assimilating the slave trade 

 with piracy. The act of the Legislature of 

 Liberia requiring foreign traders to do business 

 at regularly declared ports of the republic, 

 went into force on the 1st of January, 1865, 

 and had the happiest results. 



The Liberia "Herald " of November 1st re- 

 ports a large increase in the exports of tho 

 country. " Within the last five months," it 

 says, " five vessels have loaded with oil, chiefly 

 at the Liberian ports of entry. They took, 

 on an average, sixty thousand gallons of oil. 

 This does not include the oil taken off by tran- 

 sient traders." 



The trade of Liberia now flows almost wholly 

 in European channels. The Company of African 

 merchants, at their second meeting held in Lon- 

 don, declared a dividend of ten per cent. It has 

 purchased and was (in Jan., 1866) aboiit to send 

 out a steamer for the local coast trade of Sierrd 

 Leone with the northern rivers, Sherbro ana 

 Liberia. Steps have been taken to establish 

 regular steam navigation on the Niger for the 

 purposes of trade. At the semi-annual meeting 

 of the African Steamship Company in London, 

 December 6th, 1865, it was reported that "the 

 revenue account was slightly better than what 

 it was the previous half year," and " with re- 

 gard to the two new ships, the Mandingo had 

 been launched and would be ready for sea 

 in a week. The Lagos was launched December 

 3d, and by the end of January would be ready 

 for sea also. These ships would be built out of 

 the income, without calling for a penny of cap- 

 ital from the resources of the company. They 

 would, therefore, have one ship more than 

 they ever had before. The vessels are of a 





