ur.Lcn M. 



67 



the Chambers, fixed the revenue at 170,025,000 

 -, and tho expenditure at 176,812,830 

 - ; the estimate of revenue for 1871 

 uts to 17 ( .,'2'J2,UOO francs, and the ex- 

 pi-nilitiin' for th'o same period to 109,298,895 

 I'rum-a. The standing army of Belgium, which, 

 according to a decree of April 5, 1868, num- 

 bers lon,i)t)0 men in time of \vur, coinpri^rs 

 16 regiments of infantry, consisting of 64 field 

 l-:it:iillonsor 892 companies, besides 10 reserve 

 Imtiiillons, consisting of 64 companies. The 

 cavalry consists of 2 regiments of chasseurs, 4 

 regiments of lancers, and 1 regiment of guides, 



while the artillery comprises 6 regiment*, with 

 68 batteries. The total strength of the army 

 is as follows: 



The exports and imports of Belgium in 1867 

 and 1868 were as follows: 



The following table shows the development 

 of Belgian commerce since 1841 : 



The tonnage- of Belgian ports was as follows ; 



The arrivals during 1868 comprised 836 ves- 

 sels under the Belgian flag, of 85.165 tons; 

 among the departures were 851 ships under the 

 Belgian flag, together of 88,697 tons. The mer- 

 chant navy of Belgium numbered as follows : 



1868, 68 ships of 28,141 tons, and 11 steamers of 8,752 tons. 

 1867,81 lf 81,198 " 9 " 6,857 " 



1866,91 " 83,239 " 7 " 4,686 " 



Of railroads there were on January 1, 1869 : 



Tho number of post-offices amounted in 

 1868 to 414 ; private letters carried during the 

 year, 38,362,727; newspapers, 38,966,882; of- 

 ficial letters, 6,396,520. 



The length of telegraph-lines summed up 

 2,565 miles, length of wire 7,906 miles ; tele- 

 graph-offices 410, and number of dispatches 

 sent 1,502,599. 



The legislative session of the Belgian 

 Chambers for 1869-1870 was closed on May 

 19th. The most important bill adopted by 

 the Chambers was one on the administration 

 of church property. The Government and 

 the Catholic party concluded a compromise 

 concerning this question, the former recog- 

 nizing the necessity of a strict control over 

 the administration of the church property by 

 the state, and the Government limiting its 

 bill to such provisions as directly concern this 

 control. Only one new article was added, 

 providing that in future those fabriques (church 

 councils) which decline a control by the Gov- 

 ernment shall receive no subsidy from tho 

 state. In this shape the bill was adopted by 

 86 against 8 votes. 



In July a new ministry was formed, of mem- 

 bers of the Catholic party. New elections 

 took place on the 2d of August, at which the 

 Catholics obtained a decided victory. In the 

 new second Chamber the Catholic party 

 numbered 74, and the Liberal party only 50 

 members; the Senate has 34 Catholics and 

 28 Liberals. On the 8th of August, the King 

 opened the Chambers, and in his speech thus 

 referred to the all-important question of Bel- 

 gian neutrality in the German-French War : 

 The Emperor of the French has written to me to 



