378 



GEEAT BRITAIN. 



ance, though early in 1871 a joint Higli Com- 

 mission was appointed to meet at Washington 

 for the settlement of all questions at issue be- 

 tween the two countries. The questions grow- 

 ing out of troubles concerning the fisheries on 

 the coast of the eastern provinces of the North 

 American colonies, which had occasioned some 

 unpleasant feeling, were to be submitted to 

 this commission for adjudication. 



The railway system of the United Kingdom 

 is still extending. Complete statistics from all 

 the lines are not attainable of later date than 

 January, 1868. At that time there were 14,- 

 247 miles of railway open for traffic ; the total 

 capital paid up, including shares, loans, flo.it- 

 ing debt, etc., of these lines, was 502,262,887 

 = $2,511,814,435, or more than the nearly four 

 times greater extent of railways in the United 

 States. The total number of passengers car- 

 ried the year previous was 287,807,904, an 

 average of 20,201 per mile. The total amount 

 of traffic receipts was 39,479,999 = $197,240,- 

 000, or an average of 2,771 = $13,855 per 

 mile. The total working expenses were 19,- 

 848,952 = $99,244,760, and the net receipts or 

 profits were 19,631,047 = $98,155,235. The 

 increase in the length of lines has averaged, 

 for several years, about 545 miles, so that in 

 January, 1871, there should have been, and 

 probably were, about 15,882 miles of railway 

 open for traffic. The cost and amount of busi- 

 ness were probably not increased in the same 

 proportion. The receipts of the chief lines do 

 not compare with those of our leading rail- 

 roads, although their cost was greater. For 

 instance, the Northeastern Eailway, which in 

 its various branches has 1,275 miles of railway, 

 and cost for construction, etc., 40,683,385 = 

 $203,416,925, or about double the cost of the 

 Pacific Eailway, reported, as gross receipts in 

 1870, 1,020,304 = $5,101,520. The London 

 and Northwestern, with 1,504 miles open to 

 traffic, and constructed at a cost of 58,- 

 485,490 = $292,427,450, had in 1870 1,583,- 

 661=$7,918,305, or less than half the gross re- 

 ceipts of the New York Central. The Great 

 "Western, with 1,386 miles of railway, costing 

 49,970,341 = $249,851,705, had but 618,314 

 == $3,091,570 of gross receipts. "We might mul- 

 tiply examples, but these are sufficient. Our 

 average rates of fare are not, we think, higher 

 than theirs, perhaps not quite as high, but they 

 must do much less business than our great 

 lines ; yet it would seem to be a more profit- 

 able business, for the stock of both the North- 

 eastern and London and Northwestern is con- 

 siderably above par the former being held at 

 144 and the latter at 128. The Great Western 

 has smaller receipts, and probably does less 

 business than many of the shorter English 

 lines, and its stock is held at 71.5. With the 

 enormous cost of many of these roads, most 

 of them ranging between $150,000 and $600,- 

 000 per mile, and three surpassing that sum, it 

 would seem that they would be unable to earn 

 enough to pay a dividend with their compara- 



tively limited traffic, but nine of the leading 

 roads, including nearly one-half the whole ex- 

 tent of railways in the United Kingdom, did 

 pay dividends in 1870. 



STATISTICS IN 1870. I. FINANCES. 1. Reve- 

 nue. The gross receipts of the public revenue 

 of the United Kingdom for the year ending 

 March 31, 1870, were 78,960,009 15s. 7fd. = 

 $394,800,049, and the net receipts for the same 

 period 75,674,196 8s. Of d.= $378,370,982. Of 

 the gross receipts, there were collected from 

 imported goods, as customs (under which head 

 were included, in the order of their revenue 

 productiveness, tobacco and snuff, sugar unre- 

 fined, tea, rum, brandy, wine, refined sugar, 

 various spirits, coffee, currants, raisins, corn, 

 molasses, chicory, Geneva cordials, cocoa, figs, 

 etc.), 23,569,892 17s. 6d. = $117,849,464; ex- 

 cise (which includes duties on home produc- 

 tions and occupations, as, for instance, on dis- 

 tilled spirits, malt, licenses, railways, hackney- 

 carriages, sugar, chicory, etc.), 22,605,285 3s. 

 6^d. = $113,026,426 ; stamps (which includes 

 much the same items as with us), 9,545,751 

 6s. 4d. = $47,728,757 ; taxes (including land 

 and assessed taxes, the property and income 

 tax, and comprising, under the head of assessed 

 taxes, those on houses, servants, carriages, 

 riding and other horses, and armorial bear- 

 ings), 14.930,602 15s. 8fd. = $74,653,014 ; 

 the post-office, 4,687,260 12s. lOf d. = 23,- 

 436,303 ; the telegraph service, 107,479 16s. 

 9d. = $537,399 ; the crown lands, 447,723 

 lls. 4d. = $2,238,618, and miscellaneous items 

 amounting to 3,205,252 10s. 6d. = $16,026,- 

 263. There was an excess of revenue over 

 expenditure of 6,369,501 = $31,847,505. The 

 revenue estimates for the year ending March 

 81, 1871, were, in all, 71,450,000 = $357,- 

 350,000, and were made up of the following 

 items: customs, 21,650,000; excise, 21,- 

 640,000; stamps, 8,700,000; income-tax, 7,- 

 600,000 ; assessed taxes, 2,850,000 ; post- 

 office, 4,900,000 ; telegraphs, 675,000 ; 

 crown lands, 385,000 ; miscellaneous, 3,- 

 050,000. The income tax was reduced to 4d. 

 in the pound sterling, or If per cent. ; the 

 grain customs duty was repealed ; the duties 

 on beer and ale, except spruce-beer, slightly 

 reduced; the licenses and duties -on tea-deal- 

 ers, post-horses, stage and hackney carriages, 

 were repealed; the fire-insurance stamp re- 

 pealed, and for assessed taxes on the follow- 

 ing, and some other articles, licenses were 

 substituted: hair-powder, armorial bearings, 

 carriages, horses, servants, and horse-dealers. 



2. Expenditure. The total expenditure of 

 the Government of the United Kingdom for the 

 year ending March 31, 1870, was 69,064,- 

 751 19s. 6d. = $345,323,760. Of this amount 

 the interest and management of the public 

 debt absorbed 27,077,529 8s. = $135,387,- 

 649.50 ; the charges on the Consolidated Fund 

 (including the civil list, annuities and pen- 

 sions, salaries and allowances, diplomatic sala- 

 ries and pensions, courts of justice, and mis- 



