CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



immigration amounted to 788,992 ; but fluctuates 

 much from year to year. In 1877 it was only 

 138,000 the smallest number in any year of the 

 period 1870 1880. From 182010 1880 the immi- 

 grants from Great Britain and Ireland numbered 

 over 4,700,000. It is said that the Irish and 

 Germans, with their descendants, constitute one- 

 third of the entire population ; about 10,000,000 



being set down as of Irish descent ; 6,000,000 as 

 of German stock. At the census of 1880, of the 

 whites foreign born, 2,772,169 were natives of the 

 United Kingdom ; 1,966,742 were Germans ; 

 717,084 were British Americans. The coloured 

 population amounted to 6,580,793 ; and there 

 were 105,465 Chinese. In 1880, there were 

 180,000 tribal Indians not included in the census. 





Government Army Navy. 



Each of the English colonies established in 

 America had had a certain form of government 

 assigned it for maintaining the necessary order. 

 This consisted generally of a House of Assembly, 

 chosen by the people, with governor, judges, and 

 other officers, appointed by the king, but paid out 

 of taxes levied by the representatives. On acquir- 

 ing independence after their war with the mother- 



316 



country, the different colonies, now called States, 

 made such alterations, each in its own constitu- 

 tion, as they believed to be suited to their circum- 

 stances ; and a general government, framed and 

 appointed by the consent of the whole, was formed 

 to take charge of such national affairs as the 

 States could not manage separately. The States 

 have each a Senate and House of Representa- 

 tives ; the members of the former are fewer in 



