RUSSIA. 



743 



contained at the same date 5 generals and 508 

 staff officers; the marine artillery, 4 generals 

 and 197 staff officers; the navy engineers, 

 generals and 139 staff officers; and the navy 

 architect corps, 8 generals and 48 staff officers. 

 Regulations have been published sanctioning 

 the formation, as a permanent part of the 

 forces of the empire, of a " volunteer naval 

 militia," to consist of able-bodied men of all 

 classes. Those desirous of joining this force 

 are to make a declaration to that effect to the 

 Minister of War, when their names will be 

 inscribed on its lists, and in time of war they 

 will be appointed to ships of the regular navy. 

 They will be required to serve as long as hos- 

 tilities continue, but will not be retained in 

 the service in time of peace. While serving, 

 they will be subject to naval law and all the 

 regulations in force on board men-of-war, and, 

 if wounded, will receive the same pensions as 

 sailors of the regular navy. Owners of vessels, 

 or societies, who may be willing to place their 

 ships at the disposal of the Government in the 

 event of war, may also make known the fact 

 with its conditions to the Minister of War, 

 when, if the Admiralty approve, the ships will 

 be inscribed on the list of Russian men-of-war, 

 and in the event of war breaking out will pass 

 at once under the control of the Government. 

 Further steps have been taken to supply the 

 want of sailors, which is felt to be the chief 

 obstacle to making permanent additions of 

 vessels to the navy, by the establishment of 

 schools for the training of seamen. Ten such 



schools are being established in the Baltic 

 provinces, five on the shores of the White Sea, 

 and six in other parts of the country. A law 

 has been approved, to come in force in 1881, 

 ordering the introduction of universal military 

 service in Finland. 



The following tables exhibit the develop- 

 ment of Russian commerce since 1867: 



YALUE OP IMPORTS, IN RUBLES. 



VALUE OP EXPORTS, IN RUBLES. 



The value of the foreign commerce of Rus- 

 sia in 1875-'76 was as follows, in rubles : 



The movement of shipping in 1876 was as follows: 



The tonnage of the vessels entered was metres of railroad in operation in Russia, in- 



2,373,254 tons, and of those cleared 2,382,273. elusive of Finland and exclusive of Caucasia. 



On January 1, 1878, there were 21,463 kilo- In the latter country there were 1,004 kilo- 



