308 



FRANCE. 



The principal articles of import and export 

 in 1880 were as follows (in francs) : 



The port movements of the republic for the 

 year 1880 were as follows: 



The merchant navy at the close of 1880 was 

 as follows : . 



Of the total number in 1880, 14,406 vessels, 

 of 641,539 tons, were sailing-vessels, and 652, 

 of 277,759 tons, were steamers. 



The railroads of France are either main lines, 

 which serve the general interest, or local lines. 

 The former belong partly to the state Govern- 

 ment, and partly to private companies. The 

 latter will be assumed by the Government at 

 the expiration of their charters. The number 

 of kilometres in operation on January 1, 1881, 

 was as follows: 



Main lines ... . . 23,977 

 Local lines 2,189 



Total. 26,166 



The number of kilometres in the course of 

 construction, on the same date, was 6,038, of 

 which 2,498 were built by companies, and 

 3,540 by the Government. 



The statistics of telegraphs are as follows : 



Length of lines In 1SSC, kilometres 65.949 



Length of wires In 1880 196.538 



Stations in 1830 5,891 



Total dispatches in 1830 16,493,897 



Revenue 23,029,835 francs. 



Expenditure 18,088,040 " 



The latest postal statistics were as follows: 



Number of post-offices in 1879 5,802 



Number of letters sent in 1 880 622.402,1 65 



Number of postal-cards 80.119,434 



Valuable letters 9,157,692 



Newspapers 820.568,422 



Samples and printed matter 836,805,848 



Total articles sent 1,219,053,561 



Receipts in 1 879 '. 104,769,735 francs. 



Expenditure 76,271,510 " 



The senatorial amendments to the Merchants' 

 Shipping Bill having been accepted by the 

 Chamber on January 30, 1881, the bill was 

 promulgated on the following day. Clause four 

 provides that, as compensation for the burdens 

 imposed on ship-building by customs duties, a 

 bounty shall be granted of 60 francs per ton 

 gross on iron ships, of 20 francs on wooden 

 ships of not less than 200 tons, of 10 francs 

 on wooden ships of smaller size, of 40 francs 

 on mixed constructions, and 12 francs per 100 

 kilogrammes on steam-engines and their acces- 

 sories. Clause five accords, on vessels enlarged, 

 similar bounties proportionate to the increase 

 of tonnage, as also for steam-power inserted af- 

 ter the completion of the ships, together with a 

 bounty of 8 francs per 100 kilogrammes for new 

 boilers of French build. Clause nine grants a 

 premium on long voyages for ten years, a com- 

 pensation for the burden imposed on merchant 

 shipping by navy recruiting and service. The 

 premium begins at 1 franc 50 centimes per 

 ton net for every 1,000 miles traversed by ves- 

 sels of French build, and is reduced by f of a 

 centime for wooden or mixed ships, and by 



