338 



FRANCE. 



strength is approximately 1,272,400 infantry, 

 88,472 cavalry, 180,000 artillery, 45,000 engi- 

 neers, and 5,000 pontonniers, in all 1,590,878 

 men, or, with the train, administrative and sani- 

 tary corps, etc., about 1,800,000 men. 



The Navy. In the beginning of 1883 France 

 possessed 32 large battle ships, of which 20 

 were ironclads of the first rank, and 12 of the 

 second rank; 27 vessels for coast-defense, 16 

 of them coast-guards, and 11 floating batteries; 

 57 cruisers of the first, second, and third 

 classes; 17 avisos; 10 screw and 12 paddle 

 fleet avisos; 21 gunboats of the first and 

 second classes; 61 transports; 26 small gun- 

 boats, and 31 torpedo-boats; and 62 sailing- 

 vessels. There were on the stocks 8 ironclads 

 of the first class and 2 of the second, 3 coast- 

 guards, 2 armored gunboats, 6 cruisers, 2 

 avisos, 3 screw and 6 paddle-wheel fleet dis- 

 patch-boats, 5 transports, and 11 torpedo- 

 boats. The navy is manned by 1,590 officers 

 and 41,227 men, not including 3,940 in the 

 auxiliary services, 18,770 marine infantry, 

 4,661 marine artillery, etc. The period of serv- 

 ice is five years in the active service, and four 

 in the reserve. 



Finances. The ordinary budget of 1882 

 showed a deficit of 30,414,080 francs, and that 

 of 1883 one of 46,125,100 francs. During the 

 period from 1870 to 1883 the normal receipts 

 exceeded the. normal expenditures by 364,312,- 

 751 francs, but the expenditures, on account 

 of the surplus, exceeded this amount by 2,004,- 

 276 francs. The accounts of 1884 have not 

 been made up. The budget for 1885 places 

 the expenditures under the principal heads at 

 the following amounts: 



EXPENDITURES. Franc*. 



Public debt 1,277, 107,953 



Dotations 86,179,411 



Legislature 11,891,780 



Justice 88,944.400 



Public Worship 51,095,066 



Ministry of Foreign Affairs 14,533,900 



Ministry of Interior 70,551,939 



Ministry of Finance 20,145,970 



Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs 3,085,485 



Ministry of War 596,306,230 



Ministry of Marine and the Colonies 284,420,805 



Ministry of Instruction and Art 153,251 ,828 



Ministry of Commerce 18,938,998 



Ministry of Agriculture 25,489,090 



Ministry of Public Works 136,602,378 



Administration and collection 339,140,911 



Restitutions 20,860,000 



RECEIPTS (BROUGHT FORWARD). Francs. 



Receipts of the Post-Office 140,761,000 



Telegraph receipts 32,091,000 



Tax on income from personal property 50,124,000 



University 8,857,447 



Fines 8,918,395 



Civil pension deductions 22,545,855 



Miscellaneous receipts 



Total ordinary expenditures 3,048,544,744 



Expenditures from extraordinary resources. 208,121,818 



Total expenditures 8,256,666,562 



The receipts of 1885 are estimated in the 

 budget as follow : 



RECEIPTS. Franca. 



Land-tax 177,500,000 



Personal property and head taxes 67,392,000 



Door and window tax 45.972.000 



Patents 104,886,600 



Other direct taxes 607,800 



Royalties, succession-dues, fees, carriage-tax, 



etc 26.956,890 



Direct and special taxes of Algeria 8,11 5,974 



Regis'ration, stamps, and domains 738,015,100 



Forests 85.640.934 



Customs and salt-duty 819,949,000 



Excise duties 1,207,920,000 



Total ordinary receipts 8,048.720,927 



Receipts from extraordinary resources 208,121,818 



Total receipts 8,256,842,745 



The expenditures, on account of the public 

 debt for 1885, are set down as 1,277,107,053 

 francs, including pensions, indemnities, etc. 

 The new 4 per cent, rentes amount to 305,- 

 510,359 francs; the old 4J- per cents., 37,433,- 

 284 francs; 4 per cents., 446,096 francs; 3 

 per cents, 362,697,128 francs; interest and 

 arnortizement of the capital of the budget of 

 extraordinary resources, 258,005,000 francs; 

 other terminable debts, 146,583,451 francs; 

 military pensions, 84,376,000 francs ; civil pen- 

 sions, 57,983,000 francs; other pensions and 

 annuities, 24,042,735 francs. 



The Tonqnin and Formosa Campaigns. The mili- 

 tary action of France in the East (see CHINA 

 and TONQTTIN) awakened little enthusiasm at 

 home. Only on the occasions of important 

 military or diplomatic events did the public 

 show much excitement. The Government was 

 sure of the support of its regular majority. 

 The Monarchists approved vigorous action, 

 while the Eadical groups opposed the Tonquin 

 policy of the Government altogether. After 

 the Bac Le affair, which was portrayed as a 

 treacherous ambuscade, subsequent to the con- 

 clusion of a formal peace, the people were 

 generally in favor of reprisals, provided the 

 finances of the military organization were not 

 weakened. After the bombardment of Foo- 

 chow, they would have been satisfied at the 

 conclusion of peace. The continuation of hos- 

 tilities outside of Tonquin seemed due to a hope 

 of gaining possession of the fertile island of 

 Formosa, with its coal-mines and harbors. 

 The Chamber was always willing to vote the 

 credits demanded. The majority was in favor 

 of pursuing the operations with more vigor. 

 A difference arose between the other members 

 of the Cabinet and Gen. Campenon, who de- 

 clared that the French army could not spare 

 more than 6,000 men without jeoparding its 

 mobilization. To meet the difficulty, he pro- 

 posed the formation of a new colonial army, 

 which would release the regular troops in Al- 

 geria and furnish 15,000 men as a second re- 

 serve for distant expeditions. The scheme 

 would cost 9,000,000 francs the first year and 

 5,500,000 in subsequent years. When the Gov- 

 ernment had increased the force in Tonquin to 

 about 18,000 men by enlisting volunteers and 

 sending Algerian troops, it was considered 

 dangerous to call for more volunteers. A final 

 vote of confidence in the colonial policy of the 

 Government was given Nov. 28, and a credit 

 of 60,000,000 francs was voted. 



The Protectorate in Tunis. The capitulations 



