GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



397 



from European countries were 168,293,000 

 in 1885, against 173,067,000 in 1884. The 

 exports of British produce to European coun- 

 tries were 81,500,000, against 90,841,000. 



Navigation. The total tonnage of vessels in 

 the foreign trade entered at British ports dur- 

 ing the calendar year 1885 was 31,862,420, of 

 which 22,980,464 tons were British. The total 

 tonnage cleared was 32,419,222, 23,408,591 

 tons being British. The tonnage entered with 

 cargoes was 25,664,460; cleared, 29,317,731; 

 the steam tonnage entered was 24,586,866 ; 

 the steam tonnage cleared, 24,923,001. The 

 tonnage of vessels engaged in the home trade 

 was 44,560,900 entered, and 37,902,292 cleared. 



The number of sailing-vessels registered in 

 1885 was 16,609 of 3,417,000 tons, as com- 

 pared with 17,569 of 3,423,000 tons in 1884; 

 the number of steamers, 6,621 of 3,970,000 

 tons, as compared with 6,580 of 3,941,000 tons. 

 The total tonnage in 1885 was 7,387,000 ; in 

 1884, 7,364,000. There were, in 1885, 10,083 

 sailing-vessels of 658,000 tons, and 1,706 steam- 

 ers of 300,000 tons, employed in the home 

 trade, limited to the British coasts and ports 

 of the North Sea and the Channel ; 512 sail- 

 ing-vessels of 68,000 tons, and 217 steamers of 

 86,000 tons, employed partly in the home trade 

 and partly in foreign trade ; and 3,180 sailing- 

 vessels of 2,594,000 tons, and 3,093 steamers of 

 3,503,000 tons employed in foreign commerce. 



The Post-Office. The number of letters sent 

 through the post-office during 1885-'86 was 

 1,403,547,900, an increase of 3'2 per cent, over 

 the number of the preceding year. Of the 

 whole number, 84 per cent, were delivered in 

 England and Wales, 9-6 per cent, in Scotland, 

 and 6'4 per cent, in Ireland. The number of 

 post-cards forwarded was 171.290,000. In- 

 cluding newspapers, books, and parcels, the 

 total number was 2,091,183,822. The number 

 of parcels sent by the parcels-post during the 

 second year of its operation nearly reached 

 Mr. Fawcett's estimate of 27,000,000, being 

 26,527,000 in 1885-'86. The rates for packages 

 of medium weight have been lowered, and ar- 

 rangements have been completed with foreign 

 countries and most of the colonies for an inter- 

 national service. 



Telegraphs. The length of telegraph lines in 

 the United Kingdom in January, 1886, was 

 28,500 miles, with 158,568 miles of wire. The 

 number of messages in 1885-'86 was 33,199,- 

 971 in England, 3,812,173 in Scotland, and 

 2,223,669 in Ireland, making a total of 39,235,- 

 813. The act of Parliament reducing the price 

 of inland telegraph messages to 6^., went into 

 force on Oct. 1, 1885. During the six months 

 preceding that date the number of dispatches 

 was 11,314,423, and the receipts from them 

 604,436. During the first six months under 

 the new rate the number of dispatches rose to 

 16,787,540, and the receipts fell to 564,203. 

 In April, 1886, the number of messages was 

 40 per cent, greater than in April, 1885; in 

 May it was 51 per cent, greater, though the 



receipts were still less than in the same month 

 in 1885 ; but in June, which showed an increase 

 of 61 per cent, over the preceding June in the 

 number of telegrams, the receipts were larger 

 than under the old rate. For the year 1885- 1 86 

 the revenue from the state telegraph service 

 was 1,787,251; the expenses were 1,826,- 

 858, not including the interest on the 10,880.- 

 571 raised for the purchase of the telegraphs. 



Railroads. The number of miles of railroad 

 open to traffic at the end of 1885 was 19,169, 

 of which 13,612 miles were in England and 

 Wales, 2,982 in Scotland, and 2,575 in Ireland. 

 The total amount of paid-up capital was 815,- 

 858,000. The number of miles of new road 

 constructed during 1885 was 305, at a cost per 

 mile of about $228.000. The number of pas- 

 sengers carried in 1885 was 697,213,000; the 

 number of tons of minerals carried, 183,776,- 

 000; tons of merchandise, 73,511,000. Work- 

 ing expenses absorbed 53 per cent, of the gross 

 receipts, the same proportion as in 1884. The 

 passenger and freight receipts were both less 

 than in the preceding year, the gross receipts 

 showing a falling off of 1,034,000. They 

 amounted to 69,550,000, and the net receipts 

 to 32,768,000, representing a profit on the 

 capital expenditure of 4'02 per cent., which 

 was less than in any year since 1867, when the 

 profit was 3-91 per cent. 



Finances. The financial accounts for 1 884-'85 

 give the total ordinary revenue as 88,043,110, 

 and the total expenditure as 89,092,883. The 

 total ordinary revenue in 1885-'86 was 89,- 

 581,301, and the expenditure 92,223,844. Of 

 the receipts 9,388,444 were derived from the 

 duty on tobacco, 4,184,875 from imported 

 spirits, 4,187,318 from tea, 1,195,849 from 

 wine, and 960,509 from other duties on im- 

 ports, making the entire receipts from customs 

 19,916,995. The yield of the excise duties 

 was 26,386,361, of which 13,902,953 were 

 derived from the spirit duties, 8,565,892 from 

 the malt duty, and the remainder mostly from 

 licenses of various kinds. The stamp duties 

 produced 11,761,287, the land and building 

 taxes 2,915,459 ; the income-tax, which was 

 fixed at 8d. on the pound, 15,247,312; the 

 post-office, 8,734,491 ; telegraphs, 1,974,- 

 853; domains, 505,369 ; interest on moneys 

 advanced for local works and on Suez Canal 

 shares owned by the Government, 1,376,080; 

 various other receipts, 3,008,221. With the 

 balance in the treasury, amounting to 4,993,- 

 207, and extraordinary receipts, amounting to 

 39,357,299, the total receipts of the treasury 

 in 1885-'86 amounted to 133,931,807. The 

 total ordinary expenditures amounted to 92,- 

 223,844, and extraordinary expenditures to 

 41,708,982, making the total expenditure 

 133,932,826. Of the ordinary expenditures 

 23,449,678 were for the public debt, 1,638,- 

 387 for the civil list, pensions, and other charges 

 on the consolidated fund, 17,725,764 for the 

 civil service, 17,027,084 for the army, 12,- 

 660,509 for the navy, 9,451,000 for military 



