FKANCE. 



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VOL. xxvii. 19 A 



francs, exports, 136,635,000 francs; exports 

 of leather manufactures, 141,113,000 francs; 

 imports of textile yarns, 71,288,000 francs, 

 exports, 45,203,000 francs; exports .of jewelry 

 and art objects, 149,032,000 francs ; total im- 

 ports of manufactured articles, 484,871,000 

 francs; total exports, 1,517,106,000. The 

 imports of drugs, chemicals, and coloring mat- 

 ters were 138,376,000 francs, exports, 100,756,- 

 000 francs; imports of gums, fats, and oils, 

 117,937,000 francs, exports, 63,357,000 francs; 

 total imports of miscellaneous products, 402,- 

 223,000 francs ; total exports, 382,343,000 

 francs. The imports of precious metals in 1886 

 amounted to 443,518,000 francs, and the ex- 

 ports to 333,262,000 francs. 



Navigation. The number of vessels entered 

 at French ports during 1886 was 27,377, of 

 12,419,848 tons, of which 7,971, of 4,385,258 

 tons, sailed under the French flag. The num- 

 ber cleared was 21,878 ; tonnage, 9,024,902. 



The commercial navy consisted on Jan. 1, 

 1885, of 14,414 sailing-vessels, of 522,759 tons, 

 and 938 steamers, of 1,033,831 tons. 



Railroads. There were in operation on Dec. 

 31, 1886, 18,390 miles of railroad, besides 

 1,165 miles of local roads. 



The Post-Office and Telegraphs. The number 

 of letters and postal-cards transmitted in the 

 mails during 1885 was 679,145,983 ; circulars, 

 etc., 433,024,173; newspapers, 413,981,338. 

 The receipts of the postal and telegraph service 

 in 1885 were 166,578,653 francs; the expenses, 

 134,424,235 francs. The length of the state 

 telegraph lines in 1885 was 51,800 miles; the 

 length of wires, 161,800 miles; the number of 

 messages during the year 32,540,780. 



finances. The financial accounts of 1870 

 and 1871 showed a surplus. Since then there 

 has been a deficit every year. Ministries have 

 been repeatedly overturned on financial ques- 

 tions, yet the final accounts are never made to 

 balance, though the budget has doubled since 

 1869. The increased expenditure has been 

 covered chiefly by new indirect taxes, such as 

 customs duties, stamps, the sugar-tax, and du- 

 ties on wine, salt, and railroad transportation. 

 The accumulated deficits from 1870 to 1885 

 amount to 431,352,000 francs. Taking account 

 only of the ordinary and normal receipts and 

 expenditures for the same period, it is calcu- 

 lated that there has been really a surplus of 

 receipts amounting to 81,941,802 francs. 



The budget for 1887, as adopted on Feb. 17, 

 1887, makes the total ordinary receipts 2,957,- 

 994,090 francs, and the expenditures 2,957,- 

 388,964. The expenditure of the Ministry of 

 War is set down as 555,934,529 francs; of the 

 Ministry of Marine and the Colonies, 229,701,- 

 863 francs ; of the Ministry of Public Instruc- 

 tion, 145,303,435 francs; of the Ministry of 

 Public Works, 121,156,259 francs; the cost of 

 collection, 331,275,175 francs; the expendi- 

 ture on account of the public debt, 1,286,372,- 

 314 francs. The revenue from direct taxes is 

 taken as 440,270,690 francs; from indirect 



