SPAIN. 



657 



tricts, expecting to obtain an exemption for the 

 monopoly in the event of their proving successful. 



The total value of imports for the fiscal year 

 1899 was 723,444,369 pesetas, and of exports 918,- 

 943,206 pesetas. The imports of cotton were 71,- 

 914,000 pesetas in value; of coal, 43,216,000 pese- 

 ta-: of timber, 30,908,000 pesetas; of chemical 

 products, 25,908,000 pesetas; of machinery, 24,- 

 848,000 pesetas; of animals, 23,536,000 pesetas; of 

 tobacco, 23,193,000 pesetas; of codfish, 22,703,000 

 pesetas; of coffee, 17,292,000 pesetas; of wheat, 

 14,569,000 pesetas; of hides and skins, 13,112,000 

 pesetas; of cacao, 10,227,000 pesetas; of wool, 

 9,977,000 pesetas; of vessels, 9,813,000 pesetas; of 

 silks, 8,769,000 pesetas; of linen yarn, 8,353,000 

 pesetas; of petroleum, 7,528,000 pesetas; of raw 

 silk, 6,614,000 pesetas. The exports of wine 

 amounted to 139,740,000 pesetas; of iron, 78,198,- 

 000 pesetas ; of copper, 60,946,000 pesetas ; of lead, 

 57,075,000 pesetas; of olive oil, 46,404,000 pesetas; 

 of cotton cloth, 38,317,000 pesetas; of cork, 31,- 

 829,000 pesetas; of oranges, 23,772,000 pesetas; of 

 animals, 22,375,000 pesetas; of hides and skins, 

 20,087,000 pesetas; of dried raisins, 16,904,000 

 pesetas; of wool, 16,528,000 pesetas; of almonds, 

 13,037,000 pesetas; of quicksilver 9,404,000 pese- 

 tas: of shoes, 8,967,000 pesetas. The imports of 

 alimentary substances, including wine, were 200,- 

 050,015 pesetas in value, and the exports 263,- 

 542,087 pesetas; imports of metals and manufac- 

 tures thereof were 27,824,541 pesetas, and exports 

 102,028,988 pesetas; imports of minerals, glass, 

 and pottery were 75,833,299 pesetas, and exports 

 157.793,063 pesetas; imports of drugs and chem- 

 icals were 75,093,318 pesetas, and exports 22,754,- 

 626 pesetas; imports of cotton and its manufac- 

 tures were 104,418,813 pesetas, and exports 39,- 

 835.541 pesetas; imports of other textile fibers and 

 manufactures were 28,742,277 pesetas, and ex- 

 ports 2,334,944 pesetas; imports of wool and hair 

 and their manufactures were 29,745,828 pesetas, 

 and exports 16,864,550 pesetas; imports of silk 

 and silk manufactures were 27,463,525 pesetas, 

 and exports 3,714,474 pesetas; imports of paper 

 and its manufactures were 9.797,183 pesetas, and 

 exports 8.323,565 pesetas; imports of wood and 

 its manufactures were 53,722,551 pesetas, and ex- 

 ports 38,970,797 pesetas; imports of animals and 

 animal products were 82,130,984 pesetas, and ex- 

 ports 50,623,895 pesetas; imports of machinery, 

 vehicles, and vessels were 101,930,639 pesetas, and 

 exports 731,976 pesetas. The imports of gold and 

 silver in 1899 amounted to 73.556,518 pesetas, and 

 the exports to 14,288,290 pesetas. 



The imports from and exports to the principal 

 foreign countries in 1899 were in pesetas as follow: 



Navigation. The number of vessels entered 

 at Spanish ports during 1899 was 18,726, of 14,- 

 630,115 tons, of which 10,381, of 7,439,819 tons, 

 were with cargoes; the number cleared was 17,- 

 418, of 15,265,103 tons, of which 15,504, of 13,989,- 

 889 tons, were with cargoes. Of the total number 

 entered 9,096, of 6,203,314 tons, and of those 

 cleared 7,762, of 6,717,698 tons, were Spanish. 



The merchant navy in 1899 consisted of 1,052 

 sailing vessels, of 151,946 tons, and 454 steamers, 

 of 566,392 tons. 



Railroads, Posts, and Telegraphs. The 

 length of railroads in operation in 1899 was 8,120 

 miles, all belonging to companies, most of which 

 have received subsidies or* guarantees of interest 

 from the Government. 



The post office in 1898 carried 121,565,000 in- 

 ternal, 19,146,000 international, and 296,000 tran- 

 sit letters, 940,000 internal and 303,000 interna- 

 tional postal cards, 96,315,000 internal, 25,417,000 

 international, and 95,000 transit newspapers and 

 circulars, and 197,000 internal and 59,000 inter- 

 national money letters, containing 253,354,000 

 and 56,886,000 pesetas respectively. The receipts 

 were 24,817,694 pesetas; expenses, 11,411,988 pese- 

 tas. 



The length of telegraph lines in 1898 was 19,870 

 miles, with 45,800 miles of wires. The number of 

 internal messages was 4,213,250; of international 

 messages, 1,061,165; of service dispatches, 177,- 

 611; total, 5,452,026. The receipts were 8,074,898 

 pesetas; expenses, 7,613,158 pesetas. The tele- 

 phone lines had a length in 1898 of 4,960 miles, 

 with 22,650 miles of wire, besides 1,300 miles of 

 long-distance telephones, with 4,295 miles of wire. 



Colonies. In December, 1898, Spain by the 

 treaty of peace signed in Paris relinquished Cuba 

 and ceded to the United States the island of Porto 

 Rico, the Philippine and Sulu Islands, and Guam, 

 the chief of the Ladrones, or Marianne Islands. 

 In February, 1899, the other Ladrone Islands 

 and the Caroline and Pelew Islands were ceded to 

 Germany. There was a question whether the 

 Sibutu and Cagayan Islands, near the coast of 

 Borneo, were included in the original cession to 

 the United States of the Philippines and the Sulu 

 archipelago. The United States Government 

 therefore offered to purchase the sovereign rights 

 of Spain over these islands for $100,000, and the 

 proposal was accepted by the Spanish Govern- 

 ment in July, 1900. The remaining colonial pos- 

 sessions of Spain are territories in Africa having 

 an aggregate area of about 243,877 square miles 

 and an estimated population of 136.000. The 

 island of Fernando Po, with Annabon, Corisco, 

 Elobey, and San Juan, has an area of 850 square 

 miles and 30,000 inhabitants. Ifni, near Cape 

 Nun, is a Spanish settlement with 6,000 inhab- 

 itants, covering 27,000 square miles. The terri- 

 tories of Rio de Oro and Adrar, 243,000 square 

 miles in extent, with an estimated population of 

 100,000, are administered from the Canary 

 Islands. The territories on the Muni and Campo 

 rivers, having an area of 69,000 square miles and 

 500,000 inhabitants, are claimed both by Spain 

 and by France. 



Political Events. The Silvela Cabinet under- 

 went many changes on account of the difficulties 

 of the financial situation and the various opinions 

 regarding military matters and political and ad- 

 ministrative reforms. The portfolio of Foreign 

 Affairs which Senor Silvela had taken himself he 

 gave to the Marquis Pidal, who was succeeded a> 

 Minister of Public Works by Senor Cardenas. 

 Admiral Lazaga became Minister of Marine. On , 

 April 18 the Cabinet was reconstructed as follows: 

 President of the Council and Minister of Marine, 



VOL. XL. 42 A 



