WEST INDIES. 



WEST VIRGINIA. 



821 



French. The French West Indies consist of 

 the island of Martinique on the one hand, and 

 of Guadeloupe and dependencies, Les Saintes, 

 Marie-Galante, St. Martin, and St. Barthelemy 

 or St. Barts, on the other. Martinique has an 

 area of 988 square kilometres, while Guade- 

 loupe and dependencies measure jointly 1,870. 

 The population of the former is 166,100, and 

 of Guadeloupe and dependencies 192,735. 



Martinique. Sugar-making has increased 

 notably both in Martinique and Guadeloupe of 

 late years, due to the introduction of central 

 sugar-houses, perfected machinery, and the 

 latest improved processes. In 1880 there were 

 under cane-culture in Martinique 19,364 hec- 

 tares, of 2 acres, producing 41,820 tons sugar 

 of 2,240 pounds, worth 19,320,000 francs; 1,- 

 326,000 litres molasses (100 litres = 22 gallons), 

 worth 265,000 francs; and 9,170,000 litres of 

 rum, worth 3,209,000 francs. Sugar had pretty 

 much superseded all other agricultural prod- 

 ucts. The aggregate value of landed property 

 in the island was 73,000,000 francs. 



Guadeloupe. In 1880 Guadeloupe turned 

 out 49,982 tons of sugar, worth 31,666,000 

 francs; 4,580,000 litres of molasses, worth 

 1,145,000, and 2,842,000 litres of rum, worth 

 2,274,000 francs; 865 tons of coffee, 21 of cot- 

 ton, 103 tons cocoa, and 4,000,000 francs' worth 

 of cereals and vegetables, besides 566 tons of 

 annatto. In 1881 Guadeloupe exported to 

 France 21,446,095 francs' worth of produce, 

 and imported thence 15,770,070 francs' worth 

 of merchandise. 



The sugar importation from the French West 

 Indies into the United States is shown in the 

 following : 



Pounds. 



1881 59.964,077 



1882 59,952,340 



326,020,274 



During the fiscal year 1883 the United States 

 imported from the French West Indies $2,895, - 

 857 worth of products, and exported thither 

 $1,783,322 worth of domestic merchandise. 



Guiana. French Guiana, commonly called 

 Cayenne, is a penal colony in South America. 

 It has an area of 121,413 square kilometres, and 

 27,333 inhabitants. The subject of predominant 

 interest in the colony in 1883 was the change 

 in the methods employed for working the gold- 

 fields. Instead of confining the search for the 

 precious metal to placer or surface mining, a 

 shaft has been sunk on the St. Elie placer, and 

 a quartz-mill erected. The French mining- 

 engineer, M. Nibaut, says: "Gold-mining is 



at present the chief and, it may even be said, 

 the only source of wealth in the country. The 

 local authorities have made grants to work the 

 auriferous region to the extent of 10,000,000 

 hectares, although only 2,000,000 hectares of 

 surface in the colony really contain any gold. 

 For these concessions the colonial government 

 collects annually, from the parties to whom 

 the privilege of working the mines is granted, 

 half a franc per hectare ; it levies besides a tax 

 of 5 per cent, on the gold extracted, and 8 per 

 cent, export duty." 



American Trade. The American trade with 

 French Guiana has been as follows : 



1878 65,528,322 



1879 70,551,547 



1880 70,023,''8S 



Total . 



WEST VIRGLMA. State Government The fol- 

 lowing were the State officers during the 

 year : Governor, Jacob B. Jackson, Democrat ; 

 Secretary of State, Randolph Statnaker, Jr. ; 

 Treasurer, Thomas O'Brien ; Auditor, Joseph 

 S. Miller; Superintendent of Free Schools, 

 Bernard L. Butcher; Attorney-General, 0. 0. 

 Watts. Court of Appeals: President, Okey 

 Johnson ; Judges, Thomas 0. Green, Adam C. 

 Snyder, and Samuel Woods. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature convened 

 on the 10th of January, and adjourned on the 

 23d of February. On the 23d of January, John 

 G. Kenna, Democrat, was elected United States 

 Senator by a vote of 53 to 28 for George G. 

 Loorais, Republican, and 5 for John Y. Jarney, 

 Greenbacker. Among the acts passed were 

 the following : 



To suppress prize-fighting ; to prohibit the obstruc- 

 tion of the pubJic streams of this State by felling and 

 leaving timber in the same ; to authorize railroad 

 corporations to become surety for or guarantee the 

 debts of railroad companies ; imposing a tax of twen- 

 ty-five cents on the one hundred dollars valuation of 

 all real and personal property not exempt from taxa- 

 tion, for general purposes, for the year 1883 ; provid- 

 ing for the keeping of ropes, wire-ladders, or other 

 proper fire-escapes, in all rooms above the second 

 floor hi all hotels and taverns ; establishing " Scrib- 

 ner's rule" as the lawful rule for the measurement of 

 lumber, logs, and timber of all kinds ; regulating 

 the working and proper ventilating and drainage of 

 coal-mines, and providing for the appointment of a 

 mine inspector ; for the appointment of a commission 

 to ascertain the facts concerning and to consider the 

 assessment and taxation of property in this State, 

 with a view to the revision or existing laws. 



A joint resolution was adopted striking ont 

 section 7 of Article IV of the Constitution, and 

 inserting in lieu thereof the following : 



The general elections of State and county officers, 

 and of members of the Legislature, shall be held on 

 the Tuesday next after the first Monday in Novem- 

 ber, until otherwise provided by law. The terms of 

 such officers, not elected, or appointed to fill a vacancy, 



