£16,052,835 interest on the funded debt, £6.350,400 of terminable annuities, £659,826 interest on the unfunded debt, £185,192 for management of the debt, and the balance, £1,751,745, going to the new sinking fund. Other charges on the consolidated fund are £200,000 interest on Exchequer bonds issued for the purchase of Suez Canal shares, £1,428,571 for the naval-defense fund. £407.954 for the civil list, £334,538 for annuities and pensions, £83,672 for salaries and allowances, £517.943 for salaries in courts of justice, and £333,496 miscellaneous. The expenditure for the army was £17,542,000, for the navy £14.302,000, for civil services £17,780,515, for customs and inland revenue £2,615,595. for the post office £6,513,000, for the telegraph service £2,595.000, and for packet service £721,080, making the total for the supply services £62,069,190, and the total expenditure of the year £90,375,365, leaving a surplus of £20,212. Of the army expenditure, £14,564,000 were for effective services, and £3,067,200 for pensions, retired pay, rewards, etc. Of the navy expenditure, £12,160,400 were for effective services, including £4.771.000 for shipbuilding and repairs and £1,398,700 for armaments, and £2.019,500 were half pay, pensions, and other noneffective services. Of the expenditure for the civil services, £1,643,254 went for public works and buildings, £3,800.481 for justice and police, £2,024,706 for salaries, £9,172,216 for education, science, and art, and £636,205 for diplomatic, consular, and colonial services. The expenditure on public education alone was £6,194,718 in England, £968,073 in Scotland, and £1,069,969 in Ireland. The national debt on March 31, 1893, amounted to the gross sum of £673,647,564, against which were set off various assets. leaving the net liabilities £668.432.772, less Exchequer balances in the Banks of England and Ireland of £5,082,535. The capital of the funded debt was £589,533,082; of funded annuities, £60,761,490; of the unfunded debt, £20,748,270; other capital liabilities, £2.604.722. The Army. The strength of the regular army, exclusive of the forces in India, provided for by the estimates for the year ending March 31, 1894, was 7,497 commissioned officers, 1,016 warrant officers, 15,955 sergeants, 3,687 drummers, trumpeters, etc., and 126,287 rank and file, making a total of 154,442 men, with 14.572 horses. The officers of the general staff numbered 325. The troops maintained in the United Kingdom on Jan. 1, 1893, including officers, were, 69.734 infantry, 13,179 cavalry, 17,823 artillery, and 5,379 engineers; total, 106,115. There were, according to official returns in the beginning of 1893: In England, 77,063 officers and men, with 10,256 horses and 226 field guns; in Scotland, 3,686 officers and men, with 323 horses and 4 guns; and in Ireland. 27,155 officers and men, with 3.187 horses and 52 guns; making the total force in the United Kingdom 107,904 men of all ranks, with 13.766 horses and 282 guns; in Egypt, 2,813 officers and men, with 371 horses; in the colonies, 31,085 officers and men, with 620 horses: in India. 75.987 officers and men, with 11,179 horses and 318 guns; making the total forces stationed abroad 109,885 officers and men, with 12,170 horses and 318 guns: total British army, 217,789 officers and men, with 25,936 horses and 600 guns. The effectives, including reserves, militia, etc., were returned as follow: Regular forces, home and colonial, 144,334; army reserve, 77,800; militia, 123,744; yeomanry, 10,697; volunteers, 225,423; regular forces on Indian establishment. 74,384; total effectives, 656,382. 66 The Navy. The Northbrook programme of naval construction having been nearly completed, the Government was spurred, in view of the naval activity of France and Russia, to promise in 1894 a new programme, to extend over five years. But, unlike the last Government, they did not disclose the whole scheme, nor venture to bind future Governments, and mortgage the revenues for years in advance. For 1894-'95 they increased the net appropriation by £3,126.000. The number of officers and men is increased from 76,700 to 83,400. As the part of the new programme allotted to the current year, it was proposed to lay down 7 firstclass battle-ships of the class of the "Majestic" and the Magnificent," 6 second-class cruisers of the "Talbot" type, and 2 sloop gunboats. The sum appropriated for construction during the year is over £5,000,000. The sum of £11,500.000, to which the expenditure under the naval defense act of 1889 was limited, has been exceeded, but not beyond the supplementary appropriation made in 1893, which raised the limit for shipbuilding from £8,650,000 to £10,000,000, while the sum allocated to armaments was £2,830.000, as in the original act. Including £10,000,000 for ships built by contract, the total cost of the 70 new ships authorized in 1889 was to be £21,500,000. Of these, only 9 remained uncompleted at the beginning of 1894. Of the 10 firstclass battle ships, the "Royal Sovereign" and Empress of India" (launched in 1891), and the Repulse." "Royal Oak," "Ramillies," "Resolution," and Revenge" are barbette ships, protected by 18 inches of armor over the vital parts, having a displacement of 14,150 tons, steaming, the "Royal Sovereign" 18 and the others 174 knots with natural draught, and carrying 4 67ton guns, 10 6-inch quick-firing guns, and 16 6pounders and 12 3-pounders. The "Hood,” hạving the same dimensions and protective armor, carries her 4 67-ton guns in turrets. The "Centurion" and "Barfleur," launched in 1892, have a displacement of 10,500 tons, 12 inches of armor, and 4 29-ton guns mounted in barbettes, a better disposition of the secondary armament than the others, consisting of 10 4·7-inch and 8 6-pounder and 12 3-pounder quick-firing guns, 7 torpedo-ejectors, as have the others, and equal engine power with them, developing a speed of over 18 knots. The programme was extended in 1893 by laying down the "Renown," of 12.350 tons, designed to carry 4 10-inch guns in 2 barbettes, like the "Centurion," and a more powerful quick-firing armament, to consist of 10 6-inch, 18 ̊ 12-pounder, 10 6-pounder, and 12 3pounder guns. The "Majestic" and "Magnificent" were laid down later, of 14,900 tons displacement, designed to speed 18 knots, with 13,000 horse power, and to carry 4 12-inch guns in barbettes, and an auxiliary armament of 12 6inch, and 28 smaller quick-firers, with 5 torpedo tubes. This type of vessel, the largest in any navy, is to be followed in the 4 new battle ships, 66 66 though in France, Italy, Russia, Germany, and the United States the smaller class is preferred. The armor will be Harveyized. The projected protected cruisers, the Powerful" and the Terrible," are to be much larger than any afloat, 14.000 tons displacement, with a coal capacity of 3,000 tons, the vital parts protected by à 4-inch curved steel deck, having a well-protected armament of 2 9-inch guns and 12 6-inch, 18 12-pounders and 12 3-pounder quick-firing guns, and capable of steaming 22 knots. Not counting the vessels projected under Earl Spencer's latest programme, the British effective seagoing navy will, when the few uncompleted vessels are finished, consist of 25 first-class battle ships, all built within the last twelve years, and only 4 of them having less displacement than 10,000 tons; 9 second-class battle ships, all over 5,000 tons; 11 third-class battle ships, all steaming more than 11 knots; 23 first-class cruisers, deck-protected or belted, all of over 5,000 tons, built since 1886, some having a sea speed of over 20 and none less than 16 knots, all having an elaborate modern armament of quick-firing guns, well protected, and most of them 22-ton Armstrongs also and 4 torpedo tubes; 12 first-class cruisers of the older armored type, all but 1 over 7,500 tons, and of a speed exceeding 12 knots; 63 second-class cruisers of 2,000 tons or more, the newer ones strongly armed and protected, and capable of speeding from 20 up to 27 knots; 103 third-class cruisers, including gun vessels, gunboats, torpedo cruisers, and torpedo catchers, all steaming over 10 knots at sea; 86 third-class cruisers whose speed is less than 10 knots; 42 torpedo destroyers, and 43 other first-class torpedo craft of the first class; 33 of the second class, or such as are over 100 and less than 125 feet in length; and 18 third-class torpedo boats, not including those under 80 feet in length. Railroads. The length of railroads open to traffic at the end of 1892 was 20.325 miles, showing an increase of 126 miles during the year. There were 14,242 miles in England and Wales, 3,188 miles in Scotland, and 2,895 miles in Ireland. The paid-up capital was £944,357,320; receipts in 1892, £82,092,040, of which £42,866,498 was from goods and £35,662,816 from passengers; working expenses, £45,717.965, being 56 per cent. of the gross receipts. The number of passengers, exclusive of holders of season tickets, was 864,435,388. Of the total capital investment, £777.138.895 was in English, £128,716,165 in Scotch, and £38,502,260 in Irish railways. There were 960 miles of street and road tramways in 1893, with a paid-up capital of £13,708,349. Posts and Telegraphs.-The post office in 1893 delivered 1,790,250,000 letters, 244,400,000 post cards, 535,200,000 book packets, 162,100,000 newspapers, and 52,300,000 parcels. The number of inland money orders was 8,963,032, of the amount of £24,618,809; total money orders, 10.442,918, of the amount of £28,683,951; total postal orders, 56,590,668, of the amount of £21,345,153. On March 31, 1893, there were 34,056 miles of telegraphs, with 209,046 miles of wire. The number of dispatches sent during the year was 69.907.848; receipts, £2,487,000; expenses, £2,568,000. Commerce. The imports in 1893 were of the total value of £405,067,690; the exports of British produce, £218,496,246; exports of foreign and colonial produce, £58,935.595. The total volume of trade was £682,499,531, against £715,434.048 in 1892, when the imports amounted to £423.892,178, the domestic exports to £227,077,053, and the foreign and colonial exports to £64,563,113. The imports of gold bullion and specie in 1893 were £24,232,086; exports, £19,571,373; imports of silver, £11,913,395'; exports, £13,459,645. The imports of the various classes of merchandise in 1892 and 1893 were of the following values: The The imports of wheat in 1893 were 13,083,462 quarters (1 quarter = 8 bushels), of which 6,452,570 quarters came from the United States, 2,012,400 from Russia, 1,549,120 from the Argentine Republic, 1,236,720 from India, 631,471 from Canada, 531,040 from Australasia, 516,030 from Chili, and 72.420 from Germany. quantity of flour imported, not included in the above, was equivalent to 4,081,650 quarters, and of this 3,599,120 quarters came from the United States. The imports of tea were 249,917,381 pounds; of raw sugar, 16,036,935 hundredweight; of refined sugar, 11,569,739 hundredweight; of cheese, 2,077,482 hundredweight; of beef, 2,008,566 hundredweight of bacon and hams, 4.187.298 hundredweight; of fresh mutton, 1,971,500 hundred weight of spirits. 10.966,988 gallons; of wine. 14.680.939 gallons; the number of live cattle, 340,045. The values of some of the principal imports were: Grain and flour, £51,299.802; raw cotton, £30.684.942; wool, £24,437,178; meat, £22,331,503: sugar, raw and refined, £22,085,241; butter and margarine, £16,410,457; timber and wood, £15,390,894; silk manufactures, £11,607,391; tea, £10217,071; woolen manufactures, £9,875,181; flax, hemp, and jute, £8,294,553; leather, £6,580,222; fruits, £6,035,042; wine, £5,303,294; cheese, £5,160,918; coffee, £4,001,280: tobacco, £3,566,061. The values of some of the chief articles of domestic produce or manufacture exported were: Cotton goods, £54,717,196; cotton yarn, £9,059,984: woolens, £16,428,407; woolen and worsted yarn, £4,533,474; linen goods, £4,778,996: linen yarn, £1,005,155; jute manufactures, £2.391,363 apparel and haberdashery, £5,759,913; tin plates, £3,265,663; hoops, sheets, and plates. £3.265,663; railroad iron, £2.512,964; cast and wrought iron, £3,768,902; steel, £2,183.482; copper, £3,022,651; coal, £14,488.154; hardware and cutlery, £2,048,042. The following table gives the values of the imports in 1892 from some of the principal countries and of the exports to them of British produce: 10,916,636 10,525,280 3,511,951 China..... Italy.. Chili. Norway Portugal 8.563,248 8.192.592 5,051,695 1,706,111 1,882,590 306 steam vessels, of 206,660 tons, engaged partly in the foreign and partly in the home trade. In the home trade, which embraces the Continental coast from the Elbe to Brest as well as British ports, there were 8,478 sailing vessels, of 535,326 tons, and 2,344 steam vessels, of 26,611 tons. The total number of British vessels in the home and foreign trades at the end of 1892 was 17.020, of 8,449,512 tons, employing 241,735 men, of whom 30.899 were foreigners. The number of vessels registered as belonging to the United Kingdom was 21,528. of 8.644,574 tons, of which 13,578, of 3,080,272 tons, were sailing vessels, and 7.950, of 5,564,482 tons, were steamers. The number of vessels built and registered during 1892 was 843, of 692,791 tons, of which 322, of 258,700 tons, were sailing vessels, and 521, of 434,091 tons, were steam vessels. The Winter Session.-The session that Imports. Exports opened on Jan. 31, 1893, instead of terminating in August, as formerly, or being prolonged till £97,766,304 £74,680,169 late autumn, as of late, extended over the year, 108,186,817 26,547.284 43,519,130 14,686,894 and did not come to an end till March 5, 1894. 25.726.728 17,288,412 Although Mr. Gladstone's Irish Home-rule bill 28,820.921 8,586,020 was the chief cause of its unprecedented length, 17,013,967 6,942,667 15,122,677 5,357,081 other highly contentious measures forming part 4,672,988 of the Newcastle programme put forth by the Liberal party in 1892 were introduced in accordance with the promises contained in the address. 2.861,952 The principal measures promised were bills to 2,622,485 change the method of registering voters, to carry 5,776,055 out the principle of "one man one vote," and to 5,564,487 shorten Parliaments, labor legislation fixing 8,784,697 shorter hours for railway servants, amending the law of conspiracy, and making employers responsible for accidents to workmen, the parish councils and London County Council bills, a Welsh Church suspensory bill, a similar one for Scotland, a local veto bill. The promised bill to disestablish the Scottish Kirk was not brought in, nor were those for making Parliaments shorter, for abolishing plural voting, and for modifying the constitution of the London County Council. The registration bills for England and Wales and for Scotland were withdrawn, as were the conspiracy-law amendment bill, the bill for the disestablishment of the Welsh Church, and the temperance bill introducing local option. The railway-servants bill was passed, and so were bills authorizing an Indian loan, and one correcting the Scotch fishery act. A bill to reinstate Irish evicted tenants, introduced by a Nationalist member, was accepted in principle by the Government, and facilities were offered for a miners' eight-hour bill, proposed by a Labor member. The Home-rule bill, carried through the House of Commons by the free use of the closure rule, was rejected by the House of Lords on Sept. 8, 1893. Navigation.—The number of merchant vessels entered from foreign ports during 1892 was 61,647, of 37,673,000 tons, of which 24,682, of 10,633,000 tons, were foreign. The number cleared was 61.881, of 38,194,000 tons, of which 24.954, of 10,862,000 tons, were foreign. The tonnage of vessels with cargoes entered was 29,530,000, of which 21,356,000 tons were British and 8.174,000 tons foreign shipping; the tonnage of vessels cleared with cargoes was 33,944,000, of which 25,064,000 tons were British and 8,880,000 tons foreign. The total tonnage of sailing and steam vessels in the foreign trade entered and cleared with cargoes and in ballast was 75.868,000 tons, of which 54.373,000 tons were British. 5,351,000 Norwegian, 4,045,000 German, 2,144.000 Dutch, 1.951,000 Danish, 1,939,000 French, 1,936,000 Swedish, 1,163,000 Spanish, 953,000 Belgian, 627,000 Russian, 590,000 Italian, 223,000 American, and 175,000 Austrian. The tonnage entered and cleared at the port of London was 13,916,000 tons; at Liverpool, 11,120,000; at Cardiff, 9,779,000; at Newcastle, 4,206,000; at Hull, 3,801,000; at Shields, 3,291,000 at Glasgow, 2,941,000. The total number of vessels entered coastwise was 314,860, of 49.415,000 tons; cleared, 281,629, of 43,682,000 tons. The total number of vessels entered at British ports was 376,507, of 87,087,970 tons; cleared, 343,510, of 81,876,330 tons. In 1892 there were engaged in the foreign trade 2,082 British sailing vessels, of 2,388,800 tons, and 3,577 steam vessels, of 4,905,996 tons, besides 238 sailing vessels, of 37,200 tons, and The parish councils bill and the employers' liability bill were reserved for discussion in the winter session, rendered necessary by the fact that the budget had not yet been voted. All the other Government measures were abandoned or postponed. Parliament adjourned for forty days, and met again on Nov. 2. The parish councils bill, which finally became law, puts an end to the control of the squire and the parson over rural local government. Every man or woman after twelve months' residence is qualified to vote for the |