Money and Credit. The following table shows the currency circulation for five years in yen: In 1887 the Niphon Ginko, or Japan Bank, had a paid-up capital of 10,000,000 yen; notes in circulation, 53,235,102; deposits, 31,885,014; loans, 27,036,525. The Kokuritsu Ginko (136), paid-up capital, 45,838,851 yen; notes in circulation, 28,565,952; deposits, 31,711,401; loans, 55,167,5€1. The Shokin Ginko, or Specie Bank, paid-up capital, 4,500,000 yen; deposits, 16,589,759; loans, 4,496,672. There are 221 private banks, with capital 18,896,061 yen. In 1887 39,128 persons deposited 4,303,776 yen, and withdrew 2,575,868 yen from Kokuritsu Ginko, which does business also as savings-bank. In the same year 687,965 persons deposited 27,039,448 yen, and withdrew 8,826,166 yen from the post-offices, which act as savings-banks. Money, Weights, and Measures. The money, weights, and measures in common use throughout Japan, and the British equivalents, are MONEY. The Yen, or Dollar, of 100 sens, nominal value 4s.; actual value (1887) about 3s. 4d. The gold yen, the unit of account, very slightly differs, as to the quantity of gold contained in it, from the quantity of gold contained in the standard gold dollar of the United States. Much of the internal medium of exchange is paper currency, of which there are various denominations, corresponding to those in coins; it is now at par with silver (Sept. 1889). In the latter part of 1870 the Government established the mint at Osaka, where coins of gold, silver, and copper are manufactured. Gold coins consist of 20, 10, 5, 2, and 1 yen pieces; of the silver coinage there are 1 yen, 50, 20, 10, and 5 sex pieces. The 'trade dollar,' about equal to the Mexican dollar in weight and fineness, is also coined there. The copper coins consist of 2 seaS, 1, 1, and (or rin) sen pieces, the last the smallest coin in use. dry It is stated to be the intention of the Government to introduce into Japan at an early period a new system of weights and measures, based on the metric system. Diplomatic Representatives. 1. OF JAPAN IN GREAT BRITAIN. Enroy and Minister.-Viscount Kawasé. Naval Attaché.-Captain Itsuki. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN JAPAN. Envoy, Minister Plenipotentiary, and Consul-General.-Hugh Fraser. appointed Envoy Extraordinary, Minister Plenipotentiary, and ConsulGeneral, April 30, 1888. Secretary-Hon. W. J. G. Napier. There are Consuls at Hakodate, Niigata, Hiogo, Osaka, Nagasaki, and Yokohama. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Japan. 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Constitution of the Empire of Japan. Tokio, 1889. General Outlines of Education in Japan. Tokio, 1884. Grierson (Capt. J. M.), The Armed Strength of Japan. London, 1886. Report on Cotton Manufactures in Japan in No. 86 of the 'Reports on Subjects of General and Commercial Interest.' London, 1888. London, 1889. Report on the Trade of Hakodate, No. 590; of Nagasaki in No. 589; of Hiogo and Osaka in No. 594; of Yokohama in No. 560, of Diplomatic and Consular Reports.' Reports of the various Government Departments, 1886-87 and 1887-88. Résumé statistique de l'empire du Japon. Tokio, 1889. Returns of the Foreign Commerce and Trade of Japan for the year ended December 31, 1888. Tokio, 1889. Trade of Japan with the United Kingdom, in Annual Statement of the Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions for the year 1888.' Imp. 4. London, 1889. 8. 2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Adams (F. 0.), History of Japan, from the earliest period to the present time. 2 vols Alcock (Sir Rutherford), The Capital of the Tycoon; a Narrative of a three years' Residence in Japan. 2 vols. 8. London, 1863. Bird (Miss J. L.), Unbeaten Tracks in Japan. 2 vols. London, 1880. Du Pin (M.), Le Japon: Moeurs, coutumes, rapports avec les Européens. 8. Paris, 1868. Fisscher (J. F. van Overmeer), Bijdrage tot de kennis van het japansche rijk. 4. msterdam, 1833. Fontpertuis (Ad. Frout de), Le Chine et le Japon, et l'exposition de 1878. 8. Paris. 1878. Fraissinet (Ed.), Le Japon, histoire et description, mœurs, coutumes et religion. Nouvelle édition, augmentée de trois chapitres nouveaux, rapports et traités avec les Européens, 2 vols. 12. Paris, 1866. Griffis (Wm. Elliot), The Mikado's Empire. 8. New York, 1876. Heine (W.), Japan: Beiträge zur Kenntniss des Landes und seiner Bewohner. Fol. Leipzig, 1873. Humbert (Aimé), Le Japon illustré, Paris, 1870. Keane (A. H.) and Temple (Sir R.), Asia. London, 1882. Leupe (P. A.), Reise van Maarten Gerritz-Uries in 1643 naar het noorden en oosten van Japan. 8. Amsterdam, 1858. Metchnikoff (L.), Empire Japonais. Geneva, 1881. Mossman (Samuel), New Japan: the Land of the Rising Sun. 8. London, 1875. Pompe de Meerdervoort (J. L. C.), Vijf jaren in Japan, 1857-63. Bijdragen tot de kennis van het japansche keizerrijk en zijne bevolking. 2 vols. 8. Leyden, 1867. Reclus (Elisée), Géographie universelle. Vol. VII. L'Asie orientale. Paris, 1882. Reed (Sir E. J.), Japan: its History, Traditions, and Religions, with the Narrative of a Visit in 1879. 2 vols. London, 1880. Rein (Dr. J.), Japan nach Reisen und Studien. Vol. I. 1880. Vol. II. 1886. Satow (E. M.) and Hawes (Lieut. A. G. S.), Handbook for Travellers in Central and Northern Japan. London, 1884. Siebold (Ph. Franz von), Nippon: Archiv zur Beschreibung von Japan. 8. Leyden, 1834-37. Siebold (Ph. Franz von), Urkundliche Darstellung der Bestrebungen Niederlands und Russ lands zur Eröffnung Japans. 8. Leyden, 1854. Taylor (B.), Japan in our Day. 8. New York, 1871. Titsingh (Isaac), Nipon o daï itsi ran, ou annales des empereurs du Japon. Ouvr, corr. sur l'original japonais-chinois par M. J. Klaproth. 4. Paris, 1834. Wüllerstorf-Urbair (Baron von), Reise der oesterreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859. Beschreibender Theil von Dr. Karl v. Scherzer. 2 ve 8. Vienna, 1865. LIBERIA. (UNITED STATES OF LIBERIA.) Constitution and Government. THE Constitution of the Republic of Liberia is on the model of that of the United States of America. The executive is vested in a President, and the legislative power in a parliament of two houses, called the Senate and the House of Representatives. The President and the House of Representatives are elected for two years, and the Senate for four years. There are 13 members of the Lower House, and 8 of the Upper House. The President must be thirty-five years of age, and have real property to the value of 600 dollars, or 1207. President of Liberia.-Hilary R. W. Johnson, elected May 1883; assumed office Jan. 7, 1884, in succession to Alfred F. Russell, appointed Nov. 1882. The President is assisted in his executive function by five ministersthe Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of the Interior, the Attorney-General, and the Postmaster-General. Area and Population. Liberia has about 500 miles of coast-line, and extends back 200 miles on an average, with an area of about 14,300 square miles. The total population is estimated to number 1,068,000, all of the African race, and of which number 18,000 are Americo-Liberians, and the remaining 1,050,000 aboriginal inhabitants. Monrovia, the capital, has an estimated population (1884) of 3,400. Other towns are Robertsport, 1,200; Buchnam and Edma, 5,000; and Harper, 3,000, with suburbs, 8,550. Finance. For 1883 the revenue was officially returned at 34,8027., and expenditure at 31,4937.; for 1884, revenue 38,000l., expenditure 32,500l.; and for 1885, revenue 40,000l., and expenditure 32,500l. For 1888 the revenue was estimated at 35,000l., and expenditure 33,000l. The principal part of the revenue is derived from customs duties, while the expenditure embraces chiefly the cost of the general administration. The principal and unpaid interest of the debt amounts to 200,000l. Commerce. The principal exports are coffee, palm oil, palm nuts, cocoa, sugar, arrowroot, ivory, hides. The exports and imports combined probably do not exceed 500,000l. There are no statistics regarding the extent of the commercial relations of the Republic with the United Kingdom, the 'Annual Statement of Trade and Navigation' issued by the Board of Trade not mentioning Liberia, but only Western Coast of Africa' (excluding the British and other colonies). 3 A The value of the exports and the British imports thus designated was follows in the five years from 1884 to 1888: The chief articles of export from Western Africa to Great Britain 1888 were palm oil, of the value of 396,5167.; nuts, 179,5187; caoutch 131,2127.; ivory, 101,083. The British imports into Western Africa c sist mainly of cotton manufactures, of the value of 383,2201. in 1888. Money, Weights, and Measures. The money chiefly used is that of Great Britain, but accounts are ke generally in American dollars and cents. There is a large paper curren Gold is bought and sold by Usanos, 314.76 English troy grains, each 16 Akis. Weights and measures are mostly British. In the trade with interior of Africa, the Ardeb is the chief measure of capacity for goods. The Gondar Ardeb contains 10 Madegas, or 120 Úckieh, or 1,4 Dirhems, and is equal to 7·7473 British imperial pints. The Kuba is the chief liquid measure; it is equal to 1-7887 British imperial pint. Diplomatic and Consular Representatives. 1. OF LIBERIA IN GREAT BRITAIN. Consul-General.-Hon. Edward Barnaby Gudgeon. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN LIBERIA. Consul.-Sir James Shaw Hay, K.C.M.G., Governor of Sierra Leone. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Liberia. 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION. Trade and Commerce of Great Britain with Western Africa, in Annual Statement of tr Trate of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions for tin pew 1888.' Imp. 4. London, 1889. London, 1887. Leipzig, 1858. 2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Ritter (Karl), Begründung und gegenwärtige Zustände der Republic Liberia, in *Zeitschrift für allgemeine Erdkunde,' Vol. I. 8. Leipzig, 1853. Schwarz (Dr. B.), Einiges über das interne Leben der Eingebornen Liberias, 'Deutsche Kolonialzeitung,' Dec. 15, 1887. Berlin. Stockwell (G. S.), The Republic of Liberia : its Geography, Climate, Soil, and Productions With a history of its early settlement. 12. New York, 1868. Watermans (Colonel H.), Liberia, histoire de la fondation d'un état négro libre Brussels, 1885. Wason (J.), Western Africa. 8. London, 1856. |