2,333,000 198. 2d. 69,814,800 21. 48. Od. 50,000 11,602,000 12,941,180 99,639,900 2,560,000 32,358,000 6,671,500 3,151,600 3,492,700 17,816,600 102,935,994 89,028,400 80,000 78. Od. 91,218,000 181. 58. 5d. 127,026,000 251. 38. 49,194,000 422,792,000 16,381,500 284,000,000 15,971,300 10,074,400 3,355,700 157,038,400 638,266,482 65,000 58. Sd. 19,906,000 31. 198. 5d. 123,250,000 241. 128. 7d. 6,641,000 8,967,200 33,901,100 2,237,600 36,997,500 18,904,113 9,317,000 29,893,500 12,378,400 243,026,700 16,313,500 1 For Austria and Hungary separately the separate Revenue and Expenditure are stated; for Austria-Hungary the Common Finance only, the Common Revenue and Expenditure being comprised also in the expenditure of the separate countries. The Commerce of Austria-Hungary is that of the Common Customs Territory; that of Hungary is its own external trade, over three -fourths of it being with Austria. III. THE WORLD'S PRODUCTION OF GOLD AND SILVER. According to statistics published by the Director of the United States Mint, the value of the gold output (the dollar taken at 50 pence) and the weight of the output of silver in the various countries of the world in 1897 were as follows: In 1897 the highest price of fine silver in London was 291d. per ounce; the lowest was 23 d.; the average was 271d. The value of the world's production of silver in that year would thus be about 21,027,4407. ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS. BRITISH EMPIRE. ROYAL FAMILY.-Prince Alfred, only son of the Duke of Edinburgh (Duke of SaxeCoburg and Gotha), died February 5, 1899. THE NAVY.-On March 9, the Navy Estimates for the year 1899-1900 were laid before Parliament. The total amount required for the year is 26,594,000l.; the amount to be expended under the head of construction is 12,817,000l.; the ships it is proposed to lay down are two ironclads, two armoured cruisers of 9,800 tons displacement, three smaller cruisers, and two sloops. CAPE COLONY.-The imports during the year 1898 amounted to the value of 16,682,4381., and the exports to the value of 25,318,7011. In the exports, gold is included to the value of over 15,000,000l. and diamonds about 5,000,0001. QUEENSLAND.-Imports in 1898, 5,880,000l.; exports, 10,079,0001. ARGENTINE REPUBLIC AND CHILE. On February 16, 1899, it was announced that the differences which have arisen with regard to the frontier line between the Argentine Republic and Chile having been referred to the arbitration of Her Majesty's Government, the Right Hon. Lord Macnaghten, one of the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, Major-General Sir J. C. Ardagh, K. C.I.E., C.B., Director of Military Intelligence, and Colonel Sir T. H. Holdich, K.C.I.E., C.B., have been appointed members of a Tribunal to examine and consider the question. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. In 1898 the imports amounted to the value of $30,900,000 florins, and the exports to the value of 808,800,000 florins. HUNGARY. A new Hungarian Ministry took office on February 27, 1899, the new ministers being :The President of the Council.-M. de Syell. Minister of Commerce.-M. Alexander Hegedues. Minister of Justice.-Dr. Alexander Plosz. For the other departments the ministers named on p. 388 continue in office. BRAZIL. On March 8, 1899, it was announced that the Brazilian Government had accepted the British proposal to submit the Guiana Boundary Question to arbitration. DENMARK. ROYAL FAMILY.-On March 11, 1899, a son was born to Prince Christian, eldest son of the Crown Prince. FRANCE. For the year 1898 the special trade of France, according to the provisional results, amounted for imports to 4,376,195,000 francs, and for exports to 3,503,167,000 francs. of the imports, the value of 484,709,000 francs was from the United Kingdom; and of the exports, the value of 1,038,591,000 francs was to the United Kingdom. In the year 1897-98 there were 344 sugar factories at work, employing 42,855 men, 3,848 women, and 2,518 children; the output (expressed as refir.ed sugar), amounted to 730,067 tons. The railway receipts for 1898 amounted to 1,343,484,300 francs. The nominal value of the French money coined at the Paris mint in 1898 was as follows:-Gold (20 franc pieces), 177,326,540 francs; silver (2, 1, and -franc pieces), 40,000,000 francs; bronze, 1,000,000 francs-total, 218,326,540 francs. Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar was in March, 1899, transferred to Algiers, where, it is stated, she will be in greater safety than in the Island of Réunion. BELGIUM. The following table gives the details of the proposed budget for the year 1899: The imports for 1898 amounted to 1,927,592,000 francs, and the exports to 1,652,611,000 francs. GERMANY. NAVAL ADMINISTRATION.-By an Imperial order published March 14, 1899, the office of Commander-in-Chief lapses, and the Emperor holds the supreme command of the navy as he does of the army. JAPAN. In the Japanese budget prepared for 1899 the revenue was estimated at 239,019,893 yen, including 117,584,473 yen under the head of temporary revenue; and the expenditure was put at 234,506,984 yen, including 110,828,164 yen for temporary expenditure. The Japanese public debt is stated as follows:-Home debt at 5 per cent., 393,979,020 yen; without interest, 27,264,908 yen-total, 421,245,928 yen; paper currency, 6,995,374 yen. OMAN. Official statements made in the House of Commons, March 7 and 9, 1899, shew that while the Sultan of Oman, by treaty of 1862 and by engagements with the British Government, is precluded from granting to France any concession or lease of any portion of his territory, he may allow to the French Government the use of a shed for the storage of coal at or near Muscat, and it is understood that France will accept this modified concession. |