The following figures, published by the Direction Générale de la Comptabilité Publique in April, 1897, do not include the 'budget sur ressources spéciales,' and represent the actual verified revenue (inclusive of loans) and expenditure for 12 years :

73,370,449

73,738,962

3,474,095,179 3,433,418,395

The accounts of revenue and expenditure are examined by an administrative tribunal (Cour des Comptes).

Since 1869 the budget has more than doubled. To the budget of 1899 is annexed a statement, showing of the deficits the

ordinary budgets from the period anterior to 1814 down to the end of 1897, as follows:

Period

These figures, however, do not represent the actual deficits arising from the difference between the ordinary revenue and the total expenditure, nor even those arising from the differences between the total revenue and total expenditure. Moreover, almost uninterruptedly, so as to make it the rule and not the exception, the budgets voted by the representatives of the nation have shown a small surplus, while the 'compte définitif,' published a number of years afterwards, has exhibited a large deficit.

The following table shows the progress during the century of the French national debt and its yearly charge:

On January 1, 1896, the debt of France stood as follows:

The following table shows the interest and annuities to be paid under the various heads of the public debt, according to the budget estimates of 1899:

The total debt would thus amount to about 327. 6s., and the interest and annuities to about 17. 6s. per head of the population.

II. LOCAL FINANCE.

For 1896 the revenue of the departments of France amounted to 281,119,536 francs, and the expenditure to 280,499,908 francs. The departmental debt stood at 423,716,228 francs. For 1897 the ordinary revenue of the communes amounted to 751,770,240 francs, and expenditure to 718,381,279 francs, while the debt on March 31, 1896, amounted to 3,511,984,252 francs. For the year 1898 the estimated ordinary revenue of the City of Paris amounted to 298,854,415 francs, and the extraordinary receipts to 54,874,705 francs; total receipts, 353,729,120. The expenditure, ordinary and extraordinary, was estimated at the same amount. The debt of Paris in 1896 amounted to 1,769,000,000 francs.

The total national and local revenues derived from taxation in France were stated in the budget of 1892 to be as follows:

The capitalised value of private property has been the subject of many calculations, which, however, differ too greatly to be considered as reliable. The best estimates, by M. de Foville, put down the aggregate private fortunes at land, 3,000,000,0007.; buildings, 2,000,000,0007.; specie, 200, 000, 0007. ; convertible securities, 2,800,000,000l.; agricultural implements and live stock, 400,000,000l.; other personal property, 680,000,000l.; total private wealth, 8,080,000,000. M. Leroy Beaulieu estimates that the total yearly income of the nation reaches about 1,000,000,000l., of which three-fifths is the product of personal labour.

Defence.

I. LAND DEFENCES.

France has a coast line of 1,760 miles, 1,304 on the Atlantic and 456 on the Mediterranean. Its land frontier extends over 1,575 miles, of which 1,156 miles are along the Belgian, German, Swiss, and Italian frontiers, and 419 along the Spanish frontier.

The whole of France (exclusive of Algeria) is divided into 18 military regions, each under a general of division, and subdivided into districts, of the same area as the departments, under a general of brigade; Paris and Lyon have each a separate military government. The fortified places are specially administered by a 'service des fortifications.' Paris, which is considered as the centre of defence, is surrounded by a wall which has 97 bastions, 17 old forts, and 38 new advance forts or batteries, the whole forming two entrenched camps at St. Denis and Versailles.

The following are the strong places on the various frontiers :On the German frontier: first class fortresses, Belfort, Verdun, Briançon; second class, Langres; third class, Toul, Auxonne; and 9 fourth-class places. Belgian frontier: first class, Lille, Dunkirk, Arras, Douai; second class, Cambrai, Valenciennes, Givet, St. Omer, Mézières, Sedan, Longuy, Soissons; third class, Gravelines, Condé, Landrécies, Rocroi, Montmédy, Péronne; and 6 fourth-class places. Italian frontier: first class, Lyon, Grenoble, Besançon; and 11 detached forts. Mediterranean coast, first class, Toulon (naval harbour); second class, Antibes; and 21 fourth-class forts. Spanish frontier: first class, Perpignan, Bayonne; third class, St. Jean Pied-de-Port; and 10 fourthclass forts. Atlantic coast: first class, Rochefort, Lorient, Brest; second class, Oléron, La Rochelle, Belle Isle; third class, Ile de Ré, Fort Louis; and 17 fourth-class forts. The Channel coast: first class, Cherbourg; second class, St. Malo, le Havre; and 16 fourth-class forts.

II. ARMY.

The military forces of France are organised on the basis of laws voted by the National Assembly in 1872, supplemented by further organisation laws, passed in 1873, 1875, 1882, 1887, 1889, 1890, and 1892. These laws enact universal liability to arms. Substitution and enlistment for money are forbidden, and it is ordered that every Frenchman not declared unfit for military service may be called up, from the age of twenty to that of forty-five years, to enter the active army or the reserves. By the law of 1882, supplemented by those of 1889 and 1892, the yearly contingent must serve 3 years in the Active Army, 10 in the Reserve of the Active Army, 6 in the Territorial Army, and 6 in the Territorial Reserve. The Active Army is composed of all the young men, not otherwise exempted, who have reached the age of twenty, and the Reserves of those who have passed through the Active Army. Neither the Active Army nor its Reserves are in any way localised, but drawn from and distributed over the whole of France. On the other hand, the Territorial Army and its Reserves are confined to fixed regions, determined from time to time by administrative enactments.

Students and pupils of certain higher schools, and seminarists, are required to serve only one year, on condition of completing their studies and obtaining a certain rank before the age of twenty-six years. All soldiers in the Active Army who have learnt their duties, and who can read and write, may be sent on furlough, at the end of a year, for an indefinite time.

The present organisation of the active French army is as follows:

INFANTRY.

145 divisional regiments of the line, each of 3 battalions of 4 companies, each regiment of 62 officers and 1,591 men.

18 regional regiments of the line, each of 4 battalions, each regiment of 51 officers and 1,560 men, located in the various fortresses of France. 30 battalions of chasseurs-à-pied, each of 4 or 6 companies, each company having 19 officers and 552 men.

4 regiments of zouaves, each of 4 battalions of 4 companies, with 2 dépôt companies, one of which is in France, each regiment of 73 officers and 2,551 men.

4 regiments of tirailleurs algériens, each of 4 battalions of 4 companies, with 1 dépôt company, each regiment of 103 officers and 2,632

men.

2 régiments étrangers, of 5 battalions of 4 companies, with 2 dépôt companies.

5 battalions of African Light Infantry.

CAVALRY.

13 regiments of cuirassiers, 31 of dragoons, 21 of chasseurs, 14 of hussars, 6 of Chasseurs d'Afrique, each regiment having 5 squadrons, with 37 officers, 792 men, and 722 horses.

3 regiments of Spahis, one having 8, and two 5 squadrons; 1 regiment of Tunisian Spahis.

8 companies of 'cavaliers de remonte,' 299 men each.

ARTILLERY.

40 regiments of field artillery, comprising 428 mounted batteries, 52 horse batteries, 16 mountain batteries, and 4 mounted and 8 mountain batteries in Algeria and Tunis.

16 battalions of foot artillery, each of 6 batteries.

4 batteries of foot artillery for service in Africa.

ENGINEERS.

6 regiments of sappers and miners, of which 5 contain each 3 battalions and 1 company of sapper-conductors, and the other 4 battalions and 1 company of sapper-conductors.

1 regiment of railway sappers.

TRAIN.

20 squadrons of train, 12 of 4, 8 of 3 companies, 12 companies being in Algeria.

According to the budget for 1899, the peace strength of the army in France (including vacancies, furloughs, &c.) is composed of 547,515 men (of whom 26,849 are officers); in Algeria, 55, 122 men (2,195 officers); in Tunis, 13,455 men (560 officers); total, 616,092 men (29,604 officers). The total number of horses is put at 142,333. The various subdivisions of the army and their relative strength are seen from the following table, the number of men including that of the officers, the number of officers being given separately in brackets:--