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LIBERIA.

Constitution and Government.

THE Liberian Republic had its origin in the efforts of several colonisation societies of Europe and America to make permanent provision for freed American slaves. In 1822 a settlement was formed on the west coast of Africa near the spot where Monrovia now stands. Many difficulties were encountered and much suffering was endured by the colonists, but their numbers gradually increased until, in 1832, there were about 2,500 settlers. The colony had no regular constitution; it owed no allegiance to any known power, nor did it claim to be an independent State. It was not till July 26, 1847, that the State was constituted as the Free and Independent Republic of Liberia. The new State was recognised by Great Britain and France, and from these countries it received assistance for defence, the collection of customs duties and other purposes, and its independence was soon afterwards recognised by other European countries and by the United States of America. The Constitution of the Republic is on the model of that of the United States of America, with this exception, that one not a natural-born citizen of the Republic may be made President. The executive is vested in a President, a Vice-President, and a Council of 6 Ministers, 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 14 members of the Lower House, and 9 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. Electors must be of negro blood, and owners of land. The natives of the country are not excluded from the franchise, but, except in the centres of civilisation, they take no part in political life. The official language of the Government is English.

President of Liberia.—Arthur Barclay; assumed office January, 1904. Vice-President.-J. D. Summerville.

The President is assisted in his executive function by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of the Interior, the Attorney-General, the Postmaster-General, and the Secretary for War and Navy.

Area and Population.

Liberia has about 350 miles of coast line, extending from the British colony of Sierra Leone, on the west, to the French colony of the Ivory Coast on the east, and it stretches inland to a distance, in some places, of about 200 miles. The boundaries were determined by the Anglo-Liberian agreement of 1885 and the Franco-Liberian agreement of 1892. The boundary towards Sierra Leone is now being delimited. The total area may be estimated at about 45,000 square miles. Of this a strip of land from 20 to 80 miles broad along the coast is effectively administered by the Government. The total population is estimated to number from 1,500,000 to 2,120,000, all of the African race. The indigenous natives belong in the main to two principal stocks: (1) the Mandingoes (Muhammadan), and (2) the Kru negroes and their allies. The Mandingo section would include the Vai and Gora peoples. The distinction between these two sections is mainly linguistic, but the true Mandingoes are often noteworthy from their showing evidence of intermixture with the Berber races of the Sahara or the Fulas of the Upper Niger. The Kru tribes preponderate in numbers and are absolute negroes, mostly Pagan, a few Christian. Different authorities estimate the

number of American Liberians at 12,000, and at 20,000. There is a British negro colony of about 200, and there are about 70 Europeans residing within the Republic. The coast region is divided into counties, Basa, Sino, and Maryland, each under a Government superintendent, and Montserrado, subdivided into 4 districts, each under a superintendent. Monrovia, the capital, has, including Krutown, an estimated population (1897) of 5,000. It is a port of entry, the others being Cape Mount, Grand Basa, RiverCess (Grand Cestos), Sino (Greenville), Nana-Kru, Cape Palmas, and Half Cavalla. Other towns are Robertsport, Royesville, Marshall, Arthington, Careysburg, Millsburg, Whiteplains, Boporo (native), and Rocktown. In 1903, 4,777 natives emigrated. For the regulation of the emigration traffic legislation is in progress.

The Americo-Liberians are all Protestant, Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, or Methodist. There are many American missions at work. One mission has at Cape Palmas two schools for industrial instruction, one for boys, the other for girls; another mission has similar schools at Monrovia and at Cape Palmas. Elementary schools are numerous in all the towns and villages near the coast; there are also secondary schools; a local college for which a building had been erected was discontinued, but has been reopened. An Education Bureau is being formed. A criminal code was enacted in 1900.

For defence every citizen from 16 to 50 years of age capable of bearing arms is liable to serve. The organized militia and volunteers number about 500.

Finance.

The revenue and expenditure for years ending September 30, are stated to have been (in American dollars) ::

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The revenue is derived mainly from customs duties; there is a tax on rubber exports (about 3d. per lb.), and a tax is imposed on natives emigrating. The expenditure embraces chiefly the cost of the general administration. A debt of 100,000l. at 7 per cent. was contracted in 1871; of this the unpaid interest amounted in 1899 to 178,5007. On March 31, 1899, an agreement was concluded for the reduction of the rate of interest, the amortisation of the principal, and the payment of arrears of interest, duties on rubber and other articles being assigned as security for the service of the debt. In June, 1904, under this arrangement, the debt amounted to 78,2507., and the arrears of interest to 18,7477.; total, 96,9971. There is also an internal debt amounting, it is stated, to 18,9657.

Commerce.

The agricultural, mining, and industrial development of Liberia has scarcely begun. There are magnificent forests unworked; the soil is productive, but cultivation is neglected; cocoa and cotton are produced in small quantities only, and indigenous coffee is so carelessly grown and prepared

that the product is scanty and of inferior value. Piassava fibre, prepared from the raphia palm but injured by adulteration, is largely exported. Palm oil and palm kernels are exported. Kola nuts, chillies, beni seed and anatto seed are produced for local consumption. Calabar beans are not common. Ginger is grown in small quantities. Beeswax is collected, and gum copal is found bnt is not collected. Tortoiseshell, improperly prepared, is sold in small quantities. In the forests there are rubber vines and trees of 22 species. The rubber industry is in the hands of the Monrovian Rubber Company which holds a concession for the exploitation of this product in all the Government forests, public and waste lands in Liberia, subject to a royalty due to the Liberian Government. The Monrovian Rubber Company, however, makes no monopoly of this trade, but permits all persons and associations to obtain and export rubber under its concession, subject to reasonable conditions regarding royalties, payments to natives, and conservation of forests. Gold and iron are found, and a charter has been granted to the Liberian Development Chartered Company (Limited), for prospecting and working minerals, for banking, for acquiring land in the country, for agricultural and other undertakings, and for the construction of roads, railways, and telegraphs. But, in general, only Liberian subjects can hold land.

The conditions under which trade is carried on are unfavourable. but are improving. Foreigners in general are forbidden to have business houses in the interior, except on the frontiers; Liberian traders require long credit and are unsatisfactory purchasers, and foreign trade is restricted to the ports of entry. The chief imports are cottons, provisions, dried fish, and woodwork from Great Britain; prints, clothing, boots, hardware, and iron-work from Germany; gin from Holland. The chief exports are rubber, palm oil, palm kernels, piassava fibre, cocoa, coffee, ivory, ginger, camwood, and annatto. No definite statistics are yet available, but a statistical bureau has been created. The trade is chiefly with Germany, Great Britain, and the United States.

According to the 'Annual Statement of Trade' issued by the Board of Trade, the value of the trade between the United Kingdom and Liberia was as follows in five years:

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The chief articles of import from Liberia to Great Britain in 1903 were palm oil of the value of 17,2137.; palm kernels, 9,2731.; coffee, 1,2787. ; caoutchouc, 1,8447. ; piassava fibre, 44,4147. The British exports to Liberia consisted mainly of cotton manufactures, of the value of 27,2057.; iron, 5,1217.; provisions, 6,8747.

Monrovia is visited regularly by 7 lines of steamers, British, German, French, and Spanish. In 1903 the vessels which entered had a tonnage of 239,525 and those which cleared, of 230,924 tons. There are no railways or vehicular means of transport in the country, except ox-carts.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The money chiefly used is that of Great Britain, but accounts are kept generally in American dollars and cents. There is a small paper currency. In 1896 a Liberian coinage was nominally established. The coins are as follows:-Silver, 50-, 25-, and 10-cent pieces; copper, 2- and 1-cent pieces. Weights and measures are mostly British.

Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.

1. OF LIBERIA IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Consul-General and Acting Minister. -Henry Hayman.

There are Consuls in London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Hull, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Swansea.

Sheffield,

2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN LIBERIA.

Consul.-Errol MacDonell.

Vice-Consul.-W. A. Ring.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Liberia. 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION.

Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions. Imp. 4. London.

Foreign Office Report on the Trade of Liberia. London, 1903,

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Blyden (E. W.), Christianity, Islam, and the Negro Race. London, 1887.--A Chapter in the History of Liberia. Freetown, 1892.

Bourzeix (Père P.), La République de Libéria. Paris, 1887.

Buttikofer (J.), Reisebilder aus Liberia. 2 Bde. Leiden, 1890.

Delafosse (M.), Un État Nègre: La République de Libéria. No. 9 of 'Renseignements Coloniaux.' Paris, 1900.

Die Negerrepublic Liberia, in 'Unsere Zeit,' Vol. III. S. Leipzig, 1858.

Durham (F. A.), The Lone Star of Liberia. London, 1893.

Hutchinson (E.), Impressions of Western Africa. S. London, 1858.

Johnson (H. R. W.), The Independence of Liberia. New York, 1882.

Johnston (Keith), Africa. London, 1882.

Reports of Council of the Corporation of Foreign Bondholders for 1895-1900. Appendices. London, 1896-1900.

Ritter (Karl), Begründung und gegenwärtige Zustände der Republic Liberia, in Zeitschrift für allgemeine Erdkunde,' Vol. I. S. Leipzig, 1853.

Schwarz (Dr. B.), Einiges über das interne Leben der Eingebornen Liberias, 'Deutsche Kolonialzeitung,' Dec. 15, 1888. 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.

Wauwermans (Colonel H.), Liberia, histoire de la fondation d'un état nègre libre. Brussels, 1885.

Wilson (J.), Western Africa. 8. London, 1856.

LUXEMBURG.

Reigning Grand-duke. Adolf, Duke of Nassau, born July 24, 1817, married, April 23, 1851, to Adelaide, Princess of Anhalt; succeeded November 23, 1890, on the death of King Willem III. of the Netherlands, who was also Grand-duke of Luxemburg. Offspring.-1. Prince Wilhelm, born April 22, 1852; married June 21, 1893, to Marie Anne, daughter of Miguel, Duke of Braganza; issue, Princess Marie, born June 14, 1894; Princess Charlotte, born January 23, 1896; Princess Hilda, born February 15, 1897; Princess Antoinette, born October 7, 1899; Princess Elisabeth, born March 7, 1901; Princess Sophie, born February 14, 1902. II. Princess Hilda, born November 5, 1864; married September 20, 1885, to Frederick, son of the Grand Duke of Baden.

The Grand Duchy of Luxemburg was included from 1815 to 1866 in the dissolved Germanic Confederation. By the Treaty of London, 1867, it is declared neutral territory.

There is a Chamber of Deputies in the Grand Duchy of 45 members, elected directly by the cantons for six years, the half renewed every three years. Luxemburg has an area of 998 square miles, and a population (Dec. 1, 1900) of 236,543 (122,002 males and 114,541 females), or 247 inhabitants to the square mile. The population is Catholic, save 2,269 Protestants, 1,201 Jews, and 235 belonging to other sects. The chief town, Luxemburg, has 20,928 inhabitants. The estimated revenue and expenditure of the GrandDuchy for 5 years were as follows, in francs; each year's revenue includes a small surplus from the preceding year :

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Revenue
Expenditure

12,098,920 11,112,420 11,730,590 12,418,790 12,780,770 13,388,405 12,618,280 12,750,030 13,518,149 13,998,905

The

The debt consisting of loans, mainly for the construction of railways, was, in 1893, converted into a single loan of 12,000,000 francs at 3 per cent. annuities amount to 493,130 francs. The Savings Bank of the Grand Duchy, with 40 offices, in October, 1904, had 47,423 depositors with 37,611,801 francs. to their credit, an average of 793 francs to each depositor. The mining and smelting industries of Luxemburg are important. In 1903, the mineral output amounted to 6,010,012 metric tons, valued at 15,278,922 francs; 27 smelting furnaces turned out 1,217,830 tons, valued at 67,847,046 francs; 3 steel works turned out 371,978 tons, valued at 38,346,699 francs; 9 foundries turned out 11,119 tons, valued at 1,424,341 francs. The miners and metal workers in the Grand Duchy numbered 12,660. For commercial, purposes Luxemburg is included in the German Zollverein. There are 326 miles of railway, 680 miles of telegraph line with 1,390 miles of wire, and 207 telegraph-offices. There were also (1903) 102 telephone systems with 980 miles of line and 2,750 miles of wire, over which during the year 3,860,204 conversations were held. In 1903 there were 99 post-offices, through which there passed 13,283,000 letters and post-cards, and 9,133,000 samples, &c. British Envoy and Minister.-Sir H. Howard, K. C.M.G., C. B.

Books of Reference.

Baedeker's Belgium and Holland, including the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. 13th ed. Leipzic, 1901. Bonnardot (F.), Les Archives de l'État de Luxembourg. Vol. 41 of Publications of the History Section of the Luxemburg Institute. 1890.

Coster (J.), Geschichte der Festung Luxemburg. S. Luxemburg, 1869.

Eltz (J. v. d.), Aus Luxemburgs Vergangenheit und Gegenwart. Trier, 1891
Groevig (N.), Luxemburg: Land und Volk. 4. Luxemburg, 1867.

Perk (M. A.), Luxemburgiana. Bussum, 1892.-Schetsen nit Luxemburg. Haarlem, 1894.
Pflips (H.), Das luxemburger Land. Aachen, 1895.

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