The commercial intercourse of the Colonial Possessions of France is almost entirely with the mother-country, being restricted by special legislation to this channel. But the only colonies possessing commercial importance are the islands of Réunion, or Bourbon, on the coast of Africa, and Martinique and Guadeloupe in America. The value of the imports of Réunion averages 1,300,000l. per annum, and of the exports 950,000l., while Martinique receives imports of the annual value of 1,000,000l., and sends away exports to the amount of 900,0001. and Guadeloupe with its dependencies has imports averaging 800,000l., and exports of 700,000i.

The commercial intercourse between the Colonial Possessions of France and the United Kingdom is very small. With Réunion there has been no direct trade since the year 1866, when raw sugar, to the value of 5,0821., was exported to Great Britain. The West India Islands sent exports of the value of 60,7301., one-half consisting of raw sugar, to the United Kingdom in the year 1870; but in 1871 the exports were nil, and in 1872 they amounted to 31,0997. The imports of British home produce into the French West India Islands were of the value of 41,8511. in 1870; of 41,0167. in 1871, and of 35,8267. in 1872, the chief article imported being coal, of the value of 32,4191. in 1872.

The remaining French colonies have very little trade except that derived from being military and naval stations. It is calculated that the total number of natives of France, not in the army and navy, settled throughout the whole of the Colonial Possessions, is under 2,000. A large penal settlement was formed in the colony of Guiana during the years 1852-60, and another at New Caledonia in 1871-72, both for political prisoners.

Slavery was abolished throughout the whole of the Colonial Possessions of France by a decree of the Provisional Government of February 24, 1848.

For an account of the government, revenue, population, and commerce of Algeria, see part II., Africa, of the Statesman's Year-book.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The money, weights, and measures of France, and the British equivalents, are—

The Franc, of 100 centimes

MONEY.

Approximate value 10d., or 25 Francs to £1 sterling.

The Gramme, that is the weight, in vacuo, of a Cubic Centimètre of distilled water at a temperature of 39 2 degrees Fahrenheit, or 4 degrees Centigrade, is the unit of weight. It is equal to 15 432349 grains Troy. The Gramme has for its subdivisions the Decigramme, or 10th of a Gramme; the Centigramme, or 100th of a Gramme; and the Milligramme, or 1,000th of a Gramme. In trade and commerce, the weights most frequently used are the Kilogramme, of 1,000 Grammes; the Metrical Quintal, of 100 Kilogrammes; and the Tonneau Métrique, of 1,000 Kilogrammes. To facilitate the transactions of the shop and the market the use of the non-decimal Half-Litre and Double-Litre, and the Half-Decilitre and Double-Decilitre, are sanctioned by law, and these, with the Litre, are the chief measures in daily use. The English value of the Litre may be roughly stated at 14 Imperial pints.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning

France.

1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Bulletin des Lois de la République française. Imprim. nationale. 8. Paris, 1874.

Bulletin officiel du Ministère de l'Intérieur. Paris, 1874.

Circulaires et Instructions officielles relatives à l'Instruction publique. 8. Paris, 1874.

Colonies françaises, Tableaux de population, de culture, de commerce et de navigation pour l'année 1873. 8. Paris, 1874.

Compte général de l'administration de la justice civile et commerciale en France pendant l'année 1872. 4. Paris, 1874.

Compte général de l'Administration de la Justice criminelle en France, par le Garde des Sceaux, ministre de la justice. 4. Paris, 1874. Dénombrement de la population de la France, 1872.

de la République française.' No. 114. 8. Paris, 1874.

In Bulletin des lois

Documents statistiques réunis par l'administration des douanes sur le commerce de la France. 4. Paris, 1874.

Enquête agricole; 1 série, Documents généraux, décrets, rapports, etc. Ministère de l'agriculture. 4. Paris, 1872.

Enquête sur la marine marchande. 4. Paris, 1872.

Loi portant fixation du budget de l'exercise 1875. In 'Bulletin des lois de la République française,' No. 224. 8. Paris, 1874.

Ministère des Finances: Comptes généraux de l'Administration des Finances. Paris, 1874.

Ministère de l'Agriculture, du Commerce et des Travaux publics: Archives statistiques. Paris, 1874.

Rapport au Président de la République française par le Ministre des Finances; Budget ordinaire de 1874, et comparaison du Budget de 1874 avec celui de 1869. In 'Journal Officiel de la République française.' Versailles, November 2, 1873.

Recueil des lois des finances du 4 Septembre 1870 au 16 Septembre 1871 (ministère des finances). 8. Paris, 1872.

Situation économique et commerciale de la France. Exposé comparatif pour les quinze années de la période 1856-1870. Paris, 1874.

Statistique de la France. Mouvement de la population pendant les années 1869-72. 4. Paris, 1874.

Tableau du Commerce général de la France, avec ses Colonies et les Puissances étrangères, pendant l'Année 1872. 4. Paris, 1874.

Tableau général des mouvements du cabotage pendant l'année 1872. Direction générale des douanes et des contributions indirectes. 4. Paris, 1874.

Report by Mr. E. B. Washburne, Minister Resident of the United States, on the Political and Social State of France in 1870-71, dated Paris, November 1870 to June 1871; in 'Papers relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States.' 8. Washington, 1871.

Report by Mr. L. S. Sackville West, Secretary of Embassy, on the Commerce, Shipping, and General Statistics of France, dated Paris, Jan. 1, 1869; in 'Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy and Legation.' No. II. 1869. 8. London, 1869.

8.

Report by Mr. L. S. Sackville West, on the Finances and Public Credit of France, dated Paris, Jan. 10, 1869; in Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy and Legation.' No. II. 1869. London, 1869. Report by Mr. L. S. Sackville West, on Commerce and General Statisties of France, dated Paris, July 1, 1869; in Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy and Legation.' No IV. 1869. 8. London, 1869.

the

Report by Mr. L. S. Sackville West, on the Tenure of Land in France, dated Paris, Nov. 19, 1869; in Reports from H. M.'s Representatives respecting the Tenure of Land in the several Countries of Europe.' Part I. Fol. pp. 540. London, 1870.

Report by Mr. L. S. Sackville West, on the Revenue and Expenditure, the Railways, and the State of Education in France, dated Paris, Feb. 1, Feb. 27, March 16, March 22, and July 1, 1870; in Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy and Legation.' No. I. 1871. 8. London, 1871.

Report by Mr. L. S. Sackville West, on the Commerce and the Finances of France dated Paris Jan. 13, 1872; in Reports of H.M.'s Secretary of Embassy and Legation. No. I. 1872. 8. London, 1872.

Report by Mr. L. S. Sackville West, on the Trade of France for the years 1871 and 1872, dated Paris, February 14, 1873; in 'Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy and Legation.' No. I. 1873. 8. London, 1873.

Report by Lieutenant-Colonel Playfair, British Consul-General, on the Social Condition and Trade of Algeria in the years 1869, 1870, and 1871, dated Algiers, Feb. 1, 1872; in 'Reports from H.M.'s Consuls.' No. I. 1872. 8. London, 1872.

Report by Lieutenant-Colonel Playfair, British Consul-General, on the Trade of Algiers, for the year 1872, dated Algiers, February 6, 1873; in 'Reports by

H. M.'s Consuls on the Manufactures, Commerce, &c., of their Consular Districts. No. II. 1873. 8. London, 1873.

the

Report by Lieutenant-Colonel Playfair, British Consul-General, on Population, Trade, and Social and Political Condition of Algeria, dated Algiers, November 15, 1872; in 'Reports by H.M.'s Consuls on British Trade abroad.' Part I. 8. London, 1873.

Report by Mr. Consul Segrave, on the Trade of Réunion, and by Mr. Consul Caswell on the Trade and Industry of French Cochin China, dated January 1872; in Reports from H.M.'s Consuls.' No. I. 1872. 8. London, 1872. Reports by Mr. Consul Graham, on the Trade of Bayonne,; by Mr. Consul Hamilton, on the Trade of Boulogne-sur-Mer; by Mr. Consul Hotham, on the Trade of Calais; by Mr. Consul Vereker, on the Trade of Rochefort and the District of Charente Inférieure; by Mr. Consul Hamond, on the Trade of Cherbourg; by Mr. Consul Bernal, on the Trade of Havre; by Mr. Consul Elmore, on the Trade of Nice; by Mr. Consul Segrave, on the Trade of Réunion; and by Mr. Vice-Consul MacGregor, on the Trade of St. Malo, dated September-December, 1872; in Reports by H.M.'s Consuls, on British Trade abroad.' Part I. 8. London, 1873.

Reports by Mr. Consul Hotham, on the Trade of Calais; by Mr. Consul Vereker, on the Trade of Charente; by Mr Consul Hamond, on the Trade of Cherbough and St. Malo; by Mr. Consul Bernal, on the Trade of Havre; and by Mr. Consul Elmore, on the Trade of Nice, dated January to February, 1873; in 'Reports from H.M.'s Consuls, on the Manufactures, Commerce, &c., of their Consular Districts.' No. II. 1873. 8. London, 1873.

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Ambert (Le Général, Baron), Histoire de la Guerre de 1870–71. 8. Paris, 1873.

Block (Maurice), Annuaire de l'Économie politique et de la Statistique pour

1874. 16. Paris, 1874.

Block (Maurice), Statistique de la France, comparée avec les divers pays de l'Europe. 2d Ed. 2 vols. 8. Paris, 1874.

Paris, 1871.
Paris, 1872.
Distribution géographique

Bonnemère (Eugène), La commune agricole. 32. Bonnet (Victor), Les impôts après la guerre. 8. Burat (A.), Les Houillères de la France en 1872. des terrains houillers. Les ouvriers mineurs en France. Statistique de l'industrie houillère. 8. Paris, 1872.

Clamageran (J. J.), Histoire de l'Impôt en France. 8. Paris, 1869.

Crisenoy (De), Mémoire de l'inscription maritime. Histoire de cette institution; son influence sur le sort des marins, sur l'industrie maritime et sur la constitution de nos forces navales. 8. Paris, 1872.

David (J.), Le crédit national. 8. Paris, 1872.

Dufour (Gabriel), Traité général du droit administratif appliqué ou Exposé de la doctrine et de la jurisprudence concernant l'exercice de l'autorité du chef de l'État, des ministres, des préfets, des sous-préfets, des maires, etc., 3o édition. 8 vols. 8. Paris, 1972.

Duvergier de Hauranne (Prosper), Histoire du Gouvernement parlementaire en France. 9 vols. 8. Paris, 1857-69.

Frère (H.), Les richesses maritimes de la France. 8. Rouen, 1870. Hesse (A.), L'administration provinciale et communale en France et en Europe (1785-1870). 8. Paris, 1872.

Janin (Capt. A.), Dictionnaire complet des communes de France. 8. Angers, 1870-72.