from public property-Eigenthum und Rechten--and another third from direct taxes, one-half of which is income-tax. The chief branch of expenditure is for interest and reduction of the public debt. The latter amounted, in January, 1884, to 78,478,900 mark, or 3,923,9457. The whole of the debt, which bears interest at 32, 4, and 4 per cent., was incurred for constructing railways, harbours, and other public works.

Population and Commerce.

The population of the State amounted, on Dec. 1, 1875, to 142,220, inclusive of a Prussian garrison; in 1880 it was 156,723 (75,593 males, 81,130 females). The increase of population from 1871 to 1875 was larger than in any other State of Germany, amounting to the high rate of 3.82 per cent. per annum; but it sank afterwards, for in the five years from 1875 to 1880, the increase was but 1.94 per annum. The population on January 1, 1883, was estimated at 161,214. The State embraces an area of 98 English square miles.

Bremen, with Bremerhaven, is the chief outlet of German emigration. The number of emigrants who left the port was 80,418 in 1872; 30,633 in 1874; 10,972 in 1876; 11,329 in 1878; 80,330 in 1880; 122,767 in 1881; 114,955 in 1882; and 111,295 in 1883. Of the emigrants of 1883, 87,739 were natives of Germany, the remainder being composed of natives of Austria-Hungary, Russia, Sweden and Norway, Denmark, and other countries emigrants from Bremen itself in 1882 numbered 1,717, and in 1883, 1,614. Marriages, 1882, 1,212; births, 5,766 (203 or 3.52 per cent. still-born, 373 or 6.47 per cent. illegitimate); deaths, 3,637; surplus, 2,129. Protestants, 150,156; Catholics, 5,574; Jews, 766; other sects, 225.

The

The number of merchant vessels belonging to the State of Bremen on Jan. 1, 1884, was 355, of 306,592 tons, the number including 98 steamers, of an aggregato burthen of 88,194 tons. Nearly all the steamers sailing under the Bremen and German flag belong to the Navigation Company called the North-German Lloyd,' which has a fleet of large ships, mainly built on the Clyde, running between Bremen and various ports in North and South America, with smaller steamers running between Bremerhaven and British ports.

In the year 1882 there arrived at the port of Bremen 2,708 vessels, of 1,129,517 tons, and there cleared 2,951 vessels, of 1,111,491 tons. This included 320 British vessels, of 210,574 tons. Threefourths of the commerce of Bremen are carried on under the German and British flags. Next to that of Hamburg, the port of Bremen is the largest for the international trade of Germany. The aggregate value of the imports in 1883 was 27,720,000l., of which

3,000,000l. were from Great Britain; and of exports, 26,595,0007., of which 1,020,000l. went to Great Britain. It was decided in 1882 to spend 1,500,000l. in widening and deepening the Weser between Bremen and Bremerhaven, a length of fifty miles; it was expected the work would take six years.

There were 65 miles of railway in the State in 1883.
British Consul-General.—George R. L. Annesley (Hamburg). ›

ALSACE-LORRAINE.

(REICHSLAND ELSASS-LOTHRINGEN.)
Constitution and Revenue.

6

The fundamental laws, under which the Reichsland, or Imperial Land, of Alsace-Lorraine is governed, were voted by the Reichstag of Germany June 9, 1871, June 20, 1872, June 25, 1873, and July 4, 1879. By Art. of the law of June 3, 1871, it is enacted, the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, ceded by France in the Peace prelimaries of February 26, 1871, under limits definitely fixed in the Treaty of Peace of May 10, 1871, shall be for ever united with the German Empire.' The Constitution of the German Empire was introduced in Alsace-Lorraine on the 1st of January, 1874.

The administration of Alsace-Lorraine is under a governor-general, bearing the title of Statthalter.'

Statthalter of Alsace-Lorraine.-Field-Marshal Edwin Hans Karl von Manteuffel, born Feb. 24, 1809; entered the Prussian cavalry, 1826; captain, 1843; colonel, 1850; general, 1858; commanderin-chief of the Prussian army in Hanover and Hesse, 1866; commander of the 1st corps d'armée of Germany in the war against France, 1870-71; nominated field-marshal, 1872. Appointed Statthalter of Alsace-Lorraine, Aug. 4, 1879; assumed office, Oct. 1, 1879. According to the constitutional law of July 4, 1879, the Emperor appoints the Statthalter, who exercises power as the representative of the Imperial Government, having his residence at Strassburg. A Ministry composed of five departments, with a responsible Secretary of State at its head, acts under the Statthalter, who also is assisted by a Council of State, comprising the General in command of the troops in the province, the Secretary of State at the head of the Ministry, the chief provincial officials, and seven other members appointed by the Emperor. The Statthalter is President of the Council. For the administration of local affairs there is a Provincial Committee, consisting of 58 members.

The budget estimates of public revenue of Alsace-Lorraine in the year ending March 31, 1886, amounted to 38,657,114 mark, or 1,932,855.; and the estimates of expenditure to the same. For

1884-5 the total expenditure amounted to 40,598,440 mark, or 2,029,9221. Nearly one-half of the total revenue is derived from customs and indirect taxes, while one of the largest branches of expenditure is for public instruction.

Alsace-Lorraine had a debt of 1,440,1757. in 1884.

Area and Population.

The Reichsland has an area of 5,580 English square miles, with a population, in 1875, of 1,531,804, and in 1880 of 1,566,670 (770,108 males, 796,562 females), being 281 individuals per English square mile. Alsace-Lorraine is administratively divided into three Bezirke, or districts, called Ober-Elsass, Unter-Elsass, and Lothringen, the first of which is subdivided into seven, and the other two each into eight Kreise, or circles. The following table gives area, in English square miles, and the population of each of the districts at the two last enumerations, the census of December 1, 1875, and the census of December 1, 1880:

There was a decrease of population during the four years from 1871 to 1875 amounting to 0.23 per cent. per annum. During the preceding five years from December 1866 to December 1871, there was a decrease of population at the rate of 0.84 per cent. per annum, ascribed partly to the war and partly to emigration. But there were only 158 emigrants in the year 1876, and but 108 in 1877. Between 1875-80 there was an increase of 0.45 per cent. per annum. On the basis of births, deaths, and emigration, the estimated population in 1882 is given as 1,555,835, and shows an apparent decrease of 10,000 since 1880. Marriages, 1882, 10,322; births, 51,423 (1,908, or 3.71 per cent. still-born; 4,061, or 7·90 illegitimate); deaths, 41,393; surplus, 10,030. Emigrants beyond Europe, 1881, 692; 1882, 696; 1883, 872.

At the census of December 1, 1880, there were in the Reichsland 1,218,513 Roman Catholics, 305,315 Protestants, 3,053 members of other Christian sects, 39,278 Jews, and 511 unclassified. According to an official estimate, 200,000 of the inhabitants are of French origin (Sprachstamme), and 1,350,000 of German origin.

The three principal towns of the Reichsland are Strassburg, capital of Unter-Elsass, Mülhausen in Ober-Elsass, and Metz, capital of Lothringen. At the census of 1880, Strassburg had 104,471, Mülhausen 68,140, and Metz 53,131 inhabitants.

The prison population had increased from 16,476 in 1872, to 49,750 in 1882.

Alsace-Lorraine is a great wine-producing country. Of the 1,696 communes, 1,047 have vineyards. The total value of the produce in 1880 was 1,596,7307.

There were 815 miles of railway in Alsace-Lorraine in 1884.

Trade, Commerce, and Industry of Germany.

The trade and commerce of the Empire are under the administration and guidance of special laws and rules, emanating from the Zollverein, or Customs' League, which embraces the whole of the states of Germany, with the exception of the two cities of Hamburg and Bremen. The privilege of Hamburg and Bremen to remain 'free ports,' conceded in 1868, was ratified in the Imperial Constitution of April 16, 1871, the 34th article of which enacts that the two Hanse towns shall remain 'outside the common line of customs' -until they themselves demand admittance.' By a treaty with the German Imperial Government, the free-port privileges of Hamburg, formerly embracing the whole State, have now been restricted to the city and port of Hamburg.

There was, previous to the year 1871, a twofold representation of the Zollverein, that of governments, in the Zollverein Council, and that of populations, in the Zollverein Parliament, the members of which latter body were elected in the same manner as the deputies to the North German Federal diet, and met in annual session at the beginning of the year. Under the constitution of April 16, 1871, the functions of the Zollverein Parliament merged in the Reichstag of the Empire, and those of the Zollverein Council in the Federal Council, and devolves upon three committees sitting permanently, namely, for finance, for taxes and customs, and for trade. All the receipts of the Zollverein are paid into a common exchequer, and distributed, pro rata of population, among the states of the Empire. The chief sources of revenue are customs duties, mainly on imports, and taxes upon spirits, beer (malt), salt, sugar manufactured from beet-root, and tobacco.

The imports in 1881 amounted to 149,505,000l., and in 1882 to 158,235,000l.; the exports, in 1881, to 152,000,0007., and in 1882 to 162,235,000l. The total value of the imports and exports of Germany in 1883 is shown in the following table :

The commerce of the German Zollverein was divided as follows in 1883 among the principal countries :

The total value of the imports of grain and potatoes was 18,499,000l. in 1883; 340,940 tons of potatoes were exported. The total value of raw textile material-woollen, cloth, silk, &c., imported was 26,361,400l. in 1883, and of yarns, 15,499,8007., while the value of the woollen goods exported was 18,827,000l. in 1883. The export of sugar was valued at 7,594,500l. in 1881, and 10,806,3007. in 1883. The gross produce of the Customs in 1883 was 10,489,6751.