Francs

Francs Francs 1877 2,779,890,874 115,865,099 2,895,755,973 3,027,395,725 1878 2,852,546,365 574,876,461 3,427,422,826 3,347,810,957 1879 2,965,551,890 524,790,497 3,490,342,387 3,322,621,928 1880 2,956,923,947 573,899,336 3,530,823,283 3,364,577,722 1881 2,988,374,978 797,069,391 3,785,444,369 3,616,401,846 1882 2,980,477,689 663,624,875 3,644,102,564 3,686,650,040 1883 3,037,973,018 614,965,704 3,652,938,722 3,715,366,615 1884 3,032,014,444 416,781,288 3,448,795,732 3,538,714,027 1885 3,056,635,831 263,626,782 3,320,262,613 3,466,923,058 1886 2,940,291,981 229,133,507 3,169,425,488 3,293,561,815 1887 2,968,477,833 275,405,732 3,243.883,565 3,260,964,639 1888 3,107,534,722 160,256,078 3,267,790,800 3,220,594,184

Francs

Total. 35,666,693,572 5,210,294,750
Borrowed from preceding budgets

Net totals

40,876,988,322 40,861,582,556 406,691,780

40,470,296,542 40,861,582,556

Since 1869 the budget has nearly doubled. To the budget of 1891 is annexed a statement, showing the deficits of the ordinary budgets from the period anterior to 1814 down to the end of 1888, as follows :—

These figures, however, do not represent the actual deficits arising from the differences 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 :

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 1891:

Capitating the consolidated debt, it would amount to 21,241,621,710 francs; the floating debt amounts to 908,724,600 francs bearing interest, and 71,476,000 francs not bearing interest.

The total capital of the French national debt cannot be exactly determined, but the most usual estimate is about 32 thousand millions of francs (1,280,000,000l.). M. Leroy Beaulieu's calculation gives 31,718 millions. M. Camille Pelletan, reporting to the Budget Committee on the financial situation in November 1890, estimates the French debt at 30,300,813,594 nominal capital and 22,824,043,690 actual capital, the nominal rate of interest being 3.48 per cent. and the actual rate 4·62.

According to other authorities the total debt amounts to nearly 36,000 millions of francs (1,440,000,0007.), or about 381. per head of population.

II. LOCAL FINANCE.

The total revenue of all the communes reached 486,553,939 francs in 1889, while the total communal debt was 3,020,450,528 francs in 1886. The share of Paris in the revenue was 233,090,652 francs; in 1886 the revenue of Lyons was 12,506,564 francs; Marseilles, 13,536,304 francs; Bordeaux, 9,054,239 francs. As to the departments, their aggregate revenues reached in 1887 273,460,079 francs, the expenditure 273,030,205 francs, while their aggregate debts amounted to 520,246,040 francs.

The yearly expenditure of the city of Paris is given, in francs, in the subjoined table :

For 1890 the estimates of revenue and expenditure balance at 266,098,136 franes, including 1,214,772 francs extraordinary.

III. PUBLIC PROPERTY.

Apart from a very few railways, the State is owner of but a few forests and other properties, the yearly income of which is insignificant, as is seen from the following table :-

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, 3,200,000,0007.; buildings, 1,600,000,000/.; State funds, 1,200,000,0007.; other securities, 2,000,000,000Z.; total 8,000,000,000Z.; while M. Leroy Beaulieu estimates that the total yearly income of the nation reaches about 1,000,000,0007., of which three-fifths is the product of personal labour.

Defence.

I. LAND DEFENCES.

France has a coast line of 1760 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 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, Peronne; and 6 fourth-class places. Italian frontier: first class, Lyon, Grenoble, Besançon ; and 11 detached forts. Mediterranean coast: firstclass, Toulon (naval habour); 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 The Channel coast: Rhé, Fort Louis; and 17 fourth-class forts. first class, Cherbourg; second class, St. Malo, Havre; and 16 fourth-class forts.

age

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, and Substitu1889. These laws enact universal liability to arms. tion and enlistment for money are forbidden, and it is ordered that every Frenchman not declared unfit for military service may be called from the up, of twenty to that of forty-five years, to enter the active army or the reserves. By the law of 1882, supplemented by that of 1888, the yearly contingent must serve 3 years in the Active Army, 6 in the Reserve, 6 in the Territorial The Active Army is Army, and 10 in the Territorial Reserve. 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.

In 1887 all privileges of exemption were abolished, including those of pupils in clerical seminaries. 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.

144 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 3 battalions of 4 companies, each regiment of 51 officers and 1,560 men, the latter 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.

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 2,351 men.

4 regiments of Tirailleurs Algériens, each of 4 battalions of 4 com. panies, with 1 depôt company, each regiment of 103 officers and 2,632 men.

2 régiments étrangers, of 4 battalions of 4 companies, with 1 depôt

company.

1 regiment of Tonkin tirailleurs, of three battalions: 4 battalions of Annamite chasseurs.

3 battalions of African Light Infantry of 10, 8, and 6 companies. 4 companies of fusiliers de discipline' (Algeria), one being in Tunis. 1 company of 'pionniers de discipline.'

CAVALRY.

12 regiments of cuirassiers, 30 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.

4 regiments of Spahis, having 6 squadrons; 1 regiment of Tunisian Spahis.

8 companies cavaliers de remonte,' 299 men each.

ARTILLERY.

38 regiments of field artillery, one-half with 12 mounted batteries, the other half with 8 mounted batteries and 3 horse batteries.

10 companies of artillery workmen.

3 companies of artificers.

16 battalions of fortress artillery, each of 6 battalions.

3 batteries of fortress artillery, 3 of mounted, and 6 of mountain artillery in Africa.

2 regiments of artillery pontonniers, each of 14 companies.

Total artillery, 446 field battalions, with 1,856 guns and 99 fortress batteries.

ENGINEERS.

4 regiments of sappers and miners, each of 5 battalions of 4 companies, with 1 dépôt company; 1 company of workmen, 1 company of sapper-conductors, and 1 detachment of these in Africa.

TRAIN.

20 squadrons of train, each of 3 companies; 12 companies in Algeria and 4 in Tunis.