Total receipts for 1883, 24,336,6947. In the Austrian budget. for 1884 the sum of 2,877,000l. is devoted to the construction of new State lines. The work of the Post Office in Austria-Hungary was as follows in the year 1882 :— 1 The declared value of the parcels transmitted in Austria by post in 1882 was 466,240,8907.; the number of postal and money orders transmitted was 24,140,724, and their value 70,354,7481. On the 1st of January 1883, there were 4,073 Post Offices in Austria Proper, and 2,775 in the kingdom of Hungary. The following are the telegraph statistics of Austria for 1883, and Hungary for 1882:— Offices Austria. 2,785 Total Miles line Miles wire Messages Receipts Expenses 22,790 59,732 6,559,353 £405,336 £364,640 9,894 35,456 3,415,640 160,977 172,936 3,958 32,684 95,188 9,974,993 £566,313 £537,576 In Bosnia and Herzegovina are 70 offices, 1,560 miles of line; messages in 1882, 373,352. The following tabular statement shows the strength of the commercial marine of Austria-Hungary in 1884 : In 1882 50,830 vessels, of 6,774,677 tons, entered, and 50,707 vessels, of 6,784,896 tons, cleared Austrian seaports. Of the former, 80-30 of the vessels and 87.13 of the tonnage, and of the latter 80-17 of the vessels and 87.02 of the tonnage were Austrian. Of great importance for the commerce of the Empire is the 'Gesellschaft des Oesterreichisch-Ungarischen Lloyd,' established at Trieste in 1833. The company, which owned on the 1st of January 1884, a fleet of 84 vessels, of 69,818 tons, mainly Clydebuilt, and superintended by British engineers, absorbs the greater part of the trade of Austria with the East, through the Suez Canal, being subsidized, at the rate of 173,000l. per annum, by the Imperial Government. The navigation of the Danube is carried on under regulations agreed to at the Berlin Conference of 1878, and subsequently modified at a conference of the delegates of the leading powers (Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Russia, France, Italy and Turkey), which met in London in 1883. From its mouths to the Iron Gates it is regarded as an international highway, the interests of the several states being specially provided for. The navigation is under the superintendence of a mixed commission of one delegate each for Austria, Bulgaria, Roumania and Servia, with a delegate appointed for six months by the signatory powers in turn. The Commission has its seat at Giurgevo, in Roumania. The arrangement lasts for 21 years from April, 1883. Engaged in the Danube traffic are (Austrian) 186 steamers and 726 tugs; the goods carried in 1882 weighed 19,978,890 tons (see Roumania). Diplomatic Representatives. 1. OF AUSTRIA-HUNGARY IN GREAT BRITAIN. Ambassador-Count A. Károlyi de Nagy-Károly, Ambassador to the German Empire from December 1871 to December 1878. Accredited Ambassador to Great Britain, February 4, 1879. Councillor of Embassy--Ladislaus von Hengelmüller Hengervar. Secretaries A. Schwarz von Mohrenstern; Baron von Wacken; and Count von Lützow. Naval and Military Attachés—Capt. Baron Fredrick von Haan, and Count O. Cassini. 2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. Ambassador-Sir Augustus Berkeley Paget, K.G.C.B., born in 1821; Envoy to the Netherlands, 1854-56; to Portugal, 1857-58; to Prussia, 1858-59; to Denmark, 1859-66; to Portugal, 1866-67; to Italy, 1867-83. Appointed Ambassador to Austria-Hungary, December 1883; accredited January 24, 1884. Secretaries V. A. Wellington Drummond; Ralph Milbanke; G. W. Buchanan; A. Leveson Gower. Military Attaché-Col. Hon. E. H. Primrose. Money, Weights, and Measures. The money, weights, and measures of Austria, and the British equivalents, are as follows: : MONEY. The Florin, or Gulden, of 100 Kreuzer, nominal value 2s. ; present (1885) real value, 18. 8d., or 12 florins = 1. = 168., or 8 fl. 10 kr. in gold. The 8 Florin piece The legal standard in the Empire is silver, and the Florin, divided into 100 Kreuzer, the unit of money. Practically the chief medium of exchange is a paper currency, consisting of bank and state notes of all denominations, from 1,000 florins down to 1 florin, convertible only at a large discount into gold. WEIGHTS and MEASURES. Metze == = Meile 24,000 Austrian feet = 8,297 yards, or about 43 miles. The metrical system of weights and measures is now legal in Austria. Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Austria Hungary. 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Almanach für die k. k. Kriegs-Marine, 1884. Pola, 1884. Ergebnisse der in den Ländern der Ungarischen Krone im Anfange des Jahres 1881 vollzogenen Volkszählung. Budapest, 1882. Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Kaiserthums Oesterreich. 8. Wien, 1884. Tafeln zur Statistik der Oesterreichischen Monarchie, zusammengestellt von der Direction der administrativen Statistik. Folio. Wien, 1884. Mittheilungen aus dem Gebiete der Statistik, herausgegeben von der Direction der administrativen Statistik. 8. Wien, 1884. Nachrichten über Industrie, Handel und Verkehr aus dem Statistischen Department im k. k. Handels-Ministerium. XXIX. Band. Vienna, 1884. Õesterreichisches Statistisches Jahrbuch. Zweiter Jahrgang, 1883. Wien, 1884. Oesterreichische Statistik. Herausgegeben von der k. k. statistischen Central-Commission. Wien, 1884. Statistisches Jahrbuch für das Jahr 1882. Herausg. von der k. k. statist. Central-Commission. 8. Wien, 1884. Statistisches Jahrbuch für Ungarn. 12ter Jahrgang. 1882. Budapest, 1883-4. Navigazione e commercio in porti Austriaci nel 1882. 4. Trieste, 1884. Reichsgesetzblatt. Jahrgang, 1884. Protocols of conferences held in London respecting the navigation of the Danube. London, 1883. Report by Mr. Phipps on the finance, population and agriculture of Hungary in Part II., by Mr. Drummond on the commerce of Austria in 1882 in Part III., and by Mr. Drummond on Austrian mining production, &c., in Part V., of 'Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy.' London, 1883. Report by Mr. Drummond on the finances of Austria for 1883 in Part I.; on the trade of Austria for the first nine months of 1883 in Part II., and on the movement of Austro-Hungarian foreign commerce for 1882, and by Mr. Phipps on the commerce of Hungary in Part III., of Reports of H.M.'s Secretaries of Embassy. London, 1884. Report by Consul-General Phipps on Hungarian exports and imports during year ended June 1882, in 'Reports of H.M.'s Diplomatic and Consular Agent Abroad.' Folio. London, 1882. Report by Consul-General Nathan on commerce of Austria-Hungary in 1881, in Part I.; by Consul Freeman on trade of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1882, in Part VI.; by Consul Faber on trade of Fiume, 1882, in Part. VII.; by Consul Nathan on commerce of Austria-Hungary, 1882, in Part VIII.; by Consul Burton on Trieste 1882, in Part IX. of Reports of H.M.'s Consuls.' London, 1883. Report by Consul Faber on the trade and commerce of Fiume in 1883 in Part II.; by Consul Freeman on Bosnia and the Herzegovina in 1884; by Consul-General Nathan on Austria-Hungary for 1883, in Parts VI. and IX. of 'Reports of H.M.'s Consuls.' London, 1884. Hertstet (Sir Edward), Foreign Office List. Published annually. London, 1884. Trade of Austria-Hungary with Great Britain; in 'Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries, and British Possessions, in the year 1883. Imp. 4. London, 1884. 2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS. Annuario Marittimo per l'Anno 1884, compilato dal Lloyd austriaco coll' approvazione dell' eccelso i. r. governo centrale marittimo. 8. Trieste, 1884. Austria. Archiv für Consularwesen, Volkswirthschaft und Statistik. Wien, 1884. Brachelli (H. F.), Statistische Skizze der Oesterreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie. 8. Leipzig, 1874. Ficker (A.), Die Völkerstämme der Oesterreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie. 8. Wien, 1869. Hunfalvi (Dr. J.), A magyar-osztrák monarchia rövid statistztikaja. Pesth, 1874. Kay (David), Austria-Hungary. London, 1880. 8. Kohn (Ignaz), Eisenbahn-Jahrbuch der Oesterreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie. 8. Wien, 1882. Lévy (Daniel), L'Autriche-Hongrie, ses institutions, &c. Paris, 1872. Léger (L.), Histoire de l'Autriche-Hongrie, depuis les origines jusqu'à l'année 1878. 12. Paris, 1879. Löher (F. Von), Die Magyaren und andere Ungarn. 8. Leipzig, 1874. Magyarland. By a Fellow of the Carpathian Society. 2 vols. London, 1881. Marbeau (Edouard), Slaves et Teutons. Paris, 1882. Mülinen (Comte de), Les finances de l'Autriche. 8. Paris, 1875. Patterson (Arthur J.), The Magyars; their country and its institutions. 2 vols. 8. London, 1870. Prasch (V.), Handbuch der Statistik des Oest. Kaiserstaates. 8. Brünn, 1879. Wirth (Max), Ungarn und seine Bodenschätze. Frankfort-on-Main, 1885. BELGIUM. (ROYAUME DE BELGIQUE.) Leopold II., born April 9, 1835, the son of King Leopold I., former Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and of Princess Louise, daughter of the late King Louis Philippe of the French; ascended the throne at the death of his father, Dec. 10, 1865; married Aug. 22, 1853, to Queen Marie Henriette, born Aug. 23, 1836, the daughter of the late Archduke Joseph of Austria. Children of the King. I. Princess Louise, born Feb. 18, 1858; married February 4, 1875, to Prince Philip of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, born March 28, 1844, eldest son of Prince August, cousin of the reigning duke, and of Princess Clementine of Orléans, daughter of the late King Louis Philippe of the French. II. Princess Stéphanie, born May 21, 1864; married to Archduke Rudolf, only son of the Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, May 10, 1881. [See p. 3.] III. Princess Clémentine, born July 30, 1872. Brother and Sister of the King. L. Philippe, Count of Flanders, born March 24, 1837; lieutenantgeneral in the service of Belgium; married April 26, 1867, to Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, born November 17, 1845. Offspring of the union are four children :-1. Prince Baudouin, born June 3, 1869. 2. Princess Henriette, born Nov. 30, 1870. 3. Princess Josephine, born Oct. 18, 1872. 4. Prince Albert, born April 8, 1875. II. Princess Charlotte, born June 7, 1840; married July 27, 1857, to Archduke Maximilian of Austria, elected Emperor of Mexico July 10, 1863; widow June 19, 1867. King Leopold II. has a civil list of 3,300,000 francs, or 132,0007. The kingdom of Belgium formed itself into an independent state in 1830, having previously been a part of the Netherlands. The secession was decreed on the 4th of October, 1830, by a Provisional Government, established in consequence of a revolution which broke out at Brussels on the 25th of August, 1830. A National Congress elected Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg king of the Belgians on the 4th of June 1831; the prince accepted the dignity July 12, and ascended the throne July 21, 1831. It was not until after the signing of the Treaty of London, April 19, 1839, which established peace between King Leopold I. and the sovereign of the Netherlands, that all the States of Europe recognised the kingdom of Belgium. D |