can read and 6,239.958 as unable to write. The former is 13-4 per cent., the latter 17 per cent., which, contrasted with 16 and 20 per cent. (the proportions of the corresponding classes in 1870), shows a very decided gain in the direction of rudimentary education. Of the whites above ten years of age, the 'cannot writes' formed 9'4 per cent. The native whites, however, show a proportion of but 8.7 per cent., while foreign whites show 12 per cent. A very large proportion of the illiteracy of the country, and especially of the South, is seen to be among the coloured population, where the ' not writes' form 70 per cent. of all above ten years of age. Most of the illiteracy of the country exists south of Mason and Dixon's line, the Ohio, and the south boundary of Missouri. North of it are New Jersey, with 4.5 per cent.; Pennsylvania, 4·6; Ohio, 3-6; Indiana, 4.8; Illinois, 43; Missouri, 8.9; and Kansas, 3.6. South of it are Delaware, 15.8; Maryland, 16; Virginia, 34; West Virginia, 12.1; Kentucky, 22.2; and Arkansas, 28.8. Further south the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, range between 40 and 50 per cent. In 1884 a Bill was passed appropriating a sum of 77,000,000 dollars to be distributed over a period of eight years, to the various States of the Union, in proportion to the illiteracy of each. In Iowa out of the total population there are but 2-4 per cent. of illiterates; Nebraska, 2.5 per cent. ; and Wyoming, 2.6. The NorthEastern States, on the whole, fall behind the Northern Central States, probably because of the large manufacturing interests, which have drawn to them the Irish, French Canadian, and similar classes of immigrants, while the German and Scandinavian elements have gone to the Northern Central section. The greatest proportion of illiterates is found in South Carolina, where nearly one-half the population over ten years of age (48.2 per cent.) cannot read. Louisiana follows with 45.8 per cent.; Alabama, with 43·5; and Georgia, with 42.8 per cent. In the Western States and Territories the proportion of illiterates is comparatively low; California, with 7·1, and Nevada, with 7.3 per cent., having, with two exceptions, the highest. Arizona has 16.7 per cent., and New Mexico, 60.2. In these Territories, and especially the latter, a large proportion of the population is of Mexican descent, and a large number of Pueblo and Moquis Indians are included in the population. In 1882 the total number of children enrolled in the public schools in the United States was 9,996,133, out of a total school population of 16,210,133, the average daily attendance being 6,120,454. The total number of public schools was found to be 226,000, and teachers 311,982. Of these 5,500 schools were returned as having high-school departments. The total receipts of these schools in 1882 was 18,664,5531., of which over 15,000,0001. was derived from state, county, or other public sources; the Central Government contributes a portion, but a large proportion is obtained from the educational tax. The number of institutions classed as universities and colleges (many of them really high and technical schools) in 1882 was 365, with 4,413 instructors and 64,096 students, with an income from productive funds of 532,3381. and 425,3321. from fees. These statistics evidently do not include the private middle-class schools, for which no returns seem to exist. Revenue and Expenditure. The revenue of the United States is mainly derived from two sources-namely, duties on imports, and internal revenue taxes upon distilled spirits, fermented liquors, tobacco, banks and bankers. The national expenditure, too, is mainly on account of the war and navy departments, pensions, payment of interest of the public debt, incurred by the civil war of 1861-66, and the civil service. Pensions form the largest item of expenditure. Next to pensions the cost of the general administration, including the expenses of the executive and legislature, provided for under the head of Civil Expenses,' is comparatively small. The following table exhibits, in dollars and pounds sterling, the total net revenue and the total ordinary expenditure of the United States in each of the ten fiscal years, ending June 30, from 1875 to 1884: 1875 284,020,771 56,804,154 274,623,392 54,924,678 1876 290,066,584 58,013,316 265,101,084 53,020,216 1877 269,000,586 53,800,117 238,660,008 47,732,001 1878 257,763,878 51,552,775 236,964,326 47,392,865 273,827,184 54,765,437 266,947,883 53,389,576 333,526,610 66,705,322 267,642,957 53,528,591 360,782,293 72,156,458 260,712,888 52,142,577 403,525,250 80,705,080 257,981,439 1879 1880 1881 1882 51,596,288 1883 398,287,582 79,657,516 | 265,408,137 53,081,627 1884 348,519,869 69,703,974 244,126,244 48,825,248 These figures are exclusive of loans in the revenue and expenditure, other than interest, and premiums in connection with the public debt. The following tables give the actual sources of revenue and branches of expenditure for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, and the estimated revenue and expenditure for 1885 and 1886 : Total ordinary expen- Miscellaneous sources 2,843,240 13 Total ordinary re- 348,519,869 92 Leaving a surplus of 57,603,396 09 290,916,473 83 £58,183,294 ceipts £69,703,973 £11,520,679 From the partly actual and partly estimated receipts at the end of September 1884 it was expected the revenue for 1885 would amount to 290,620,201 dollars. The surpluses are all available for reducing the public debt, and during the year ending June 30, 1884, the sum devoted to this purpose was 104,393,625 dollars, including sinking fund and redemption. The Internal Revenue at present is collected mainly from whisky, tobacco, and malt liquors. The following table shows the total amount of the national debt on the 1st of July at various periods from 1860 :- 366,105,784 The net debt-that is, what remains after deducting the cash in the Treasury-was 1,438,542,995 dollars, or 287,708,5991. on July 1, 1884; of the total amount 584,308,868 dollars, or 116,861,7731. bears no interest. The net debt on January 1, 1885, amounted to 1,418,548,370 dollars. The United States is also liable for 64,623,512 dollars, or 12,924,7021. 6 per cent. bonds issued to the Pacific Railways, which pay over 5 per cent. of their net earnings. The bulk of the debt of the United States was originally contracted at 6 and 5 per cent., but more than half of the interest-bearing debt is now at 4 per cent., and the rest at 3 and 4 per cent. Besides the above there exist local debts in nearly all the states, amounting in 1883 to 56,854,800l. If to this be added the debts of counties, townships, towns, &c., it would raise the entire local debt to 250,000,000l. sterling. The national debt of the United States amounts to 5l. per head of population, and the annual interest to 3s. 6d. per head. There is practically no direct taxation for national purposes, though personal and real property are taxed in the several states. The total value of the exports in 1883-4 is equal to more than one-third of the principal of the debt, and the excess of exports over imports in 1883-4 amounts to more than the annual interest of the debt. The assessed valuation of the real property in the States is returned for 1880 at 13,036,766,925 dollars, or 2,607,553,3851., and personal property 3,866,226,618 dollars, or 773,245,3231., being a total of 3,380,598,7087. Army and Navy. By the eighth section of the first article of the Constitution of the United States, Congress is empowered in general' to raise and support armies;' and by the second section of the second article, the President is appointed commander-in-chief of the army and navy, Iand of the militia when called into the service of the United States. On August 7, 1789, Congress established a Department of War as the instrument of the President in carrying out the provisions of the constitution for military affairs. By Acts of Congress, approved July 28, 1866, March 3, 1869, and July 15, 1870, the number of land forces constituting the standing army of the United States was strictly limited. It was subsequently enacted that from the year 1875 there shall be no more than 25,000 enlisted men and 2,155 commissioned officers at any one time. The actual enlisted strength of the army in the end of 1883 was 25,478, distributed as follows: Of the officers of the regular army, there are 66 colonels and 85 lieutenant-colonels, 243 majors, 603 captains. |