The executive is vested in a Governor General, styled "Governor General of British North America," and appointed by the crown. He has a salary of £7,000 per annum, and holds authority in the name of the sovereign of Great Britain. The Governor General has the power to give or withhold the royal assent to bills passed by the Senate and House of Assembly, or to reserve the same till the royal pleasure be expressed. Such bills as are assented to by the governor in the name of the crown are, nevertheless, subject to disallowance by the sovereign, within two years after the receipt of authentic copies by one of the principal secretaries of state in Great Britain; and no bills, reserved for the consideration of the crown, can have any force, unless the royal assent be signified within two years after they have been presented to the Governor General. By the act of Confederation of 1867, the legislative authority of the Dominion of Canada is vested in a Parliament of two houses, the Senate and the House of Assembly. The former consists of thirty-nine members, nominated for life by the Governor, and of the same number elected by the people. At the first organization of the Canadian Confederation, the total of the 78 members of its Senate-48 for Canada, 18 for Nova Scotia, and 12 for New Brunswick-were nominated by the crown. The House of Assembly comprises 181 members-82 for Upper Canada, 65 for Lower Canada, 19 for Nova Scotia, and 15 for New Brunswick. Members of the House of Assembly must be possessed of freehold property of the value of £800. Electors in counties are required to be possessed of, or to occupy, property of the assessed actual value of £50, or the yearly value of £5; while electors in towns must be possessed of, or occupy, property of the yearly value of £7. 10s. Members of the House of Assembly, during session, have an allowance from the public funds. Clergymen of all denominations are ineligible. The House is elected for four years, but may be previously dissolved by the Governor, in which case a new election must take place immediately. At least one session must be held annually. All proceedings and records of the Legislative Assembly are ordered to be kept, by the act of 1840, in the English language only. The Speaker of the House of Assembly is elected by the members, while the president of the Senate is appointed by the crown for life. Army. In addition to the troops maintained by the English Government, Canada has a large volunteer force, and an enrolled militia, numbering about 200,000 men, rank and file. The militia is divided into three classes, namely, first class service men, comprising unmarried men and widowers without children between 18 and 45; second class service, married men and widowers with children, between same ages; third class service men, those between 45 and 60. The present volunteer force of Canada consists of 10,615 infantry, 1,687 artillery, 1,615 cavalry, and 202 engineers. Statistics of Population. The population of the Colonies now comprised in the Dominion of Canada was 3,464,766, in 1865; in January, 1861, it was as follows: The annual rate of increase during the decennium from 1851 to 1861 was 4.34 per cent. for Ontario, 2.50 per cent. for Quebec, 2.60 per cent. for New Brunswick, 1.82 per cent. for Nova Scotia, 2.07 per cent. for Prince Edward's Island. At this rate of increase, and making estimates for the remainder of British North America, (New Foundland, British Columbia, Hudson's Bay Territory), in 1961 the population will be 79,957,000. Productions. The average total quantity and value of the yearly raw products of the Dominion are about as follows: This is the largest of the British possessions in the West Indies. The area is 6,400 square miles; the entire coast line, 500 miles. It is divided into three counties, Middlesex, Surrey, and Cornwall, and these are subdivided into sixteen parishes; the former number (twenty-two), having been recently reduced by the union of some of the smaller parishes with larger ones. The population, according to the latest census taken, was 441,264, of which 13,816 were whites, 81,074 of mixed blood, and 346,374 blacks. The increase from 1844 to 1861, was 63,831. Since the abolition of the representative institutions, by the vote of the old Legislature, the colony is governed as a crown colony, the administration being carried on by the Governor with the assistance of three executive officers, receiving their appointments from England. There is, besides, a Legislative Council, consisting of thirteen members, inclusive of the Governor, who is president. Of the other twelve, six are official and six unofficial, but all are nominated by,and subject to removal at the will of, the Crown. The principal exports of the island are sugar, rum, coffee, pimento, ginger, and dye-woods. The revenue for 1867, amounted to $1,477,420, showing a deficiency of $281,555. This deficiency is accounted for by the falling off in the two most important branches of revenue-customs and excise-the former having fallen below the estimates, $149,115; the latter, $138,195. In 1867 St. Thomas and St. John were sold to the United States, but at the close of the year 1868, the purchase had not been ratified by Congress. Only a small portion of Greenland has ever been explored. The population given above is that of the 13 Danish colonies (districts). Of the population outside of these colonies no reliable estimate can be formed. The number of Europeans is 250. The colonies are divided into the two inspectorates of South and North Greenland; the former containing six and the latter seven districts. The number of European settlements is 38; besides these there are two Missionary stations. Most of them are established on the western coast. The principal villages are Frederick's Harbor, Julian's Harbor, Upernavik, and Good Hope. This is the most important island of the western hemisphere. Its greatest length is 750 miles; its breadth varies from 130 to 25 miles, and its total area is 48,489 square miles, being nearly equal to the area of Belgium, Holland, Denmark, and Switzerland taken together. It has a soil of the utmost fertility, yielding many of the most precious articles of commerce; in the mineral kingdom its resources are considerable, its copper mines being among the most productive to be found in the western hemisphere. The island has now twenty-seven different lines of railway of a total length of over 800 miles, and the construction of these roads has been attended with an extraordinary extension of cultivation. The population of Cuba is rapidly increasing: it had, according to official returns, 170,370 inhabitants in 1775; 272,140 în 1791; 551,998 in 1817; 704,487 in 1827 (311,051 whites, 106,494 free colored, 286,942 slaves); in 1846, 898,752 (425,767 white, 149,226 free colored, 323,759 slaves); in 1862, 1,359,238 (764,750 white, 225,938 free colored, 368,550 slaves). From 1858 to 1862, 9,462 slaves obtained their liberty either by purchase or by gift of their masters. Many slaves besides were liberated every year by private document, and many children of slaves were registered as free, their liberty being obtained by gift of the masters or by payment of $25 before birth. A decree of the Provisional Government of Spain, in October 1868, provided that all children of slaves, born thereafter, should be free. Cuba is divided into three provinces. The Government is vested in a Captain-General who is the military commandant of the whole island, and the civil governor of one of the three provinces. The chief towns of Cuba are Havana, Santiago, Matanzas, Santa Clara, Santa Maria, and Trinidad. PORTO RICO is thus divided in population:-Pure whites, 300,430; free colored, 241,142; slaves, 41,736. The exports, in 1860, were valued at £1,100,000, and the imports at £1,500,000. 20. SWEDISH POSSESSIONS. St. Bartholomew.... Square miles. .16.. Inhabitants. .2,898 Ceded by France to Sweden in 1784. Its shape is irregular; soil, fertile, though the island is generally destitute of fresh water. Products, sugar, tobacco, cotton and cocoa. II. EUROPE. 1. AREA-POPULATION-MOVEMENT AND DENSITY OF POPULATION-NATIONALITIES THE GREAT POWERS-FORMS OF GOVERNMENT-CIVILIZATION. The total area of Europe is estimated at 3,781,280 square miles; the total population at 293,083,000. Among the large divisions of the world, Europe occupies the fourth place in point of area, being much inferior to Asia, America and Africa, and superior only to Australia and Polynesia. In point of population, it occupies the second place, being inferior only to Asia, and superior to Africa, America and Australia. The increase of population during the last century has been very rapid. In 1787 it was estimated at 150,000,000; at present it exceeds 293,000,000. It has therefore nearly doubled in 80 years, notwithstanding the devastating wars from 1793 to 1815, of 1854, 1859 and 1866. It ranks first among the large divisions of the world in density of population. The densest population is to be found in Belgium and the kingdom of Saxony; the thinnest in Russia, Sweden and Norway. In general, western Europe is more densely peopled than eastern Europe. Nearly the whole population of Europe belongs to the Caucasian race, using the Indo-European class of languages, and in particular, one of the three chief branches the Germanic, Greco-Latin, and Slavic. The former embraces the Germans, the Scandinavians and the Anglo-Saxons. The Greco-Latin branch comprises the Greeks, Rumanians, Italians, French, Spaniards, Portuguese, and Albanians. The Slavi, who occupy the whole of eastern Europe, embrace the Russians, Poles, Czechi, Moravians, Croats, Slavonians, Wends, Servians, Bulgarians. The population of Ireland, northern and middle Scotland, Wales, and the Bretagne (in France), is of Celtic origin; but the Celtic language has to a large extent disappeared, and politically the Celts have been absorbed by, or are at least subject to other races. The Magyars in Hungary, the Szeklers in Transylvania, the Finns in Finland, the Lapps, the Esthonians and a number of smaller tribes in European Russia belong to the Finnish branch of Indo-Europeans. The Basques in the Pyrenees are regarded as the descendants of the Iberians, the primitive inhabitants of Spain. Of the political divisions of Europe, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland and the great majority of the cantons of Switzerland are Germanic countries: in Austria, the Germanic nationality prevails in the provinces of Austria above the Ens, Austria below the Ens, Salzburg, Styria, Carinthia, the Tyrol, and Silesia; in Russia, the three Baltic provinces, Livonia, Esthonia and Courland, are under the predominant influence of the Germanic nationality, although the Germans do not constitute a majority of the population; in Belgium about four-sevenths are Germans. States in which the Greco-Latin languages prevail are France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Rumania (a dependency of Turkey), and the cantons of south-western Switzerland. To the same family belong three-sevenths of the Belgians and a part of the Tyrol. The only Slavic Empire is Russia; but the Slavi also prevail in Servia and Montenegro (Turkish dependencies), in the Turkish provinces of Bosnia and Bulgaria, and in the Austrian provinces of Bohemia, Moravia, Carniola, Goritz, Istria, Gallicia, Bukovina, Dalmatia, Croatia. In general, the Slavi constitute the majority of the population of European Turkey, and nearly one-half of the total population of Austria. In Hungary, Magyars are the dominant race, and in Turkey the Turks; but the Turks do not constitute a majority of the total population in European Turkey, nor are the Magyars a majority of population in the countries belonging to the Hungarian crown. With the exception of about three and a half millions of Jews, six and a half millions of Mohammedans, and about five hundred thousand pagans, the inhabitants of Europe belong to the Christian religion. (For details see the tables of Religious Statistics.) The countries of Europe have for many centuries been at the head of civilization, and no country outside of Europe, can compare with its leading powers in this particular, except the United States. No part of Europe is a dependency of a non-European power, while the whole of Australia, the larger portion of Asia, and a considerable part of America, Africa and Polynesia are possessions and dependencies of European powers. (See America, Asia, Africa, and Polynesia.) France, Great Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia are commonly called the Great Powers, which from time to time meet in European Conferences for the pacific solution of great European complications. Of late Italy has commonly been admitted to these Conferences. There are in Europe four empires, (France, Austria, Russia, and Turkey); thirteen kingdoms (including Spain and counting Sweden and Norway as one); one ecclesiastical State, (the States of the Church); 7 Grand Duchies, 5 Duchies, 8 Principalities (not including Rumania and Servia, which are dependencies of Turkey); 6 Republics, (Switzerland, San Marino, Andorra, Bremen, Hamburg, and Lubeck). 2. THE STATES OF EUROPE. The following table gives a list of all the European States, their area and population, the name and title of the ruler of each, the year of his accession, and the form of government. 149 12,000 Two Syndics. 74 1,425 Republic. 1817 Limited Monarchy. 1848 Constitutional Mon. 1852 Lim. Mon., 2 Cham. 1864 Lim. Mon., 2 Cham. 1865 Lim. Mon., 2 Cham. 1868 Free City. 1831 Lim. Mon., 1 Cham. 14.734 1,608,005 Christian IX., King.... 1863 Lim. Mon., 2 Cham. 40,258 75,909 209,428 38,192,094 Napoleon III., Emperor.. 1852 Con. Mon., 2 Cham. 121,115 29,321,288 Victoria, Queen........ 1837 Lim. Mon., 2 Houses. 145 163,683 George I., King...... 1863 Lim. Mon., 1 Cham. 1868 Free City. 1849 Lim. Mon., 2 Cham. 1861 Lim. Mon., 2 Cham. 1851 Lim. Mon., 1 Cham. |