Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/101

 ARMY AND NAVY.

65

In the course of the year 1870, there was added to the national debt, first, a loan of 750,000,000 francs, or 30,000,000/., voted by the Legislative Body July 16, 1870, to defray the cost of the war against Germany, and, secondly, a loan of 250,000,000 francs, or 10,000,000/., decreed by the ' Provisional Government of National Defence,' under date of October 25, 1870, for the same purpose. The latter loan was partly raised in Great Britain.

The following table shows the amount of interest paid on the various descriptions of the public debt of France, and sums charged to its account, in each of the years 1866 and 1800 : —

Description of Debt

Funded Debt: — 4^ per cent. Kente

3

Total

Sinking Fund and other Charges : — Sinking fund

Loans ....

Interest on Floating debt. Interest on Guarantee money Sound dues Scheldt dues Payment to Spain Pensions and Annuities

Total

f Francs

L £

1866

Francs 37,7.53,635 446,096 303,072,160

341,271,891

127,681,576

15,695.185

23,500,000

8,500,000

248,832

340,504

20,000

80,873,574

598,131,562 23,925,262

Francs 39,453,096 446,097 322,002,742

361,901,936

136,500,000

17.231,000

26,000,000

8,700,000

248,832

20,000 90,574,476

641,146,244 25,645,849

The loan of August 2, 1868, added a charge of 19,516,245 francs, in 3 per cent. Rente, to the annual interest of the Funded Debt.

Army and Navy. 1. Army.

The military forces of France consist at present of three divisions, called in the ' Army Eeorganisation Act ' of 1868, which established them, the ' active army,' the ' army of reserve,' and the ' National Guard Mobile.' The law of 1868 fixes the duration of service in the active army at five years, at the expiration of which time the soldier has to enter the reserve for four years longer. The period of service of the young men who have not been comprised in the active