Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/656

 620 LIBERIA.

sessions are held in each county. The civil business of the county is administered by four sujaerintendents appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the senate.

Population, Revenue, and Trade.

The settlement of Liberia, founded in 1822, was, on August 24, 1847, proclaimed a free and independent state, as the Republic of Liberia. The state was first acknowledged by England, after- wards by France, Belgium, Prussia, Brazil, Denmark, and Portugal, and, in 1861, by the United States. The republic has about 600 miles of coast line, and extends back 100 miles on an average, but with the probability of vast extension into the interior. Pro- visionally, the river Shebar has been adopted as north-western, and the San Pedro as eastern frontier. It is stated that the natives everywhere manifest a desire that treaties should be formed with them, so that the limits of the republic may be extended over all the neighbouring districts. The Liberian territory has been purchased by more than 20 treaties, and in all cases the natives have freely parted with their titles for a satisfactory price. It was the chief aim of the founders of the republic to purchase the line of sea- coast, so as to connect the different settlements ixnder one govern- ment, and to exclude the slave trade, which formerly was most extensively carried on at Cape Mesurado, Tradetown, Little Bassa, Digby, New Sesters, Gallinas, and other places at present within the republic. The town of Monrovia, at the mouth of the river Mesurado, and near the foot of Cape Mesurado, was selected in 1822 as capital of the state, and seat of the government.

The total population is estimated to number 720,000, all of the African race, and of which number 19,000 are Americo-Liberians, and the remaining 701,000 aboriginal inhabitants. Monrovia, the capital, has an estimated population of 13,000. In the five years 1863-67, the public revenue averaged 100,000 dollars, nearly always balanced by the expenditure. The budget estimates for 1868 stated the total receipts at 108,297 dollars, of which 69,747 dollars from customs, and 38,650 dollars from taxes. The ex- penditure for the same year was to amount to 106,745 dollars, leaving a surplus of 1,552 dollars. Among the disbursements, 40,095 dollars were assigned for the civil service, 46,650 for the public debt, 7,000 for the administration of justice, and 13,000 dollars for the maintenance of an armed force. The Liberians have built and manned 30 coast traders, and they have a number of ves- sels engaged in commerce with Great Britain and the United States.