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THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — MALTA

Books of Reference.

Colonial Report. Annual. London.

Drinkioater (J.), The Siege of Gibraltar. 4. London, 1785.

Field {B..l!,l.) Gibraltar. 8. London. 1889.

Gilbard (G. J.), Popular History of Gibraltar. 8. Gibraltar, 1881.

Lucas (C. P.), Historical Geography of the British Colonies. Vol. L

Stoddard (C. A.), Spanish Cities. 8. London, 1892.

MALTA.

Oxford, 1888.

Governor.— Lieut -General Sir Francis Wallace Grenfell, G. C. B., G. C. M. G. (salary 5,000^.).

Chief Secretary to Government.— Sir Gersild Strickland, K.C.M.G,, Count della Catena.

An island in the Mediterranean, 58 miles from Sicily, with an excellent harbour. It is one of the most important posts of call in the world, and is the base and resort for repair and refitment of our fleet in the Mediterranean. Malta is 17 miles long ; area, 95 miles ; and the neighbouring island, Gozo, 20 miles ; total area (with Comino), 117 square miles. Population for 1897, 177,745. Local military, viz. : Royal Malta Artillery, 694, Royal Malta Militia, 1,596, and Malta Militia Division, Royal Engineers, 53. Chief town and port, Valletta. Education— 119 public schools, with 14,836 pupils in 1897 ; Government grant, 21,232Z. There are a university, 1 lyceum, and 2 secondary schools. In addition to the above there are 116 private schools attended by 3,679 pupils in Malta and Gozo not receiving any aid from Colonial Funds. In 1897, 5,967 persons were committed to prison.

The government is to some extent representative. The Governor is assisted by an executive council and a council of government, according to the Constitution of 1887, of 6 official and 14 elected.

—

1893.

1894

1895

1896 1897

Revenue. Expenditure.

£ 291,158 304,993

£ 301,859 291,682

£ 305,440 301,550

£ £ 313,680 323,787 308,902 324,673

Chief sources of revenue, 1897 : Customs, 172,707?.; land, 12,834?.; rents, 27,257/.; postage, 16,218?.; interest, 27,507?.; licences, 4,330?. Branches of expenditure : Establishments, 127,840?. ; other services, 196,833?. Contri- bution from Home Government, nil. Public debt, 79,168?. Savings-bank with, for 1897, 6,614 depositors, deposits, 514,878?.

Chief products : cotton, potatoes, oranges, figs, honey, and corn. Manu- factures : cotton, filigree, lucifer-matches. Chief industry, farming ; (in 1897) horses, mules and asses, 7,941 ; horned cattle, 7,905 ; sheep, 15,961 ; goats, 14,197.

—

1893

1894

1895

1896

1897

Imports. Exports ,

£ 13,732,030 12,275,141

£ 13,773,783 13,086,747

£

13,099,978 13,231,813

£

10,472,139 11,886,149

£

10,895,639 10,088,760

The trade is mainly transit — of the total imports in 1897 the value actually landed was 905,006?., and of the exports the value shipped from articles actually landed was 80,567?., so that the value of imports for local consump-