Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VI.djvu/617

 ENGLAND 605 question of religion causes the chief difficulty. The rivalry of different religious organizations has stimulated them to great exertions for ed- ucation, but a strong sentiment urges the sepa- ration of public education from all religious control. For a more complete account of the system of education in England, see EDUCA- TION. The established religion is that of the church of England, which will be treated in a separate article. The dissenters constitute some of the most respectable religious bodies in the world. They consist of Presbyterians, Independents, Baptists, Friends, Methodists, Unitarians, Bible Christians, Moravians, and some others. The Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists are severally divided into a num- ber of sects. The Roman Catholics are not numerous, but among them are many old and wealthy families. The Jews are few, but since July 23, 1858, when they were permitted to sit in parliament, they have enjoyed all civil rights. The government is a limited heredi- tary monarchy, the supreme power being vest- ed in a king or queen and ministry, and a par- liament composed of lords and commons, the former sitting chiefly by hereditary right and the latter by popular election. A previous knowledge of English history being required for a comprehension of the changes and present state of the English constitution, we shall refer the reader for an account of the latter to the concluding part of this article. The following tables show the revenue and expenditure of the United Kingdom for the year ending March 31, 1873: KEVENUE. Customs. ... ... 21,088,000 Excise 25,786,000 Stamps 9,947,000 Land tax and house duty 2,837,000 Income tax 7,500,000 Post office 4,820,000 Telegraph service 1,015,000 Crown lands (net) 875,000 Military and naval, extra receipts and proceeds of old stores sold Amount received from the revenues of India on account of British troops serving in that coun- try Allowance out of profits of bank of England per act 24 Victoria, c. 3 138,578 Miscellaneous receipts 1,772,829 Gross income 76,608,770 EXPENDITURES. Debt: Interest and management of the permanent debt ................ ___ ,__ _,_._ Terminable annuities .............. 4,539,547 Interest of exchequer bills ......... 128,912 Charges on consolidated fund : Civil list .......................... 406,910 Annuities and pensions ............ 303,139 Salaries and allowances. . 100,269 Courts of justice .................. 644.657 Miscellaneous charges ............. 108,289 Telegraph sinking fund ........... 11,740 Supply services : Army ............................. 14.466,700 Navy ............................. 9,543.000 Army purchase commission ........ 946,500 Miscellaneous civil services ........ 10,175,186 1,574,954 Supply services, continued : Customs and inland revenue 2 594 802 Post office 2,684^180 Telegraph service 841,766 Packet service 1,183,058 - 42,324,641 Total ordinary expenditure 70714448 Army expenses provided for by annuities 'SOS^OOO Total expenditure ~ 71,022,448 Excess of income over total expenditure The public debt, March 31, 1873, was : Funded 726,584,423 Estimated capital of terminable annuities .... 53,558.580 Unfunded Total 784,972,108 The total debt at historical periods during the past century has been : PERIODS. Capital of debt. Interest and management. HI5 I American war -) lio* ) | 1798. . . Beginning of French wars. 1S17 J Consolidation of English | 1811 1 and Irish exchequers., f 1836.'. 128,583,635 249,851,628 239,350,148 840,850,491 787 638 816 4,471,571 9,451,772 9,208,495 82,038,191 29 148 517 1873 .. 784 972 103 26 804 853 The army estimates for 1873-'4 called for a total expenditure of 14,416,000, and gave the regular army at 125,000 men, including 63,000 home forces ; besides militia 139,000, yeoman- ry 15,000, volunteers 161,000, first reserve 10,- 000, and second reserve 20,000. The deser- tions from the regular forces in 1872 were 4,000. The navy estimates for 1873-'4 called for an expenditure of 9,704,985, and gave the following numbers of seamen and marines : For the fleet : Seamen 84,000 Boys 7,500 41,500 Marines 14,000 For the coast guard (ashore) 4,300 Indian service 1,200 Total 61,000 The total naval force in September, 1872, was: steam vessels, including 60 iron-clads, 167 in commission and 197 in reserve and building; coast-guard tenders, 25 ; sailing vessels, 38 in commission and 106 in reserve and building ; total tonnage, 677,883; number of guns 5,080. The government has fine dockyards at Dept- ford, Woolwich, Chatham, Sheerness, Ports- mouth, Devonport, and Pembroke, a naval academy at Portsmouth, a military academy at Woolwich, and a military college at Sand j hurst. The judicial system of England until recently comprised four superior courts : the high court of chancery, the court of exchequer, the court of king's (or queen's) bench, and the court of common pleas. The court of king's bench was the supreme court of common law, and took cognizance of both civil and criminal causes, and to it could be removed by writ of error the judgments of all other English courts