THE revenues of all the world's Go-
Vernments amount to something more than a thousand million pounds sterling; England has a hundred millions at home and 120 millions abroad; France has a revenue of 136 millions and Russia 118 millions. Englishmen pay £2.10 each for the expense of government and Frenchmen £3.10. Russians pay £1 each and this amount is not far below the average sum which all the world's inhabitants who enjoy the blessings of regular government have to pay for the privilege. In Canada there is a population of five millions and a revenue of three million pounds sterling. In that country each person pays then only 12/ for government expenditure. The army and navy are very expensive in Europe and cost much less in America. this appears to be the chief element in the administration in America which keeps at 2 low amount the percentage of taxation as compared with that of European states. The United States have 62 million inhabitants and the revenue is thirty-three million pounds sterling. In Europe the Swiss number about three millions and the revenue of their country is about three million pounds, so that they pay a pound each in taxes, The revenue of Germany is £97,000,000 and that of Austria and Hungary taken together is £96,000,000.° Italy with a population of thirty millions is taxed to the extent of £69,000,000, so that an Italian pays more than two pounds a year to his Government. Spain, with Seventeen million inhabitants, pays to Government £30,000,000. Whyshould taxation in Spain be a good deal lighter on the people than in Italy? Military expenditure is too great in Italy but, beside this, there is much which is hard to explain in the proportion of population to taxes in many countries, and the case of China is the most remarkable of all. The very small amount paid by the Chinese people to their Governors is surprising. According to the best statistics procurable taxation in China inclusive of Customs duties, and salt gabelle only amounts to a little more than sixpence a head. According to the Board of Revenue tables of taxation it is impossible to discover that
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.