"ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS.
"No. 1. Population.
| From | 1872. | France (exclusive of Alsace and Lorraine) | 36,102,920 |
| " | " | Great Britain | 31,835,000 |
| " | 1870. | United States (Census) | 38,115,641 |
| " | 1872. | " " (Estimated) | 40,000,000 |
"No. 2. Aggregate Capital.
"United States.—The valuation of the property of the U. S. by the census of 1870 was (in currency) $30,068,000,000. The returned assessed valuation for the same year was less than one-half, or $14,178,000,000. The census counted as property, both property and the evidence of debt secured on such property. I do not think the productive capital of the United States in excess of $25,000,000,000.
"Great Britain.—Baxter, in 1867-8, estimated, from accepted data, the aggregate value of the real and personal property of the United Kingdom at 6,000,000,000 pounds, or 30,000,000,000 dollars. I should put it for 1872 as high as seven, possibly eight, thousand million pounds.
"France.—I know of no estimate of the aggregate value of property in France. I find several recent French writers, who incidentally refer to it, as less than that of Great Britain.
"No. 3 and 5. Annual Gross and Net Income on Savings.
"Baxter estimates, for 1867-8, the annual gross income of the United Kingdom as 814,000,000, or $4,070,000,000; and the net at about 600,000,000, or $3,000,000,000. This last constitutes the fund out of which the nation feeds and clothes itself, pays taxes, and repairs and saves. I should estimate the gross income of Great Britain for 1872-4 at full 1,000,000,000, and the net at 800,000,000. There are no reliable data for estimating annual savings, constituting new capital. Ten per cent., which is a high estimate, in my judgment, would give 80,000,000, or $400,000,000; and yet these figures are not consistent with the recent returns of the Board of Trade, respecting the income from British foreign investments.
"France.—Victor Bonnet asserts that the data are certain that France before the war of 1870 saved annually as much as $400,000,000—2,000,000,000 francs; and thinks that the present saving is about $600,000,000. He quotes Sir Robert Peel, approvingly, to the effect that France, with equal revenues, saves more than Great Britain.
"United States.—Greater natural resources here give a greater gross and net income, with equal labor. I am inclined to put our gross income between $6 and $7,000,000,000. I do not believe our annual saving, in prosperous years, in excess of five per cent., or from $300 to $400,000,000.
"4. Annual Income from Foreign Investments.
"Great Britain.—A late number of the London Economist puts 80,000,000, or $400,000,000, as the minimum paid Great Britain by foreign countries for interest on capital invested abroad, and for freights and commissions. The last year, I should think, represented full one-third.
"France.—The estimate of revenue derived by France from industrial enterprises in foreign countries and foreign loans, from 1873-4, is about 260,000,000 francs, $52,000,000.
"United States.—Nothing.
"5. Annual Outgo to pay Interest on Foreign Debts.
"Great Britain.—Nothing.
"France.—An inconsiderable amount, probably not in excess of 12 to 15 millions of dollars.
"United States.—Not less than one hundred millions of dollars. Probably more than less.
"7. Exports and Imports.
| United States | 1872-3 | Exports | $677,000,000, | Currency. | |
| 1873-4 | " | 716,000,000, | " | ||
| 1872-3 | Imports | 649,000,000, | Gold. | ||
| 1873-4 | " | 693,000,000, | " | ||
| Great Britain | 1872-3 | Exports | £311,000,000, | $1,555,000,000 | |
| 1873-4 | " | 297,000,000, | or | 1,985,000,000 | |
| 1872-3 | Imports | 371,000,000 | |||
| 1873-4 | " | 370,000,000 | |||
| France | 1872. | Exports | 3,679,000,000 | francs, | $735,000,000 |
| " | Imports | 3,447,000,000 | francs, | $689,000,000 |
"8. Bullion Product of the United States for each of Five Years.
"The present product of gold and silver, or rather the product for 1873 and 1874, is estimated by the director of the Mint in his last report at $70,000,000 per annum. For the five years, from 1871 to 1876 inclusive, an average of $60,000,000 per annum would probably be about correct.
"9. Exports of Gold and Bullion for Four Years.
| Exports | 1870 | $43,882,000 |
| " | 1871 | 83,400,000 |
| " | 1872 | 72,727,000 |
| " | 1873 | 73,417,000 |
| Imports | 1870 | 26,417,000 |
| " | 1871 | 21,268,000 |
| " | 1872 | 13,742,000 |
| " | 1873 | 21,478,000 |