Answer.—During the four years, 1861 to 1865, inclusive, the tonnage of American vessels sold to foreigners, mainly to escape capture, or because it could not be profitably employed while exposed to war risk, compared with our total merchant marine as follows:
| Years. | Total tonnage. | Tons sold. |
| 1861 | 5,539,813 | 26,649 |
| 1862 | 5,112,164 | 117,756 |
| 1863 | 5,155,056 | 222,199 |
| 1864 | 4,986,400 | 300,865 |
| 1865 | 1,579,994 | 133,832 |
| Total tons sold | 801,301 | |
As the laws of the United States interdict the re-enrollment of any of these vessels, and restoration of the privileges of our flag, this was a permanent loss to the tonnage of our merchant marine, although it is certain that many of them continued to be the property in fact of American citizens, sailing under foreign colors. The sale of American vessels to foreigners in 1879 amounted to 43,312 tons, and in 1880 to 26,883 tons.
QUEEN VICTORIA’S SURNAME.
Panora, Iowa.
Having noticed in Our Curiosity Shop what is said in regard to the surname of the Queen of England, I send you the following extract from the Whitehall Review on this subject: “At dinner the other night the conversation lapsed, as it sometimes will lapse with the best, into questions hardly distinguishable from conundrums. A celebrated historian was present, and I put a question to him which I know has puzzled a great many people at different times: ‘What is the surname of the royal family?’ ‘Guelph, of course.’ That is the usual answer, and it was the historian’s. I ventured to suggest that although the royal family are Guelphs by descent, her Majesty’s marriage with Prince Albert of Saxe-Cobourg must have the effect which the marriage of a lady has in all other cases, and that the surname of the present house must be the Prince Consort’s. But what is the surname of the Prince Consort’s family? Simple, but staggering. No one knew. All guessed, and all were wrong. I happened to have looked up the subject a few months ago, so I knew that the name was ‘Wettin.’ Of course no one had heard it before. Every one smiled at the horrible idea of the Guelphs being reduced to Wettins! The point was referred to Theodore Martin. ‘You are quite right,’ said the graceful biographer of the Prince Consort. ‘Wettin is the family name of the house of Saxony, to whom the dominion of Saxony in the year 1420. The king of Saxony and the minor princes of the house are, therefore, all Wettins; or, German, Wettiner.’” [Nevertheless, the fact remains that none of the royal family sign either of the names, Guelph or Wettin, or are addressed by either name in any form of address, oral or written.—Ed.]
Mrs. H. R. Bryan.
NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL WEALTH AND DEBT.