The area of Belgium is about one fourth that of the State of New York, with nearly the same population. Its greatest length is 175 miles, its width 105.
The three chief cities of Belgium are not more than thirty miles apart, while those of secondary rank are equally contiguous. All the railroads in the kingdom belong to the government, and a large proportion of the telegraph offices are at the railway stations, the post-offices being merely offices of deposit, from which messages are despatched free of charge to the nearest telegraph office, if in the same district; otherwise by special messenger, on the payment of an extra fee.
As the government of the United States owns no railroads, they could not use the stations for offices, except by special arrangements, which can as readily be effected by private companies.
TABLE D.
| Statement showing the Progress of Telegraphy in Belgium. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| DATE. | Number of Messages. | Gross Receipts in Francs. | Average Cost per Message in Francs. |
| 1851 | 14,025 | 88,674 | 6.32 |
| 1852 | 27,217 | 165,973 | 6.07 |
| 1853 | 52,050 | 265,536 | 5.10 |
| 1854 | 60,415 | 280,845 | 4.65 |
| 1855 | 61,443 | 265,939 | 4.33 |
| 1856 | 99,273 | 359,579 | 3.62 |
| 1857 | 119,050 | 407,011 | 3.42 |
| 1858 | 145,726 | 413,926 | 2.83 |
| 1859 | 196,240 | 506,006 | 2.57 |
| 1860 | 225,819 | 527,743 | 2.34 |
| 1861 | 268,968 | 588,532 | 2.19 |
| 1862 | 291,787 | 605,044 | 2.07 |
| 1863 | 416,113 | 612,313 | 1.47 |
| 1864 | 564,497 | 789,399 | 1.44 |
| 1865 | 674,034 | 865,640 | 1.28 |
| 1866 | 1,128,005 | 962,213 | 0.85 |
| 1867 | 1,293,770 | 1,074,214 | 0.85 |
TABLE E.
| Statement showing the Lengths of Lines, &c. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date. | Lengths of Lines. | Lengths of Wires. | Number of Stations. | Number of Instruments. |
| Miles. | Miles. | |||
| 1862 | 1,174 | 2,983 | 196 | 290 |
| 1863 | 1,644 | 3,875 | 252 | 365 |
| 1864 | 1,856 | 4,421 | 280 | 420 |
| 1865 | 2,000 | 5,400 | 307 | 460 |
| 1866 | 2,187 | 6,146 | 356 | 556 |
| 1867 | 2,232 | 7,161 | 374 | 574 |
TABLE F.
| Statement showing the Number of Messages. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date. | Inland. | International. | Transit. | Total. |
| 1851 | 6,652 | 6,054 | 1,319 | 14,025 |
| 1852 | 9,807 | 10,103 | 7,307 | 27,217 |
| 1853 | 14,159 | 20,656 | 17,539 | 52,050 |
| 1854 | 16,719 | 29,492 | 14,204 | 60,415 |
| 1855 | 17,279 | 34,725 | 9,429 | 61,443 |
| 1856 | 32,862 | 45,375 | 21,036 | 99,273 |
| 1857 | 41,434 | 48,367 | 29,249 | 119,050 |
| 1858 | 47,673 | 58,094 | 39,959 | 145,726 |
| 1859 | 65,465 | 83,780 | 46,995 | 196,240 |
| 1860 | 80,216 | 95,499 | 50,404 | 225,819 |
| 1861 | 97,945 | 115,121 | 55,902 | 268,968 |
| 1862 | 105,274 | 129,935 | 56,578 | 291,787 |
| 1863 | 188,825 | 162,178 | 65,110 | 416,113 |
| 1864 | 252,301 | 197,547 | 96,649 | 546,497 |
| 1865 | 332,721 | 252,133 | 89,183 | 674,037 |
| 1866 | 692,536 | 306,596 | 128,873 | 1,128,005 |
| 1867 | 819,668 | 359,652 | 114,550 | 1,293,870 |