The Statesman's Year-Book for the Year 1876. By Frederick Martin.
Thirteenth Annual Publication. (Macmillan and Co.)—The unceasing pains which Mr. Martin takes to make his Year-Book more accurate and complete deserve the amplest acknowledgment. Its plan must be now so well known to all our readers, that any detailed notice is un- necessary. Suffice it to say that facts relating to the political and social condition of every civilised or semi-eivilised country in the world are hero collected and arranged, and that they form a treasury of in- formation of which it would be difficult exaggerate the value and usefulness. We may compare, to take • a instance almost at random, with the figures given in our own "7.ew Domesday Book" this fact about the tenure of land in France,—/Az., that there are about five mil- lions and a half of landed proprie/rs, five millions of whom hold less than six acres. The total cultivated land of Franco is 90,000,000 acres. That of England is about 30,000,000. The number of holders of Rente is nearly four millions and a half. It would be well if we could have a similar return of English fund-holders. Among the statistics of Eng- land, we notice the encouraging fact that the number of paupers has fallen from 1,142,624 in 1863 to 815.587 in 18Th; and that the Debt is less by one hundred and twenty millions than what it was sixty years ago.—We may mention at the same time the School-Board Directory for England and Wales and Year-Book for 1876. (Knight and Co.) An in- troduction gives us some interesting financial facts. The School Boards in England spent during the year 1875 £1,825,957, more than two-thirds of which was on capital account. In two boroughs and thirty parishes, the rate was 00. and upwards. The legislation of the year is analysed, and the law in general relating to the subject set forth. A complete list of the School Boards in England and Wales follows, giving population, number of members, date of constitution, with the names of the chairman and clerk to each. The introduction is written by Mr. Hugh Owen, Jun.
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