Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-01-19
A GREET EMPIRE.
some Idea OF the Dominion Over which
Victoria Rules aud Its Wealth and POpu-

extent Of empire the Duke of Clarence
might have been the constitutional SOW
ereign Of had his life been spared. Be-
sides England, Scotland, and Ireland,
the empire in Europe includes Gibral-
tar, Malta, and Coco, with q total pOpu-
latlOn OF lS4,S59. In Asia its possessions
consiSt Of Alden, Brunei, Ceylon, Cyprus,
Hongkong, India, the Indian FeudatOry
states, the Keeling Islands, the Kuria
Muaia Islands, Labuan, North BOrueO,
PeriuS, Sarawak, and the Straits Settle
ments. The total population of these
lands is 26l, 564, 600 souls, and the total
area I, 1913, 500 square miles. This Asian
population is more than twice as large
as the population Of all the lands ruled
over by the Car OF Russia, and this
Asian territory is very nearly as large
as European Russia, aud two-thirds as
large as the United States.
Ia Africa, England possesses AScen-
sion Island, Basutoland, Bechuanalsnd,
Berbera, British East Africa, Cape Col
Guy, Gambia, the Gold Coast, Lagos,
Matabeleland, MauritiuS, Natal, the
Niger Districts, NyasSaland, st. Helena,
st. Paul aud Amsterdam, Sierra Leone,
SOcotra, TOngaland, Zam6eZia, Zauzi-
bar and Pemba, Ibea, and thence 70 the
Egyptian frontier, the northern LOmal
coast, Tristan d'Acuuha, and Zujuland.
The total area for Africa is 2,462, 436
square miles, and the total population
80, $50, 600.
On the American side Of the globe
England's possessions are these: The
Bahama Islands, Barbados, Bermuda,
Canada, Falkland Islands, Guiana, Hon
duraS, Jamaica, Turks Island, Leeward
Islands, New FOundiand, South GeOr-
gia, Trinidad, TobagO and the Wind
ward Islands, a total area Of 3,6tS,255
square miles, (the area Of the United
States, including Alaska, is 3,50l, 4Oi,)
and population Of 6,235,2l1.
In Australia the British Empire claims
the following: The Cook Archipelago,
the Fiji and RoUhmah Islands, the ksr-
madec Islands, New South Wales and
Norfolk Islands, New Guinea, New lea
land Queensland, South Australia, Ias-
mania, Victoria, Western Australia,
Auckland, and several small islands
For this region the total Of area is g.
go, $50 square miles, and Of population
3,575, Sl1.
vASTNEsS OF The BRITISH EMPIRE.
A grand total for the colonies and de-
tendencies, with the figure for Great
Britain and Ireland as made up just be-
fore the census Of 1891 in the United
Kingdom, gave a total area Of II, 355, O5T
square miles and total population Of
366,642, lO5 for all the English posses
sionS, against los, Sl4, 172 souls in all the
Russian lands and S,G44, 100 square
miles. From these figures 1t may be
seen to what surprising eutent the Eng
lish Empire SurpaSseS the Russian In
area and population. The area OF the
Chinese Empire is is 4,179, $50 square
miles, but I'm population, according TO
the imperfect estimates, the English
Empire is oUtdOne by the Chinese; the
figures for China are 100000, 600 souls.
Surprising, moreover, is the compare
tive lateneSS at which the greater part
OF these lands was acquired. 1t is COM
mon TO link the name Of Victoria with
the name OF Elizabeth, but the England
OF Elizabeth was q small affair as the
lands and peoples OF nations now 60.
: Elizabeth was the Queen Of very small
territory and a very small people. The
only one of England's vast colonial and
dependent territories that was then hers
was Newfoundland. England possessed
nothing In Australasia until 1857, moth
ing I'm Africa until 1887, nothing in Asia
until 1855. Save her American depend
eucies she has acquired nearly every
thing outside the British Islands in this
century. Scotland itself was not united
with England until the death OF Eliza
beth brought James VI. Of Scotland TO
the English throne as King Of the two
countries.
The England OF Elizabeth then COM
prised England proper, Ireland, New
foundland, and what other lands, now
part OF the United States, she could
properly call her own. The area OF
England proper is 5O,S23 square miles,
that of Wales :. 1868, OF Ireland 32,53L
OF Newfoundland 10000, or a total or
13O,S17 square miles for the kingdom OF
Elizabeth. This is actually an area con
siderably less than the area Of Bechu-
aualand, in South Africa, which Eng
land acquired in 1855. II Is less than
the area of the State Of California and
only about one-half the area OF Texas.
Victoria has reigned over an area or
3.72O,OOO square miles, or more than
seventy times the area Of Elzabeth'S
empire.
GROWTH OF ENGLAND AND WALES.
In population the showing, could we
possess exact figures, would be no less
surprising. England, with Wales, has
to-day population of about 10000
This showing makes it appear that
within this century the population OF
England and Wales has more than
trebled, for the census OF 1901 gave
total Of only S,Sg2, $50 souls. If any
tbiug like this increase went on during
the two hundred years between Eliza
beth and George III we may accept
the population in EliZabeth's time
as only very few millions. With
Ireland and Newfoundland added,
the total could not have reached S,0O0,-
600. Now the population Of the lands
over which Victoria has reigned shows
the mighty total OF 313,22O, 600 souls, or
nearly forty times S,OOO,O 900. "A similar
statement OF comparisons for the trade
OF England, for her national wealth, her
army, and her navy, did we possess the
statistics, would be as startling. Eliza
beth'S England was really about as much
like VictOria'S England as the Rome Of
Scipio lpurely an Italian Statel was
like the Rome OF Hsdrian practically
the known world, or, "a Gib5On put 10,
"the faireSt parts Of the earth and the
most civilized portions Of mankind
But II the lands over which Elizabeth
reigned possessed In population only a
fortieth OF what Is possessed by those
Victoria claims, and an area Of one
seyentieth OF VictOria'S area, Elizabeth'S
al. q, e,v.~airn was far urpnfpr