THE KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. The kingdom of Great Britain consists of the ancien kingdoms of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Be sides these, the British empire includes a great number of foreign possessions, viz:→ In Europe, Gibraltar, the island of Malta, in the Mediteranean sea, and Heligoland, in the German ocean. In America, Upper and Lower Canada, Nova Scotia, and New-Brunswick, Prince Edward's Island, and Newfoundland. Besides these Colonies, British America embraces extensive tracts of unsettled country north of Canada. Jamaica, and other islands in the West Indies, also belong to the British. Extensive possessions in India, New Holland, Van Dieman's Land, the Cape of Good Hope, and other parts of Africa, are subject to Britain. ENGLAND AND WALES. This country is bounded north by Scotland, east by the German Ocean, south by the English channel, which separates it from France, and west by St. George's channel, which separates it from Ireland. England consists of the southern part of the island of Great Britain, and Wales occupies the western part. England is divided into 40, and Wales into 12 counties. The principal rivers in England, are the Thames, Severn, Medway, Trent, Ouse, Mersey, and Avon. The present population of England and Wales, is 13,000,000. About one-third of the inhabitants are employed in agriculture, and nearly half in trade, manufactures, and the mechanic arts. The nobility and great proprietors of land, being about one-sixth of the whole population, derive their subsistence from their estates. England is the most commercial country in the world, Of what does the kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland consist? What are the British possessions in Europe?--In America?—Asia? -and Africa? What are England and Wales, and how divided? What is the population of England and Wales, 1833? How do the people subsist? What is the commerce of England? and by its commerce has become the richest. Her merchants trade with all parts of the world, and particularly with her colonies in the East and West Indies and in America, with Canton, with South America, and with the United States. The people of Great Britain have acquired great skill in the manufacture of every description of goods, particularly cotton, woollen, and silk goods of all sorts, as well as earthen and glass ware, and all articles made of iron, and other metals. England is immensely rich in its mines of coal and iron, and its manufacturing operations are greatly aided by these treasures. The government is a limited monarchy. The title of the sovereign is, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. On the death of the King he is suc ceeded by his eldest son, if he have any, or by his eldest daughter in defect of sons, and, if he has no children, by the children of his father in the same order. The present King of Great Britain is William IV. The King is personally responsible for little else than the appointment of his ministers. He often appoints only the prime minister, who with his approbation, selects all the rest. All the executive acts of the government are performed in the name of the King, but the ministers are responsible for them. The King makes war and peace, negotiates treaties, raises armies, makes appointments to offices, civil and military,— in his name justice is administered-to him belong the forts, arsenals, and ships of war-he convenes, prorogues, and dissolves the Parliament at pleasure, and his assent is necessary to the validity of a law. But the revenues are raised, and laws are passed only by act of Parliament. The Parliament is a legislative body, consisting of two branches; the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords consists of peers of the realm and the archbishops and bishops. The peers are a part What are the manufactures? What the mineral productions? What is the present government of Great Britain? What is the British Parliament? of the hereditary nobility, who, among other privileges which descend from the father to the eldest son, have the right of a seat in the House of Lords. The King has the power of raising any individual to the peerage. This promotion is generally granted as a reward for distinguished services to the State. The House of Commons consists of 658 members, who are elected, part by the electors of the counties, part by certain cities and boroughs, and two members by each of the ancient universities. They may hold their seats for seven years, unless the Parliament is sooner dissolved by the King, in which case a new election of all the members is necessary. But a small part of the people of Great Britain possess the right of voting. Votes are frequently purchased. The members of Parliament receive no pay for their attendance. There is an Established Church, of which the King is the nominal head, and in which there are two archbishops, twenty-four bishops, and a great number of inferior clergy. The number of the clergy of the Established Church is 11,600. The present effective force of the British army is 88,000 men, exclusive of the forces employed by the East India Company. This force includes the troops which are stationed in Great Britain and Ireland, and those in the foreign possessions, except India. The East India Company maintains in addition a force of 20,000 men. The British navy is much the largest in the world. The whole number of ships of war is 600. The number now in commission is 147, of which 14 are ships of the line. There are two ancient universities, one at the town of Cambridge, and the other at the city of Oxford. Cambridge University has thirteen colleges, several of which are superb buildings, and four halls. It has many rich endowments, and has eighteen professors, and many other What is the House of Commons ? How are members of Parliament elected? What is the Established Church of Great Britain? What is the Navy? What are the Universities? officers. Oxford University has twenty colleges and five halls. Many of these are large and splendid buildings. The revenues of the University are very great. number of members of the University is about 3,000. The London is the capital of England, and of the British empire. It is the richest and most populous city in the world. It is situated on the River Thames, and embraces, besides what is strictly called the City of London, the City and Liberties of Westminister, and several out parishes in the counties of Middlesex and Surrey. It is seven miles in length, and from two to four miles in breadth, and contains 1,250,000 inhabitants. It contains a great number of splendid public buildings. SCOTLAND. Scotland consists of all that part of the Island of Great Britain which lies north of the river Tweed, and is bounded north, east, and west by the sea, and south by England. Scotland is divided into 33 counties or shires. Scotland is divided into the Highlands and Lowlands. The Highlands, consisting of the northern and central parts, are mountainous and sterile, and but a small proportion of the lands are fit for cultivation. The Lowlands, consisting of the southern and eastern parts have a resemblance to England, and abound in fertile plains. The population of Scotland is a little over two millions. Their general character is that of a frugal, industrious, and well-instructed people. A portion of the Highlanders have not adopted all the arts of civilized life. They retain their peculiar dress, manners, and language. Educa tion is much attended to. Scotland, forming a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, is under the same government, but its laws are in many respects different, and its courts and forms of judicial proceedings are entirely different. Scotland chooses 45 members of the House of Commons, in each Parliament, and the Scotch Peers, who are not Peers What is the capital of Britain, and how described? What is Scotland, and how divided? What is the population of Scotland, and its general character? of Great Britain, choose from their number 16 to sit in the House of Lords. The prevailing religion of Scotland is Calvinism, and the established form of church government is Presbyterian. Edinburgh, the metropolis of Scotland is a very handsome city, and has a population of 140,000. It is situated on the Frith of Forth. IRELAND. Ireland is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, situated west of England. It is divided into four provinces, viz: Leinster, Ulster, Connaught, and Munster, and into 32 counties. The population is estimated to be about 7,000,000. In consequence of the denseness of the population, and the difficulty of finding productive employments, a large proportion of the people are in abject poverty. About four-fifths of the people are Roman Catholics, and it has been a subject of perpetual complaint, that they were excluded by their religion from a seat in parliament, and from other offices. These disabilities have been lately removed by an act of the British parliament. Dublin is the capital. It is a large and handsome city of 240,000 inhabitants, situated on a beautiful bay, at the mouth of the river Liffey. BRITISH INDIA. The population of Hindostan is supposed to amount to 128,000,000. Of this immense population, 115,000,000 are subject directly or indirectly to the government of the English East India Company. There are in Hindostan a number of other native princes, What is the prevailing religion of Scotland? What is the capital of Scotland? What is Ireland, and how divided? What is the population of Ireland, and its general condition? What is the government of Ireland? What is its capital? What portion of the population of India, is subject to Britain? |