Army $3,232,238 = £129,289 Interior 770,395 = 30,815 Finance and foreign affairs 668,814 = 26,752 Justice, education, public worship 303,393 = 12,135 -------- £198,993 But as 2,200,000 paper dollars were issued during the year, it is probable that this budget was not adhered to. The budget for the year in which the empire was established is given as follows (exchange $40 to £1):-- Army $3,810,216 = £95,255 Interior 735,937 = 18,398 Finance, &c. 2,237,389 = 55,934 Justice, &c. 309,293 = 7,732 --------- -------- $7,092,835 = £177,319 But these budgets are not to be trusted, and do not represent the real expenses. When the accounts were examined subsequent to the fall of Soulouque, it was found that of the coffee monopoly alone £400,000 had been abstracted for the use of the Emperor and some of his Ministers and favourites. The comparative large sums of £40,000, £20,000, and £12,000 were taken at a time, without any account being rendered. During Soulouque’s reign over $28,000,000 were added to the currency. In June 1863, General Dupuy, Finance Minister to President Geffrard, published a very clear financial statement. The total debt remaining due to France was £1,436,000. The custom duties produced:-- In 1860 £511,666 ” 1861 463,333 ” 1862 566,000 Minor taxes, £26,341. _Deficits._ In 1859 £30,276 ” 1860 35,904 ” 1861 81,193 ” 1862 81,483 These were calculated on the amount of paper money signed to meet them, but at the close of 1862 there was £79,834 in hand. The budget of 1863-64 was fixed as follows:-- Expenses. | Receipts. Finance £67,776 | Duties £564,050 Foreign Office 171,828 | Minor taxes 24,725 War 138,361 | Interior 171,692 | Public instruction 44,825 | Justice and public} | worship } 27,714 | ------- | -------- £622,196 | £588,775 The deficit was met by adding ten per cent. to the duties. During the Presidency of General Geffrard the finances were better administered than under Soulouque, but millions of dollars disappeared, without any one being found willing to give an account of what had become of them. One coloured and two black generals are supposed to have appropriated the principal portion. On the Chamber of Deputies venturing to make inquiries on this interesting point, it was summarily dismissed, and a packed Chamber substituted.