No. 368.
Mr. Schuyler to Mr. Fish.
St. Petersburg, January 30, 1872. (Received Feb. 22.)
Sir: I have the honor to inclose to you a copy of the budget of the Russian Empire for the year 1872, with the accompanying report of the minister of finance. Although the estimated expenses exceed those of the last year by nearly thirteen million rubles, yet, for the first time in the recent financial history of Russia, the budget shows no deficit, but a surplus of 384,221 rubles. Though this surplus is very small, yet it is a favorable symptom, and has caused all Russian securities to rise in the foreign markets. It is to be hoped that the expectation of a surplus will be more than realized in the actual working of the financial year. In the year 1870, the accounts for which have just been made up, there was, in spite of unusual extra expenditure, a deficit of nearly five millions less than was anticipated. The foreign commerce of Russia has more than doubled in the past ten years, being, in 1860—
| Rubles. | |
| Exports to Europe | 168,031,587 |
| Exports to Asia | 8,433,243 |
| Imports from Europe | 138,181,746 |
| Imports from Asia | 13,085,866 |
and in 1870—
| Rubles. | |
| Exports to Europe | 351,578,553 |
| Exports to Asia | 8,379,224 |
| Imports from Europe | 315,407,400 |
| Imports from Asia | 20,510,011 |
making the total trade in 1860 equal to 317,732,442 rabies, and in 1870 to 695,875,198 rubles. This last year the trade is said to have been much larger, but the exact figures are not yet known. At all events the exportations have been so very great that exchange on England is better for Eussia than it has been for many years.
I am, &c,
Chargé d’Affaires ad. int.