have been dissolved by virtue of the law which limits the life of a Parliament to seven years. This was the fourteenth Parliament of Queen Victoria's long reign; and the average length of Victorian Parliaments has been exactly four years and six months. The thirteenth Parliament lasted a little less than three years, Mr. Gladstone being Prime Minister during the first half of that period and Lord Salisbury during the second half. The twelfth Parliament lasted nearly six years, Lord Salisbury being Prime Minister. The shortest Parliament of the Victorian era was the eleventh, which lasted less than six months, Mr. Gladstone being the head of the government. It has not been customary hitherto for Parliament to dissolve at a time when the ministry controls a large working majority in both houses, with the country expressing no demand for an opportunity to renew its representation in the House of Commons. The dissolution at the present moment, therefore, looks like a rather sharp political trick, having as its design the securing of another long term of power by those who now hold the reins. The elections find the Liberal party without unity or leadership. Sir William Harcourt has expressed hope of a Liberal victory; and men like Mr. Morley, Mr. Bryce, Mr. Asquith, and many more will each for himself make bold and strenuous declaration of his faith, but it would take at least another year to get the Liberal party into trim for a successful fight.

COUNT WALDERSEE LEAVING BERLIN FOR CHINA. (Count Waldersee, the commander-in-chief of the European forces operating in China, left Berlin wearing the uniform which the Emperor William wore on his voyage to Jerusalem, and which was presented to the count by the Emperor. The Countess Waldersee is shown in our illustration seeing her husband off.)

accomplished. The programme of the United States has been clear from the beginning. Until the foreigners were rescued, we could not treat with the Chinese Government; but after their rescue, no state of war existing between the people and government of the United States and those of China,-it remained to plan for the withdrawal of our troops as soon as prudence and common sense might justify such a step, and then to negotiate with the Imperial Government of China for a reasonable indemnity and guarantees of future good behavior. Our Government was ready enough, therefore, when a month ago Russia proposed the withdrawal of troops from Peking, to express approval of that plan, provided it could be generally agreed to. Germany was not ready, however, to withdraw, and England seemed to be deeply suspicious of Russia's good faith in making the suggestion. The German Government insisted, as a preliminary condition, that those persons high in authority who were guilty of the assassination of Von Ketteler, the German Minister, and of other outrages against foreigners, should be delivered

opportunity. It is not so strange that the Chinese were led to excesses by the Boxer fanatics as that they have been so easily induced to quiet down again. The severe retribution policy now proposed by Germany could only lead in the end to far more formidable movements in hostility to Europe. The thing that is necessary is to encourage and to require the firm establishment in authority of a liberal Chinese imperial government, such as the young Emperor himself could successfully carry on if the Dowager Empress and a dozen of her malign advisers could be deported for life. England would do well to send General Cronje and his brave Boers back home from St. Helena, and to turn the island over to the allied powers for the use of the Chinese Dowager Empress.

From the Illustrated London News.

A TYPICAL BOXER.

over by the Chinese to the allied forces for condign punishment. Even if this were otherwise reasonable or possible, a moment's thought will show that this demand implies that the guilty persons are well known, and can be surrendered for punishment without any judicial inves tigation as to their innocence or guilt.

As to Punishing the Chinese.

The futility of this German position is almost as great as that of the insane British jingoes, like Rudyard Kipling, who would like to punish, as guilty of high treason, everybody in South Africa who showed active sympathy with the Boer cause. Millions of people in China had been stirred to something like a frenzy of patriotic opposition to foreigners by the circulation among them, in vast editions, of numerous anti-foreign papers and books making all sorts of charges against the Europeans, some of which were true and many of which were false. It is a notorious fact that the European powers have been greedily planning to seize and cut up China at the very first

LI HUNG CHANG. (From his latest portrait.)

meanwhile is making all her plans to console herself by seizing, as she has always done in the past, a good deal more than anybody else, if the game of grab once fairly sets in. France, also, is definitely prepared to advance from her existing bases. If China had been wise enough to maintain a liberal government for a considerable length of time, the country would have made such progress that it could have relied upon its own army to protect it efficiently against these unscrupulous European foes. It will be the duty of the United States to speak with the utmost plainness in condemnation of the European policy of Chinese spoliation, but it will not be possible for us to fight about it; and the only thing that can save China will be the Chinese themselves. If they show a readiness to permit the Europeans to partition and annex their country, the thing will inevitably come to pass. There is not a power in Europe strong enough to annex little Switzerland, because of the pluck and high spirit of the Swiss people. It has strained all the resources of the greatest empire the world has ever seen to annex the country occupied by a handful of Boers, who were not numerous enough, all told, to make up a fair-sized Chinese city.

GERMAN EMPEROR (to Field-Marshal Graf von Waldersee): "You are appointed to command the United Forces of Civilization! You are a German. Remember your Kaiser!! And Do try to be there before it's all over!!!"

Wanted:

From Punch (London).

It has been unfortunate that there A Government should be any doubt cast upon the full in China. authority of Li Hung Chang and his associates to conduct negotiations. There is no very general belief in the good faith of Li Hung Chang, and no imperial authority is in clear evidence back of him. The vicious old Dowager Empress, dragging the Emperor and the court with her, had retreated to an inaccessible point in the interior before the allied troops entered Peking. There are intelligent Chinese ministers in the principal capitals of the world. These ought to secure from whatever imperial authority may exist in China the permission to ask that the whole perplexing situation be submitted to a court of inquiry of the kind provided for in the treaty adopted at The Hague. And the United States, in any case, could hardly err in earnestly promoting that view. Of course, there can be no military withdrawal until order has been restored in China and a government capable of maintaining authority is in undisturbed control of the situation. Events reported after the middle of September made it clear that the Boxers were not wholly subdued, and that complete

evacuation by the allies would only be the signal for a reoccupation of Peking by the rioters; while the anti-foreign press of China would persuade the people that the foreigners had with. drawn through cowardice. No one can deny

of the founding of the city of Washington, and the creation of our federal District of Columbia, the Australians will be deciding upon the site of their new federal capital. It is likely to be on the Murray River, which separates the provinces of New South Wales and Victoria. The date set for the formal establishment of the Australian Commonwealth is the opening day of the new century-namely, January 1, 1901. The Australians are complaining vigorously of the attempt that is being made by the British Government to keep the colonial troops in South Africa permanently through the offer of free grants of land on the American homestead plan. Australia insists upon having her troops returned intact. A cartoon from the Sydney Bulletin which we publish herewith shows, rather amusingly, the Australian opinion of the attempt to catch the kangaroo in the land-grant steel trap.

A CHINESE PUZZLE.

SENTRY: "Who goes there?"

LI HUNG CHANG: "Friend! You know me very well-a friend to everybody!"

SENTRY: "H'm! Give me the countersign!"

From Punch (London).

that the whole situation remains one of extreme danger and difficulty, and that modern diplomacy has not had to deal with any problem so critical and perplexing.

Elections

Canada, like England and the United in Both States, is in the midst of political disHemispheres. cussion, preparatory to a general election. Sir Charles Tupper heads the forces of the Conservative opposition. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the Liberal prime minister, has the especial advantage of immense strength in the great Frenchspeaking province of Quebec, and his supporters expect to win a substantial victory. Parliamentary elections have been held in Norway, with no change in the general political complexion of the government. The Austrian Reichsrath has been dissolved, and an election campaign is pending throughout that country. Australia has been greatly interested in the federal elections which will create the first general lawmaking body of the new commonwealth. Just as we are on the eve of celebrating the one-hundredth anniversary

THE ATTEMPT TO TRAP THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIAL TROOPS, WITH LAND-GRANT BAIT, INTO PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA.

(From the Sydney Bulletin.)

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT-AMERICAN.

August 21.-Delaware Republicans ("regular," or anti-Addicks faction) nominate Jonathan S. Willis for governor.

August 22.-Governor Shaw, of Iowa, appoints Representative J. P. Dolliver to succeed the late John H. Gear in the United States Senate.... Wisconsin Democrats nominate Louis H. Bohmrich for governor.

August 23.-Union Republicans (Addicks faction) in Delaware accept the Presidential electors named by the "regular" Republicans.... William J. Bryan accepts the Populist nomination for the Presidency at Topeka, Kan.

August 27.-The executive committee of the Populist party at Chicago nominates Adlai E. Stevenson for Vice-President on the ticket with William J. Bryan, to fill the vacancy caused by Charles A. Towne's declination of the nomination.

August 31.-The Government at Washington takes measures for the relief of destitute miners at Cape Nome, Alaska.

September 3.-Arkansas Democrats elect Jefferson Davis governor by a majority of more than 50,000.

September 4.-Vermont Republicans elect W. W. Stickney governor by a plurality of more than 31,000. ....United States Senator Wellington, of Maryland, elected as a Republican, declares in favor of the election of the Democratic candidate for the Presidency.

September 5.-New York Republicans nominate Benjamin B. Odell, Jr., for governor....Connecticut Republicans nominate George P. McLean for governor.... Montana Republicans nominate David E. Folsom for governor....Utah Republicans renominate Heber M. Wells for governor... The National party, in convention at New York City, nominates Senator Donelson Caffery (Dem.), of Louisiana, for President, and Archibald M. Howe (Ind.), of Massachusetts, for Vice-President.

September 6.-Minnesota Democrats and Populists renominate John Lind for governor.... Utah Democrats nominate James H. Moyle for governor.

September 9.-President McKinley's letter accepting the Republican nomination for a second term is made public.

September 10.-Maine Republicans elect Dr. John F. Hill governor by a plurality of more than 34,000.

September 11.-New Hampshire Republicans nominate Chester B. Jordan for governor.... Delaware Democrats nominate Peter J. Ford for governor.

September 12.-New York Democrats nominate John B. Stanchfield for governor.

September 14.-Four Republican mass meetings open the campaign in New York City.

September 15.-The election of delegates to the coming constitutional convention in Cuba results in an overwhelming triumph of the Nationalist party. There is

A GROUP OF DIPLOMATS AT PEKING.

(Reading from left to right: 1. Marquis Salvago Raggi [Italian minister, wounded siege of Peking). 2. M. de Giers [Russian minister]. 3. Baron de Cartees [Belgian minister]. 4. Late Baron von Ketteler [German minister, mur. dered].)

a total registered vote of 186,240, distributed among the provinces as follows: Province of Pinar del Rio, 18,072; province of Havana, outside of the city, 23,181; city of Havana, 26,478; province of Matanzas, 18,344; province of Santa Clara, 39,659; province of Puerto Principe, 11,122; and province of Santiago de Cuba, 49,384.

September 16.-Governor Roosevelt's letter accepting the Republican nomination for the Vice-Presidency is made public.

September 17.- Colorado Republicans nominate Frank C. Goudy for governor....Missouri Populists indorse the entire Democratic State ticket.... President McKinley's instructions to the Philippine Commission are made public.... William J. Bryan's letter accepting the Democratic nomination for the Presidency is made public.

September 18.-Texas Republicans nominate George W. Burkett for governor.

September 20.-The withdrawal of Senator Donelson Caffery from the Presidential ticket of the National party is announced.