done in case of an attempted outbreak. The firmness displayed by the Ribot Ministry in determining to throw off all reservation, and to probe the Panama matter to the bottom, is generally admitted to have been its salvation; and, if the Premier be allowed to continue at his post, there is general confidence that the facts connected with the operations of the Canal Company and the relations of political leaders thereto, will be brought to light in due time before the legal tribunals, and that the campaign of defamation, which has already involved so many trusted men, will be brought to an end. The revelations have been a great shock to the French people. For thirty years, the Count Ferdinand de Lesseps had been an ideal figure to them. They spoke of him as "Le Grand Français;" and even now, with overwhelming evidence of the employment of questionable methods by him and his associates, in the subsidization of the Paris press, and the purchase of the votes of Members of the French Congress, there is a popular disposition to shift the responsibility from his shoulders to the miscalculations and misrepresentations of men in whom he trusted, and under whose influence he consented to resort to expedients which success would at least have concealed, if it would not have justified. The gathering of evidence by the Committee of Inquiry has gone on in spite of the parliamentary recess; and the approach of January 10, when the Chambers will reassemble and the prosecutions of the accused in the courts will also begin, is awaited with anxiety. The official report of Dr. Brouardel, who has been conducting the autopsy upon the remains of Baron Reinach, declared, on December 28, that the analysis of the viscera revealed no trace of poison; and the conclusion was drawn that death was due to natural causes. The rumors as to suicide and murder, were thus shown to be baseless. olutionism, Socialism, and Anarchy, is producing one result in Europe-it is developing, among those of Conservative tendencies, a spirit of dissatisfaction with all Cabinets or Ministers who show themselves unwilling or unable to lay a strong hand upon the dangers that threaten society. Of late, serious troubles have occurred in several Spanish cities, notably at Madrid, where the municipality had been proved guilty of great fraud and corruption. The Spanish Premier, Señor Canovas del Castillo, had refused to adopt measures for the dissolution and reconstitution of the Madrid municipality; and when, on December 7, he asked for a vote of confidence in the Cortes, he was defeated by 129 to 121, the Liberals abstaining from voting. The result was the resignation of the Cabinet which had governed Spain for two years. Señor Sagasta, the leader of the Liberal Fusionists, succeeded in forming a new Cabinet December 10, which is regarded as an exceptionally powerful one, and is said to have the support of the Moderate Republicans under Señor Castelar. The announced policy of the new Government is one of retrenchment in every department. A serious riot, accompanied with some anti-monarchical features, occurred on November 2 in Granada, owing to the dissatisfaction of the people with the determination of Queen Regent Christina not to visit that city, as she was expected to do, with her son, the little King. Her object was to spare her son fatigue after his indisposition contracted during the Columbus fêtes. Father Martin, about October 1, was elected General of the Jesuits, to succeed the late Father Anderledy. He is the fifth Spanish leader of the celebrated Order, was an intimate friend of his predecessor, and is a man of energy, advanced ideas, and broad scholarship. An outbreak occurred among the convicts in the Tarragona prison on November 16, the prisoners joining in an attempt to win their liberty. They were overcome only after a desperate fight with troops hurriedly sent to the The daily increasing growth of Rev- scene, in which nine of the convicts SPAIN. were killed, and sixteen seriously of the four greatest centuries of hiswounded. ITALY. The Italian Chamber was dissolved early in October; and a new general election held November 6, resulting in the return of Premier Giolitti to power. Out of the 508 constituencies, 325 returned Ministerialists, including every member of the old Cabinet, while the Nicotera and Radical parties secured only a little over 100 seats, the leaders of the Radicals and the Socialists being defeated. The most significant feature of the election was its condemnation of the most clamorous opponents of the Triple Alliance. Its result involves no immediate change in the foreign policy of Italy, and presents few novel features in the matter of her economic policy. The issues before the country were, as they have long been, mainly concerned with the problem of budgetary equilibrium. This the Government had promised without material increase of taxation, but mainly through judicious retrenchment. Attention had also been promised to urgent social problems. King Humbert opened the new Parliament in person on November 23. Important dissensions have occurred among the Ministerial majority, largely owing to the influence of Ex-Premier Crispi, who, in a remarkable speech at Palermo, recently denounced the Triple Alliance, and the economic war with France, which, he declared, was more disastrous to Italy than a war with cannon. The lodging-house keeper, who, without provocation, murdered Frank Reilly, one of the crew of the United States ship Newark, in September last (p. 253), while the vessel was at Genoa in connection with the Columbus fêtes, was sentenced November 4 to imprisonment for two years and six months, and to pay an indemnity and costs. THE COLUMBUS FETES. The opening month of the quarter was distinguished by the grandest and most widely observed commemorations of the age. The Columbian quadri-centennials marked the close tory-those which have passed since the caravels of Columbus dropped their rude anchors off the shores of San Salvador. The adventurous admiral then little dreamed, and to the day of his death did not know, that he had found a New World; he but thought he had realized his calculations and his ideals in finding the short route to Cathay and India, or the Far East. How much less, then, could he have anticipated the superb displays, the balls and banquets, the mighty multitudes, the majestic oratory, the swelling music and flowing rhymes, that four hundred years thereafter were to celebrate the foundations whereon he builded better than he knew! The Spanish observance of the great anniversary centered mainly upon Huelva, the seaport near which is situated the Convent of La Rabida, where Columbus, the poor mendicant, asking a morsel of bread for his boy, had his exit from the kingdom stayed, and turned back to win resplendent success at last. A fleet of twenty-two Spanish and foreign war-ships escorted from Cadiz to Huelva the Conde Venadito, bearing the Queen Regent, the young King, and the Royal Princesses. Immediately under the walls of the venerable convent, lay the three miniature ships or caravels, copied from those of Columbus' little fleet, and, like them, named the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina, which were built last summer as the chief feature of the imposing spectacle that celebrated the departure of the daring navigator from Palos, August 3, 1492. The royal party landed on Monday, October 10, and moved up the low hill to the convent, about whose altar were grouped the Franciscan brothers in their traditional costume, who might, to all appearances, have been the identical monks who listened, breathless, to the masterly arguments and farreaching plans of the dauntless Columbus. The scene is described as exceedingly realistic. The Royal visit duly accomplished, the company returned to the ships; but landed again the next morning, and moved through streets and enthusiastic crowds decked for a gala-day to the church, where the Te Deum was sung, and a solemn high mass performed. On Wednesday, 12th, the calendar anniversary of the discovery of America, an official entry of the Court and dignitaries was made into the town; and, in the evening, a State reception was held at the Hotel Colon (Columbus), attended by Cabinet Ministers, diplomatic representatives, several Members of the Congress of the United States, the officers of the foreign war-vessels in the harbor, civil, military, and naval officers of the kingdom, and many others. The Royal party then viewed from the balconies of the Provincial Palace an imposing civic procession, from the floats in which young girls in peasant costume stepped down and offered to the boy King baskets containing fruits and other products of the province. The celebration over, the Queen Regent departed to attend the final session of the Congress of Americanists, a European body which is to hold a session extraordinary in Chicago during the World's Fair. PORTUGAL. At the general election for the Cortes, held on October 22 last, the party in power-favorable to the Monarchy-was returned with a majority of twenty-seven. Notwithstanding the apparent weakness of the Republicans, who secured only four seats, the course of the Cabinet has been by no means smooth; and, at the close of the year, a Cabinet crisis is said to be impending. The old dispute with Great Britain regarding the boundaries of the Mozambique colony, is not yet finally settled, as we have already noted (p. 352); and the Deputies are apprehensive lest the Cabinet of Señor Ferreira may conduct the further negotiations in a manner too favorable to Great Britain. Differences have also arisen owing to the diplomatic wrangle between the Cabinets of Lisbon and Paris over the stoppage in July last of work at the port of Lisbon undertaken by a French contractor. And there is much dissatisfaction over the inability of the Government to materially improve the depressed financial condition of the country. AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. Several questions of a politico-religious character have recently caused much agitation in Hungary; and the Ministry of Count Szapary, being unable to solve them, resigned office on November 9. The Cabinet had proposed to place the general registration of births in the hands of the State, instead of leaving it with the clergy; to legalize the free practice of all relig ions; to extend recognition, instead of mere toleration as hitherto, to the Jewish faith; and to establish Compulsory Civil Marriage. The last proposition was the most important. In it, Count Szapary had the unqualified support of the party of Ex-Premier Tisza, who is a Calvinist, and the official representative, or curator, of Protestant interests in Hungary; but he met with the determined opposition of the Clerical party, and of the Emperor, although the latter was willing that bills should be introduced to establish religious freedom and to recognize the Jewish faith and mixed marriages. Realizing that he could not carry on the Government without the support of the Tisza party, Count Szapary resigned. A new Cabinet was immediately formed by Dr. Werkerle, Count Szápary's Minister of Finance. Although the new Prime Minister is of plebeian birth, the son of a German, his appointment has met with general approval in both Hungary and Austria. Dr. Werkerle has been the guiding spirit in the currency reform. His program includes no change in foreign policy, but recognizes the need of a reform of the marriage laws, which have no uniformity throughout Hungary, there being as many as seven different marriage legislations in force, varying with the nationalities and religions of the contracting parties. He proposes a general marriage law established by the State, civil jurisdiction regarding the same, and obligatory civil marriage. Whether he will overcome the opposition of the Clericals, remains to be seen. It is significant, that, in view of the danger of Clerical reaction, the Liberal factions of the Czechs and Germans which were burned for fuel. Official figures show that in the communal storehouses of the Government, exclusive of what was bought by the provincial councils, there is enough grain to more than meet all immediate pressing needs. At the beginning of last June the stock amounted to 1,370,ooo tons; but the great difficulty has been in the lack of adequate means of distributing it throughout the rural districts. In spite of the improvement in his health, M. Wischnegradsky has permanently retired from the Ministry of Finance, and been succeeded by M. de Witte, one of the ablest of Russian financiers. With a view to diminishing the number of fatal duels in the Army, disputes are to be submitted to a court of honor consisting of the Colonel and certain other officers of regiments, who shall decide on the advisability of personal combats. PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS. The anti-Jewish crusade in Russia, under the lead of the Grand Duke Sergius, Governor of Moscow, who has recovered favor with his brother, the Czar, has had renewed impetus. In Poland, it is somewhat relaxed, though still severe everywhere; but it is particularly harsh in Moscow. Those Jews not natives of the city have been driven out, thousands becoming beggars and wanderers. The Moscow Chamber of Commerce has resolved to exclude all Hebrews from the list of city merchants, unless they become converted to the Orthodox Greek faith; and, even then, they are obliged to reside on a three years' probation in Teherkijova, a village five miles from Moscow, where they are kept under rigid surveillance of the Greek priests. By a law recently promulgated by the Russian Senate, Hebrew artisans are required to reside only in places where there are official boards of trade, which places number about ten per cent of the towns in Russia. Another law allows only ten out of 100 Hebrew lawyers in Moscow and St. Petersburg to practice, and wholly denies that liberty in Warsaw and Russian Poland. Altogether six edicts have recently been issued, the effect of which is to disperse the Hebrews, weaken their position and trading centers, and crush out their religion. It is estimated that since Sergius became Governor of Moscow, the Hebrew population of that city has been reduced from 80,000 to 30,000; and the Russian press boasts that since the beginning of 1891, 20,000 Hebrews have been converted. The persecution is having a ruinous effect. upon real estate and other interests in Moscow, where there are now said to be 30,000 lodgings empty. DENMARK. Ex-United States Consul Henry B. Ryder, whose indictment for theft, fraud, and perjury, in connection with the administration of testamentary estates was mentioned in our last number (p. 257), was sentenced October 29 to eighteen months' imprisonment at hard labor, but was pardoned November 4 by the King, on condition that he should leave Denmark. NORWAY AND SWEDEN. Many of the prominent Liberals of Norway have now united to form a Liberal Unionist party, the foremost plank in their program being the preservation of the Union with Sweden under a monarchical form of government. They propose that the common Foreign Secretary for the two kingdoms, who, by the present law, must be a Swede, may be selected from candidates of either nationality; and it is thought that the Swedish King and Parliament may be willing to authorize this change as a compromise which may finally settle the long standing differences. The Swedish Legislature has brought in a new Army bill extending the annual training of recruits from forty-two to ninety days, and so increasing the military expenditure. The bill is unpopular, particularly with the working classes; and this makes the question of an extended franchise, now agitating the country, one of peculiar importance to the Government. At present, only those paying an income tax, or having an annual income of $225, have the right to |