24. The Plasterers' Union called out their men to strike against three building firms which refused to compel their foremen to become members of the union. It was believed that this would lead to several other strikes in other branches of the building trade.

- Two members of the Belgian Cabinet, M. de Smet de Naeyer, Minister of Finance, and M. Nyssens, Minister of Industry and Labour, resigned in consequence of a disagreement with their colleagues on a bill for reorganising the electoral system.

25. Mr. A. J. Balfour addressed a letter to a constituent suggesting as a private individual that the Irish Catholic University question might be solved by the establishment of two new universities-one in Dublin for Irish Roman Catholics, and one in Belfast for Presbyterians and Protestants.

The German Emperor paid a visit to Hanover to hold a review of the Hanoverian regiments. Previous to the parade a Cabinet order was read declaring that the Prusso-Hanoverian regiments formed in 1866 would be designated as the continuation of the old Hanoverian regiments, whose anniversaries they would celebrate.

26. A great federal demonstration held in Melbourne to celebrate the 111th anniversary of the foundation of Australia.

The session of the Finland Diet opened at Helsingfors by the Governor-General, who in his speech to the Four Estates declared that although the law of military service must be made uniform throughout the empire, the statutes would be submitted to the Diet.

27. A plot to assassinate the Sultan at Constantinople revealed by one of the conspirators to the police, who by precipitately arresting four persons gave warning to others to escape.

At Vienna a violent scene took place in the gallery of the Reichsrath. Herr Kramcarz, a leading Czech member's speech having provoked applause from a journalist's box, Herr Wolf, the Pan-Germanic leader, rushed into the gallery, and a free fight ensued, which brought the sitting to an end.

At the Seine Assize Court the action brought by Mme. Henry against M. Reinach for libelling her deceased husband adjourned until after the pronouncement of the Court of Cassation on the Dreyfus affair.

28. The Pope received in audience at the Vatican the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, and their two daughters.

- At Washington Commissary-General Eagan convicted by court martial of insulting General Miles, and sentenced to dismissal.

Mr. T. Ellis, the senior Liberal Whip, issued a circular calling the members of the party to meet "to consider the future conduct of public business on the retirement of Sir William Harcourt."

- The Prussian and Imperial Governments took up from the Deutsche Bank 200,000,000 marks at 3 per cent., to be issued to the public at 92.

30. The Duc d'Orléans, receiving at Brussels a deputation of French artisans, made an appeal to the goodwill of his Royalist supporters to hasten the hour "for reconstituting the French fatherland.”

The Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, G.C.S.I., created a Knight of the Garter.

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All the Powers agreed to the prolongation of the mixed tribunals in Egypt for one year.

31. A great demonstration "to uphold and maintain the Protestantism of the nation, and to demand the suppression of the mass and the confessional in the Established Church," held in the Albert Hall, under the presidency of Lord Kinnaird, and attended by about 10,000 persons.

At a general meeting of the academicians and associates of the Royal Academy, M. Jules Breton elected an honorary foreign academician, and Messrs. Arthur S. Cope (painter), Alfred East (painter), and W. Goscombe John (sculptor), elected associates.

In the German Reichstag a vote of 8,500,000 marks for the new acquisition of Kiao-Chau passed after some adverse criticism from the Radicals and Socialists.

- M. Paul Cambon, the newly appointed ambassador, presiding at the banquet at the French Chamber of Commerce in London, dwelt on the expediency of mutual concessions in the adjustment of relations between nations.

FEBRUARY.

1. The Austrian Reichsrath prorogued in consequence of the inability of ministers to carry on regular business in face of the disorders provoked by the minority.

Lord Tennyson appointed governor of South Australia in succession to Sir T. Fowell Buxton.

Major Esterhazy, having refused to continue his evidence before the Court of Cassation, informed that his safe-conduct would expire forthwith. He at once left Paris for Rotterdam and the Hague.

- Victor Willems, a notorious anarchist, against whom there were ten indictments for attempted murder, chiefly of police officers when searching his house, condemned at Brussels to fifteen years' penal servitude.

2. A settlement of the long-standing dispute between the Charity Commissioners and the governors of St. Paul's School arrived at, the school receiving two-thirds of the income of the foundation, but never less than 14,000l. a year.

At a conference of the six Australian Premiers held in Melbourne, an agreement was come to on the subject of federation, the federal capital to be in New South Wales, but at least 100 miles from Sydney. The Bank of England reduced its rate of discount from 3 to 3 per cent., the proportion of reserve to liabilities being 45 per cent., and the stock of bullion 32,974,8941.

3. A large public meeting held at Gratz in Styria under the auspices of the old Catholic party, at which freedom from Rome was strongly advocated. Similar meetings were also held in various parts of Austria, the alliance between the Clericals and the Slavs being resented by the Germans.

The Tsung-li-Yamên on the instigation of Sir Claude Macdonald agreed to open a new treaty port at Nanning-fu, near the Tongking frontier.

The German Emperor at the annual dinner of the Brandenburg Provincial Diet, made an animated speech to his "dear men of the Mark," and referring to his visit to the Holy Land, said that standing on the Mount of Olives he had renewed his military oath of service to heaven.

4. The Filippinos, numbering 20,000, attacked the American positions at Manilla, continuing the fight at intervals throughout the night. They were finally completely defeated with the loss of 4,000 killed and wounded, and 5,000 prisoners.

M. Rochefort on his way through Marseilles to Algiers, hooted and pursued by an angry crowd, which forced him to keep in hiding throughout his stay. On his arrival at Algiers he was warmly received by a large section of the population, but disturbances ensued, and the mayor and municipal council were suspended by the prefect.

5. A force despatched by the Punjab Government to punish a frontier tribe of marauders surprised on their return, and suffered the loss of six killed and fourteen wounded.

6. At a meeting of the Liberal party held at the Reform Club, and attended by 143 members, Sir Wilfrid Lawson presiding, Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman unanimously elected leader of the party in the House of Commons in succession to Sir William Harcourt.

The United States Senate by 57 to 27 votes, being three beyond the necessary two-thirds, ratified the treaty of peace with Spain.

The steamship Lucania reached New York in safety, having for nine days experienced terrific weather in crossing the Atlantic-snow, hail, thunder and lightning, and incessant gales, sometimes amounting to a hurricane, raging throughout the voyage.

7. The fifth session of the fourteenth Parliament of the Queen's reign opened by royal commission.

The criminal chamber of the Court of Cassation having completed its inquiry into the justice of the revision of the Dreyfus case, President Loew informed the Minister of Justice that the court would pronounce judgment.

8. The Queen-Regent of Spain signed a decree re-establishing the constitutional guarantees, and abolishing the state of siege throughout the kingdom.

Mr. Ruskin, on the occasion of his eightieth birthday, received a national address signed by the Prince of Wales, the trustees of the British Museum, and the representatives of numerous institutions and

societies connected with art and education, and another address from the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford and the heads of colleges.

8. An attempt made by the Chief Commissioner of Police to deal with the obstruction of the chief thoroughfares of the metropolis, by prohibiting cabs to ply for hire in the streets.

The brothers Dravid, through whose instrumentality the murderers of Mr. Rand and Lieutenant Ayerst had been arrested, assassinated at Poona by a gang of men.

9. The report of the committee of the French Chamber on the Government Procedure Bill issued. It declared unanimously that no advantage could result from the proposed bill, which would shatter the whole judicial system.

-The warehouses of the Cork Company in the Minories (London) completely destroyed by fire. The junction of the Tilbury and SouthEastern Railways being in close proximity, the local traffic inwards and outwards was stopped for some hours.

10. In the French Chamber the Government bill for transferring revision cases to the whole Court of Cassation, after a short and tame debate carried by 332 to 216 votes.

President M'Kinley signed the treaty of peace with Spain.

Serious fighting again took place round Manilla, the American troops eventually carrying by storm the strongly-defended Filippino position at Calooran.

Memorial services for Prince Alfred of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha held at the Chapel Royal, St. James's, and in the chapel at Osborne.

At the Chinese embassy in Paris, the First Secretary shot by one of the attachés, who then shot himself.

11. A strong south-westerly gale, accompanied by heavy rain, blew over the British Isles, causing much disaster round the coasts. A steamer arrived with twenty-five passengers of the Hamburg-American liner Bulgaria, which was found drifting helplessly in the Atlantic, 800 miles from the Azores. The Cunard steamer, Pavonia, also disabled, was towed to within 300 miles of the Azores, where in a hurricane the cable parted, and she was lost sight of.

The Duke of Connaught at Assouan laid the foundation-stone of the embankment for the Nile reservoirs.

Iloilo, the chief town held by the Philippine insurgents, taken by the United States troops after a naval bombardment. The insurgents fired the town before leaving it, but the flames were extinguished by the Americans on entering.

13. A wave of extremely cold weather, accompanied by heavy falls of snow, and lasting nearly a week, passed over the whole North American continent from Savannah to Boston. From 30 to 38 degrees of frost-more in several places-were registered daily. The harbours were blocked, the railroads impeded, and large cities like New York and Washington cut off from the outside, and almost reduced to starvation.

13. The report of the commission appointed to investigate the war abuses in the Cuban campaign, issued at Washington, whitewashing Mr. Alger, the Minister of War, and Commissary-General Eagan.

In the Transvaal elections the Progressive candidates gained several seats from the old Conservatives.

14. Don Carlos addressed a letter to his followers in the Spanish Cortes forbidding them to take part in the vote on the Treaty of Peace with the United States.

The Earl of Home created a Knight of the Thistle in succession to Lord Napier and Ettrick, deceased.

The American Senate passed by 26 to 22 votes a resolution declaring that the United States had not annexed the Philippines, but would protect and govern the people until such time as they could govern themselves.

15. The Budget Committee of the Reichstag discussed the proposals contained in the Government Army Bill, proposing three new army corps and the reorganisation of the railway, field telegraph, and ballooning troops.

The Transvaal Government called upon to take severe measures to prevent the introduction of the bubonic plague, the death of an Indian coolie recently arrived from Bombay having taken place under suspicious circumstances.

16. M. Félix Faure, President of the French Republic, died suddenly at the Elysée of an apoplectic seizure.

The election for Londonderry caused by the resignation of Mr. E. F. V. Knox (N.), resulted in the return of Viscount Moore (N.) by 2343 against 2301 votes polled by Mr. E. Herdman (U.).

The Prince of Wales presided at a meeting, held at Grosvenor House, of the committee for the national memorial to Mr. Gladstone. It was announced that about 26,000l. had been subscribed or promised. 17. At a meeting of the Liberal party in the Hungarian Diet, Baron Banffy, the Premier, declared that the negotiations with the Opposition for putting an end to the parliamentary deadlock having failed, the Cabinet would tender its resignation.

Lord Salisbury in the House of Peers, and Mr. A. J. Balfour in the Commons, expressed the sympathy of Great Britain with France on the loss of President Faure.

The British political agent at Muscat formally protested against the cession of a coaling-station on the coast to the French.

Toekoe Oemar, the Atchinese chief, who had been the chief opponent of the Dutch, defeated and killed.

18. The congress assembled at Versailles, at the first ballot elected M. Loubet, President of the Senate, to be President of the Republic in succession to M. Faure, by 483 votes to 279 given to M. Méline, 23 to M. Cavaignac, 10 to M. Deschanel, 8 to M. Charles Dupuy, 4 to Colonel Monteil, 2 to M. de Rochefort, and 1 each to M. de Mun, M. Tillaye and M. Baduel.