hope is now in foreign drill, in railways, in mines, to be worked in foreign ways; in science, to be studied with the help of foreign professors. She is in fact entering on the adoption of a foreign régime in these respects, just as certainly as Japan, but she takes a longer time to make the change."

It may be added that, however peaceful the intentions of China are at the present moment, she will be a most formidable enemy when her enormous resources are developed and organized. If her millions of armed men are ever called into the field against a foreign foe, it will probably be for the purpose of defence, not aggression. In that case she will have an incalculable advantage in the fact that her military system is based upon a vast scheme of colonization, which is filling the provinces of Manchuria, Mongolia, Thibet, and Chinese Turkestan with free settlers and convicts, all liable to military service, and all trained alike as soldiers and as agriculturists. Thus by one and the same plan hundreds of thousands of acres are being brought under cultivation, and tens of thousands of soldiers are prepared to fight the enemies of their country on their own homesteads.

China has in the course of the past year given Treaties. fresh evidence of her desire to enter into closer commercial relations with the great Powers. By a treaty concluded with France the Government undertook to admit produce from Tonquin, and to open to French traders four river ports on the southern frontier, with a discrimination of the customs tariff in favour of French goods.

A Convention was ratified in August, between China and Great Britain, in special reference to the questions of Upper Burmah and Thibet.

It consists of five articles, which are as follows:

Art. 1.-Inasmuch as it has been the practice of Burmah to send decennial missions to present articles of local produce, England agrees that the highest authority in Burmah shall send the customary decennial missions, the members of the missions to be of Burmese race.

Art. 2.-China agrees that, in all matters whatsoever appertaining to the authority and rule which England is now exercising in Burmah, England shall be free to do whatever she deems fit and proper.

Art. 3. The frontier between Burmah and China to be marked by a Delimitation Commission, and the conditions of frontier trade to be settled by a Frontier Trade Convention, both countries agreeing to protect and encourage trade between China and Burmah.

Art. 4.-Inasmuch as inquiry into the circumstances by the Chinese Government has shown the existence of many obstacles to the mission to Thibet provided for in the separate article of the Chefoo Agreement, England consents to countermand the mission forthwith. With regard to the desire of the British Government to consider arrangements for frontier trade between India and Thibet, it will be the duty of the Chinese Government, after careful inquiry into the circumstances, to adopt measures to exhort and encourage the people with a view to the promotion and development of trade. Should it be practicable, the Chinese Government shall then proceed carefully to consider trade regulations; but, if insuperable obstacles should be found to exist, the British Government will not press the matter unduly.

Art. 5. The present Convention shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged in London as soon as

possible after the date of the signatures thereof. In witness whereof the respective negotiators have signed the same and affixed thereunto the seals of their arms.

Certain remarkable arrangements for a Convention between the Chinese Government and a commercial syndicate in the United States were made public in the summer. The first statement was to the effect that concessions had been provisionally granted to the syndicate by the Viceroy, which would have implied almost the entire financial administration of the country. "The charter conferred upon the American capitalists endows them with the sole right to coin money. They are empowered to receive and to disburse the funds belonging to the Imperial and Provincial Treasuries. They are authorised to finance and to construct railways, telegraphs, canals, river improvements, and drainage systems. The syndicate will co-operate with the Chinese authorities in the erection of forts and camps, in the construction of fleets, in the building of naval arsenals, and in all other public works. They will take over the existing telegraphs, and theirs will be the exclusive right to maintain a system of telephonic communication in the Chinese Empire for fifty years." Subsequent information showed that Li Hung Chang's commercial ideas were in advance of those entertained by many of his colleagues in the Government. The Board of Censors reported to the Crown against the scheme, which was wholly or partially disallowed. Since then, however, an arrangement has been made with a German syndicate for the opening of a privileged bank in China.

COREA.

The Absolute Monarchy of Corea (capital, Seoul) occupies

a promontory on the east coast of Asia, north of China. Very little of an accurate character is known of the country; but in the race, religions, and general institutions of its inhabitants it has much in common with China, and something with Japan.

The area is about 82,000 square miles; population, estimated at about 10,000,000.

The monarch regards the Emperor of China as his suzerain, and he rules by a Council of Ministers removable at his pleasure. Three ports are open for commerce, at which about £150,000 is received in customs dues.

DENMARK.

The Constitutional Kingdom of Denmark (capital, Copenhagen) occupies an abrupt peninsula at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, the narrowest part of the entrance being the Sound (see p. 14), between the island of Zealand and the coast of Sweden. The only contiguous neighbour of Denmark is the Empire of Germany, on the south.

Norway was transferred from Denmark to Sweden after the conclusion of the Napoleonic wars-Denmark receiving the province of Lauenburg and a money indemnity. Fifty years later, after a series of disorders in Lauenburg, Holstein, and Schleswig-owing to divergencies of language and customs, aggravated by the ineffective government of Denmark-the three provinces were assisted by Prussia and Austria to throw off the Danish yoke (1864), and were subsequently annexed by Prussia.

The actual promontory of Jutland has an area of about 9,750 square miles. The remainder consists of islandsZealand, 2,600 square miles; Fünen, 1250, Laaland, 462, Bornholm, 221, Falster, 178; and, at a greater distance,

the Faroe Islands and Iceland (40,526). Total, about 54,300 square miles.

Population, a little over 2,100,000; mainly Scandinavian. Average density, not including Iceland or Faroe Islands, about 145 to the square mile.

GOVERNMENT.

The Danish Constitution is a legacy of the revolutionary movement of 1849, but, like the Swiss and certain other written charters of that period, it did not actually come into force for some time afterwards. Another Constitution, differing in important respects, was drawn up by a Rigsraad of one Chamber in 1854, but was never effectively applied. After the extinction of the Oldenburg line, and the accession of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein SonderburgGlücksburg, in 1863, followed by the transfer of the disaffected provinces to Prussia, the Rigsdag voted a revised form of the Constitution of 1849, which was promulgated in July, 1866.

This Constitution is analysed below, the more important clauses being quoted in full.

Article 1.-The form of government is that of a limited monarchy. The royal power is hereditary. Legislative power belongs to the King and the Rigsdag concurrently ; · Executive power to the King; Judicial power to the tribunals. The Lutheran Evangelical Church is the national Danish Church (Folkekirke*) and as such it is supported by the State.

Articles 2 and 3 define the rights and duties of the King and his ministers. "Before assuming the government, the King takes by writing, in the Council of State, an oath

*Not Statskirke, as in the draft of 1849.