Russia maintains an unyielding attitude towards Bulgaria, where she has been able to act ostensibly

in harmony with the Porte, and technically in accordance with the Berlin Treaty, though not in accordance with its spirit.

Italy is in alliance with Germany and Austria, declares her loyal friendship with France, and (in the

words of Signor Crispi)" acts at sea in accord with Great Britain."

France is without definite alliances. She courts Russia; watches the action of Germany with jealousy and distrust; and has, in 1887, come to a fairly good understanding with Great Britain in regard to Egyptian and Colonial questions.

GREECE.

The Constitutional Kingdom of Greece (capital, Athens) occupies the southern part of the Balkan peninsula, with most of the neighbouring islands. It is bounded on the north by the Turkish provinces of Epirus and Macedonia.

Area, 25,000 square miles. Population, about 2,000,000. It is estimated that three times this number of persons, of Greek race and speech, are scattered over the eastern shores of the Mediterranean.

GOVERNMENT.

Greece was recognized as an independent monarchy at the Conference of London in 1830. The first constitutional assembly was summoned in 1843, but the present Constitution was not promulgated until 1864, when the previously existing Senate was abolished, and a single

The group of islands is named after Hawaii, the largest (11,356 square kilometres). It has a population of about 25,000; but Oahu (1,680 square kilometres), which contains the capital, has nearly 35,000 inhabitants. The other principal islands are Maouï, Kaouaï, Niïhau, Molokaï, and Lani. According to the census of 1884, the population at the end of that year was 80,578-the area being 6,677 square miles. The increase in that year, by balance of immigration alone, was 2,713, and, as this rate has since been exceeded, the population in 1888 must be over 90,000, which gives an average of about fourteen to the square mile.

By the same census the indigenous population was computed at 40,014, steadily decreasing; white settlers, 17,335, rapidly increasing; 4,218 half-castes; 17,939 Chinese; and about 1,100 of other stocks. Of the whites, 2,066 were from the United States, 1,282 from Great Britain, 1,600 from Germany, and 9,377 from Portugal, or the old Portuguese colonies of South America.

GOVERNMENT.

Hawaii was erected into a kingdom early in the present century, and recognized as such by the Great Powers. A Constitution was agreed upon in 1840, and revised in 1864 and on several subsequent occasions.

The power of the King is strictly limited. The Government is Parliamentary, on the British model, except that King, nobles, and popular representatives sit together in one Legislative Assembly. Up to 1887 the nobles were appointed by the King, but in that year there was an important revolution, due to popular discontent, and a new Constitution was signed by King Kalakaua on July

10th. It is now determined that the nobles must be elected, like the other representatives, the two orders still sitting in the same Chamber. Nobles must be Hawaiian subjects not under the age of twenty-five, who have lived at least three years in the kingdom. They must be owners of £600, or be in receipt of

taxable property to the value of an income of not less than £120. There is a lower property or income franchise for persons entitled to vote in the election of the nobles.

The popular representatives number twenty-eight; and the electoral franchise in their case was lowered in 1887 so as to include all male subjects of full age who pay taxes. All elections are for two years, and it is provided that the Legislature must meet at least once in that period. Debates are carried on in English and in the Hawaiian tongue, according to the choice or necessity of the speaker-as in Hungary, Malta, the Cape, &c.

The last revision of the Constitution has yet more narrowly defined the powers of the King. Freedom of speech and of the press is declared to be inviolable. War cannot be declared, nor taxation increased, without the consent of the Legislature; though power is still reserved to a majority of the Privy Council to act during emergencies when the Assembly is not sitting.

Each of the larger islands of the group has a Governor and a local administration.

Education.

Schools are supported throughout by the State, at a cost of about £36,000. Most of them are denominational. There is an Anglican bishop at Honolulu; and all forms of religion are tolerated.

Tariff, &c.

The customs duties are not exceptionally heavy. They produce about £100,000 out of

a total public revenue of nearly £700,000. Debt, about £220,000.

ITALY.

The Constitutional Kingdom of Italy (capital, Rome) occupies the central peninsula of Europe in the Mediterranean. It is bounded on the north-east by the Federal Empire of Austria, on the north by the Federal Republic of Switzerland, and on the north-west by the Republic of France. From Austria the province of Venetia was recovered in 1866, after a war between France and Sardinia on the one hand and Austria on the other. Savoy and Nice, Italian provinces, were annexed by France in 1860. In the Swiss canton of Ticino the Italian language prevails. Included within the territory is the petty independent Republic of San Marino;-area, 32 square miles; population, 8,000.

The area and population, classified by Departments, with the names of the 69 Provinces, are as follows:

Sq. miles. Pop., 1885.

PIEDMONT:-Alessandria, Cuneo, Novara, Torino
LIGURIA: Geneva, Porto Maurizio

LOMBARDY:-Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Milano, Mantua,
Pavia, Sondrio

VENICE:--Belluno, Padova, Rovigo, Treviso, Udine, Venezia, Verona,
Vicenza

EMILIA-Bologna, Ferrara, Forli, Modena, Parma, Piacenza,

MARCHES:-Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Macerata, Pesaro-Urbino

TUSCANY-Arezzo, Firenze, Gosseto, Livorno, Lucca, Massa Carrara,
Pisa, Siena

CALABRIA:-Catanazara, Cosenza, Reggio

SICILIA:-Caltanisetta, Catania, Girgenti, Messina, Palermo,
Siracusa, Trapani

SARDINIA

Total of Italy

114,410

29,699,785

Average to the square mile, 261. In 1881 there were 60,000 residents of foreign nationality in Italy.

GOVERNMENT.

After the unification of Italy, under the lead of Sardinia, the Constitution granted to the latter State by Charles Albert in 1848 was gradually applied to the whole country. Successive decrees have extended this fundamental law to Lombardy (1859), Emilia, Tuscany, Naples, and Sicily, the Marches, Umbria (1860), Venetia (1866), and the Roman territory (1870). A separate Law of Guarantees (see below) was passed in 1871 to regulate the position of the Holy See within the kingdom.

The Constitution establishes the Catholic Apostolic and Roman religion, but grants toleration to all others. The throne is hereditary, subject to the Salic law, by which no female can succeed. The King shares the Legislative power with the two Chambers, and he is the sole wielder of the Executive power. "He is the supreme head of the State, commands all the land and sea forces, declares war, concludes treaties of peace, alliance, commerce, and others, bringing them to the knowledge of the Chambers as the interest and security of the State permit, and adding to them such communications as may seem fit. Treaties involving a charge upon the finances, or a modification of the national territory, are without effect until they have received the assent of the Chambers. The King appoints to all public offices; he issues decrees and regulations necessary to the execution of the laws, but may not suspend or dispense with their observation. The King alone sanctions and promulgates the laws. He may grant pardon and commute penal sentences. The King annually con