We are persuaded that fresh guarantees would be found in the removal of a permanent cause of irritation existing between the two powers which are the most directly interested. Their mutual relations would be more firmly established on the basis of a good and solid understanding. You are desired, Monsieur le Baron, to read this dispatch, and leave a copy of it with him. The principal Secretary of State of her Britannic Majesty has expressed to us the regret that he would feel if this discussion should disturb the harmony which the Government of her Majesty the Queen has striven to maintain between the two countries. Be good enough to express to his Excellency how entirely this regret would be shared by the Imperial Cabinet. We believe that friendship between the two governments is essentially useful to the two countries as well as to the peace of the world. It is with lively satisfaction that we have seen this friendship during late years grow more and more close and cordial. The grave circumstances in which we find ourselves at this moment seem to us to make it more desirable than ever. GORTSCHAKOFF. A similar Russian reply to Austria was read by Minister Novikoff to Count von Beust, on December 2d. The conciliatory tone of the note made a very favorable impression, and, together with the verbal explanations of the ambassador, promised a satisfactory basis for the conference proposed by Prussia. The Governments of England, Turkey, Italy, Austria, and Russia, proclaimed their intention to accept the proposal of a European Congress on the subject of the Eastern question, to be opened in London, in January, 1871. Prussia, in accepting the proposal, expressly stipulated that no topic foreign to the question of the revision of the Paris Treaty of 1856 should be introduced into the deliberations of the body. Prussia maintained that, having, like Italy, signed only the treaty of the 30th of March, 1856, which was concluded, as mentioned in the introduction prefacing the treaty, for the purpose of guaranteeing the independence and integrity of the Turkish Empire, she was not like England, France, and Austria, who concluded the additional treaty dated April 17, 1856, by which they bound themselves to consider any infraction of any one of the stipulations of the treaty of March 30th as a casus belli, or nearly so, and also mutually obligated themselves to fight for the maintenance of a clause to which a great power cannot submit forever, and which does not in any way infringe upon the principles of the first treaty. So far as Prussia was concerned, she, therefore, did not regard Russia's position as one threatening war, because the St. Petersburg Cabinet did not intend to endanger the independence and integrity of Turkey at present. The statesmen of Russia declared that any additional conquest of territory was undesirable, and they also relinquished the idea of creating a Greek empire at Constantinople, under the Russian protectorate; neither did they intend to establish any extensive naval arsenal on the coast of the Black Sea. Under these circumstances it was confident ly expected that, by diplomatic means, an un derstanding would be reached by which the parties which signed the Treaty of Paris would accede to the request of Russia regarding the neutralization of the Black Sea, to which end Prussia had offered her mediation. The meeting of the conference was, however, retarded by the peculiar position of France, for, although the provisional government had declared its unconditional acceptance of the same, it was necessary to apply for a passport permitting its representative to pass through the Prussian lines in order to reach London. This passport was issued to Jules Favre, Minister of Foreign Affairs, toward the latter part of December, but it was not known when he would leave Paris. EAST RIVER BRIDGE-THE CAISSONS. AND THEIR CONSTRUCTION. One of the most extensive and important structures now engaging the attention of the engineering profession is the bridge across the East River, New York, designed by the late John A. Roebling, now being carried out under the direction of Colonel W. A. Roebling. The caisson sunk at the base of the Brooklyn tower forms an important feature in the construction of the foundation itself. It is, in fact, an immense pneumatic pile; but, unlike the piles used in the Harlem and other bridges in this countrypiles rarely exceeding six feet in diameterthis is 168 feet long by 102 feet wide on the outside, the chamber in which the excavation is to be carried on being 166 feet wide by 98 feet, and 9 feet in height. The caisson proper contains 105,000 cubic feet of timber, board measure. Of wroughtiron, there are 85,000 lbs.; in screw-bolts, 30,000 lbs.; of flat bars in frames and angle-irons, besides the large amount of drift-bolts and boilerplate, making in the aggregate about 200,000 lbs. The whole structure weighs nearly 2,500 tons. The V portion forming the chamber is nine timbers in height, the lower side of the first course being eight inches across, and the upper course of headers nine feet in length; the face of the outer timbers having a batter of 1.6 in 12, and the inner face nearly 10.8 in 12. The first course, which is of oak, 13 by 15 inches, projects on the outside 1 inch beyond the line of the succeeding timbers, so as to receive the sheathing-plank. The ends at the corners are halved, and the ends of the timbers coming together in the same course are spliced with a plane scarf of six feet in length. As the great weight of the structure will have a tendency to open the corners, precautions were taken to make that part as strong as possible; and, in the second course, a solid hackmatack knee was inserted at the corners, running twenty feet each way. The succeeding timbers and the remainder of the second course, which are of Georgia pine, one foot square, are laid in alternate courses of stretchers and headers. The tenth is the first course of the roof, which is carried up in alternate layers to five timbers in height. Through the roof pass the water-supply and air-shafts, two of each, composed of one-quarter-inch boiler-iron, and arranged in pairs for convenience in working, as well as to guard against accidents and delays. Before being bolted, each timber in a course is forced into place, both vertically and horizontally, by heavy iron clamps or dogs and wedges. The bolts and clamps, acting together, make the whole as near as possible like one solid piece. The joints of each course are filled with pitch, and the surface dressed off smooth and level, and again pitched and dressed before the succeeding course is applied. The lower part of the V, which by its narrow edge is to aid the settling of the caisson into the earth, is shod with a cast-iron shoe, oval on the bottom, 8 inches wide on the top, and 2 inches through the thickest part, and cast in sections of eight feet in length, bolted to the bottom of the first course with four drift-bolts, and protected and held in place by an armor of boiler-iron, extending vertically three feet on the outside, and also three feet up the inner slope, and firmly bolted through and through. The figure shows a section of the shoe on a larger scale. The outside seams and those of the thir teenth roof-course are calked with the heaviest twelve-thread calking, and the inside seams well calked, but less heavily. This heavy calking rendered it necessary to use a large number of bolts to prevent the joints from opening under the pressAs a further precaution against leakage, a layer of tin, between two of felt, is placed around the outside up to the thirteenth, and over the roof, between the thirteenth and fourteenth courses. The sheeting of tin is soldered to angle-irons about the shafts placed for that purpose, and on the outside is covered by a sheathing of plank four inches thick. To prevent water from following the bolts which pass through the tin and felt, a rubber washer is placed next the felt, which, like the other washers, are by the press ure. are forced hard against the bolts. After the caisson proper was placed, fifteen courses of timber and concrete were added. The timbers were laid one foot apart, and filled in with concrete; the next and each alternate course are laid across at right angles, and filled in in the same manner. The top course is solid timber, on which engines are erected for doing the work of hoisting, removing materials, etc. The air and supply shafts, of 3 feet 6 inches and 1 foot 9 inches diameter respectively, are fitted with air-locks, like ordinary pneumatic piles, that of the air-shaft being 6 feet 4 inches diameter, and of the supply-shaft 2 feet 6 inches diameter. The water-shafts are nearly square, being 6 feet 6 inches by 7 feet, and extend below the general level of the bottom. When working, the water is forced out of the chamber by pneumatic pressure through the air-shafts, men and materials admitted to the interior through the supply-shaft, and the excavated materials removed through the water-shafts by means of dredging-machines. The excavation is now finished. The chamber and shafts are being filled with concrete masonry, making a solid block 168 feet by 102 feet on the bottom, 164 feet 4 inches by 98 feet 4 inches on the top, and 29 feet thick, and weighing about 17,000 tons. ECUADOR, a republic in South America. President for the term from 1869 to 1875, Garcia Moreno. Area, 218,984 square miles; population, 1,300,000. The value of exports from the port of Guayaquil (exclusive of precious metals) amounted, in 1869, to 3,413,996 piastres (that of cacao alone, 1,904,012). The foreign debt was, in 1865, 9,390,554 piastres, and the home debt, 3,692,955 piastres. The public revenue, in 1869, amounted to 1,401,300 piastres, of which 576,600 were the proceeds of import duties. The standing army amounts to about 1,500 men. The number of vessels entering the port of Guayaquil during the year 1869 amounted to 153, together of 63,230 tons. The vessels belonged to the following countries: England, 61; Germany, 16; France, 10; Italy, 11; Peru, 26; Ecuador, 25; Central America, 3; Chili, 1. Minister of the United States in Ecuador, E. Ramsey Wing (1870). EGYPT, a dependency of Turkey, in Northern Africa. The ruler bears the official title of Khedive, the Arabic equivalent for Viceroy. This dignity is now hereditary in the family of Mehemet Ali. The present Pacha of Egypt is Ismail (born in 1816), who followed, on January 18, 1863, his brother Saïd as the fifth Viceroy of Egypt. A Council of State (created in 1856) is at the head of the administration. The area of Egypt is 659,000 English square miles. It has about 8,000,000 inhabitants, 5,215,065 inhabiting Egypt proper. The chief cities are: Cairo, 313,383 inhabitants; Alexandria, 238,888; Damietta, 60,000; Tantah, 55,000. Egypt proper is divided into three great districts, namely, "Masr-el-Bahri," or Lower Egypt; "El-Dustani," or Middle Egypt; and "Es-Said," or Upper Egypt-designations drawn from the course of the river Nile, on which depends the existence of the country. These three geographical districts are subdivided into eleven administrative provinces, which, according to an enumeration made by the Government, had the following rural population in 1862: Provinces. No. of Villages. Rural Population. LOWER EGYPT-Behéreh. 86,545 66 66 355 Rodat-el-Bahrein. 843 Dakalijeh.. Kaljubijeh.. Gheezeh. 945,903 1,266 413,854 574 167 462,418 209.234 231 Fayoom... 104 Beni-Sooef. 169 2,117,945 280,791 143.389 95,402 519,582 404,064 847,055 417,876 1,168,995 3,806,522 Total Middle Egypt.. UPPER EGYPT-Sioot. 66 66 Total Upper Egypt... Total of Egypt Proper...... 4,379 Almost the entire rural population is in a state approaching serfdom, holding life and property at the good-will of the governing class. The inhabitants of the towns comprise 150,000 Copts, reputed descendants of the ancient Egyptians; 8,000 Jews; 3,000 Armenians, and about 25,000 domiciled Europeans, one-third of them Greeks. At Cairo and Alexandria there are numerous slaves. The total receipts for the year ending April 2, 1870, according to the official budget, amounted to 1,469,000 purses, and the total expenditure to 1,177,811 purses (500 piastres 1 purse, 20 piastres 1 American dollar). Exclusive of the floating debt, Egypt has a very large consolidated debt, consisting chiefly of foreign loans. These are divided into two classes, namely, general loans, supposed to be contracted by the country, and loans of the Khedive, as sovereign and greatest of landowners. The total general loans contracted *See AMERICAN ANNUAL CYCLOPÆDIA for 1869. up to January 1, 1870, amounted to $107,930,000, on which the interest and sinking fund for 1870 summed up $12,748,115. The loans of the Khedive, on January 1, 1870, comprised $24,751,200; interest and sinking fund, $3,809,150. Not included in the foregoing statement is a loan of the Khedive of $35,714,300, contracted in Paris and London, May, 1870, on the mortgage of his private domains, known as the "Daira Sanieh." The loan, bearing interest at 7 per cent., was issued at the price of 781 per 100, and was announced to be repayable by half-yearly drawings at par, in 20 years. The army is raised by conscription. It consisted, in January, 1869, of four regiments of infantry, of 3,000 men each; of a battalion of chasseurs, of 1,000 men; of 3,500 cavalry; 1,500 artillery; and two battalions of engineers, of 1,500 each. There is, besides, a regiment of black troops, of Soudan, numbering 3,000 men. The Egyptian navy comprised, in 1869, 7 shipsof-the-line, 6 frigates, 9 corvettes, 7 brigs, 18 gunboats and smaller vessels, and 27 transports. The value of the commerce of Alexandria with foreign countries was, in 1869: imports, 517,300,000 piastres (234,700,000 from Great Britain); exports, 831,400,000 (612,400,000 to Great Britain and 109,000,000 to France). There entered in Alexandria, in 1869, 2,884 vessels, with a tonnage of 1,263,144; 1,061 of which vessels were steamers; passengers, 55,719. The length of telegraphs is about 2,000 English miles. A report, presented in the early part of the year by M. de Lesseps to the meeting of Suez Canal shareholders at Paris, states that, during the year 1870, about 8,000,000 francs would be required to complete and improve the works. The total number of vessels that passed through the canal, from the day of its opening to the 15th of March, was 209, representing 146,631 tons. Of these, 56,052 tons were English vessels; 34,390 French; 17,666 Egyptian; 14,625 Austrian; 7,386 Italian; 4,178 Russian; 4,000 Norwegian; 3,200 Dutch; 880 German; 528 Spanish; 3,015 Prussian: 369 Portuguese, and 342 Turkish. Of the 209 vessels, 200 were steamers; the others were sailing-vessels. The tolls collected were from 79 vessels of 54,644 tons (130 vessels being exempt, having passed through on the occasion of the opening of the canal), realizing 593,411 francs, and the amount from small vessels as transit dues was 20,186 francs. With respect to England the report says: "England has from the first day been able to utilize the canal largely. You have seen what an imposing commercial fleet she has sent to it, and that fleet augments every day.. Building-yards work literally night and day in the United Kingdom in transforming or building vessels. We could cite to you a single company which, in its calculations, has put down an annual payment of 2,500,000 francs for the canal." The number of vessels passing through the canal continues to increase in something like geometrical ratio month by month. Thus, in December, 1869, the number was 10; From the accounts of the Canal Company it appears that, The current incidental expenses of all kinds The company has cash, and cash assets (other property than the canal itself and its accessories)..... Total.. 16,600,000 6,100,000 $90,700,000 On the other side of the account must be put: The capital... The loan.... First indemnity from the Egyptian Govern ment... Later do.. Profits of investments.. Receipts from transit of boats and ships. Total........ 1,300,000 It was proposed at first by the Government that the new courts should be composed partly of native and partly of Frank judges, the natives to have the majority. This was reversed, and the Frank judges are to have the majority in every court. It was proposed at first, that the lower courts should be composed of three judges; at the request of the commissioners, the number of judges in these courts has been increased to five, of whom three will be Franks. There are to be three of these lower courts (Alexandria, Cairo, and Tagazig). There is also to be a court of appeal at Alexandria, which the Government at first proposed should consist of five judges; it is now agreed that it shall consist of seven judges, of whom four will be Franks. The original plan of the Egyptian Government stopped with the three lower courts and the Court of Appeal; but, at the suggestion of the commissioners, a Court of Revision at Cairo has been added, to consist also of seven judges, of whom four will be Franks. The Frank judges are to be appointed by the Egyptian Government, but only after 20,000,000 consultation with the Ministers of Justice or 16,800,000 equivalent officer, as Lord-Chancellor, At6,000,000 torney-General, or the like, of the foreign gov5,600,000 ernments, and no person can be appointed 1,000,000 without the sanction of his own government and a certificate from it that he is a fit and proper person to be judge. The Egyptian Government is bound to select them, as far as pos- . sible, from among persons actually serving as judges in foreign countries, or holding positions which would entitle them to be appointed judges in their own countries. The judges are to have fixed salaries paid by the Egyptian Government, and a permanent tenure of office; their promotion or removal (for cause only) is to be regulated entirely independently of the Egyptian Government. The judges are to appoint the officers of the court, such as clerks, interpreters, and constables, to serve processes, etc., and it is to have the power of removing them for misbehavior. The execution of sentences is to be done under the order of the courts themselves by their own officers, without any interference on the part of any administrative authority, either of the Egyptian Government or of the consulates. But, as a security against mistakes, the commissioners exacted, and the Government agreed, that the consul of the party interested shall be notified of the day and hour when a sentence is to be executed. The Egyptian Government itself, the private household of the Khedive, those of the princes and all public functionaries and officers, are to be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts. Government officials can be prosecuted in the courts, and this without previous authority of the Government; but the commissioners say, and this is agreed to by the Government, that this clause is not to be understood as exempting the Government from responsibility for the acts of its officials. $90,700,000 The administration of justice, in cases in which Franks (foreigners) are concerned, has long been found to be unsatisfactory. The Egyptian Government proposed therefore, in 1868, a plan of reform, to substitute a single new jurisdiction for all the consular jurisdictions, and for the native courts in cases to which Franks are parties. The plan as at first broached met with an outery of opposition from the Frank residents of Egypt. It received some degree of support from the British Government, but was not very favorably regarded by the French Government. The Egyptian Government, nevertheless, persevered in press ing its plan upon the attention of the principal foreign powers, and obtained the acceptance by Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, Prussia (or, rather, the North-German Union), Austria, and the United States, of the invitations which it addressed to those seven powers, requesting them to send representatives to an international commission to be held in Egypt to consider the plan and suggest such modifications as would tend to make it acceptable. All of these nations accredited their consul-generals in Egypt to attend the conference, and some of them appointed also a second commissioner to sit with the consul-general in the Conference. The Conference held a number of meetings, and at last, January 17, 1870, agreed upon a report, which was signed by the representatives of all the governments taking part in the Conference. On the suggestion of the commissioners, the Egyptian Government accepted very important modifications in the plan as originally presented. The assembly of representatives of the people |