United States and ex-governor of Maryland, October 26; Rear-Admiral Charles H. Baldwin, November 17; Rear-Admiral Edward Simpson, December 1; Major-General Romeyn B. Ayres, December 4; Rear-Admiral William E. Le Roy, December 10; Rear-Admiral Chandler, February 10; Francis Wharton, solicitor of the State department and a well-known authority on international law, February 21; John W. Johnston, ex-senator of the United States, February 27; John Ericsson, the well-known inventor and the designer of the famous Monitor, March 8; Admiral John Lee Davis, March 12; John Archibald Campbell, ex-justice of the United States Supreme Court, March 13; Stanley Matthews, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, March 22; Rear-Admiral Thomas H. Patterson, April 9; John P. Usher, exsecretary of the Interior, April 13; Rear-Admiral William Rogers Taylor, April 14; Henry G. Pearson, postmaster of New York city, April 20; F. A. P. Barnard, LL.D., president of Columbia college, April 27; Wm. H. Barnum, ex-senator of the United States, April 30.

FOREIGN.

The commission

GREAT BRITAIN. The Parnell Commission. appointed to investigate the charges made by the London Times that Mr. Parnell and other Irish members of Parliament had been implicated in crimes committed in Ireland, began its hearings on October 23. It was composed of Sir James Hannen and Justices Day and Smith. The opening address of Sir Richard Webster, the attorney-general, who acted as counsel for the Times, occupied five days. A great deal of time was consumed in presenting testimony in regard to outrages in Ireland, with no attempt to connect Mr. Parnell or any of his associates with these affairs. Some of the Irish newspapers criticised the commission severely, and on November 21 Edward Harrington, M.P., was fined £500 on account of an abusive article which appeared in his paper, the Kerry Sentinel. Subsequently William O'Brien was taken to task for speaking of "the forgeries commission" in United Ireland, but he escaped with a warning. On February 5 the attorneygeneral announced that he had completed the Irish part of the case and would take up the American part. The testimony on this point was mainly given by one Major Le Caron, who had been employed by the British government to act as a spy and ascertain the secrets of the Fenian and other Irish societies in the United States. As against Mr. Parnell and other members of Parliament his testimony was of no value. The heart of the case was reached about the middle of February, when the subject of the alleged Parnell letters was taken up. It appeared from the testimony offered by representatives of the Times that the letters were obtained from Richard Pigott. Pigott was put upon the stand. Under cross-examination he admitted that he had been a blackmailer for twenty years, and it was made clear that he was an expert and unscrupulous scoundrel. It was expected that a confession would be forced from him to the effect that he had forged the letters, but when the commission met on February 26, it was announced that he had fled, leaving behind him a full confession of his crime. Nothing was definitely known as to his movements for two days, but on February 28 word came that he had been arrested in Madrid and had committed suicide. The attorney-general

withdrew the letters from the case and the Times expressed "regret, most fully and sincerely, at having been induced to publish the letters as Mr. Parnell's or to use them in evidence against him. This expression of regret," it added, "includes also the letters falsely attributed to Mr. Egan, Mr. Davitt and Mr. O'Kelly." It affirmed that it "firmly believed the letters were genuine until the disclosures made by Pigott on cross-examination." It was believed by many that the withdrawal of the letters would be followed by a discontinuance of the investigation; and the opposition press even called for the resignation of the cabinet. Lord Salisbury, however, in a speech on March 19, declared that the government had no interest in the letters, and that the commission had been appointed to consider far wider and more important charges. The commission continued its sessions, but nothing of importance was elicited. On March 13 Attorney-General Webster announced that the case for the Times was finished, and the commission adjourned until April 2. At that time the case for the Parnellites was opened by Sir Charles Russell. He made a masterly address, which was not finished until April 12, when the commission adjourned until the 30th. Mr. Parnell's testimony was begun on that day. He emphatically disavowed any connection or sympathy with violent or illegal methods. The question of the attorney-general's conduct came up in the House of Commons on March 22, when a motion to reduce his salary as a mark of want of confidence was rejected - 286 to 206. Mr. Parnell's suit against the Times for libel, brought in the Scotch courts, was dismissed on February 26. His suit in the English courts for £100,000 damages will, it is said, be pushed to trial in the autumn.- Parliament met on November 6 and continued in session until December 24, when it was prorogued. The most important action at the autumn session was the passage of a bill extending the operations of the Ashbourne Land-Purchase act, by the expenditure of another £5,000,000. Under this act, Irish tenant farmers may acquire title to their holdings by purchase, the money being loaned by the government under certain conditions. Mr. Gladstone moved as an amendment to the government's proposal that the Land law of 1887 be extended so as to reduce or cancel arrears of rent, but the motion was rejected 330 to 246. The bill was passed by a vote of 202 to 141.During the debate on November 26 David Sheehy, Nationalist member for North Galway, stated that he had been summoned into the lobby by a visitor, whereupon a summons under the Coercion act had been served on him. He denounced this as an audacious breach of privilege. Mr. Balfour, chief secretary for Ireland, deplored the incident and said that he entirely disapproved of such acts. A committee was appointed to make an inquiry. The committee reported that the Irish executive had taken no precaution to issue proper instructions to the Irish police for the proper observance of the respect of the House of Commons. On December 4 Lord Randolph Churchill made an attack on the government in the matter of sending troops to Suakin. He said that the number of British soldiers was totally inadequate. The secretary for War defended the government's course, and Lord Randolph's motion was thrown out by a vote of 231 to 189. Subsequently, however, the force at Suakin was increased to 6,500 men. - When Parliament reassembled on February 21, the speech from the throne set forth that early attention

would be asked to measures for the development of the material resources of Ireland and for amending the constitution of the various tribunals having jurisdiction over real property in Ireland. "The statutes recently passed for the restoration of order and confidence in Ireland," it was stated, "have already been attended with salutary results." Mr. Morley at once gave notice that he would introduce an amendment to the address in reply to the Queen's speech, condemning the administration of the law in Ireland as harsh, unjust and oppressive, and asking that measures be adopted to content the Irish and re-establish a real union of Great Britain and Ireland. A prolonged debate ensued. On March 1 Mr. Morley's motion was rejected -339 to 260. — A motion to reduce Mr. Balfour's salary by £500 was rejected on March 21 by a vote of 222 to 211.- Lord George Hamilton, first lord of the Treasury, stated in the House of Commons on March 7 that the government proposed to build eight first-class men of war of 14,000 tons each and two of 9,000 tons, nine first-class cruisers and twenty-nine smaller cruisers. The total tonnage of these vessels would be 318,000 and the cost £21,500,000. He asked for an appropriation of £10,000,000 from the consolidated fund and proposed that the remainder should be provided for in the ordinary estimates. He promised that the Admiralty's programme should be executed in four years and a half. — In the House of Commons on March 19 Sir James Fergusson, parliamentary secretary for the Foreign office, announced that serious questions had arisen between England and the Sultan of Morocco and that a portion of the Channel squadron had been ordered to Tangier. - A resolution was adopted by the House on March 26 declaring that the government should ascertain whether the powers were willing to meet in conference to discuss the question of the suppression of the slave trade. — The budget was introduced by Mr. Goschen, Chancellor of the Exchequer, on April 15. The revenue of the year exceeded the estimate of the previous budget by £1,645,ooo; the expenditures were £941,000 less than the estimate; leaving a surplus of £2,586,000. The estimate for the current year shows: revenue, £85,050,000; expenditures, £86,967,000. A good deal of excitement was caused in London during the autumn by the commission of a number of mysterious and peculiarly fiendish murders in the Whitechapel district, and severe criticisms were passed upon the police for their inability to discover the murderer. As a result General Sir Charles Warren, chief of the metropolitan police, resigned, and it was thought at one time that the Home secretary would be compelled to resign. — A great demonstration in honor of Mr. Gladstone was made in Birmingham on the occasion of his visit to that city on November 5. He made several speeches, in which he said that the Irish question was really the English, Scotch and Welsh question, and until the question was settled the country would know neither solid peace nor effectual progress. — Of the 990 non-Episcopal Protestant ministers in Ireland, 864 signed an anti-Home-rule address, which was presented to Lord Salisbury and Lord Hartington on November 14. Of the minority who declined to sign, it was stated that only eight were Home-rulers. — Lord Salisbury, speaking at Edinburgh at the end of November, said that he believed that Scotland was beginning to realize the dangers of Gladstonianism and becoming Unionist. He insisted that there was growing in Mr. Gladstone's mind a distinct idea

of the entire separation of Ireland. Parliamentary elections. The most significant of the by-elections that have been held was that in the Kennington division of Lambeth (London) on March 15. It resulted in a victory for the Gladstonian candidate by a majority of 631, while at the previous election the Conservatives won by 430 votes. Other elections which showed Gladstonian gains were those in Holborn, Maidstone, Dewsbury, Govan, Perthshire and Gorton, while there were conservative gains in Colchester, Enfield and Stockton. It was given out on March 29 that the cabinet had decided to propose at the next session of Parliament a land-purchase scheme for Ireland, and would also introduce in 1891 an Irish local-government bill, providing for extensive changes in the management of internal affairs in Ireland. — England lost one of its greatest orators and men, and the United States a true friend, by the death of John Bright, which occurred on March 27. He had been in feeble health for some time. John Albert Bright was elected to succeed his father as member of Parliament for the central division of Birmingham. Laurence Oliphant, the well-known writer, died on December 23.

AFFAIRS IN IRELAND. — Since the closing of the last RECORD there has been no change in the government's policy toward Ireland. A considerable number of members of Parliament, priests, and others have been arrested under the provisions of the Crimes act and sentenced for longer or shorter terms of imprisonment. As in the previous year, the case of William O'Brien, M.P., created the greatest stir. During his trial he escaped from the court room. Nevertheless the trial proceeded, and on January 25 he was sentenced for four months. He eluded the police for several days, but was arrested at Manchester on January 29. On being taken back to Ireland he was thrown into Clonmel jail, where he refused to put on the prison garb. His clothing was forcibly removed and his beard shaved off. He made a desperate resistance and was thoroughly exhausted. Mr. Balfour was appealed to in behalf of O'Brien, and subsequently the prison doctor guaranteed that no further attempt would be made to force the prisoner to don the prison garb. A mass meeting was held at Phoenix park, Dublin, February 3, to denounce the treatment to which O'Brien was subjected; it was announced that a memorial had been signed by four archbishops and a majority of the bishops, calling upon the government to discontinue proceedings that endangered the prisoner's life. O'Brien's clothes were returned to him on February 5, when his condition was such that he had to be removed to the infirmary connected with the jail. On February 10 a great gathering took place in Hyde park, London, to denounce the government's coercive measures toward Ireland, and to express sympathy with O'Brien. In the meantime several summons had been served on O'Brien for alleged illegal speeches. On February 11 he was removed to the jail at Tralee. On the 18th he was arraigned under the last summons issued against him and sentenced for six months. A few days later he was taken to Galway jail. It was announced on March 13 that the government had decided to abandon the prosecution of O'Brien for conspiracy. - While trying to arrest Father McFadden at Gweedore on February 3, Police Inspector Martin was killed. The priest claimed that he used all his influence with the people to induce them to desist from rioting. Many arrests were made in connection with the affair. - Another rescript was sent by the Pope to the

Irish bishops in November. It ordered them to execute actively the former rescript, which condemned boycotting and the plan of campaign.

BRITISH COLONIES. — The agitation in Canada regarding annexation to the United States, or commercial union with it, has been industriously carried on, but without definite results. The sentiment in favor of annexation appears to be increasing. In an address to French citizens on November 13 the governor-general, Lord Stanley, spoke squarely in opposition to this sentiment, referring to the schemes for annexation as intrigues. In the House of Commons, on February 26, Mr. Laurier, the leader of the opposition, supported with a strong speech a motion to enter into negotiations with the United States and that the modus vivendi in reference to the fisheries be continued. In his reply, Sir John MacDonald said that the Dominion heartily favored enlarged trade relations with the American people. Several days later the motion was defeated—yeas 65, nays 108. On March 5 Sir Richard Cartwright offered a resolution stating that it was expedient that steps should be taken to ascertain on what terms and conditions arrangements could be effected with the United States for securing full and unrestricted reciprocity. This was defeated by the supporters of the government on March 19. — Parliament was opened on January 31. In his speech the governor-general expressed regret at the failure of the Fisheries treaty in the United States Senate, and said that Canada would continue to maintain her rights under the convention of 1818. On February 8 the estimates of the national expenditure were laid before Parliament. The amount asked for the ordinary expenditures was $35,410,280, as against $36,739,257 for the previous year. In his budget speech on March 5 Mr. Foster, minister of Finance, said that the debt of Canada was $236,000,000, an increase of 120 per cent in fourteen years. He anticipated a surplus of $6,000,000 in the next three years. An important measure, known as the Weldon Extradition bill, was passed in April. It provides for the extradition of embezzlers, defaulters, etc., but was amended so as not to be retroactive. — The cabinet council decided on March 23 to issue modus-vivendi licenses; but all of them are to expire on December 31, 1889.John Henry Pope, minister of Railways and Canals, died on April 1. - Sir Anthony Musgrave, governor of Queensland, died early in October. Henry Arthur Blake, governor of Newfoundland, was appointed to succeed him. The appointment was violently opposed by the government and people of the colony, and after a brief interval Sir Henry Norman was appointed to the vacant office. Mr. Blake was afterwards made governor of Jamaica. - Sir Thomas McIlwraith resigned the premiership of Queensland in November, and Mr. Morehead, colonial secretary, became premier. - The elections in New South Wales in February showed that forty ministerialists and thirty-nine members of the opposition had been elected. In March the ministry was defeated on the question of protection and resigned. — Lord Lansdowne, the new viceroy of India, arrived at Bombay on December 3.

FRANCE. - The Chambers met on October 15 and M. Floquet, the premier, at once introduced a bill for the revision of the constitution. His plan made the term of senators three years instead of nine, and that of deputies three years instead of four. It took away from the Senate the power of absolutely rejecting any bill originating in the lower Chamber, and substituted