DEATH OF THE QUEEN OF MADAGASCAR.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3829, 24 October 1883, Page 4

DEATH OF THE QUEEN OF MADAGASCAR.

A telegram has been received in London •which states that the Queen of Madagascar died on July 31. Queen Ranavolana 11. (succeeded to the throne of Madagascar on tho death of Queen Rasoahcrina on April 1, 1868. As she was known to be in favour of progress, her accession was generally hailed with satisfaction. After she had been elected Queen she adopted the Christian roligion. Tho late Queen, while her deceased predecessor was lying in State, read portions of an old Bible, which for some time was kept ou a table in the palace, and from the perusal of that book tho Queen decided to embrace the faith fur which many distinguished people of her country had suffered loss of life. Her coronation was marked by tho absence of idols and other symbols of heathenism, and on the canopy abovo her throne Scriptural quotations wero inscribed. The voluntary abolition of idolatrous practices by which vast numbers of innocent iioople were slaughtered followed her accession. One evil practice was the sacrifice of children born on unlucky days by placing them at tho ontrancc of a cattle-pen, but in the event of the child being passed over unhurt by the cattle it aviis preserved, as its escape was regarded as a a token of good luck. The Queen, being of a kind and intelligent nature, was greatly distressed by tho persecutions which had occurred iv the past in sight of her palace. Tho suburb of Faravobika was on tlie north Bide of the capital, and there four persons, of noble birth, wero burnt to death ; while in tho distant south wero regions of pestilential malaria which had been fatal to many members of distinguished families. It was Queen Ranavolana's wish to suppress idolatry, which had borne such evil results, and to substitute for it something better, and from her accession until her death she was strictly faithful to the welfare of her people. Under her sway education made rapid advancos, and in the principal schools in the provinces there were about 1-10,000 scholars. Frequently the Queen displayed her interest in this work by personally distributing prizes to the scholars. According to tho native law, all the men in Madagascar aro liable to Government service in lieu of taxes. The Queen enacted, however, that teachers and others occupied in education Bhould bo exempt from such services. Other reforms which sho made involved the abolition of certain vested interests. Olficer wore accustomed to secure to themselves the services of men of lower grade, and many had thus acquired command of a thousand subordinates ; but by a new law thirty was fixed as the maximum number allowed to the highest olficer in tho country. This reform was hailed with general satisfaction. Great, reforms were introduced into the army, and tho system of life service was abolished, the longest period of service being live years. Many reforms in the administration of justioo have likewise been made, the old system being rotten and corrupt. Legislation was frequently kept pending for years; bribery was common ; and .suitors, being unable to pay costs, wero in consequence sold into slavery. Under the new system, tho decision, which formerly rested with tho judges, wa.s placed in tho bunds of twelve officers and a chief judge. The late Queen laid the foundations of constitutional government in Madagascar and the im2)ortant olfices which she established are now hold by native gentlemen educated in the college at Antanarivo. Queen Ranavolana cfi'octed the emancipation of all the Mozambique slaves in her dominions, and made tho importation of slaves illegal. Though domestic slavery still exists it has been shorn of its worst features, and the public slave markets have been abolished.