1895.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2703, 31 December 1895, Page 2

1895.

GREAT BRITAIN. In* Great Britain the year’s interest centres in the general election, which made a com* ploto revolution in the political world, placing the Tories and Liberal* Unionists at the head of affairs with an overwhelming .ua* jority. For some time the bye-elections had been making up a writing on the wall which was everywhere regarded as conclusive, but no one expected that the Liberal disaster would be so great. On the 21at of June, a motion intercepting Supply on the Army Estimates, censuring the Government for not having powder enough in .store, was carried by seven rotes. Three days after, on the 21th, the Government resigned ; Lord Salisbury, who was sent for, formed his Cabinet by the 27th; on the 20th both Cabinets had thoir Windsor interviews —of leave-taking and office-taking—and very soon Parliament was dissolved. The Tories and Liberal-Unionists went to the country with a Parliamentary minority of about 30. They came back with overwhelming power. The results of the elections as announced on August 10th, af“er the Orkney returns (the last) had com® in, were as follows : Conservatives ... ... 310 Xriboral-Unionists ... 71 dll Liberals • ... 177 Parncllitea ... 12 Anti-Parncllites ... ... 70 - - 253 070 Unionist majority ... 152 The most notable losses on the Liberal side wore those of Mr Morley, defeated at Newcastle, and of 6ir W. Vernon Uarcourt, beaten, at Derby. The first of these disasters was due to the tactics of the Independent Labour Party, which broke With the Liberals during the election all along the line; the (second was originally thought to bo owing to the Local Option proclivities of the candidate. But the fact became very soon generally known that his opponent was supported by all the hands of the Great Midland Pail way Company, who disliked the Employers’ Liability Bill, about which the Liberals were asking the constituencies to quarrel with the House of Lords. Nothing could show more conclusively than these two elections how completely the Liberals had gone to pieces. It is worthy of note that Lord Bosobory, who was thus unfortunate in polities, was lucky enough to win the Derby witU Viato. The Blue .Ribbon two yea*" .. was, no doubt, thought by a l ' ° running the public to more th" . *argo, section of political flisaitoi" " I,lko «P

Mr Gid’v ’ • ' ’ • . .• ■ WH - ‘the IJodicft} member for, Carlisle, t'y precedent,, reappointed Speaks, pi tho House of Commons, .. The was*hostile, and the fact that he nad only defeated Sir. Matthew White Ridley on the resignation of Mr Peel, by 11 votes, was thought to bo against his chances. But ho hn/l.hy his firm insistence on the dignity of thp House given such satisfaction to both aides, that tho Government had to give way to the general wish, and tho Right Hon Mr Gully was accordingly appointed Speaker. Tho brief session which followed was remarkable for very little more than tho announcement of tho Ministerial policy, of attention to the social improvement of tho masses at Homo, and care for tho interests of tho Empiro abroad. Tbo Prime Minister had not long to wait before the lattef part of nis programme was upon hinl. The GoV’CiTinieht fodnd thdt the Arrrienian dutfilidh ddd the Chinesc-Jaiianose question \Vor6 quite enough td tost the prestige .gained And long hold by tlio Tories in tlio departihcnt of foreign pplicy. In Ar.nkmut thing-s had gdhe from bkd to Wdrjjc; The ycd,r 1334 had closed 6rt it scone Of liorrOr and confusion, massacre and destruction of every kind. Europe was scandalised, and prepared to intervene as the world’s police of humanity. By May a schoirte of roforut was drawn up by tho representatives of the Great Powers, and put into the hands Of tho

Sultan at the jidlrit <s£ tlio bayonet. That potentate's Answer was giveb in August after tlie now Governnient had got back to cflicp with the confidence of tho constituencies. It was then found that tho bayonet had never possessed a point. To put tho rest of tho story of tho year into a nutshell, tho European concert continued to attack the sick man with that weapon, and tho sick man continued to laugh in his sleeve while making tho most strenuous promises and excuses i while the Turkish fanatics and tho Kurdish baddifcs kept at the wb.rk df niassaetd Arid ruthless violence. The fortificatiods at the entrance td theDArdalielloa wore strengthened by tho Turks, who doubled their garrisons at that important spot, covered tho channel with submarine mines, and erected powerful searchlights on either shore and on tho island in tho centre. Tho combined fleets had tho privilege

of watching these preparations while the diplomatists fought about tho best method of making tho Turk hoar reason. Tho original plan was to make a board of tho Foreign Ambassadors at Constantinople and give it carte

htanche to settle tho difficulty. When all was ready to put on tho necessary pressure the Czar made a difficulty, preferring tbit tho Cabinet should settle The Cabinets, of Course, settled nothing. As tho year ends tho Armenian question is bidding fair td bo ended by tho extinction of tho Armenian people. There was no lack of protests from various parts of the world. Tho powerful voice of Air Gladstone was heard with its Usual commanding ring many times uplifted in picturesquely vigorous protest. Meetings in every country united in speaking forth© cause of oppressed humanity, but nothing was done to stop the massacres. Even tho wretched refugees who fled to Russian territory were thrown back by the .Russian troops into tho hell they had got out of. Tho Party of Young Turkey might have done something, but its leaders, lacking capacity, were unable to prevent themselves from being drowned in the Bosphorus by tho hundred. Turkey, given up to the horrors of the worst Mahomuelau fanaticism, Europe looking on anxious to stop tho butchery, bat afraid of the general war and. paralysed—such is tho question of Armenia as tho year goes out. On the other aide of tho Straits tho whole Balkan world is convulsed. Tho insurrection against tho Turk m Macedonia goes along fitfully. All tho other States are anxious to mingle in tho fray whenever it begins to rage round the couch of tho sick man.

In tho Further Fust tho Salisbury Governmont likewise feel heirs to tho arrangements of their predecessors. Lord Rosebery before tho war was over simply contented himself with a treaty with Japan extending tho great treaty of tho year boforo to tho relations of Japan with tho Chinese Empire after poaoo. Tho treaty secured to Groat Britain all tb* trading advantages to bo gained by Japan in Chinese ports and provinces, and on tho great riverways of the Celestial Empire. When Russia interfered and forced Japan to drop a portion of tho proy made in war, tho Liberal Government of Great Britain made no sign It had blundered the year before by prematurely offering to lead the European concert in a direction in which it would not bo led. After tho poaoo of bimonoaoki it sat still and did nothing. Lord Salisbury could not very well see what else his Government could do under tho circumstances. He pounced upon China at the outset with a denunciation of the too numerous concessions granted to France in Burmese territory, and tho other concessions nearer tho centre of the Empire. He followed that up by interfering very vigorously to punish the massacre of the missionaries at Kuohong. Hp had a largo number of tho mob executed, and he had the viceroy of tho province permanently degraded. The British squadron stands heavily reinforced, but Russia

in the meantime has got her first step. Japan has evacuated Port Arthur and evacuated tho Liaotong Peninsula. Russia, it was announced, had a secret under' standing to got possession of Port Arthur, and to get access to a port, probably Niuchwang, on tho Gulf of Peohili, as tho terminus of the Siberian Railway when it comes through Manchuria.

Groat foreign complications were feared from Prance. Panic writers talked of the match that was to explode the European magazine. Thoy located tho match in Paris, and proceeded to talk of Frenchmen and French journalists after their fashion. In contact with French interests in so many parts of the world, wo must, they said, Frenchmen being very unreasonable as a rule, very soon have a war with Franco. The Upper Nile was one point of danger, bub the Mahdi’s power proved to bo a buffer State strong enough bo deprive tho French match of the necessary friction. Egypt was another, but nothing came from there. The Siamese and Burmese boundaries wore tho third, but nothing but quiet came out of thorn. Tho Niger territories supplied the fourth, and tho matters in dispute settled themselves. French travellers and French expeditions came and went, but nothing came of them. Lastly, Madagascar was regarded as a powerful form of discontent for the lovers of British supremacy. But though the Chamber of Deputies at Paris had a howling debate before tho war about the employment of British contractors for the supplies, and though a British missionary or two was harried by stray Hovas after the capture of tho capital, and though the leading British journals made very patronising and somewhat Pharisaical remarks about tho losses of the French array from Madagascar fever, and tho want of success with all their supply arrangements, nevertheless nothing came of that either. Tho truth about this French match was spoken by M. Hanotaux, the Foreign Minister of the Government that was defeated during the Madagascar war. He said that Franco had done increasing her possessions, and bad begun to take seriously to the remaining work of consolidation. One little matter of foreign policy macks the year: viz., the little act of compulsion by which Nicaragua was compelled to pay indemnity for tho insulting treatment of a British consul. Lord Rosebery played tho game with a coolness and a moderation which saved the country from the ridicule which is always the danger in coercing small Powers. Tho Costa KiCfi Packet case was another item of the foreign policy of the Rosebery Government. They had inherited it from the Conservatives, who did not act up to their prestige, and tho Liberals, it is melancholy to relate, acted accordingly. In January they got an agreement from the Meinbeors to submit to arbitration a grievous outrage on a British mariner by Dutch officials some years before, and by the end of December not a living soul seems to have ever heard of the matter again. That ridicule is not the only danger of interfering with a small Power on the American continent was proved in the last quarter of the year by tho awful fuss made by the President of tho United States about our position in Venezuela. Tho border question between Demerara and Venezuela is a century old. Fifty years ago a Commission took evidence by agreement of both sides, and drew the Schomburgk line, a broad strip of country which .it declared doubtful. Both sides accepted that line as tho only doubtful country, and agreed to de* limit their respective shares of the same whenever thoy might think it worth while. Neither thought it worth whiio until tho British gold-digger began +o find gold quite the other day on too British side of tho Schomburgk strip. Tho Venezuelan Government thereupon sent a party across that strip of disputed territory and took possession of a British station, tho Police Magistrate In charge giving way to superior force. He was ordered to return ; did so; got arrested, and then tho fan began. A demand

from Downing street procured his release ; a further demand for an indemnity followed, jusu as in tho Honduras case. A Maxim gun was moved up to the frontier on the British side—“ We object” came from Caracas—‘‘Defence, not defiance,’* taid the moninchargoof theMarimand the Union Jack, Then a report was ape ad to vhe effect that a British force was lAaitctong through Brazilian territory to l*fco the Venezuelans in rear. It was not true; it could not have been true, because it wai geographically absurd. Bat it ?.ct the gossips wild ; and in the midst of the tumult President Cleveland came out with, his Message to Congress, raised the Mdrtroo doctrine, and literally eet the-florid on fire for a few hours. Nd sensible man believes that there is any danger of war between the nation?, but the smoko of that great conflagration hangs over tho world darkly as the year goes out. Tho probability is that history will record that Prc-ld ;ut Ole velum 1 was the bubble which Lord Salisbury pricked with the bodkin of coolness and good sense. 1835 is tho year of the great boot strike; the year in which the son of the Afghan Ameer received hospitable treatment in isOiidon ; tho year of the Ottawa Conference; a year big in cricketing annals, chiefly associated with the name of tbo leviathan W. G. Grace, tho famous shilling testimonial to whom will not loadily be forgotten. It is the year during which Mr Gladstone refused to re-entor politics, ddnounOsd the unspeakable Turk, and entertained royalty in the TarUallon Castle, at Copenhagen. It Is tho year Of the Chitral campaign, one of the smartest, host conducted affairs of the Century, reflecting glory on European and native troops alike. Tho Liberal Government would have vacated tho conquest, which was denounced in certain quarters as an act of scandalous bad faitlx towards Russia. That criticism was about as mad as the writing from the same quarter about “spooks,” and other denizens of tho vasty who come back from tho other world to indulge in banal small talk with fussy people who are too clover for this sublunary sphere. There was never any with Russia to avoid strengthening our side of the Hindoo Koosh by any method within our power. The military authorises differed greatly about the utility of_ the new acquisition, and the said it would be ruinous to attorn^ 1 - ' , minister. Those things infl"' ~v. j ° ad * bevy to decide tb vri* 5 " % ..'-•need Ro?ehowovop. nr*- -.mira\y. L f ord v S3.l^bmy, policy' -.apt)y .decided, to. rev,er,sc. that t>- ; and|ie was gehei;aljy bftldto.bo.right. < u-Btly, ij.’ tip military ujoh differ there iiiuet bo a (iouHj.rnd .doubts, are luxuries wljich in those fogiona where.the Qossack and the .Sepoy have, at las.t pact .pannot be afforded ; .secondly, the answer to tlio fiscal men ia that those hill tribes when introduced to good government develop the resources of their very fertile valleys, and furnish grand material for the Indian anniea.

It was the year when Khama, the Bechuana chief, came Homo to plead his cause against Cecil Rhodes and his administration. As a temperance reformer tho old chief has a wonderful record. In bis young days ho had no objection to the white traders keeping liquor and consuming it, but ho would al'ow, none to bo supplied to his people. Presently ho caught the traders nob only drunk themselves, but making his people drunk too. So he bundled them off, and his people have been sober ever since. Tbo now arrangement by which Ids country (at hia dmi request) is to ho governed by d cdirinlisaidiier and tho usual pdaie contittUar, lib does not Object to in Any degree; except on one point. Thdfc point la the introduction cf liqitdr into his territory He wds told tllafc lio one, neither Rhodes, nor the Capo Government, nor ailybody else; wdrits to permit tho sale of drink td his nativdS. But ho wanted niore, aHd left for horde rather ruffled.

IH this year tlio Aniericans again kept tho America Challenge Cup, and again the unfairness of tho conditions struck all observers with mriro than (ho Usual point. It id doubt - ful.now whether any one outside tho Union will ever again droani of crinipotiUg for A prizo oii terms which niake it An Aniorican certainty. Tho Valkyrie went very hear ; a matter of a, few seconds. Brit that just marks tlie point of the unfairness. We should not be surprised to see an international cup, internationally subscribed for, to bo competed for on fairer terms. In tho athletic field an English team found more than its match in America during tho year. Tho Americans not only beat their rivals but they alsd boat their dwii records, a fact which discounted, tlie British excuse that the hot weather had interfered with their performances. Tile Valkyrie contest and these athletic events gave tho Yankee humorists some powder for their replies to the chaff which was thrown at them after tho President’s stupid Message. These exchanges wore happily tho nearest approach to war during tlie whole of the scare.

The knighthoods among the Birthday honours gave tho year a special mark to bo remembered by. Mr Stansficld got tho G.C.8., and wo had ttr Henry Irving, Sir W. JI. Russell, Sic Walter Bezant and Sir Lewis Morris. Literature and tho drama were in ecstasies, and there was some sneering. “Common as bkiekborfics; jitst like the c)f Honour," said the British Philistine. But tho sentiment was by nd means general., The crimp of the year will be roniombored especially for tho exposure of Oscar Wilde, whose tidal caused a sensation greater than aily experienced socially for twe centuries The capture, conviction and sentence of fourteen years in tho Jabez Balfour case also make the year remarkable. Justice keeps awake, and lias a long arm as well as a long memory, as everybody is saying. But why nobody denounces tho persecution which after sentence of fourteen years subjects tho unfortunate man to another trial for evading his creditors, it passes the wit of man to comprehend. The Stokes case throw a shadow over our relations with Belgium and tho Congo Free State. There are two versions of tho case, one of which represents Stokes as guilty, and the other as innocent of any crime against the Free State. Tho State has complicated matters for Major Lolbaire, tho Belgian officer, who ordered the court-martial and execution,by paying 150,000 francs to tho British Treasury by way of compensation. While Belgium refuses to place tho Major on his trial, the State has practically declared him a murderer. Tho Buko of Cambridge resigned tho command of tho Army, and Lord Wolseley succeeded him. EUROPE. Tho biggest event in Europe was tho resignation of the French President, Cacimir Porior. It was a two days' wonder, and no more. On the loth of January M, Porior resigned ; on tho 17th AI. Fauro was elected in his place, and on tho IStli nobody talked any more about it. Tho Madagascar campaign was a little war which tno French army has some reason to bo proud of; not on account of the numbers or power of tho enemy, but by reason of tho natural difficulties to bo encountered. General Duchesne marched inland from Majuuga on the west coast, and in a few weeks reached and took possession of the Malagasy capital. His losses by fever were very largo, while his casualties in tho field did not amount to more than about 50 menalltold. All authorities concur in eulogising the military skill displayed by the General and his officers, and the sturdy enduring spirit of the soldiery. The country was not taken possession of as a French colony, but a Protectorate was established. How it will work remains to be seen. Borne railway scandals ; the bursting of a dam with loss of life ; an unusually deadly duel between two Parisian journalists ; the degradation and imprisonment of Captain Dreyfus on a charge of betraying official secrets. Germany opened tho Great Baltic Canal from Kiel to the mouth of tho Elbe with groat festivities, in which squadrons of all nations, including France, took part. Tho work is, of course, of incalculable value to tho Gorman navy in case of war with a Power strong enough to shut up the entrance to the Baltic. As to its value to commerce opinions of exports aro divided, the saving in time being hardly in proportion to the cost of saving it. It. lias been a year of canals, for Holland opened tho Harlem Canal, and Canada the St. Mary’s, joining Lakes Superior and Huron. Tho Socialists havo kept tho German Kaiser and his Parliament very busy, and apparently not to their liking, for the Prussian Minister of War declared that if tho police could not copo with the Socialists the army would have to try. The Socialist idea, by the way, is that tho army of the Fatherland ought to bn no more than a militia, assembled periodically for training, and not liable to servo outside tho boundaries of Germany. Several of their loaders convicted of saying disrespectful things of tho Kaiser and Parliament havo been sent to gaol for a few months to chew the cud of this and other doctrines.

The Elbe disaster in tho North Soa with a loss of 371 lives opened tho year with a melancholy record. But it was only towards tho close that a Dutch Court discovered that the owners of tho Crathio, which did the mischief, were responsible for the cost of the sunken ship. In those cases nobody over seems to be hold responsible for the lives that are lost. In that respect there is no change to report in the world’s practice for 1595. Signor Crispi will know tho year as that in which his party swept the board at a general election, much as the Tory-Unionist Party did in Great Britain. Spain will remember it by the Cuban insurrection in which 30,000 troops under the celebrated Martinez Campos were kept at bay almost with tho success of a revolution • for nearly the whole year; Belgium by the BUI passed for taking over the Congo Free State, n, course which stopped much international heartburning, and not a little danger; and also by the cud of the Joniaux poisoning case, one of the colossal crimes of the world; Bulgaria by tho murder of M. Stambouloff, which was a vile crime—connived at by the Government probably whether the murdered man was a true patriot or a traitor, or a tyrant who ruled by a system as high-handed as the Star Chamber, and as much given to tortures as the Spanish Inquisition according to the worst accounts. Bulgaria will also remember the year by the fact that Prince Ferdinand spout it on the throne, and agreed to lot his sou Boris ba brought up in the Russian faith. Austria will remember it by th* resignation of Count Kalnoky after 14 years Prime Ministership. Russia will remember 1535 by the death of M. do triors, the faithful Minister of Alexander HI., and the capable successor of , General Ignatieff, and by the fact that a daughter was born, to the Czar; also by much successful diplomacy in the far East. It was Russian diplomacy which made the Japanese dragon disgorge some of hU prey, and made China. compensate him by a few extra millions, ’.Which were raised by the use of Russian credit for a consideration involving on some' future day the surrender of a pound of flesh, to be by that time specified, with all the blood contained therein, and as much more as way be obtainable from any sources that may ba available. The surmise at present is that the pound embraces the possession of Manchuria, which Russia has marked down as her portion of the Chinese Empire, now toppling over and about to break into pieces. This, with a port on tho Yellow Sea outside of winter ice, seems to be looming. In Armenia the Russian is at the bottom of all the diplomacy. There the Enropcnn concert is largely Rinso-philo, and Constantinople is not likely to bo denied except by Great Britain. As the new year progresses the intentions and actions of the Northern Colossus,with one great paw on the shore of the Yellow Sea, and the other hover*

ing over the city of the Greek Brnpefors and the unspeakable Turk, Who ousted tho last of them fou r * Cbißurics ago, will bo observed with evcr-increasing attention and interest. In these respects tho year Jus been one not so much of change as for an amalgamation of things that lead to changes iii tho world’s history. Turkey will romstnfcej* 1835 is d, year of unbridled fanaticism and hi leously bad merit, of massacres, murders, deaths, spoliations, robberies, vidjxtmns end awful rtnd hdffilMbi lx (lie liiUpoakabio does flbt rorfleniber tho 3*oar n-s the last of his infamous sovereignty, it will not be for want of desert. Daring tho year occurred the outrage on tho Consuls at Jeldah. Bub in the sea of Turkish corruption that is a mere drop hardly worth sp?akLng of: ia which respect it resembles tho fine exacted and tbo sincerity of the promise to prevent recurrence.

Tho main thing in the Unify 1 Sic tc > ilUtOr.y is of course tho Vraf scare caused by the President’s extraordinary Message, and the frightful pecuniary losses as well ds the awful dislocation Of trade which it caused. A borrowing sellout for xffeeldng tlio increasing t’lfc'roiows deficits is before Congress as tho year goes out, and with it is a lie w tariff. The Kepublicaus, ever on tho look out to get back to their beloved Protection —prolific nurse, when abused to madness, cf gigaiitic fortunes and widespread misery—have lo.st no time in parsing a now tariff Bill through the. House of tafciVOs. To ils it is Chiefly interesting' as re-imposing some of tho tax lately taken off wool. But as the taking off did not do us any great good, it is open to us to expect that tho putting on again will not do us much harm. Free silver kept tho talkers busy during the year ; a Pacific mail steamer, tho Cobimi, went down, with 170 lives; tho Supremo Court of the United States declared the income tax unconstitutional. AUSTRALIA. A year of mixed feelings it has been for our Australian neighbours. On one aide they have been cheorod by tbo substantial revival of prices,partioularly of on tho depressed by 'ln>U;?hc, wliioh ’was the occasion of prayers and a day of in nt least one colony, “'la caused thd shortage of the wheat aupply of tlio The latter tho 'CClifcrijiaiifl. Have wjth characteristic enterprise .already Jused to their advantage. Nevertheless, the year was one of recovery all found ,: a y<?ar of convalescence, ,ih fact, after,the .terrible prostration which succeeded the .boom fever. The various banks which suspended ia tho black year met their engagements well, and tho community did not scorn to feel tho pull of the many calls coming duo. Of course the fall in tho interest of money, all the world over, caused now arrangements to be suggested. Those were well received, and will be naturally fol- ; lowed by others. Tho public finance of tho Continent stood well at the opposite extremes, Western Australia and Queensland, each of these colonics chronicling a large surplus. In tho others tho chronic deficits were largely added to. Naturally fiscal measures occupied the largest share of attention, for which reason direct taxation has been the talk of three big colonies during tho year. After much struggling and a conflict with the Upper House,' Mr Reid ottuio back td floiVer I'roui a general election stronger, than ever, and carried his policy of Freetradc arid direct taxation with some few modiftcd’ioils ; dnd peace reigned drice more. Victotid arid New Sorith Wales bo'th passed a Federal Enabling Bill, thus reviving once more the subject of Australian Federation, which gob a now interest from tho development of riffairs in tho East.

The collapse Of some labour settlements has to be noted id various parts of the Continent, and the continuation of others. A great deal of surprise was caused by tho failure of Chaffed Brds.; df Milddr’a, a thing which causes people to reflect that enterprises of such magnitude ought net to be in private hands. It is hoped that the time given for fresh arrangements will save tho settlors, but it is still a fact that the failure threatens them with tho destruction of all they possess, and, what is Wdrsej threatens to' destroy a great industry. It is a year of new Governors all fodnd ; Colonel Gerard Smith at Perth, Lord Lamington at Adelaide, Lord Brassoy at Melbourne,' Viscount Hampden at Sydney, The most sensational event of tho year was the Doan case, which is too recent to require detailed reference. It was full of incidents most varied, unexpected and kaleidoscopic ; it ’ raised questions of honour, voracity and taste ; it invaded Parliament and private life; it thrilled the public press ; it is not finished ; and it threatens to throw out more roots into every pait of society. At present, Dean, who ought to havo been hanged for attempted murder, stands sentenced to 14 years* penal servitude for perjury before tho Commission, and Meagher, who violated every rule of honour, truth and decency, stands convicted of conspiracy, and is allowed to wait till February for sentence ; while Crick has been acquitted, and is worrying tho AttorneyGeneral. Then wo havo tho Ringarooma court riiaitial, reniarkablo for the queer behaviour of both the captain and tho doctor, and tho final result, >lz., a pension to tho latter; the wreck of , the Gathcrthun, which brought tho bravery of hor Chinese crew into strong prominence, a fact honourably acknowledged by all Australia ; the Broken Hill fire ; the end of tho Newcastle coal strike; the distressing accidents at tho Mo Evoy initio and the Yarra- drainage tunnel —the latter remarkable for the heroism of tho engineer in charge, who sacrificed his life for the men outside the air chamber, in which ho confined tho rush of water ; tho discovery of a 2160 z nugget at Daylesford; tho Abraham frauds, and the Sheridan abortion case, which involved a death sentence which is to bo carried out early in the first month of tho New Year.

Now South Wales will remember the yoar by the death of tho Governor, Sir R. Duff. It was the fourth ovont of tho kind during the past OU years, in Australasian history. Tho first was the death at Auckland of Governor Hobson in 1843, tho second tho death of Governor Sir C. Hofcham at Melbourne in 1855, and the third the death of Sir Anthony Musgrave at Brisbane in 1883. The livo cattlo trade with Groat Britain gave rise to many experimental shipments during tho year, of which more was thought In the beginning than at the ond of the twelve months. A more hopeful business was the establishment of a line of steamers to carry meat and produce to Liverpool and Manchester, which was inaugurated during tho hist quarter of tho year by a free gift of 500 carcases of mutton from tho Alayor of Melbourne for tho poor of tho cotton capital. The visit of Stoddart’s team of English cricketers marks tho year for the continent. Their series of matches was wonderfully well contested, and caused more excitement than anything that happened during the year. Tho final win rested with thorn.

THE WAR IN THE EAST.

Tho war ended cn May 2nd with the peace of Simonosoki, after a fanatic had wounded the Chinese plenipotentiary Li Hung Chang. In tho four months preceding, tho Japanese had captured Woi-hai-woi, with the balance of tho Chinese navy ; Niuchwaug, the Manchurian port on the Gulf oi Pechili, and Haichow, at tho mouth of the Grand Canal, running by Nankin to Pekin. After the Wwi-hai-wci surrender tho Chinese Admiral Ting, who had been honourably restore I to the commaud, coramittod suicide with somo of his best officers. The Japanese gave them a groat funeral. After the troaty was signed Russia intervened, and, being backed by several European Powers, ooTup-sllod a modification. Under the now treaty tho Japanese gave up the Liao-tong Peninsula, .with tho stronghold of Port Arthur, and received ton millions additional for tho concession, Tho money was promptly car-markoi for the construction of more warships.

China was left by tho war in a state of great prostration. By tho aid of Russian credit, one loan for tho war indemnity was in Paris, and another without Russian assistance in Berlin. A Mahomedan rebellion broke out in the North-west, and while troops wore sent to tho scone of operations tho task of consolidating, reforming and recovering the Empire engaged tho attention of tho authorities. Nothing was expected to come of it, and as nothing has been heard, nobody is disappointed. What will happen is not easy to foresee. But the great thing that has happened is that Japan has not be m allowed by Europe to conquer tho Chinese Empire, ,*nd organise its vast human material and direct its enormous producing power into enlightened modern methods. That would have been a menace to the world. At present, so far as can be seen, there are two menaces likely to arise out of the situation; one is tho menace to British trade supremacy in tho East, threatened by the development of Japan. Tho other is the menace to the British dominions in the East, and to Australasia, by the establishment of tho Russian power m Manchuria and the Yellow Sea. Time will give us plenty to think about in these seas before long. NEW ZEALAND. The year began with the Colonial Treasurer’s mission Homo. At the outset he was violently criticised by the enemy. He floated a 3 per cent, loan ; he spoke to all and sundry words of good omen for New Zealand ; he returned aft*-r arranging for a consoljda--tion operation beyond the power of critical praise. When ho returned the Opposition abused him like pickpockets- At the end of the year all this got Home, and, thank heaven, met with the most determined condemnation. Tho financial magnates laughed. “The idea,” they said, “of our listening to tho balderdash of Opposition speakers and writers is too preposterous.” That ended the matter well.

The session of Parliament was remarkable besides, and very remarkable, for the banking legislation, which gave a further instalment of tho guarantees of 1891, and provided for tho absorption of the business of the Colonial Bank by the Bank of New Zealand, and for the realisation of the Assets Company’s properties by a special board. Tho board has been appointed during tho last week. It is a good board, and the presence upon it of the Premier has inspired confidence in commercial circles : bo has the reappointment of the Hon W, Johnston to the bank directory. The pissing of an extended liquor law was another special mark of the session, which was further signalised by the appearance of the Local Government Bill and the Fair Rent Bill. Into the other details of a long and somewhat stormy session wo cannot enter for lack of space. After the session Sir Patrick Bnckloy retired from tho Ministry, having accepted the Puisne Judgeship vacated by the death of Mr Justice Richmond, an event regretted by every colonist from the North Cape to the Bluff. An eruption of Mount Ruapehu, the failure of the Reciprocity Treaty with South Australia, tho Deans execution, tho Brown conviction, the visit of the Mark Twain, are among the principal memorable events of tho year, OEITUA.UT. Tho year's obituary is somewhat l6ng. Wo , select the principal n«ims3Lord Randolph Churchill, ~Dr Hale, M. do Giers : Marshal Caurobert, of Imperialist brilliant memorv : Norman McLeod : Archduke Albrecht, who fought the battle of Custozza ; the exKhedivo Ismail, who spent much but permitted tho Suez Canal; Dr Dale ; Sir IT. Kawlinson,of “Herodotus” fame; Mrdnd Mrs German Edd, Corney Grain; Six Patrick

Grant, tho capturor of Tantia Top oo in tho far-off Mutiny days ; Sir G. Chosney, tho great militvry critic ; good old P.rofossor BUlkie, of unrivalled influence and power, the moulder of several generations of Scottish intellect; Professor Dana, the lively American Writer ; dir R Scharf, of tho National Gallery; Sir Robert Hamilton, whilom Governor of. Tasrdania, and great at the Odldnial Office ‘ G.. A; Sald t tlid accent* pls=?hcu ( arid, in t£any tespsetsj unique jdurniUUl: Pisieiir, tile £lcdt Ccie'riHßri expert, whoso researches did so nVuch for commerce and something for medicine ; Mr Saunders, the . Parliamentarian' and p olemic writer ; G. Bentley, of the famous publishing house ; Professor Huxley, the untiring rhetorician, brilliant writer, and most able man of science; General Peisoto, once President of Brazil; Baron Tavfchnitz, tho Qdrn’an purveyor of cheap literature after tlie piritic'iil, t?iit lilwa}’.* w d 50 , n’0 fashion; Sir Robert Peel; General Feildlrig, whose nauio will live in the district of tliatirahifo as long as the Rangitikci River flows to the sea.

Tho .potable feature in the year’s necrology is the list cojitubiltec* >'y the, British navy: Admiral day); Admiral Borlaso, Si; Admiral Lord Alpcstcr, 71; Admiral White, 73 :Ad mini Ruxton, 64 ; • Admiral Salmond, 57; Admiral Sir Gooffry Hornby, 76. Ttt Now South Wales the notable d^ath'was that of Sir Robert the. Governor; Victoria lost the ex-Premier £ir Janies Paterson; New Zealand had to deplore tho loss of Bishop Moran, Judge Richmond, Mr WiUon, M.L.0., Mr Mantell, M.L.C., and Mr Moat, once a member of the House of Representatives. CONCLUSION. The year has been one of commercial revival based on a substantial improvement of prices. It has boon one of hard work in ovory department, and of much financial stress. It has seen tho end of tho Midland Railway difficulty. As it closes, the festival season finds enjoyment for all, profit for tho business people, and hope for the Colony. Trusting that this hope may bo realised wo wish our many readers, while thanking them for the generous support accorded to us* during tho past 12 months 1

A llarf*y New Vear.