rivalries between the chiefs for the kingship were suspended. The ex-King Tamasese, who had hitherto been the chief disturber of the public peace, had met Malietooa in friendly conference with the British-German consuls. The Samoan Land Commission concluded its labours with the award of 75,000 acres to the German claimants, 36,000 to the English, and 21,000 to the Americans and others.

An agitation of the usual factitious character-plainly betraying by its nature that it was the work not of the colonists, but the officials-was got up at Noumea, having for its object the annexation of the New Hebrides to France.

The Islands of Ruahine and Bolalula, lying on the fringe of the Society Islands, and adjacent to Raiatea, were declared an appanage of the French colony of Tahiti.

In Hawaii, the late insurrectionary movement having subsided, the Government in power pardoned the ex-Queen, Liliuokalani, who had been sentenced to five years' imprisonment, and permitted all persons concerned in the rising to return to the island, except the brothers Ashford.

PART II.

CHRONICLE OF EVENTS

IN 1895.

JANUARY.

1. The New Year's Speeches delivered by the heads of the various foreign courts were marked by a pacific spirit and a desire to promote social progress.

The rank of Privy Councillor conferred on Mr. Cecil J. Rhodes, Prime Minister of Cape Colony.

Severe cold set in over all parts of Great Britain-snow falling heavily in the northern counties-accompanied on the east and south coasts by terrific gales.

2. By a fire which broke out in the Edgeware Road, on the premises of a French laundress, eight persons, seven of whom were women, were suffocated or burnt to death.

Nubar Pasha addressed a remonstrance to the Egyptian Legislative Council with respect to the violent language against foreigners used in their report on the Budget.

- An apparition of the Virgin having been alleged to have occurred in a wood near Brannau in Bohemia, a large crowd of persons assembled, and on refusing to separate were dispersed by gendarmes.

3. The funeral of Sir John Thompson took place at Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the presence of the Viceroy and Lady Aberdeen and an immense crowd of mourners and spectators. The body had been conveyed from England in H.M.S. Blenheim.

Lord Monkswell appointed Under-Secretary for War in succession to Lord Sandwich, nominated Governor of Bombay.

The second match between Mr. Stoddart's eleven and the United Australians played at Melbourne, and, after four days' play, the Colonials were defeated by ninety-four runs. Score: England, first innings 75, second innings 475; Australians, first innings 123, second innings 333.

4. The mail steamer Empress from Dover with 148 passengers was carried by the force of the wind against one of the piers of Calais Harbour and severely damaged. The captain then ran the ship ashore and the passengers were landed safely at low water.

A

4. M. Zankoff, who had been exiled by his political opponents, returned to Sofia and was received with great enthusiasm by his supporters.

The Argentine Congress in secret session sanctioned the expenditure of $2,000,000 for war material in view of possible complications with Chili.

5. At Singapore the holders of unpaid offices and four members of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlement resigned as a protest against the proposed military contribution of the country.

Captain Alfred Dreyfus publicly degraded in the courtyard of the Ecole Militaire, in the presence of about 5,000 soldiers. Captain Dreyfus protested his innocence.

The village of Orlu (Ariège) totally destroyed by an avalanche, which killed fifteen persons and seriously injured many others. Several fatal accidents in the same district were also reported. Heavy snowstorms also occurred throughout Central and Northern Italy, doing severe damage.

6. A terrific hurricane burst over Fiji and the adjacent islands, doing enormous damage to public and private buildings, wrecking the shipping and destroying the trees and crops.

The Russian official Gazette gave notice that from the beginning of the New Year the sale of intoxicating liquors in the four Eastern provinces of the empire would be monopolised by the Government.

7. Mr. Gladstone on his way to the Riviera spent an evening in London, when he received an address, presented by Mr. T. P. O'Connor, M.P., on behalf of a body of Irish Americans.

Specie to the amount of $250,000 having been received at St. John's, Newfoundland, together with a large supply of notes of the Bank of Montreal, business was, after two months' interval, recommenced.

-The independence of the Kingdom of Corea solemnly proclaimed at Seoul, the Japanese assenting and promising to be represented diplomatically.

A pleasure steamer crossing the bay of Rio de Janeiro from Nichteroy caught fire and about 150 excursionists were drowned or burned.

At Honolulu an attempt made by the partisans of the dethroned Queen of Hawaii to overthrow the existing Republican Government. After two days' fighting, in which a member of the Legislature was killed, the natives were driven into the bush and dispersed.

8. Bread riots, arising out of the prevailing distress, took place at St. John's, Newfoundland. The crowds first surrounded the House of Assembly, demanding "food or work." On returning they attacked a store and pillaged its contents. Sailors and marines were landed to protect public property and buildings.

The Miners' Federation of Great Britain, attended by delegates

representing 180,000 men, met at Birmingham under the presidency of Mr. Pickard, M.P.

8. The Italian ambassador at Paris, M. Resman, unexpectedly returned to Italy on an indefinite leave of absence.

9. Professor Burdon-Sanderson appointed to succeed Sir Henry Acland as Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford.

The German Emperor, at a dinner given at Potsdam to a number of members of Parliament, surprised his guests by delivering a lecture on the needs of the Navy.

- The Victorian Government (Australia) defeated on a motion to report progress in consequence of the withdrawal of the support of the Labour members, who resented the reduction of their salaries as members to 2001. per annum.

The treaty annexing the Congo State to Belgium signed at Brussels.

10. The 250th anniversary of the execution of Archbishop Laud celebrated by the opening of an exhibition of Laudian relics in the school-room attached to the Church of All Hallow's, Barking, and by an open-air service held on the spot in Trinity Square, Tower Hill, where he was executed.

Nizam-ul-Mulk, the Mehtar of Chitral, murdered by his younger brother, Amir-ul-Mulk, who established himself as de facto ruler of the frontier district.

Snowstorms of unusual severity occurred throughout Central Europe, extending over the south of France, Northern Italy, and Southern Germany. At Vienna the snow was heavier than had been known for a dozen years. In Scotland and the North of England the

cold was also intense.

The first division of the Japanese Army, under General Nogi, attacked Kaiphing, which was held in force by the Chinese. After four hours' hard fighting the Japanese occupied the place, having brought their guns through deep snow.

11. After a delay of three weeks Baron Banffy, the Governor of Croatia, and a confirmed Liberal, formed an Austrian Cabinet which was accepted by the Emperor.

12. In the German Reichstag the first reading of the anti-revolutionary bills proposed by the Government, after a long debate, passed without a division.

- After lasting about five days the severe frost suddenly broke into terrible gales from the south-east accompanied by snowstorms, followed by a rapid thaw. Great damage was done to shipping and traffic inland was much impeded.

13. A bomb deposited on a window sill of a house in the Parc Monceau, and on being discovered was thrown by the concierge into the street, where it exploded and caused much damage.

The French Cabinet of M. Dupuy resigned in consequence of a