PART II.

CHRONICLE OF EVENTS

IN 1900.

JANUARY.

1. The Queen sent New Year's greetings to the various commands in South Africa, expressing her deep interest in her soldiers of all ranks.

2. At Paris the trial of the leaders of the conspiracy against the Republic before the Senate, sitting as a High Court of Justice, was concluded. The three principal accused-M. Buffet (Orleanist), M. Déroulède (Nationalist), and M. Guérin (Anti-Semite)—were found guilty, and condemned to banishment or imprisonment.

3. The new Royal yacht Victoria and Albert, on leaving Pembroke dockyard, heeled over while being floated, and became jammed at the dock entrance.

4. The Frankfurt-Strasburg express train ran into a goods train laden with spirits at Bischweiler Station. A waggon at once caught fire and spread to the mail van of the express. Three postal officials were killed, and the engine-drivers, guards and several passengers sustained injuries.

At Lagos the flag of the Royal Niger Company formally lowered and the Union Jack hoisted.

A terrible earthquake reported from Tiflis as having been felt throughout the Caucasus. Ten villages, together with the town of Akhalkalaki, suffered most severely, as well as Batoum and the district of Bogdanoff. Upwards of 1,000 persons lost their lives, and much cattle and other property were destroyed.

5. The Great Western Railway mail steamer Ibex, from Weymouth, went ashore on the Black Rock, Guernsey, and sank in twenty minutes. All the passengers and crew were saved except one sailor.

6. Ladysmith attacked with great vigour by the Boers, but after eleven hours' fighting Sir George White effectually defeated the assailants, who suffered serious losses.

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6. The "Gorsedd" sword, the mystic weapon of the Welsh bards, solemnly unsheathed for the first time for centuries in a remote spot in Merionethshire, near Llyn Cowlyd. The chief bard invoked the blessing of God on British arms in South Africa, and announced that the Gorsedd sword would not be sheathed again till the triumph of the forces of righteousness over the hordes of evil. The day chosen for this ceremony was Old Christmas Day.

9. The house of Mr. Pulitzer, proprietor of the New York World, totally destroyed by fire. The housekeeper and governess lost their lives, and a valuable collection of tapestries was destroyed.

10. The first through train from Cairo to Khartoum reached its destination.

Field-Marshal Lord Roberts and his staff arrived at Cape Town. General Buller commenced his advance by the seizure of Springfield Bridge and the occupation of Zwart's Kop by Lord Dundonald.

11. The Bank of England reduced its rate from 6 to 5 per cent., the total reserve standing at 21,831,856l., or 39 per cent. of the liabilities, and the stock of bullion at 33,357,7117.

In consequence of the absence of winter rains, the famine area throughout India was greatly extended, and upwards of three millions of natives were in receipt of relief, the Central Provinces and Bombay being the chief sufferers.

12. M. Zola presented with a gold medal weighing 4 lb. as a testimonial of his services to the cause of truth and justice in the Dreyfus

case.

Lord Strathcona offered the Secretary of State for War to provide, equip and transport from Canada to South Africa at his own expense a force of 400 officers and men.

The freedom of the city conferred upon the officers and men of the City of London Imperial Volunteers, who in the evening attended an impressive service at St. Paul's, and were subsequently entertained at supper by the Benchers of the Inner Temple.

13. Before daylight they marched to Nine Elms Station through dense and enthusiastic crowds, and started for Southampton, where their embarkation was witnessed by the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs and the Corporation of the City.

15. Sir Stafford Northcote, the new Governor of Bombay, raised to the peerage as Lord Northcote.

16. The United States Senate ratified the new Samoan treaty.

17. The German mail steamer Bundesrath, which had been seized by a British cruiser outside Delagoa Bay, released, nothing contraband having been found on board, and full compensation ordered to be paid to the owners.

In the Lisbon Chamber of Deputies the Minister of Foreign Affairs declared that the Portuguese Government would neither sell, cede nor lease any portion of its colonial possessions.

18. The Bank of England reduced the official rate of discount from 5 to 4 per cent., the reserve standing at 23,113,423l., or 421 per cent. of the liabilities, and the coin and bullion at 34,536,2531.

19. Osman Digna, the fugitive Mahdist leader, captured near Tokar by a party sent from Suakim.

The Archbishop of Canterbury received at Lambeth Palace a deputation of the High Church party bringing a memorial, signed by 13,794 communicants of the Church of England, protesting against the opinion on incense and processional lights given by the two archbishops.

20. Cardinal Vaughan issued to the clergy of his diocese a circular inhibiting Dr. St. George Mivart for articles contributed by him to certain reviews, and for failing to sign a confession of faith thrice tendered to him.

The second detachment of the City Imperial Volunteers, 800 strong, having received many farewell demonstrations, started from Nine Elms for Southampton, where they embarked.

22. The Vaudeville Theatre, Newcastle-on-Tyne, together with the adjoining Central Exchange Art Gallery buildings, valued together at upwards of 70,000l., totally destroyed by fire.

23. After three days' incessant fighting, during which the Boers were ultimately driven back about three miles to their principal line of defence behind the Tugela, Sir Redvers Buller delivered a night attack upon Spion Kop, an important position, but after twenty-four hours it had to be abandoned.

The Town Militia Arsenal, Jersey, with its guns, ammunition, etc., totally destroyed by fire in less than two hours.

24. The French and Italian Governments arrived at an arrangement delimiting their respective rights in the Red Sea littoral.

The Emperor of China, Kwang Su, signed an edict appointing as emperor in his own place Put-sing, son of Prince Tuan, aged nine years. 25. Mr. Ruskin quietly buried in Coniston Churchyard, in accordance with his wishes; an offer of a grave in Westminster Abbey having been made to and declined by his family.

The text of the new German Navy Bill issued, proposing to make during the ensuing twenty years an addition of 19 battleships, 8 large and 15 small cruisers to the Navy. The total cost of ships, dock and harbour works was estimated at 1,861,000,000 marks, and the addition to the annual expenditure at 5,400,000 marks.

The Bank of England reduced its rate from 4 to 4 per cent., the reserve standing at 23,921,625l., or 45 per cent. of the liabilities, and the coin and bullion at 35,240,7901.

27. The bubonic plague declared to be existing at Rosario in the Argentina, and the town ordered to be isolated by a strong cordon.

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The Mayor of Mafeking, on behalf of the troops and inhabitants, sent a message of devotion to the Queen on the hundredth day of its successful defence.

29. The Committee on National Defences laid before the French Cabinet a vast scheme for greatly increasing the navy and improving the coast and colonial defences, providing cables between France and her colonies, etc., at a cost of 40,000,000l., to be spread over seven years, and covered by the ordinary resources of the revenue.

30. The seventh session of the fourteenth Parliament of the Queen's reign opened by Royal Commission.

At a general assembly of the Academicians and Associates of the Royal Academy, Mr. H. S. Tuke, painter, Mr. J. Belcher, architect, and Mr. Alfred Drury, sculptor, were elected Associates.

31. The French Government decided to suspend the stipends of the Archbishop of Aix and of half a dozen bishops for having addressed letters of sympathy to the Assumptionist Fathers.

FEBRUARY.

1. The steamship Remus, from Philadelphia to Aarhuus, laden with wheat, and with a crew of twenty-seven men, having been caught by a severe gale in the North Sea, foundered on the rocks on the Danish coast, and thirteen of the crew were drowned, and the captain in a fit of delirium shot himself.

After ten days' continuous fighting, the forts erected by Mat Salleh, the rebel leader in British North Borneo, stormed by a party of British and Dyaks under Captain Harington. Mat Salleh was killed and his troops taken prisoners, only one European officer being wounded.

2. The new wing of the Engineering Laboratory at Cambridge, erected in memory of Dr. John Hopkinson by his widow, opened by the Vice-Chancellor, and an address delivered by Lord Kelvin, F.R.S.

3. Dumbell's Banking Company, at Douglas, Isle of Man, suspended payment, causing a run upon the other local banks.

4. St. Saviour's Church, Upper Huskisson Street, Liverpool, totally destroyed by fire shortly before morning service, and caused by overheating of the flues.

5. A convention abrogating the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, so far as related to the construction of a canal across the Central American Isthmus, signed at Washington by the British Ambassador, Lord Pauncefote, and Mr. Secretary Hay.

6. In the House of Commons the vote of want of confidence, moved by Lord E. Fitzmaurice, rejected after a week's debate by 352 to 139 votes the Irish Nationalists abstaining.

The election for the City of York, consequent on the retirement of Admiral Lord C. Beresford, resulted in the return of Mr. Faber (C.) by 6,248 votes against 4,818 polled by Hon. A. Murray, Master of Elibank (L.).

8. A sum of 19,400l. in bank-notes found in the pass-book of a customer at the head office of Parr's Bank. The notes formed the remainder of a sum of 60,6107. which had been mysteriously lost in January, 1899.

Of this sum 40,000l. had been returned anonymously a few days after the loss. Several 100l. notes had been recovered, and only 205l. now remained unaccounted for.

9. An extraordinary coal famine, consequent chiefly upon the great development of industry, felt all over Europe. In Russia the duty on imported coal for railways was suspended for seven months. In London household coal rose to 40s. per ton.

10. The five days' polling for the representation of the London University, consequent on the elevation of Sir John Lubbock (L.U.) to the peerage, resulted in the return of Sir Michael Foster (C.) by 1,271 votes against Dr. W. J. Collings (L.) 863, and Mr. E. H. Busk (L.U.).

11. Septuagesima Sunday observed in many dioceses as a Day of Intercession.

12. Serious inundations caused along the course of the Douro by the sudden melting of the snow in the mountains, and much damage done to the shipping at Oporto.

In the Probate Court, the president, Sir Francis Jeune, pronounced in favour of the distribution of property by a paralysed lady, who had indicated by means of cards, on which were described the property she desired to bequeath to various persons whose names were written on separate cards.

13. The election for North-East Lancashire (Rossendale Division), consequent on the resignation of Mr. Madden (L.), resulted in the return of Mr. Mather (L.) by 5,936 votes against 4,564 polled by Mr. Kingsbury (U.).

A band of several hundred Chinese of the Was tribe attacked the members of the Burmo-Chinese Boundary Commission, between the Irawadi and the Salween rivers, but were beaten off with considerable loss.

Lord Roberts crossed the Modder river, having secured the drifts, invaded the Free State and captured five Boer laagers.

14. In the Belgian Chamber of Representatives the debate on the renewal of the charter of the Banque Nationale led to serious disturbances between the Socialists and members of the Right, who came to blows, whereupon the sitting was suspended.

General Sir Redvers Buller, after a fourth attack on the Boer positions on the Tugela, obtained possession of Hussar Hill, where he established himself firmly.

15. The congregation of the Cambridge University decided by 161 non placet to 139 placet that the proposal of the Mathematical Board to abolish the distinction of Senior Wrangler in the Mathematical Tripos should not be adopted.

General French with about 2,000 cavalry and mounted infantry reached Kimberley by way of Alexandersfontein, the Boers hurriedly raising the siege, which had lasted since October 15, leaving their stores and ammunition, but carrying off their guns.