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LTRIAL w 031.1). and rwtore the con- rcircnit, when the 13311 rant $4 a day. Ie dollar gas. hodcarrier anions. abolish Sunday work. .9” want. eight. hours. : 20,000 union takers- its the sale of cigar- Fotherhood egineerso my union barber ShOPS. L will fly co-opera- is in efi'ect. for carpeno flea, and nine hours is ninWtowns. the list with 2,638: rith a total of 1,228. |on the list. with 561. ’f vessels of this class 00,0(X) worth of ma- royod by this unskill- rmt deal of money for iose. Besides this he bs given him by the old men are getting 113. As another re- ame walking into the king like a veritable hickory shirt, 3 pair Red into the tops of and gulltlm of black boss ‘3’ was his query he ofice. Noone re- ‘repeated the question. but he could do for greet proceeded to L Carnegie has given 'orld’s Fair.” 1 Business was rush- two men short; so a lightning Sling- le was assigned to s of winks went the >r the ‘ jay ’ was put v, the hardest in the IS fined 5'35 tor using nion cigar label. eight. hours a week’s ode Island legislature. monopoly league and no made on the tele< {y 2,060,000 apres,_ 9r |ion bricklayer: in the win. Union men say Lon-union men in both $283,“ in the treas- in. amount of arable finished 2] per cent. in Scotland. on the con- ] by 78,0“) acres. 92 17,296 vessels arriv- York. In this num- steamers, ships, barks Of this tots! 8,705 in the Memphis office dison applied to the ”said A. G. Rock- I: Reminiscence Club, Softhmt, it’s this ; no 5’38, if heaven is 1'1» no one will want ’ world Will we need laced oneninth of it, 1' country. Now the 11'. 30,000,000 tons, and fly one-fifteenth of it. oduced more than one« have sent $4,000 to ’ speed:and still an. Ienton Edison’s table ater Singer sewing flice left his desk and ny’ tusee what he; ctric cyclofie: WeH,; fie word; aid was Ptéttiépyf late vex-crossin mg is t’ 3,. mafia; with 88 much Ive noticed that 3-51. Iy of late.” limit that there is a of Homestead fame , 00 worth of material > the river which has hunting in making line was an operator lg and knew it. Edi. sted before St. Louis is‘started in on glong mty years the am of :t tbq p}oy_haa dimin- are !thisi§ no primer 1 you !’ “fen, sir, lap. He had been for a. long time, and md to have a man :d it in like a boas; Lis leg over the am of ransferred a wad of ockgt to his mouth, 5“ mafia you look ago the annual pm amounted to 60,000 L Of the remaining 9'0“! foreign W was Young- tin ned it critically, and words behind. He mongh. St. Louis eat a hickoq shirt : 1!.1‘11 I me 3 great deal Id I help you in any n’t know, I don’t :flégéphz 36:. ‘ rs?- Igdbyamibg aid. the Ll]: all met him Whose horse had ref”! “Nb! and @5915 Qpéned the want convict-cut m the i an? 5mg; M was \erug‘gj'rla’ , fifileain beflitfiitahhge sigma? us 09‘ : on t e epara 10.11 ,9 U 33% q? 3 bfififine isl‘zmd "3:13 mxbltgfi: .THL‘ WEEK’S NEWS CANADIAN. Friday was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the murder of Thomas D’Arcy McGee. A young Englishman named Ross com- mitted suicide at. Manitou on Sunday by tak- ing a dose of poison. The revenue returns of the Dominion for the nine months ending March 31 show a surplus of $5,141,724. . The Trades and Labour Council of Ham- ilton has passed a. resolution in favour of °P°nin8 the reading room of the Free L1- brary on Sundays. The revenue from Chinese immigration at Vancouver, B. C., for last month was $1,501 1.3 compared with $3,721 for the correspond- ‘113 month last year. Prominent members; of the Montreal Boarfi of Trade are opposed to the idea 02 £0117)ng a. wheat pit in connection with the The Newfoundland seal fishery is a. total failure this season. The total catch is not expected to yield 90,000 seals which is one- fonrth of last year’s catch. The New Brunswick Legislature has fussed a. resolution approving of prohibi- tion, and urging the Dominion Government to pass a pmhibitory law. Delegates from the various Canadian camps of the Woodmen of the World met at. London, and organized a. Grand Council of the order for the Dominion. The Canadian party appointed to survey and locate the international boundary line between Alaska. and British Columbia have left Ottawa. for Victoria, B. C. The negotiations which promised a. settle- ment between the striking tailors and the employers in Winnipeg have been broken off, and hostilities are resumed. Signatures are now being attached to a petition to the Governor-General praying for the clemency of the Crown in the case John R. Arnoldi, now in the Ottawa goal. The shareholders of the Canadian Pacific railway will held their annual meeting on May 10th. The question will then come up as t9 the expediency of issuing preference It is rumoured that Mr. J. M. Macoun, pri- vate secretary to Dr. Dawson, who is en- gaged in connection with the Behring Sea. question, Will be made a. C. M. G. next Qseen’s Birthday. ' Cook, the English immigrant who has been confined in the Montreal civic hospital for some weeks suflering from typhus fever, has almost completely recovered, and will soon be discharged. The Montreal Presbyterian College has conferred the degree of D. D. on the Rev. Charles Chiniquy, the Rev. W. A. McKay, of Woodstock, Ont., and the Rev. J. B. Muir, of Huntingdon, Que. Mrs. Catherine Scbmelz, ninety years of age, an inmate of the Elgin house of in- dustry, St. Thomas, fell from a. third-storey window at that. instituion Tuesday morning. and received Injuries from which she died about two hours afterwards. Senator Sanford has been appointed by the Hamilton (Ont.) Board of Trade the representative of that body at the VVorld’s Congress of Commercial Houses to be held in Chicago during the approaching summer. Two men, names unknown, are reported to have reached 3 Hudson by post near Stuart. lake late last fall. It is thought the men may turn out to be Messrs. Clark and Braden, the missing explorers. The Nova Scotia. Provincial House of Assembly passed the second reading of the Woman’s Suffrage bill by a. vote of seven- teen to nineteen, and It was sent to com- mittee. All the members of the Govern- ment and the leader of the opposition voted against the second reading. The will of Mr. S. Bird, who died at Lon- don, Ont, about a. month ago, is to be pro- tested by his daughters, who charge collu- sion. Mr. Bird had been employed by R. C. McFie Co., and his will was made in favour of Mr. J. B. Laidlaw, bookkeeper at that establisment, and of a young woman named F itzhenry. The situation in Hull is quite gloomy for the strikers, and to judge from present in- dication: the shipping federation will win in its struggle to employ such men, union or 13n‘3-"‘t;ion, *3 its members please. There was a. fearful mining accident at. 1m; . _,«-L’ridd, ‘Wales, Tuesdaymoming. A spark 2mm an engine ignited the gas in the On Wednesday night, last week, a police- man found Mr. N. Tetu, a civil servant, lying senseless in a. drain in Rideau street. Ottawa, and coming to the conclusion that he was drunk had him taken to the police station, where he lay insensible all night. Yesterday morning a. medical man said he was suffering from a paralytic stroke, and so much valuable time .had been lost that his recovery was very doubtful. It 18 reported from Tacoma, Wash. ., that for some time a number of citi couver and New Westminster 2'» been agitating against the pr§ 1955? , 7' Government, ostensibly because new mis- tersgfailed to‘bngg m a. gedisgl‘hn’ti‘o‘p % Baron Houghton, Lord-Lieutenangfi'é? Ireland, has issued an order limiting the importation at arms and ammunition into Ireland. A British'ctuiser has seized a dhow sail- ing under French columns and having on board sixty children, who had been kid- napped from Zanzibar by Arabs under French protection. In reply to a. question in the House of Commons yesterday, Colonial Under-Secre- tary Baton stated that the Berlin treaty providing for a. joint control of the Samoan islands was still in force. flfifomeparate province. fff‘fiiié Court in Kingston, On}: on AMfiwfie case of Robert Shaw, :1 lawyer, against Police Constable Snodden, for unlaw‘l arrest, the tter Shay gitgk'enl the former 111mm W ed m askipggu map The Commercial Bank at Melbourne Has resumed business. r ‘ 4'- :71]â€" now be 653â€"16 instruct the police that they are not required to do duty at public meetings; 1 Bm'nsn. Jib, and. about 50 men were cut 03 by the lanles,wltll very small chances of escape. Mrs. Montague, who was sentenced last .Xpril in Dublin to a year‘s imprisonment or having caused the death of her daughter Helen, three years of age, was released on Wednesday. For some slight; act. of mis. lemeanour Mrs. Montague fastened the .ittle girl by the arms to a. ring in a. small :loset, and when she came to release her four hours after the child was dead. La‘VYer Howe, of New York, has‘sgacuretd over thirty thousand names to pemmon: 0 Governor Flower to re-open the case of Var- iyle Harris under sentence of death for w1fe murder. Antoine Woode, the eleven-year-old m'ur- derer, who killed Joe Smxbh m ~Demer, COL, for his watch and revolver, nas been sentenced to twenby7five years in the peru- tentiary. J. W. Flood, cashier for Donahue , Kelly. bankers, San Francisco, is short $25,0001n his accounts. He has resigned, and transferred all his property to secure the bank. The usual proclamation prohibiting the taking of seals or other fur-bearing animals in Alaska. or Behring Sea in the season of 1893 was promulgated by President, Cleve- land'on Saturday. BY direction of Secretary Ca.r1i_sle 013 Sat- urday the regulations at theUmted States Treasury Department in relatxon to the reg- istration of Chinese labourers were greatly modified. There will be no liquor sold In South Carolina, except by the State, after July 1. The Governor and State dispenser are no“ travelling in the north and west, making arrangements to open the State bar-rooms. It is stated the United States has taken vigorous action in regard to the outrages on the American citizens at Marzovan, in the Turkish dominions, and the violation of the mails of the United States legation. The Mormon temple in Salt Lake City, which was commenced forty years ago, was dedicated in the presence of an Immense crowd. I t covers over twenty-one thousand square feet, and the architecture of the building is without a. known parallel in an- cient; or modern times. The United States Naval Department go- itself out. of a. delicate position as to which nation should lead in the Columbus review in New York harbour by deciding that; the position of honour should be awarded to the first representatives who arnved. This has been secured by the Russian men-of-war. Simert 3nd Hermann, the Anarchists, were sentenced on Iriday at Berlin to six and uhree months’ imprisonment repective~ 1y. An earthquake shock was felt in many districts in Servia, Monday morning. In western Servia. the shock was especially severe. ggké‘: Etaiifipsbamiéim 13 the a. a (ifs-$51.04 1,313.3»‘ .3313; 'EIAKS in A The Law and Order Society in Pittsburg, Pa., has issued summonses against the pro- prietors of Sunday newspapers and papers on which work is done on Sunday night for their Monday issue for profanation of Sun- day, and it is contemplated that the news paper men will retaliate by bringing action against street cars, ferries, and railways which run on Sunday. Russia is again suffering from the ravages of cholera, and the death late is reported to bejery high. - The famine in the European part of the Government of Perm, Russia, is worse than ever before and the poor are dying by hundreds. The condition of affairs in Armenia is be- coming more serious daily. It; is estimated that nearly two thousand Christians are in Tu_rkish dungeons. Dr. Haflkiue has written from India. to the Russian papers that he has conquered cholera by his inoculation method and that on his return he will publish his cure. Much excitement has been caused in Madrid by a despatch to the effect that J apan has seized thcl’elew islands, a group in the North Pacific claimed to belong to Spain by the right of discovery. g‘fia“‘~p¥fi€s~mmwithStanding the depression previouslyry'ireferred to as likely in; other, prodfictsidfl the iarm, are improving. '4... hefifixit‘fif a‘tes cr p report for April,jl_w iss :‘dd, iizi‘ uite bullish and -hd5tlie’i"elÂ¥e?:l o " ancing the July option over-mew in Chicago. The condition of ,fli‘ewlmaét crop yipfithe United States as shown by this report was 77.4 per cent. This is the lowest percentage in ten years with the exception of 1885, when the con- dition was shown as 76. 3 per cent. Last year the report for the corresponding month gave the condition as 81.2. Then the price of wheat in Chicago was three cents below the highest price touched yesterday. In this province the market is not without signs of improvement, and ' sales of winter wheat are reported ‘this week for export at several cents in advance of sales made a week or ten days ago. The reports of the growing crop in Ontario, especially in the southern counties, are not considered very favorable. Some damage has resulted from the unusually severe winter, and already predictions are made that the next crop in this province will be smaller than that of last year. It is, however, too early to ob- tain intorziation on which it would be safe to base an expression of opinion that would be of any value. It is ofiicially stated in Lisbon that the reports of the attempted assassination of King Carlos of Portugal are untrue, the stories having their origin in the antics of an insane Jew, who labours under the de- lusion that he is the brother of the King. The Khan of Khelat, who recently caused five of his wives whom be suspected of in- fidelity to be cruelly put to death, has liber- ated his surviving prisoners at the demand of the British Indian Government, and has Submitted to afine of forty thousand rupees. It‘is‘cr ported that the Pope will shortly L ": 'ter to bishops requesting them to 3231;; pon their flocks a. more profound . the Bible, urging the necessity of keeping, onghe track of‘ Innodern discovery Ji 1'; fewsfié'téaufififfjthéfififlflm in Armenia. are (bum arfl r itr Qp'vim kidnapping Cfirsswi, iafigfififl ixlsxobem as harem M3 $534333 éfiq‘ufi‘igs-‘Me trade it is stated that the girls have embraced Ma.- Lhogxgjsgdpnismrwggiph closes all further in- 'ft; is im‘fégfihfivgwto‘ QW_ the prospect fifiéfi‘bfiéfié‘ffii‘ wfieaf.noEWithstandinz mam ‘l'risvsmg’sjl'hent. 1’ XITED STATES. G EN ERA L. needs the Penilentes Subject themselves. fiHow many Americans know, says the San Francisco Examiner, that in their own country is an order whose mem- bers yearly represent Christ’s journey to his crucifixion by beating crosses of crush- ing weight along paths or cruel stones and cactus to a mimic Calvary? How many know that American voters, men who help to choose the President of the United States, are crucified, are bound by biting thongs, are nailed to crosses, and suffer unto death? ' The Terribly Severe Penance lo Which The village of Taos, in, northern New Mexico, for many years the home of Kit Carson, is one of the strongholds of the Penitentes. Hidden away in a little valley among the Rockies, shut ofi' from the rail- road on the cast by seventy-five miles of mountains and separated from the iron highway on the west by thirty-five miles of mesas and the awful canon of the Rio Grande, this little hamlet of Mexicans,with scarcely a dozen Americans amon them, is not of the nineteenth century, an feels few of its influences. Taos and its neighborhood are said to have abcut 1,000 Penitentes, in- cluding many women, and here their prac- tices are carried to the extreme. Among the residents is a Methodist missionary who was an administrator of the estate of Pablo Ortega,a. Penitente who died near Antonito, Col. Among the dead man’s effects were found books explaining the rites of the order, and the misswnary has since made a careful study of this curious ianaticmm. The name of the order is “ Los Hermanos Pcnitentes” (the Penitent Brothers). They are popularly known by the single word Penitentes. The order was established in Spain three or four hundred years ago, 'and in is said that originally its members did not. practice scourging and crucifying. The custom of self whipping seems to have been borrowed from the Flagellantes, and the fanatics of the New World have elaborated the system of penance until men are actual- lv nailed to the cross. The Penitentes for a. long time used the churches for their meetings. Of late the Bishops have forbidden this, and now the brothers have their “ momda” outside the town. During most of the year the Penitentes are so quiet that their silent “ moradas,” with broken crosses scattered about them, are the only evidence of their existence. With the beginning of Lent they renew their activity with ceremonies and rocessions, which reach their climax during oly Week. In those exercises liable to be seen by spec- tators the brothers doing penance tr y to con- ceal their identity by black cloths thrown over the head and tied about the neck. Of late years the younger generation has devel- oped many unbelievers, whose scofling seems to hurt the Penitentes more thanseli- imposed tortures. The brothers may also have some fear of the displeasure of the Church, and it is quite probable they Wish to mystify the people, but it is generally known among their friends who the peni- tents are. During the early part of Lent the per- formances of the Penitentes are compara- tively mild, but in Holy Week all the hor- rors of this peculiar order are put into practice. On a. hillock at some distance from the brotherhood house is painted a. cross to represent Calvary. The crowning event occurs on Holy Friday, when the anniversary of Christ’s death is celebrated with a drama of the crucifixion. The event opens with a procession from the “ morada” to the hillock representing Calvary. There are cross-bearers, flagellants, and numerous women and children, all led by the flier, While the reader of prayers is somewhere in their midst. The procession halts at short intervals to “ make the stations of the cross,” and the women and children kneel while they repeat a. short prayer. At- Calvary the cross-bearers lie at full length, with the heavy beams laid upon their backs while the “ pitero” pipes and the attend- ants sing. Then the procession returns to the “ morada,” the brothers going inside for a few minutes’ meditation and the Wom- en Waiting outside. These pilgrimages are repeated until afternoon, when the cli- max of this strange drama is reached. When the time for the crucifixion has arrived the “hermano mayor” (chief broth- er) and an assistant enter the “ morada” and return with the victim. He is entirely naked except for a pair of cotton drawers and a bag over his head. He is led to the place of crucifixion, perhaps a newly se- lected Calvary, and the procession follows. At Taos he is a volunteer. In some places he is selected by lot. “ El Calvario’ has been prepared for the ceremony. A huge cross lies upon the earth, and at its base is an excavation. The victim walks firmly to the cross and lies down upon it at full length, his back to the standard and his arms outstretched upon the cross beam. Several “Hermanos de Luz ” (Brothers of Light, who attend flag- ellants but do not scour e themselves) take a stout hempen rope an lash the arms and legs of the prostrate Penitente to the cross. They draw the bands so tightly that the strands sink into the flesh, but not a. whim- per is heard. . In former years it was a. common practice to spike these deluded beings to the cross. Deaths among the crucified were not un- common then, and on Holy Friday within the past decade four Penitentes were killed in this manner at points not far from Taos. Public sentiment has slowly modified this custom. The chief brother now determines whether or not the subject shall be nailed, and in most places it is no longer permitted. It is probably within the bounds of truth to say that nailing to the cross is now practis- ed only in a few Mexican hamlets so remote from railroads as to be outside the pale of modern influences. At Taos several MexicansIare pointed out as Penitentes who have been crucified withspikes and survived, and the statement has corroboration in small scars on the hands, which may be seen by an investigator with sufficient patience to watch for oppor- tunities. . If he isSparticulafly courageous and fanat- ical he may rebel at this method of under- going the ordeal. He may cry out : “ For the love of God, do not dishonor me ! Not with a. rope! Nail me! For the love of God, nail me I” Ropes are wound about the top of the cross to serve later‘ as guys, and several Brothers of Light slowly raise the ponder- ous beam into an upright position. Its base slips into the excavation, and as it. T0 0BLITEBATE SIN. ORUCIFIED AS WAS CHRIST. nears the perpendicular drops into the hole with a shock that. must cause the crucified one excruciating pain, but he gives forth no sound. The cross is then steadied by the guy ropes, and perhaps loose rocks are thrown into the excavation. It is useless perhaps for one who has not snfi'ered them to attempt to describe the agonies of the crucified man. Hardened as the Penitentes are to such scenes, an intense hush falls upon the group standing about with eyes lifted in reverential awe to the central figure. The afternoon sunbeams on the scene with Southern fervency, the hills lend their solitude to the drama, and there is seldom a bird or even a. cricket in this land of barren rock and fruitless send to break the silence. The weight of the hanging man causes the binding ropes to sink deep into the arms and legs. The surrounding flesh swells into great, ghastly puffs. The blood stops circulating. The skin assumes pur- ple hue, then turns slowly to a. black. Some of the onlookers kneel, and their lips move in silent prayer. Near by a. penitent broth- er may be lying on a. bed of cactus, or suf- fering some other torture without a. sound. From the brows of the officers, clasped in crowns of cactus, drops of blood trickle down and smear their faces. The moments drag along with painful weariness. They seem to have lengthened into hours, but in reality it may be only twenty or thirty minutes until the chief brother gives the sign to lower the cross. The Brothers of Light quickly loose the bonds of the crucified one, and the prisoned blood leaps through the thirsty veins. The motionless form 18 picked up by two assist- ants, each putting a shoulder ‘under one arm, and the march to the “morada. ” is be- gun. Perhaps the body gives evidences of life and consciousness. The legs slowly move as though to walk, but the efl'ort is too feeble for any practical use, except to show that the spirit of life still animates the swollen, bruised, blackened body. At the “ morada. ” the crucified bréther is rudely nursed into strength. Sometime the body picked from the cross gives no sign of life and is never seen in public after it is carried into the " morada. ” The Russian Government, according to all accounts, must be in a very amiable and peaceable mood just at present. From Ber- lin it is reported that really friendly relao tions now exist between Russia and Ger- many, and that these are being embodied in a treaty which is on the point of comple- tion. Simultaneously comes a despatch from London that Russia is seeking an ami- able agreement with Great Britain in regard to the preservation of seals on the Eastern Pacific Coast, and that the relations of the two Governments were never more amic- able. For Russia to be on good terms with the British and German Governments at one and the same time is an unprecedented cir- cumstance. Generally, when Russia has succeeded in making terms with her neigh- bors on her western borders, she has seized the o portunity to quarrel with her Asiatic neigh ors and seize territories on their fron- tiers. Whenever trouble threatened Russia in the west, England has had a more peace- ful time in India and on the Afghan fren- tiers. Russia‘s policy since the time of Peter the Great has been to get to the sea at Constantinople, at the Persian Gulf, at the Sea of Japan, even' at Calcutta and Bombay. When she is not making advan- ces in the west she is generally found en- croaching upon the south or the east. Thus, since Germany and Austria have been block- ing the road to Constantinople,En‘gland has had to check Russia‘s advances upon Persia and'Afghanistan. If Russia,therefore,comes to ood terms with Germany and England an ceases herlencroachments both in the east and west, there will be cause for interna- tional rejoicing. Russia has a dispute with China in regard to the Pamirs, which it is safe to say she will have to back out of. China has ceased to argue diplomatically with Russia on the question of the owner- ship of the North-Eascern Pamirs, and has begun to move her swarming forces in that direction, just as she did when by mere dint of overwhelming numbers she forced back the Russians from Kuldja. Since that time Russia has had an undisguised respect for Chinese power in Central Asia. If Russia comes to terms with Germany, it will be a blow to France which will then be completely isolated in Europe. England has done her best to keep on friendly terms with her nearest neighbor, but France, in the fervor of her friendship for Russia, and in reliance upon its continuance, has reject- ed all overtures, and has even gone out of her way on occasrons, as in the Morocco aflair to oppose and thwart England’s de- signs. These are dark days for the Repub- lic but this much must be said for the French people, never have they in any single na- tional crisis been so patient, so steadfast,so self-controlled as they have shown them- selves during the protracted series of crises through which their country has been pass- ing for some years. A new kind of wire for telephone use, having an aluminiu n-bronze core with a. copper-bronze envelope, is being experi- mented with in Germany. It is said to have a. low resistance and great tensile strength. The business partner of one of the direc- tors of the company formed to build the telegraph line from the Cape to Cairo has given a. Pall Mall Gazette reporter some in- teresting. information.” Capital has been subscribed to the extent of £140,000, which is considered sufficient to carry the line as far as Uganda. The materials are now be- ing ordered in London, and will be shipped shortly. The poles are to be of iron of light construction, in order to outmanoeuvre the White ants, who would eat away wooden poles. From Fort Salisbury the line is to be carried to Tete, on the Zambesi, and from thence to Blantyre. There Consul Johnston will report the result of his sur- veys as to the best manner of proceeding on to Uganda, and the constructing party will have to come to terms with the natives and Arabs by subsidizing the chiefs and others of influence. There will be nothing in the way of impenetrable undergrowths or rank vegetation to contend with, as the line’will avoid the low country and keep to the high plateau the entire distance. There are two alternative routes for the conveyance of the materials. There is good transport from the Transvaal to Fort Salisbury, or a short- er route would be adopted if materials were shipped direct to Beira, carried along the railway now being built as far as it extends and then conveyed the rest of the distance by (ix-wagons. The scheme is being pusned forward with great activity now. England and Russia. The Home and Foreign Force,¢he Recruits. the Food and Clothing. the Km. Hons of War. Twenty years ago the new British army system was inaugurated under Lord Cald- well. The changes included the abelition of the purchase of commissions, the ' introducv tion of short terms of enlistment, the local- izing of the organizations,the establishment of the reserve, the reorganizing of the in- fantry, and the uniting of the control of the regular and auxiliary forces. These changes were efi'ected after stubborn opposi- tion from a conservatism which dreaded any interference with the ancient order of things. The recent speech,however, of Mr. Campbell-Bannerman in the House of Com- mons on the army estimates, and on the provision for 154,442 men of all ranks, in- sists that the reforms then made have bee justified by experience. - In treating of what remains to be done the Secretary of State for War proposes chiefly to equalize the battalions, which has not hitherto been properly done, and in the cavalry to allow recruits to be enlisted not for particular regiments, but for special branches of the cavalry, such as the Lan- cers, Hussars, or Dragoons, as the case may be. These men can then be sent to any regiment in the branch selected, and can also be changed from one regiment to an- other, which will be of advantage when troops have to be sent out of the islands to foreign service. Another point mentioned is that very re- cently the army corps system for foreign service has been abandoned, and instead of holdin in readiness for immediate embark- ation t e First Corps and line of communi- cation troops, a body has been substituted which is made up for the probable demands of an average small war. It includesa divison of infantry, a brigade of cavalry. a battalion of mounted infantry, three batteries of field and two of horse artillery, and special forces, such as bridging and telegraph troops, the balloon section,and the bakery column. The total force may be put at 20,- 000 men and 8,700 horses. ’This field force has its stores ready at all times, so that it can start as soon as ships can take it. The recruits for the year under consider- ation numbered 41,659, and Gen. Fielding prosecuted the recruiting with much energy. Special enlistments. both in cavalry and in infantry, werefirst checked and then dispens- sed with at the end of February, The height standard of t1 «2 Guards was raised to 5 feet 9 inches, that of artillery gunners to 5 feet 6g inches, that of artillery drivers to 5 feet 4 inches, this last being a. gain of an inch. Men have been encouraged to pass from the army to the reserve when sufficiently train- ed and of good character, if they have been able to show that their parents needed their assistance at home, and that they had a prospect of employment is hen they got there. Mr. Campbell-Bannerman said that he could “ conceive nothing more unfortun~ ate for the army than that a man in that condition should be held to his bargain when his interest and his duty to his own family strongly pull in the other direction." This declaration may have a certain inter- est for those who discuss the value of our recently adopted system of purchase by dis- charge, although, of course, the cases are not parallel, our army having no home re- serve. I find that the proportion of courts- martial per thousand, which was 91 in 1881, had fallen to53 in 1891. The proportion of minor punishments had fallen from 1.240 to 1.038; the total number of trials for drunkenness on and 03' duty from 4,808 to 2,078 ; the total number of trials for desertion and absence without leave from 4,890 to 3,402. These are the returns for 1891, more recent figures not being yet available, but I believe the improvement is still going on. Generally speaking, as re- gards the military prisons, one-third of the accommodation is unocoupied, and, owing to the decrease in the required occupation during the last few years, it has been pos~ sible to reduce the accommodation at Brix- ton Prison from 493 to 150. Much attention, it appears, has recently been paid in the British service to improv- ing the food of the soldier, particularly as regards cooking. Mr. Campbell-Banner- man said an inspection “of the stock-pots, and the other novel culinary implements, and the nature of the food produced,” would give an idea. of the great steps for- ward in this direction. In the matter of the conduct of troops he was also able to make a satisfactory report : The health of troops, both at home and abroad, has also been good. There will be some slight changes in the pay, while as to the clothing, a subject discussed from time to time in our own navy, instead of having April 1 the date of issue, a soldier will re. ceive his outfit on enlistment. and his annual refit as nearly as possible just a. year later : The clothing would cease to be the prop- erty of the State in the sense that a man: will be allowed to dispose of it when worn for the due time on his discharge to a com- rade. He will also receive compensation for any garments he may not require when the anniversary of issues recurs; but he will still remain liable to provide any clothing which his commanding oflicer may order to be renewed between the regular dates of issue. Those are the main principles, and I cannot but believe they will lead greatly to the comfort and contentment of the sol- dier. although it throws a certain amount of expense upon the public exchequer. The reserve is in a flourishing condition, containing 77,000 men, with a. prospect next year of 80,000, which is the maximum under the system. The militia is also doing well, its total last year being 188,288 against 102,032 for the year preceding. The yeo- manry has, as usual, not been satisfactory, but some reorganization is to be made which will give it one more chance for greater efficiency and for “making it less an amuse- ment and more a real business occupation to those engaged in it.” The volunteers have also done well, a force of 15,900 of them being mobilized last year at Alder- shot. They now have in their charge ninety batteries of position equal to 362 guns. Mr. Brookfield,.during the debate, put the vol- unteer force at 163,000 infantry, 40,000 ar- tillery, and 12,500 engineers. As to munitions of war, it appears that 1 346,000 magazine rifles have been made, and =‘ “' that “56,000 are in the hands of troops 39:32:. 70,000 are in India.” The new cavalr “fa ; l bine will soon he issued, whilo no re .ufie than 86 batteries, including 53 8.9 lbmw on‘ me 33 in India, are armed with thr‘ ’- - “ nful I some had Ilpos guns' Jay-v nnnm’dnngllu tn 1 THE B‘I'I‘ISII ARMY SF roam. Kw