tives of minorities 2. They also expressed disappointment for the resolution on the Public Services Commission Report and on the Memorial about Bengali Volunteers, which they hoped the Government would reconsider. One resolution declared the Conference's support of Hindu SeaVoyages, and another recommended reforms in Civil justice in Bengal, as to the fees, number, pay and qualifications of judges, and the encouragement of arbitration. For Bombay the proposal of the Presidency Association, adopted also by the Provincial Conference of Poona, divides the presidency into 5 Districts-Bombay City, Scindh, Guzerat, Kanara, and Dekkhan; the present Council of five to have a minimum of 25 members, of whom 12 should be elective: i.e., Bombay City 3, Dekkhan 3, Scindh, Kanara and Guzerat 1 each; 3 more at Bombay respectively for the Corporation, the University and the Mercantile Associations. The Government of India has not yet published its decision on the subject.

The answers of the District and High Court Judges to the Government of India circular of May 1890 asking their opinions and suggestions regarding trial by jury have been published. The Bengal Government has, by a decree, suspended trial by jury for offences against the person, as among other difficulties, it was found that Hindu juries were often reluctant to convict men of high caste. The act has caused great agitation among both Europeans and natives. The popular protests against the Cadastral Survey of Behar have been taken up by the British India and the Indian Property Associations as being unjust and a source of litigation. The Government however are not disposed to yield. It is also doubtful whether the Liberal Administration of Mr. Gladstone will agree to the suspension of trial by jury in any part of India. We are glad to hear of the establishment at Calcutta of a Pali Text Society, under the presidency of Babu Surat Chandar Das.

In the military department, we have to record, not with entire approval, the appointment of Major-General

Sir George Stewart White, V.C., K.C.B., K.C.S.I., to succeed Lord Roberts as Commander-in-chief in India, superseding a large number of officers, most of whom are his equals and several his superiors in all the qualifications requisite for that high post. Camps of Exercise, numerous but small, have been sanctioned for this winter at Bareilly, Lucknow, Rawul Pindi, Meerut, Saugur, Meean Meer and Muridki; and nearly all the Imperial Defence forces, except those of Jodhpur, will be out for exercise. Over 25,000 Lee Mitford rifles have reached India with 11,000,000 cartridges, for rearming the European army: 25 rifles with 30 rounds each have been given for practice to every European Regiment. The Horse and field Batteries of Artillery also are being gradually but all too slowly rearmed with breech-loading 12-pounders. A Maxim gun has been got for the Pachmari school of musketry; and some comments have been made, both that the Black Mountain expedition had to borrow the private Maxim gun. of the old Kolis, and that regiments should have their own private armament, beyond the regulations. If necessary why not all regiments; if not, why any?

In the Native States, the Maharaja of Kashmir has granted timber from the State forests to Rs. 50 to all sufferers from the fire at Srinagar last August. Sirdar Muhammad Hyat Khan has been nominated to the Kashmir State Council. The Railway survey, made at the cost of 6 instead of 10 lacs of Rs., declares the first and third parts (Haripur to Abbottabad and Domul to Srinagar) to be feasible, but the middle portion, Abbottabad to Domul is too expensive for the state to undertake. His Highness the Gaekwar of Baroda after a second visit to Her Majesty, and an inspection of Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield has returned to India. On his own personal initiative, a new survey and settlement has been made in Baroda, rents being reduced, payments made in cash instead of kind, several petty imposts abolished, and much waste land replanted. At Bhownagar, the Dewan opened

the Khoja Charitable school, built right in the centre of the city by Herjibhai Jammal, on ground given for the purpose by H. H. the Thakur Sahib. At Ulwur the murder of Kunj Behari Lall was proved to have been instigated by the late Maharaja; Major Ram Chunder and Akhey Sing were sentenced to death, Buddha to penal servitude for life and Chunda Munshi for 7 years-Chima being discharged. From the well-governed State of Mysore, we learn that the cost of the former, including missions, was Rs. 818,000. This year's surplus was Rs. 492,200; after spending Rs. 1,250,000, in the Hindupur Railway, the State has a nett credit balance of Rs. 8,931,909; various improvements have been made in the Police, the Departments of Education and Public Worship Trusts; and on the petition of the Representative Assembly all marriages of girls under 8, and of girls under 16 with men over 50 will be declared penal. In Hyderabad, pending the Defamation Case, the Nawab Mehdi Hassan has been suspended from office, and the Nawab Mushtaq Hussain, who had just retired after 32 years' service, has been banished. Dr. Lawrie has made further important experiments with chloroform; and the great central jail at Warangal which has already cost a lac is being continued.

Sir Charles Crossthwaite has succeeded Sir Aukland Colvin as Lieut.-Governor of the N. W. P., the latter closing his administration by the opening of a number of public works, among which were the Benares Waterworks, the new eye hospital at Allahabad, a technical school at Lucknow, and hospitals at Mirzapur, Fatehgarh and Benares.

The Black Mountain Expedition under Sir W. Lockhart has returned to its quarters, after burning Baio, but without capturing Hashim Ali, who, though he came to meet the officer deputed for that purpose, refused to surrender. Jihan Dad Khan, a Chief on our frontier (where intrigues are carried on to promote frontier disputes which bring great profit), had his village also burnt. The Kurram Valley

force has received the submission of Chikkai. Muhammad Nazim Khan was installed ruler of Hunza in the presence of the Chinese envoys, who after the ceremony left with Mr. McCarthy for Yarkand. Muhammad Ali Khan after a quarrel with his father, the ruler of Nawagai, fled to Asmar to the Amir's general, but receiving no encouragement, he came to settle at Peshawur. Chitrál affairs we have treated elsewhere. Col. Yanoff has left the Pamirs. Russian papers however now pretend that the proper frontier of the Russian Pamirs is a line from Derwaz across N.E. end of Roshan and Shignan, S.E. to Sarhad and the foot of the Baroghil Pass, forming a triangle wedged between Shignan and Chinese Kashgar, with its apex at Sarhad, touching the Wakhan River, the Hindu Kush and the Indian dependencies of Hunza-Nagyr, Yasin and Kashmir. General Brackenbury's speech on the desire of the Indian Government to have a strong and independent AFGHANISTAN has done much good. The Amir has ordered his agent to leave the Waziri country, pending delimitation. Though successful in some battles he has as yet failed to crush the Hazara rising; and it is by no means certain whether the long-talked-of meeting with Lord Roberts will come off.

BURMA. The Chittagong Minhla Railway line survey has been sanctioned. Siam has accepted the delimitation fixed by the Governor-General; from a point opposite Palharang on the Salwin River, describe a semi-circle embracing the Me Pa, and Me Che streams, northward along ridge of hills parallel to the Salwin River and about 20 miles east of it,-to Mongman,-east along the boundaries of Mesakum-Mong, Tamong, Kiatmong, Hongmong, Hest, and Kyaingmong, thence along the E. boundary of the last and between it and Kiang Chang and Kiang Hung. The Burmo-Chinese delimitation however has fallen through, owing to excessive demands by China, which is said to have punished some of its officials for over-friendliness with the foreigners. There is a prospect for a

University for Burma; and to encourage the study of Pali proposals have been sanctioned for holding Pali examinations, as under the kings, at Mandalay, some money provided by Government being supplemented by private gifts. Revised rules have also been issued for encouraging the study of the Shan and Kareyn languages. The Chins have suddenly broken out near Fort White, cutting the telegraphs and attacking various outposts, especially Stockade No. 3. The rebels numbered over 2,000; and as a general rising was feared, the S. Lushai and other posts were strengthened. Rain at first delayed the repression, which after the destruction of the offending villages was hastened by dissensions among the chief rebel tribes the Newangal and Siyins: as we go to press another outbreak is reported. In the Bhamo range 5 columns, with over 900 men will operate during the winter. A scarcity of rice at Mymensing is being met by large imports. A proclamation declares that Government will not interfere with domestic slavery in the Kacheyn Hills, but that new captures cannot be allowed. The Mu valley and Wuntho railways, breached by recent rain, are being drained previous to permanent repair. The Perak railway also shows progress.

M. Paul Boel, who started last year from Shanghai for Chungking, on the Upper Yangtse, travelled with only a Chinese servant through Szechuan, Kweichow, Kweiyang, Yunnan, and Manhao, ultimately reaching Mengtze, whence he entered Tonquin and travelled south to Haiphong. Travelling in Chinese costume, he was not molested during the whole of his travels, but the populace in Szechuan were very strongly anti-foreign and much excited over the demonstrations against missionaries in other cities. In Kweichow and Yunnan he found the peasantry very friendly, and the mandarins treated him with great courtesy. Szechuan is a great and rich province, with which a vast trade might be developed, people being more cultivated and better off than those of most other provinces. Yunnan