16 



AMERICA. 



ANGLICAN CHURCH. 



subscribed. The application for twice or 

 thrice us many shares as there were, when the 

 books were opened, shows a remarkable con- 

 fidence throughout Europe in the judgment 

 and ability of De Lesseps, its promoter. 



The year has been marked by events of the 

 highest" importance for some of the Spanish- 

 American states. If peaceful elections and 

 the fact of a change of administration having 

 been effected in the midst of unexampled se- 

 renity ; the resumption of friendly relations 

 with foreign powers after a protracted period 

 of estrangement ; the construction (no longer 

 projected, but actual) of railways ; the exten- 

 sion of inland telegraph lines, and the laying 

 of a submarine cable if all these bespeak the 

 inauguration of an era of prosperity, such an 

 era has assuredly begun for Mexico within the 

 past twelve months. 



In the Central American republics a season 

 of international quiet, if not of absolute inter- 

 national harmony, has been enjoyed, and much 

 lias been accomplished in the direction of fa- 

 cilitating foreign commerce. 



In Colombia the reverse has, for the most 

 part, been the order of things; and General 

 Nuflez's Government, inaugurated in April, 

 has chiefly attracted attention at home and 

 abroad by a marked increase of imposts on 

 foreign products entering the republic : print- 

 ed books, including even text-books for the 

 use of schools, having been subjected to an on- 

 erous rate of duty. A bill for an international 

 copyright treaty with the principal European 

 and American nations was laid before the Co- 

 lombian Legislature, and the new administra- 

 tion has manifested a desire to encourage the 

 development of the mining industry of the 

 country. 



Little has been accomplished in the way of 

 real progress in either Venezuela or Ecuador ; 

 Peru has continued to resist, but has been pow- 

 erle-s: to repel, the Chilian invaders, and her 

 very capital has been menaced with destruc- 

 tion ; while Bolivia, partly from inability and 

 partly from apathy, has tendered little aid to 

 her ally, but rather sullenly submits to the pro- 

 spective forfeiture of an important portion of 

 her territory, which must inevitably follow the 

 ultimate success of the Chilian arms in the 

 present strife. 



In Chili, commerce, agriculture, and mining 

 have of necessity suffered from the long drain 

 of forces to maintain the strength of the army ; 

 but the moral energy of the Government and 

 people has been sustained by uniform success ; 

 the interest on the foreign and home debts 

 has been regularly paid, nor has the Executive 

 required to be invested with any extraordinary 

 powers to raise funds and organize elements 

 with which to carry on the war. 



The Argentine Republic has been the scene 

 of considerable disturbance during the electo- 

 ral campaign. The military policy announced 

 by the new President in his message, and the 

 increase of the military and naval resources of 



the country, have given place in some quarters 

 to the assumption that belligerent designs were 

 entertained toward Chili, with which republic 

 the Patagonian boundary question is still pend- 

 ing; while the more plausible explanation of 

 the armament is by many regarded as simply 

 a prudent desire on the part of the Argentine 

 Government to be prepared in case Chili, when 

 finally at peace with Peru, should be tempted 

 to make a demonstration of her liberated 

 forces in support of her claim to sovereign 

 jurisdiction over the disputed territory. The 

 material prosperity of the Argentine Republic 

 has, in the mean time, suffered no check. 



Political affairs in Uruguay have been in a 

 very unsettled condition, and the national rev- 

 enue in the second half of the year proved 

 inadequate to meet the Government require- 

 ments. 



In Brazil the discussion of the electoral bill 

 was continued with but little interruption; 

 but no event has occurred throughout the 

 year to retard commercial or industrial prog- 

 ress; trade with foreign nations, on the con- 

 trary, would seem to be rapidly increasing, a 

 by no means unimportant proof of which is 

 the fact of arrangements having been made 

 for the establishment of a regular line of 

 steamers between the ports of Halifax, Nova 

 Scotia, and Rio Janeiro in October, 1881. 



ANGLICAN CHURCH. The population 

 connected with the Anglican Church in the 

 British Isles, in British North America, and 

 in Australia, is estimated as follows : * 



British Isles ... 18.522,000 



British North America 600,000 



Australia and New Zealand 760,000 



Total 19,882,000 



The following new sees of the Church of 

 England were established in 1879 and 1880: 

 In England, Liverpool, 1880 (forming part of 

 the province of York) ; in India, Travancore 

 and Cochin, 1879 ; in China, Mid-China, 1880 ; 

 in America, New Westminster, 1879, and 

 Caledonia, 1879. 



The Convocation of Canterbury met June 

 1st. Petitions were presented and considered 

 in favor of the act for closing the public- 

 houses on Sunday, against any alteration in the 

 Book of Common Prayer, and in favor of the 

 more complete representation of the clergy. 

 In the Lower House, a resolution respecting the 

 " Burials Bill " supported by the Government 

 before Parliament was adopted, as follows : 

 " That the Lower House of the Convocation of 

 Canterbury are bound by their duty to the 

 Church humbly to record the expression of their 

 deep regret that it should be judged necessary 

 on the part of her Majesty's advisers to propose 

 to Parliament a measure which, if it shall be- 

 come law, will, for the first time in the history 

 of the country, save and except only the time 

 of the Commonwealth, take away from the 



* For a more detailed statistical account, and for a com- 

 plete list of dioceses existing: at the beginning of 1879, see 

 " Annual Cyclopaedia " for 1879, p. 80. 



