EUROPE. 



275 



Switzerland wa8 chiefly engaged in discus- 

 sions concerning a new revision of the Federal 

 Constitution, which has been prepared by the 

 Federal Council, and will, in 1874, be again 

 submitted to a vote of the entire people. 

 Some concessions have been made to the 

 champions of the cantonal rights, which it is 

 hoped will secure its adoption by the popular 

 vote. The strongest opposition to it will 

 again come from the Catholic party, which 

 regards it as an even greater encroachment 

 upon the rights of the Church than the pres- 

 ent Federal Constitution. (See SWITZKBLASD.) 



The Government of Italy looked upon the 

 attitude of the majority of the French Na- 

 tional Assembly, which appear to encourage 

 the hopes of the Pope for a restoration of the 

 temporal power, as dangerous to the unity of 

 Italy. The King, therefore, endeavored to 

 strengthen his alliance with Germany, and to 

 that end paid a visit to Berlin, where he was 

 enthusiastically received. (See ITALY.) 



In England, the position of Gladstone lias 

 been greatly strengthened by the return to the 

 cabinet of Mr. Bright, who has again secured 

 to the ministry the support of the advanced 

 Liberals. As the Catholic bishops of Ireland 

 can now no longer expect BO many conces- 

 sions from the ministry as in the past, they 

 have begun to ally themselves with the Home- 

 rule party, which demands the restoration of 

 an Irish Parliament (tee GREAT BRITAIN). The 

 treaty concluded with the Netherlands in 

 1871, by which the Dutch possessions on the 

 coast of Guinea, in Western Africa, were 

 ceded to England, led to a war of England 

 with the Ashantees, which bids fair to become 

 both very bloody and expensive (tee ASHAN- 

 TEES). The other party to this treaty (Hol- 

 land) became likewise, in consequence of the 

 treaty, involved in a war with the Sultan of 

 Acheen in Sumatra. The first expedition of 

 the Dntch, undertaken in April, proved to be 

 an entire failure ; but the second, begun in the 

 latter part of the year, promised to be entirely 

 successful. (See ACHEEN.) 



A new campaign of the Russians in Central 

 Asia, against the Khan of Khiva, was a brill- 

 iant success. The people of Central Asia have 

 again been taught that they are utterly unable 

 to resist the Russians and to arrest the exten- 

 sion of the Russian territory. The whole of 

 what was formerly Independent Toorkistan 

 has now virtually become a dependency of 

 Russia. (See RUSSIA, KHIVA.) 



In the Scandinavian kingdoms a great change 

 is taking place, as far as their relations to 

 Germany are concerned. The new King of 

 Sweden is decidedly favorable to the estab- 

 lishment of the most friendly relations, and 

 even the royal family of Denmark appears to 

 be inclined the same way. These sentiments 

 are shared by a large and rapidly -growing 

 party in all the Scandinavian kingdoms. (See 

 DENMARK, SWEDEN.) 



In Turkey, the Government is endeavoring 



to carry through an important reform by the 

 sale of the property of the Church, and has 

 thereby provoked the fanatical opposition of 

 the Mohammedan priests. Though the Gov- 

 ernment is well disposed in favor of religious 

 toleration, it could not prevent a new perse- 

 cution of the Christians in Bosnia, which led 

 to a diplomatic interference of Austria in their 

 behalf. (See TURKEY.) 



The population of Europe, at the close of 

 the year 1873, was estimated at 301,281,000 

 against 301,700,000 in 1872. The decrease is 

 caused by the reduction in the population of 

 France, as shown by the census of 1872. The 

 following table exhibits the area and popula- 

 tion of the countries of Europe at the close 

 of the year 1873 : 



The number of Catholics is estimated at 

 147,500,000, 49.1 per cent, of the total popu- 

 lation ; the number of Protestants at 71,760,- 

 000. or 23.9 per cent. ; the number of Greek 

 Catholics at 69,350,000, or 23.1 per cent. ; the 

 number of Jews at 5,000,000 ; the number of 

 Mohammedans at 6,400,000. Included in the 

 number of the Catholics are about 100,000 Old 

 Catholics. 



The area and population of the foreign col- 

 onies of European states were estimated, at 

 the close of 1873, as follows: 



