EUROPE. 



which is carried two miles from the town, and 

 empties into the channel at such a height above 

 the sea level that the tide does not interfere 

 with the constant discharge of the sewage, and 

 where it is carried away by the currents of the 

 channel. 



EUROPE. The Eastern war was virtually 

 over at the beginning of the year, and, as the 

 hope of Turkey for a direct interference of any 

 other great Power in its favor was not fulfilled, 

 it had on March 3d to agree to the humiliating 

 treaty of San Stefano. Now, however, England 

 stepped in and demanded that this treaty, which 

 modified several articles of the treaty of Paris, be 

 submitted to a Congress of the Powers of Eu- 

 rope for revision. After long negotiations be- 

 tween England and Russia, the English demand 

 was complied with, and a Congress of plenipo- 

 tentiaries of the great Powers of Europe met 

 at Berlin in June, and under the presidency 

 of Prince Bismarck revised and considerably 

 changed the stipulations of the treaty of San 

 Stefano. (See EASTERN QUESTION.) 



The treaty of Berlin has produced several 

 important changes in the map of Europe. Two 

 states which were hitherto tributaries of Tur- 

 key, Roumania and Servia, have become en- 

 tirely independent, and both have received an 

 increase of territory. An increase of territory 

 has also been accorded to Russia and Monte- 

 negro. A new principality, Bulgaria, has been 

 created, which will occupy the position in 

 which Roumania and Servia were until the 

 establishment of their entire independence ; it 

 will virtually be an independent state, but will 

 for the present pay an annual tribute to the 

 Porte. Another Turkish province, Eastern 

 Roumelia, has received several attributes of 

 provincial autonomy, which for the present 

 leave to it the character of a province of Tur- 

 key, while at the same time they hold out the 

 hope of steady progress toward entire inde- 

 pendence. The two important provinces of 

 Bosnia and Herzegovina are placed under the 

 administration of the Austrian Government, 

 and a considerable tract of land in the south, 

 the boundaries of which are yet to be fixed, is 

 to be ceded to Greece. (See EASTERN QUES- 

 TION.) 



While the Eastern war has given to Russia 

 a small increase of territory and a largely in- 

 creased influence in Eastern affairs, it proved, 

 on the other hand, injurious to its material 

 prosperity. The revolutionary party of the 

 Nihilists acted with almost unparalleled bold- 

 ness, and the support with which they met in 

 many provinces of the empire was one of many 

 symptoms which indicate a growing dissatis- 

 faction of the people with the political institu- 

 tions of the country. (See RUSSIA.) 



The attention of England in 1878 was chiefly 

 rbed by the Eastern question and the war 

 against Afghanistan. The anti-Russian policy 

 of the Conservative Ministry was vigorously 

 supported by the majority of the Parliament 

 and the people ; and when the majority of the 



ministry found it necessary to assume a warlike 

 attitude, and on that account several of its mem- 

 bers resigned, the Parliament and the country 

 emphatically sustained this step. The same was 

 the case with regard to the special treaty con- 

 cluded with Turkey which transferred to Eng- 

 land the island of Cyprus, and secured to it a 

 dominating influence in the future administra- 

 tion of the Turkish Empire. The interest in 

 the Oriental question had scarcely begun to 

 subside, when affairs in Central Asia engrossed 

 the attention of the nation. The refusal of the 

 Ameer of Afghanistan to receive an English 

 embassy led to a declaration of war on the part 

 of England. The progress of the war was fa- 

 vorable to the English beyond all expectation. 

 (See GREAT BRITAIN and AFGHANISTAN.) 



In Germany a great excitement was produced 

 by two successive attempts upon the life of the 

 Emperor. As the authors of both these at- 

 tempts were known to be imbued with social- 

 istic theories, the Government proposed to the 

 Reichsrath a very stringent law against social- 

 ism. When the Reichsrath showed itself less 

 pliant than was expected, it was dissolved and 

 a new election ordered. Prince Bismarck made 

 extraordinary efforts to secure a Conservative 

 majority, but failed to do so, though the Con- 

 servative party gained a number of new seats. 

 Active negotiations were carried on between 

 the Prussian Government and Rome for the 

 purpose of putting an end to the conflict be- 

 tween Church and State, but no agreement had 

 been reached at the close of the year. (See 

 GERMANY.) 



The Government of Austria pursued in re- 

 gard to the Eastern question a policy which 

 brought it into constant conflicts with the rep- 

 resentative assemblies of the two divisions of 

 the empire. An extraordinary credit demand- 

 ed by Count Andrassy was granted by the 

 delegations only on the express assurance of 

 the Minister that the Government had no idea 

 of occupying Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 

 spite of this assurance, the Government com- 

 plied with the request of the Berlin Congress 

 to occupy those provinces. The occupation 

 met with a greater resistance than had been 

 anticipated, and therefore involved the Aus- 

 trian Government in unexpected expenses and 

 in new parliamentary troubles. Although the 

 Ausgleich between the two divisions of the 

 empire was finally accepted, distrust in the vi- 

 tality of Austro-Hungary seemed to spread to 

 an alarming extent. (See AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN 

 MONARCHY and HUNGARY.) 



In France the Republican party made steady 

 progress, and the election of senatorial electors 

 in October rendered it certain that in January, 

 1879, the Senate would have a decided Repub- 

 lican majority as well as the Chamber of Dep- 

 uties. The third Universal Exposition, which 

 was opened in Paris on May 1st, proved a suc- 

 cess beyond expectation. (See FRANCE.) 



In Italy no change was produced in the re- 

 lation between Church and State by the deaths 





