406 



GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. 



moved as an amendment that the House "dis- 

 approves the conduct of her Majesty's Govern- 

 ment, which has resulted in the war with Af- 

 ghanistan." In the ensuing debate, Lord Hart- 

 ington admitted the right of the Government 

 todeclare war, but maintained that never be- 

 fore had there been a war begun the origin 

 and policy of which had been so studiously 

 concealed from Parliament. The Chancellor 

 of the Exchequer replied, reviewing the case, 

 and defending the course of the Government ; 

 after which the division was taken, December 

 13th, and resulted for the vote of censure, 227 ; 

 against it, 328; showing a majority for the 

 Government of 101. On the motion for apply- 

 ing the Indian revenues to the expenses of the 

 war, Mr. Fawcett moved an amendment that 

 it would be unjust to make such an applica- 

 tion. On the division, Mr. Fawcett's amend- 

 ment was negatived by a majority of 110 (235 

 to 125), and the original motion was agreed 

 to. The Chancellor of the Exchequer gave 

 notice of an intention to propose a vote for 

 the assistance of the sufferers in the Rho- 

 dope districts of Eastern Roumelia. Mr. An- 

 derson, of Glasgow, then gave notice of a reso- 

 lution that, in view of the distress prevailing 

 in the country, it was inexpedient to devote 

 the money of the tax-payers to such a pur- 

 pose. The Chancellor of the Exchequer after- 

 ward announced that he had abandoned the 

 purpose of making his motion. Both Houses ad- 

 journed, December 17th, to February 13, 1879. 



The changes in the composition of the House 

 of Commons in 1878 were more numerous than 

 in any previous year during the existence of 

 the present Parliament. In 1876 thirty-two 

 vacancies occurred, involving fresh elections ; 

 in 1877, the number of vacancies was seven- 

 teen; in 1878 it rose to forty. The changes 

 during 1878 affected the seats of twenty-three 

 Conservatives and seventeen Liberals ; but the 

 returns so curiously balanced each other that 

 the relative strength of the parties in the 

 House at the end of the year was precisely 

 what it had been twelve months before. Dur- 

 ing the whole five years of the present Parlia- 

 ment, ending with the close of 1878, the Con- 

 servatives won eleven seats from the Liberals, 

 and the Liberals fifteen from the Conserva- 

 tives. 



The Queen notified Parliament on the 22d 

 of July of the approaching marriage of the 

 Duke of Connaught with the Princess Louise 

 of Prussia, and requested the provision of a 

 suitable establishment for the couple. While 

 the subject was under discussion, Sir Charles 

 Dilke moved for a suspension of the subject 

 until a return could be procured of similar ap- 

 plications on behalf of members of the royal 

 family since the accession of William III. He 

 held that there was no precedent for the pres- 

 ent application earlier than the present reign. 

 The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied that, 

 by the Queen's abandonment of the Crown 

 lands and her acceptance of a fixed civil list, 



there had been something in the nature of a 

 bargain between the country and the sover- 

 eign. The bargain was one by which the coun- 

 try had profited, the value of the Crown lands 

 having considerably increased during the last 

 forty years. The provision asked for was 

 granted. 



The Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse- 

 Darmstadt, second daughter of the Queen, died 

 at Darmstadt, December 14th. 



A decree was published in the London u Ga- 

 zette " of January 3d creating a new order to 

 be conferred upon women only, called the Im- 

 perial Order of the Crown of India. It be- 

 stowed certain insignia and decorations upon a 

 number of English and native ladies, among 

 whom are all the Princesses, the Maharanee or 

 wife of the Maharajah Dhuleep Singh (a Copt 

 by birth), seven great native ladies, and eigh- 

 teen English ladies, wives of past and existing 

 viceroys, governors, secretaries, and under-sec- 

 retaries for India. 



A great public meeting in favor of neutrali- 

 ty and the thorough independence of the freed 

 provinces of Turkey was called to be held in 

 Hyde Park, London, on the 25th of February. 

 Distinguished Liberal members of Parliament 

 were expected to address it. On the day of 

 the meeting the place was taken possession of 

 by a mob of the other party, who passed reso- 

 lutions in favor of the Government, and other- 

 wise interfered with the meeting. A part of 

 the mob went to hoot before Mr. Gladstone's 

 residence. Between 80,000 and 100,000 people 

 were around the park, of whom 10,000 active- 

 ly took part in the proceedings. An attempt 

 was made to hold another demonstration in 

 Hyde Park in favor of peace, on the 10th of 

 March, when the meeting was disturbed by a 

 mob, who again made offensive demonstrations 

 before Mr. Gladstone's residence, and Mr. Glad- 

 stone and his wife, who were in the street, were 

 obliged to seek the protection of the police. 



The attention of the Irish public was excited 

 by the murder of the Earl of Leitrim, one of the 

 largest landholders in the country, who, with 

 his coachman and clerk, was shot by concealed 

 assassins while driving near his house on the 

 2d of April. The murder was generally as- 

 cribed to agrarian motives. The attention of 

 Parliament was called to the subject on the 12th 

 by Mr. O'Donnell in the House of Commons, 

 whose remarks, considered offensive, led to a 

 clearing of the galleries, and by Lord Oran- 

 more and Browne in the House of Lords, on 

 whose motion certain returns of crime were 

 ordered. A meeting of the tenantry of the 

 late Earl was held shortly after the murder, 

 which adopted resolutions expressing abhor- 

 rence of the murder, protesting against charges 

 which had been made against the character of 

 the murdered man, and asking for an investi- 

 gation of them. 



In response to the intercession of the Gov- 

 ernment of the United States, expressed 

 through its Minister, three Fenian prisoners, 



