JAPAN. 



KANSAS. 



463 



but the majority desire to secure a living for 

 themseves and their families in some easy way. 

 Comparatively few of the Shizoku are as yet 

 adjusted to the new order of things. Many 

 are living on their pensions and spending their 

 time in play; others are eking out a living by 

 various little enterprises ; a few have settled 

 down to some steady and measurably satisfac- 

 tory occupation. The number actually satis- 

 fied with their circumstances is small. A sov- 

 ereign remedy is desired. It is supposed to be 

 known, and may be summed up as 'popular 

 representation in governmental affairs.* Peo- 



Sle's rights are discussed in almost every city 

 i the empire by the Shizoku. In but one city 

 to the west of Kobe is there a league composed 

 of ordinary citizens only, who are discussing 

 this question, while leagues composed of Shi- 

 zoku are found in nearly all those cities. Po- 

 litical speeches, some sensible, many foolish 

 and exceedingly fiery, are made to audiences of 

 from 30 to 500 every week. This cry for pop- 

 ular representation is largely the cry of the 

 million and a half of Shizoku. One result is 

 unrest ; whether war will be another, none can 

 tell. It is certain, however, that the central 

 Government keeps very close watch of Tosa in 

 Shikoku, that province being the chief mover 

 in this matter." 



The Japanese department of the Internation- 

 al Exhibition at Paris included representations 

 of the best work of twenty-four of the most 

 influential companies engaged in the bronze, 

 lacquer, and porcelain manufactures ; a collec- 

 tion of Japanese trees and flowers ; and selec- 

 tions from the best museums. The gentleman 

 in whose charge it was put had studied during 

 a residence of nine years in France the sub- 

 ject of the exchanges which might be advan- 

 tageously carried on between that country and 

 Japan. On returning home he founded a 

 national school of agriculture at Tokio, where 

 European trees and plants were cultivated, 

 and the vine and beet-root were grown with 



profit. He then published Chinese- Japanese, 

 Japanese-English, and Japanese-French dic- 

 tionaries, and wrote a history of the revolution 

 of 1863 which opened the country to Western 

 enterprise and culture. The rapid develop- 

 ment of diplomatic and commercial relations 

 between the empire and the nations of Europe 

 induced the Board of Historical Studies at 

 Tokio to draw up an account of the geography 

 and history of Japan, which was translated 

 into French on the occasion of the Exhibition 

 of 1878. The work has been published at 

 Paris, with a short preface by the President 

 of the Japanese Commission, under the title of 

 " Le Japon a FExposition Universelle de 1878." 

 It supplies much information hitherto inacces- 

 sible to Europeans. 



Several editions of the Bible and parts of 

 the Bible have been published by a native 

 Japanese publishing house, besides the thou- 

 sands of copies of the editions of the American 

 and British Bible Societies which are circu- 

 lated through the missionaries. Among these 

 native editions of the Bible are the Gospel by 

 Matthew translated by Japanese scholars from 

 the Chinese and English, a Chino-Japanese 

 New Testament, with Japanese notes prepared 

 by Japanese scholars, and a pocket New Tes- 

 tament with references, chapter headings, etc. 

 Other works relating to the Bible, published 

 likewise by a native house, are Dr. Martin's 

 " Evidences of Christianity " and a small dic- 

 tionary of the proper names of the Bible. The 

 American and British Bible Societies reported 

 a total circulation in Japan during their last 

 year of 61,398 volumes. The missionaries rep- 

 resent the facilities for the pursuit of their 

 work to be increasing, and mention the grow- 

 ing respect which intelligent men show for 

 Christian principles ; but they still meet with 

 occasional opposition from men of both the 

 higher and lower orders, are still denied access 

 to the interior of the country, and are in dan- 

 ger if they go too far abroad. 



K 



KANSAS. The comparative prosperity of 

 Kansas during the last two years has been 

 without a parallel in any of the States of the 

 Union. The population has increased at the 

 rate of 100,000 persons per annum ; the har- 

 vests have been most abundant; the facili- 

 ties of transportation have greatly increased ; 

 the manufacturing interests have been pros- 

 perous, and the mineral resources have been 

 rapidly developed. Business enterprises have 

 revived, and the population is now estimated 

 at 900,000 persons. The only serious and 

 disastrous occurrence has been an invasion by 

 a Cheyenne band of Indians. They were 

 twenty-five days crossing the western frontier 

 of the State, leaving a horrible track of mur- 



dered settlers and outraged women and chil- 

 dren behind them. Large amounts of prop- 

 erty were carried away, and the number of 

 citizens killed was about forty. 



The total receipts of the Treasury from 

 November 30, 1876, to June 30, 1877, includ- 

 ing balance in Treasury December 1, 1876, 

 amount to $850,064.88, while the disburse- 

 ments during the same period amount to 

 $471,849.08, leaving a balance in the Trea- 

 sury, June 80, 1877, of $378,215.80. The 

 total receipts, including balance in the Trea- 

 sury June 30, 1877, for the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, 1878, amount to $1,584,891.10 ; while 

 the total disbursements during the same period 

 amount to $1,272,910.92, leaving a balance in 



