MONTENEGRO. 



MORAVIANS. 



537 



commission to settle definitely the Montene- 

 grin boundary question. 



The re- establishment of cordial relations be- 

 tween Austria and Russia was reflected in a 

 marked change in the attitude of Montenegro 

 toward Austria, and in humble apologies in 

 the official journal at Cetinje for breaches of 

 international comity during the Herzegovinian 

 disturbances. Energetic measures were taken 

 against fugitive insurgents from Bosnia and 

 the Herzegovina. They were kept under sur- 

 veillance in the district of Dulcigno, as far as 

 possible from the scene of their former activ- 

 ity. A proclamation was issued, warning the 

 exiles that if any disturbances occurred on the 

 Montenegrin border, or in the lands adminis- 

 tered by the Austro-Hungarian Government, 

 the authors would be delivered up to the Aus- 

 trian authorities. Many of the refugees from 

 Crivosciewere brought to Oattaro, whence they 

 could return to their deserted farms. There they 

 were prosecuted before the proper tribunal 

 and subjected to light sentences, after which 

 aid was extended to them so that they could 

 resume agricultural operations on their old 

 lands. One consequence of the insurrection 

 in Crivoscie and the Herzegovina was the elab- 

 orate fortification of the Austrian frontier. 

 Lieut.-Gen. von Salis Soglio, the chief of the 

 Austrian engineer service at that time, was 

 intrusted with the construction of a line of 

 forts which would make an attack from the 

 Montenegrin side impossible. "While the forts 

 were building, Montenegro protested and en- 

 deavored to obtain a veto from the European 

 powers. The chain of forts is now completed, 

 and confines the principality in the boundaries 

 assigned to it by the powers like a wall. The 

 Czemagorans are, therefore, powerless to an- 

 noy or injure Austria in the future, while in 

 times of famine or pestilence, which occur 

 periodically in their mountain-land, they will 

 be largely dependent on the Austrians. Since 

 Russia has ceased to pursue political aspira- 

 tions in this part of the Balkan Peninsula, the 

 hope! which the Montenegrins entertained of 

 leading the south Slavs and becoming the nu- 

 cleus of a great state are disappointed. Servia 

 has obtained a long start in the race for pri- 

 macy, particularly since the completion of the 

 Belgrade and Nish Railroad. The Montene- 

 grins are now obliged to follow their Servian 

 brothers in seeking favor with the Hapsburg 

 monarchy, and find that their traditional hos- 

 tility to the detested "Swabi," which they ac- 

 counted a great advantage over the Servians in 

 the eyes of the south Slavs, is now a political 

 disadvantage. The appeal of the Czernagorans 

 to the heroic past, when the south Slavs were 

 united under their lead, and their mountain 

 nest was the seat of a national government 

 that included all the branches of the race that 

 now aspire to be again amalgamated into a 

 free nation, does not impress the inhabitants 

 of the other parts of the Balkans like the ma- 

 terial progress now visible in Servia. 



MORAVIANS. The Triennial Synod of the 

 Northern District of the American Province of 

 the Moravian Church met at Lititz, Pa., May 

 21. Bishop Edmund de Schweinitz was elected 

 to preside. A salutatory letter from the Uni- 

 ty's Department at Berthelsdorf, Germany, and 

 a letter from the Provincial Elders' Conference 

 of the British Province, were read, and suitable 

 replies were directed to be returned to them. 

 The report of the Provincial Elders' Confer- 

 ence showed that the churches had enjoyed an 

 increase of 418 communicants and 227 mem- 

 bers, notwithstanding the secession of an en- 

 tire church of 483 members ; and that the to- 

 tal number of communicants was 8,640, and of 

 members 14,583. Adding the churches of the 

 Southern District, the whole number of com- 

 municants in the American Province was 10,- 

 032, and of members, 16,822. The financial 

 condition of the Province had been much im- 

 proved under a new system adopted by the 

 previous Synod. The scheme for changing 

 the titles in church property from fee-simple 

 ones to titles in trust was being carried out. 

 A legacy had been left for the Theological 

 Seminary by Mrs. E. A. Yoder, from which, by 

 the plan of settlement that had been adopted, 

 the sum of $25,299 would eventually be real- 

 ized. The total amount of the Permanent 

 Church Extension fund was returned at $19,- 

 578. The Board of Church extension had ob- 

 tained a decree of incorporation. The Board 

 of Home Missions reported upon the condition 

 of twenty-nine missions, with which were con- 

 nected 3,577 members, 1,775 of whom were 

 communicants. The Committee on the Bohe- 

 mian Mission reported that the church of that 

 mission had been recognized by the Austrian 

 Government, and the great obstacle in the way 

 of its progress had been thus removed. The 

 principal centers of the mission were at Potten- 

 stein and Landskron. A branch of the mission 

 had been established in the Russian province of 

 Volhynia. Three missionaries were employed, 

 with three evangelists, two assistant rnission- 

 eries, one teacher, and four colporteurs; and 

 there were connected with the mission four 

 congregations, four stated preaching - places, 

 five chapels, an orphan-house with twenty- 

 seven children, an industry (button-factory) for 

 poor women, and 282 members. The churches 

 of the Northern and Southern Districts of the 

 American Province had contributed to the sup- 

 port of this mission, during three years, $4,107. 

 The commission that had been appointed by 

 the Synod of 1881 to consummate a union with 

 the Southern District reported that the effort 

 had failed. It appeared that a majority of the 

 Southern ministers and churches were opposed 

 to the union. Petitions were ordered inserted 

 in the Litany of worship for deliverance " from 

 needless perplexity" and "from the unhappy 

 desire of becoming great." A gift by Mr. 

 William G. Malin, of a valuable library of Mo- 

 ravian literature, was acknowledged, with the 

 thanks of the Synod. 



