Review of Revietca, 1/6/OG. 



The Reviews Reviewed. 



5'5 



THE NOUVELLE REVUE. 



Tb© youveJIe Revue of March 1st opens with an 

 article bj; Gabriel Ferry, on Gambetta and the Scru- 

 tin dc Liste. 



THE SCRUTIN DE LISTE. 



A quarter ol' a century ago Joseph Keinach contri- 

 buted to the Nouvelle Hevue (Oct. 15, 1879) a remark- 

 able article on the Scrutin (le Liste in France. In" writ- 

 ing it he was intipirecl by the ideas and the doctrines 

 ol Gambetta, his friend and political master, who re- 

 cognised that the scrutin d'arrondissenicnt could 

 furnish Parliament only with representatives of 

 iiieiliix-re moral and political culture, more concerned 

 uith their personal interests than the public good. 

 The scrutin dc liste, it is stated, remains the only 

 mode of logical expression of universal suffrage : it 

 i.s the only way to direct the democracy. The next 

 I'ational consultation is going to revive the questiiui 

 of the scivtin d'nrrondissement, and Gabriel Ferry 

 takes the opportunity to recall the story of Gam- 

 betta and his reform. 



THE NEW ITALIAN MINISTRY. 

 Raqueni has a short article on the New Italian 

 Afinistry. He thinks the choice of Count Guicciar- 

 iliiii as Minister of Foreign Affairs a very happy one. 

 'I'lie Count is a worthy descendant of the Florentine 

 nobles who honoured their country by their work. 

 Their name is closely connected with the history of 

 the Republic of Florence, the most democratic of all 

 tlio Italian republics of tlie Middle Ages. The Count 

 H not enthusiastic over the Triple Alliance, but he 

 IS delighted with the Franco-Italian entente. One of 

 the greatest successes of M. Sonnino, the Prime Min- 

 ister, is that of Jiaving disarmed the Extreme Left. 

 The King is said to approve of the presence of a 

 Itepublicnn in the Ministry in the person of M. Pau- 

 tano, the Minister of Agriculture, and he iiopes a 

 Socialist will soon be added. 



THE POLmOAL AGITATION IN GERMANY. 



The first article in the second number deals with 

 the vSocinl and Democratic agitation in Germany. 

 .\ngel Marvaud, the writer, says a wave of agitation 

 has been passing over the' plains of the East, and, 

 after turning to the South, is now attacking the 

 Tvrolian Alps, and is threatening to include the 

 H hole Empire. Gathering in its course all the elemcnt.s 

 iif ferment, di.scoiitent, and disorder, it not only 

 menaces the capitals of the different States, hut 

 threatens the windows of the Imperial Chancellor at 

 Rerlin. The movement is social and political. In 

 recent meetings in the large cities the local authori- 

 tievs have been called upon to break witli the agrarian 

 policv of the Government, otherwise a general strike 

 will be proclaimed — " a political strike of the masses," 

 in the words of August Bebel, at Jena. 



THE DUTCH REVIEWS. 



In (ynze Eeiiw we have another article on a topic 

 which is commanding a good deal of attention - 

 namely, the union of Holland and Belgium. Tlie ad- 

 vantages an<l drawbacks are examined once mrire. 

 The present writer does not give so rosy a prospect of 

 the rapprochement as others have done, but on the 

 whole he thinks that it would be a goo<l thing if the 

 two nations were to combine. It would be easier to 

 defend their .joint territories, and would materially 

 aid trade. One point, however, for the Belgians to 

 consider is their neutrality as regards the Great 

 I'owers, and that is a serious matter. 



There is an appreciation of Bismarck in the same 

 review, with extracts from his letter.s. We have re.ad 

 some of these before, but the article contains much 

 that is fresh to the general reader. In a h-tter dated 

 1874 the Great Chancellor gives expression 1x) the 

 feeling that his work is done, and that he would like 

 to retire; Germany is consolidated, and what else is 

 there for him to do? Yet it was about thi.s time that 

 his tariff policy took shape. 



The question of Government trading in the Dutch 

 Indian l'cxss<^ssions is also ably dealt with here. The 

 e.Kploitation of mines, the working of plantations and 

 other industries carried on by the Government are 

 badly done, and a great deal is left undone. The 

 Government might make a large revenue out of these, 

 Ijut the results are really poor. 



Dp (rids contains the second article on Dutch Trade 

 in Per.sia and the Levant, this contribution treating 

 of Turkey. The tone of this essay rcniimls us of the 

 children's recitation which ends up with " All the 

 others sit up late, so why can't I?" Other countries 

 do a good tra<le with the unspeakable Turk, or within 

 hi.s dominions, so why should not Holland do more 

 than it does now? The writer gives many figures 

 and interesting details, showing what is done by 

 others, and especially by Belgium, ami calls atten- 

 tion to the efforts of a patriotic Hollander who is de- 

 .serving well of his country in that direction. Hol- 

 land is apparently moving, for Resident Ministei's 

 and Coii.suls are being appointed, but progress is slow, 

 and something must be done to give it a fillip. The 

 .N^etherlaiids will prove more formidable competitors 

 in coiiinierce tlian they hav<' hitherto l>een ! That is 

 the j^ntinient aroused by a perusal of such contribu- 

 tions as this. 



A long account of the Central Trade Congress and 

 the organisation of German trades into one grand 

 society is of interest to all ; the writer is comparing 

 the conditions in Germany with those in his own land, 

 and urging action on similar lines. 



Vraoen dcs Tijds may be called an economic issue, 

 for its contents mainly concern taxation. The third 

 article touches the reform of the general prin- 

 ciples of taxation existing in Holland, and another 

 contrilnition deals with State taxation and how it 

 affects the municipalities. The income tax naturally 

 collie's in for a large share of public .attention. 



Elserier opens with an illustrated sketch of the 

 career and work of Professor .Tergelsma, the nei-ve 

 specialist. His father was a preacher, taking care 

 of the souls of men, while his son has a<lopted a pro- 

 fession which is really akin to that of the father, 

 aithoiigh it seems to concern the body only. The 

 nerve specialist takes care of the spirit, the mind, 

 and elevates its con<lition, and that is practically 

 looking after the soul. There is a well-illustrateiil 

 contribiition on the Resuscitation of the Minor Arts, 

 including tape^stry, weaving of carpets, and the woric 

 of straw and cane plaiting. 



Mr. Ernest E. Williams calls attention in the 

 Windsor Munozine to tlie wav in whicli Canada is 

 handicapped tlirough lack of cheap means of transit. 

 He ennnKTates the a<lvantages of the Hudson Bay 

 route between England ami Canada, and combats the 

 prevalent notion that this route is impracticable. 

 Sometimes the Hudson Bay route is confounde<l with 

 the North West passage sought for by Arctic ex- 

 plorers. Hiid.son Bay is not witliin the Arctic circle, 

 nor is its climate arctic: while as regards safety, Mr. 

 Williams thinks it would compare favourably with 

 the present St. Lawrence route. 



