The Friars' Lands.-Mr. Root, secretary of war,appeared before the committee of the house on insular affairs, January 18, and gave his view as to the disposition to be made of the lands owned by the different orders of friars in the islands. These landholdings, he said, are one of the chief causes of discontent among the natives and of their rebellions. Now that the friars are disposed to sell the lands, the American government should seize the opportunity to gratify the people. A fair price could be agreed on, and there would be no need of condemnation proceedings. The value of the lands he estimates at between $3,000,000 and $7,500,000 of American money.

Porto Rico.-Governor's Message.-Governor Hunt's message to the legislature was read in joint session on January 2. He congratulated the deputies on the tranquillity and contentment that reign in the island, the multiplication of schools, the extension of railroads, the growth of commerce, the larger returns from agriculture, and the progress made toward extinguishment of debt. The number of schools is 885, of teachers 934, of pupils 45,000. In the year, thirty-two new schoolhouses were built. The governor

advised the improvement of the harbor of San Juan. Touching the case of Santiago Iglesias, organizer of workingmen and agent of the American Federation of Labor, who, since December 11, has been in prison serving a sentence of three years and four months for the crime of conspiracy, the governor remarked on the ambiguity of the existing code of laws; but the remedy is in the hands of the legislature. "There is no room for lawlessness in Porto Rico," he said, "but it is perfectly lawful to organize to secure better wages by peaceable measures. A law which forbids the execution of such a purpose is unworthy the American government and should be wiped out."

Miscellaneous. The Danish Islands.The treaty between the United States and Denmark for the cession and sale of the three West Indies islands belonging hitherto to the Danish Kingdom, was

signed at Washington, January 24, by Secretary Hay and the Danish minister, Constantin Brun. The price of the islands is $5,000,000. The treaty still needs ratification, both by the senate of the United States and by the rigsdag, but the approval of those bodies is assured in advance, though the formal act may be delayed for a few months. The three islands St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix-comprise an area of 127 square miles and have a population of 30,000. The white inhabitants are about 15 per cent of the population, the rest being negroes and mulattos. There is no "color line" between the races, and intermarriages between blacks and whites are not unusual. English is spoken by all, and is used both in the schools and in the courts of justice. Nevertheless, Danish is the "official language.

Panama Canal Properties Offered for $40,000,000.-The Panama canal company, on January 4, made a formal and definite proposition to sell the canal to the United States government for $40,000,000, its value as estimated by the Isthmian canal commission. It was believed that Admiral Walker, president of that commission, and the majority of its members would recommend to Congress the acceptance of this offer. Meanwhile, the Hepburn bill in the house of representatives, which is designed to commit the government to the choice of the Nicaragua route, was as strenuously supported by the majority as ever. The commission in its original report made this estimate of the cost of the Nicaragua and the Panama canals respectively:

The cost of constructing a canal by the Nicaragua route and of completing the Panama canal, without including the cost of acquiring the concessions from the different governments, is estimated as follows: Nicaragua, $189.864,062. Panama, $144,233,358..

For a proper comparison there must be added to the latter the cost of acquiring the rights and property of the New Panama canal company. The commission has estimated the value of these in the project recommended by it at $40,000,000.

Immediately on receipt of the tender of the Panama company's property at the price of $40,000,000, the Isthmian

commission began the preparation of a supplemental report. This they presented to the President, who, on January 20, transmitted the document to Congress. The commission unanimously recommend that the offer of the Panama canal company be accepted.

This

report estimates the cost of constructing the Nicaragua canal at $45,630,704 in excess of the cost of completing the Panama; and the estimated annual cost of maintenance is $1,300,000 greater at Nicaragua than at Panama.

A vote was taken on the Hepburn bill in the house, January 8, and it passed by an almost unanimous vote 308 against 2.

But in the senate there

appeared a fair prospect of the passage of a bill favoring rather the acceptance of the Panama company's offer.

Cabinet Appointments.-On January 8 the President sent to the senate the name of Henry C. Payne of Wisconsin, to be postmaster-general and of Leslie M. Shaw, who has just completed a term of office as governor of Iowa, to be secretary of the treasury.

The United States and the Vatican.Neither in this country nor at the Vatican has the establishment of reciprocal diplomatic representation been favored. Such representatives are national, and the Vatican is not a nation. Recently, however, a party at Rome, under the lead of Cardinal Satolli, is favoring such a project as requisite for settlement of the complicated Philippine question. The suggestion also is made that at least this government might appoint a confidential agent to treat with the Vatican on the Philippine question-all public official recognition by the Vatican of such an agent being avoided.

A New Postoffice Rule. -A socialistic newspaper of Chicago, The Challenge, having been excluded from the mails as belonging to the class of "publications designed primarily for advertising purposes," its editor-publisher took his business to Toronto, there obtained postal rates 50 per cent lower than in the United States, and at those rates the paper circulated freely in this country under the conditions of the international postal

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treaty. Another journal, The Appeal to Reason, has been threatened with exclusion because one-third of its mailing list consists of names of persons whose subscriptions are paid by others, not by themselves. The third assistant postmaster-general, Edward C. Madden, thus states the case:

There is no objection to a reasonable number of subscriptions by one person for another, when not for an ulterior purpose. But when such subscriptions amount to a considerable part of the claimed list of subscribers, and they are paid for by persons manifestly interested in the circulation of the publication because of the doctrines it advocates, or because of the goods it advertises, they have uniformly been held to be not "legitimate" within the spirit and purpose of the law. Therefore, except for a reasonable number paid for by others, not because of the doctrines advocated or the goods advertised, the legitimate list of subscribers required by law must be made up of persons who pay for the publication with their own money.

CANADA.

Dominion Matters. The premier, Sir Wilfred Laurier, received in January a formal invitation to the coronation of King Edward VII. He was one of the conspicuous figures in London at the time of Queen Victoria's jubilee and he will grace the coming scene of the coronation. He will probably be accompanied by the minister of finance, Hon. W. S. Fielding, and by the postmastergeneral, Hon. W. Mulock, who will take part in the colonial conference, and also by a representative military contingent.

On January 16, Hon. James Sutherland was sworn in by Governor-general Minto, at the government house in Ottawa, as minister of marine and fisheries, the duties of which office he had been performing since the former minister, Sir Louis Davis, went on the bench. It was announced that Senator Templeman, of British Columbia, would be appointed a minister without portfolio, and that Hon. David Mills would soon succeed the late Judge Gwynne on the supreme court bench.

It was announced about the middle of the month that parliament would be summoned to meet on February 13.

Bye-elections in the middle of January for nine vacancies in the Dominion house of commons, five in Ontario, three in Quebec, and one in Prince Edward Island, resulted in the return of six liberals and three conservatives.

The Canada Gazette of January 11 published the revenue and expenditure returns of the Dominion for the first half of the current fiscal year, up to the close of December. There is a balance on the revenue side of $8,600,000. Both revenue and expenditure show considerable increase over the same period of last year. The revenue is $27,683,855,

as against $25,731,656 in 1900. The receipts in the same period of 1895 amounted to $17,621,864, and of 1890 to $19,418,678. The outlay for the past six months has been $19,082,231, as against $17,208,610 in 1900; $13,535,031 in 1895; and $14,052,302, in 1890. The capital account expenditure for the last half year has been $6,701,208, as against $4,930,493 in 1900.

Following are the returns for the six months periods of 1900 and 1901 :

veyors to lay out the public lands for settlement.

A committee of manufacturers early in January laid before the government a request for the increase of some of the protective duties. Their request was taken into consideration, but the Monetary Times of Toronto thinks the present Canadian administration is not inclined toward higher protection.

On the other hand, Mr. John Charlton,

a well-known member of the Canadian parliament, in an article in the Forum, and in a speech at Chicago on January 18, distinctly intimated that, unless the United States could see fit to arrange an equitable reciprocal tariff agreement, Canada would be obliged to retaliate by a great increase of duties, a result which Mr. Charlton would apparently regard as unfortunate but necessary.

The secretary of the Boston chamber of commerce has lately carried to Washington petitions in favor of reciprocity with Canada. These petitions have been indorsed by the boards of trade of about forty manufacturing cities and towns, but the prospect is not particularly hopeful for practical results. The

Edward Island, four; and the Yukon, one. This means a cutting down of Ontario representation by seven. New Brunswick loses one member, Nova Scotia two, Prince Edward Island one. Manitoba gains three seats, the territories two, and British Columbia one.

A stream of emigration from Iowa and adjoining States to the Canadian Northwest has set in. For this there are several causes, prominent among which are mentioned the prior occupation of the available lands in the States; the fame of the rich harvest which was reaped last year in the Canadian Northwest; and the low price at which fine land in the Northwest can be obtained, against prices of from $50 to $100 an acre in the States.

British Columbia.—Under date of January 29 word came from Victoria that "the old Tory city" was greatly excited over the fact that for the first time in its history it had returned a liberal to the house of commons, Mr. Riley having defeated Mr. Barnard by over five hundred majority. The election was rendered necessary by the unseating of Colonel Prior. The result shows the popularity of the Laurier government.

In view of an approaching appeal to the electorate, Premier Dunsmuir has issued a manifesto setting forth his policy. In general it signifies demands on the Dominion government for aid in developing railways. "In thirty years, says Mr. Dunsmuir, the province has "paid to the Dominion $15,000,000 more than it has got back," in subsidies and otherwise. This the Monetary Times (Toronto) characterizes as wide a very statement."

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referendum would be taken immediately after the prorogation of the house. Petitions to the assembly were in circulation praying for compensation to those who would suffer loss through the anticipated enforcement of the act. The organized prohibitionists of the province were, throughout the month, no less active than the pro-liquor forces, all classes realizing that a critical point had been reached in the history of the province. The question to be settled by the legislature was whether a stringent liquor act passed by the legislature, after a plebiscitum in its favor should be enforced without further delay or should go into effect only after the decision of a majority of the voters through the referendum. The government, as appeared from Premier Roblin's statement, favored the latter course. Much strength and bitterPremier ness of feeling developed. Roblin and his associates were charged with "shuffling conduct, hypocrisy, and treachery, " while the government supporters retorted that "the old spirit of the holy inquisition was still rampant" among the temperance and prohibition organizations, which bitterly opposed the referendum proposition. The purpose of the government to evade the responsibility of enforcing the law by resorting to a popular vote was characterized by the Montreal Daily Witness as "a surrender of the powers of parliament, an abnegation of the principle of parliamentary government, and a substitution therefor of direct government by the people." Having enacted a law, the government "should, in vindication of its own rights and functions, insist that it should be enforced." The Monetary Times (Toronto) put the matter more favorably to the government by attributing its hesitancy to enforce the law to a fear lest, after all, there not being public sentiment enough to bear down opposition to enforcement, "the temperance cause would be injured if premature action should make the measure abortive."

Railways. The Canadian Northern railroad is now completed, the last rail