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end in 1876 by the total defeat of the latter. A plan of the Imperial Government to bring all the railroads in the empire under its control, while being supported by Prussia, met with a bitter opposition in South Germany.

In Italy the financial condition of the country seemed to be improving, as, according to the budget of 1876, there was to be a surplus of 2,000,000 lire. The plan of the ministry to buy up the railroads led to a ministerial crisis, which ended in the resignation of the Minghetti ministry in March, and the formation of a new body under Depretis, the leader of the Left. The elections for the Chamber of Deputies in November resulted in a decided victory for the Government. In order to secure to the Liberal party a majority in the Senate, the King created thirty-two new senators on November 17th.

In Spain the Carlist War was brought to a close in February, and the country enjoyed for the first time in many years internal peace. In the Cortes the new constitution was adopted in May. Although this document guaranteed full liberty of conscience, the restrictions of the Protestants continued to such a degree that England and Germany were forced to interfere.

In Denmark the old conflict between the Government and the Lower House continued during 1876, the House repeatedly refusing to vote for the budget. The socialists caused considerable excitement, being very active, although in a considerable minority.

EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE. The eighth annual meeting. of the Evangelical Alliance for the United States of America was held in New York City, January 31st. Mr. William E. Dodge presided. A resolution was adopted commending to the Branch Alliance in Philadelphia "the consideration of the expediency and practicability of special religious services during the time of the International Exposition of 1876 in that city, illustrating the unity and power of our evangelical Christianity, and the relations of the religion we teach to the progress, perpetuity, and true glory of the American Republic, and the world's civilization and salvation." The Philadelphia branch was also "respectfully requested to embrace suitable opportunities for acquainting distinguished visitors to the International Exposition with our Christian and philanthropic institutions." A committee was appointed to coöperate with the Philadelphia branch in carrying out this measure. Reports were read from the Wisconsin, St. Louis, and Newbern branches. An account was given of the proceedings of the first Biennial Conference of the Alliance, which was held at Pittsburg, Pa., October 26 to 29, 1875. (See ANNUAL CYCLOPÆDIA for 1875.)

In March, 1875, a committee of the Alliance had addressed a memorial to the Board of Education of the City of New York against a proposition from the trustees of the Roman Catholic parochial schools of the city to have a part of

the public money appropriated to the support of their schools.

A memorial addressed by the Alliance in 1874 to the Turkish embassador at Washington, in behalf of persecuted Christians, and in favor of religious liberty in the Turkish Empire, had been brought to the attention of the Government at Constantinople. In behalf of his Government, the embassador denied that the Christian subjects of the Turkish Empire had any cause of complaint in the matter referred to. (The grievances of the Turkish Christians are related in the ANNUAL CYCLOPÆDIA for 1875.) But, during the year, these complaints had been continued. The Sultan had lately promised important reforms, and, among them, better security for religious liberty. In accordance with the direction of the executive committee, the secretary and treasurer of the Alliance had remitted, semi-annually, to Mesdames Pronier, Carrasco, and Cook (the widows of the three delegates to the General Conference of the Alliance of 1873, who lost their lives by the sinking of the steamer Ville du Havre), the interest of the funds raised by the American friends of their deceased husbands. The funds were invested in the following amounts: Cook fund, $7,000; Carrasco fund, $5,000; Pronier fund, $5,000. The "Conference fund," or the surplus left from the sums contributed for the General Conference of 1873, amounted to $6,000, and was safely deposited. In view of the continued financial pressure, it was proposed to conduct the Alliance for the ensuing year without expense for salary or office-rent.

The annual conference of the Evangelical Alliance (British branch) was held at Southport, beginning October 3d. The report of the secretary for the past year spoke of an increase in the number of members and the formation of new branches. Mention was made of the interest which had been taken in the Alliance by the Queen and the Empress of Germany. An address had been presented to the Prince of Wales on his departure for India. The Alliance had been very earnest in efforts in behalf of the Christians in Turkey, and the credit was claimed for its committee of having been the first body-more than a year previously-to call the attention of the Government to their condition. The Emperor of Germany had offered a cordial welcome to the members of the Alliance, if they should desire to hold a conference in Berlin, and it was suggested that the invitation might be accepted in 1878. During the sessions of the Alliance a number of papers were read, principally upon subjects bearing upon the condition of Christianity on the Continent of Eu

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An important paper was also read by the Rev. James Stephenson, of Dublin, on "The Power of the Evangelical Alliance, and how here to use it for Local Purposes."

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the Evangelical Association as they were pub- Europe was in a flourishing condition, and the lished in September, 1876:

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The total number of children baptized was 7,397; of adults baptized, 1,429; probable value of churches, $3,619,468; number of parsonages, 379; probable value of the same, $465,935; amount of conference contributions, $4,787.75; of contributions for missions, $66,300.57; of contributions for the Sunday-school and Tract Union, $2,189.17; number of Sunday-schools, 1,743; of officers and teachers in the same, 19,551; of Sunday-school scholars, 105,566. The Missionary Society of the Evangelical Association supported, according to the last annual report of the corresponding secretary, 289 missions, both home and foreign : 277 of these missions were supplied by the respective annual conferences with 301 missionaries. The Sunday-school and Tract Union of the Evangelical Association was organized in 1859. It has published a number of Sundayschool books and tracts, and aids Sundayschools in procuring libraries.

The annual meeting of the Missionary Society of the Evangelical Association was held at Indianapolis, Ind., October 27th. The treasurer reported that the receipts for the year had been $65,807.13; the total expenditures had been $82,000. The amount of the heathenmission fund now in the treasury, after allow ing for $1,299.95 spent during the year, was $27,729.53. The standing fund amounted to $52,907.73, having increased $3,739.88 during the year. The corresponding secretary reported that the heathen mission had been established in Japan, and the first detachment of missionaries, three in number, had been sent out. The home-missionary work exhibited an encouraging degree of prosperity. The number of missions had been increased, and all had made some progress. The work on the Pacific coast was advancing steadily. The first campmeeting ever held on that coast had been held in Oregon during the summer, and the Pacific Conference had been organized. The work in

number of members in the missions there had increased. This work extended over Würtemberg, Baden, Alsace, Saxony, Switzerland, and a part of Prussia. Seven churches had been built during the year in the European district, giving an increase in valuation of church property of more than $38,000, in gold. A building-lot had been bought at Stuttgart, and help was asked in building a church there. This society was organized in 1839, and the first four regularly-appointed missionaries were sent out in that year. The first missionary was sent to Europe in 1850. Now, the society had a very large mission-work in the United States, employing more than 300 missionaries, and had in Europe one annual conference, a Sunday-school work, a branch publishinghouse, and a seminary for young preachers. The increase in the European missions was 25 per cent. annually, the number of members having doubled during the last four years.

The annual meeting of the Board of Publication of the Evangelical Association was held at Cleveland, Ohio, October 31st. The book agent reported that the amount of cash and its equivalents in his hands on the 1st of September was $35,004.12, or $11,236.51 more than the amount on hand during the same period of the previous year. The total resources of the Board were $336,971.45, against $8,846.55 of liabilities, showing the net resources to be $328,124.90. The net gains on the business of the year had been $21,916.40. The report of the sixteen periodicals showed that they had an aggregate circulation of 183,775 copies, or 69,567 more than were circulated in the previous year.

EXHIBITION, CENTENNIAL. The International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, to which the citizens of the United States had been looking forward with eager anticipations, was opened in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, on the 10th of May, 1876. In the last volume of THE ANNUAL CYCLOPÆDIA was given an account of the preparations for this, the sixth of the great World's Fairs, and the first one held in this country, which was also an anniversary exhibition of the country's progress in the hundredth year of its national existence.

The project of holding a World's Fair and Centennial National Exhibition was first publicly proposed by an association of citizens of Philadelphia in 1870. It was officially adopted by Congress in the act of March 3, 1871, creating the Centennial Commission, consisting of a delegate and alternate delegate from each of the States and Territories, intrusted with the selection of a place and making of plans and preparations for the Exhibition, and by the act of June 1, 1872, appointing the Centennial Board of Finance, empowered to raise a capital stock, which was fixed at $10,000,000, onequarter of which was readily taken up in subscription shares of $50, mostly by the citizens

of Philadelphia. The President formally proclaimed the Exhibition on the 3d of July, 1873, and on the 5th of the same month the representatives of foreign governments were duly advertised. On June 5, 1874, an act was passed declaring that the Exhibition would be held under the auspices of the Government, and requesting the President to invite foreign governments "to be represented and take part in the International Exhibition." By a special provision permission was granted to convey articles to the exhibition-grounds without payment of import duties, to be held there in bond; duty was to be collected only on articles sold and delivered in this country, except upon articles imported for sale during the Exhibition; the other class, comprising the exhibits proper, must remain on exhibition until the day appointed for the close of the Exposition, which was the 10th of November.

The Centennial Commission was appointed by the President from nominations made by the Governors of the several States and Territories. The officers chosen were the following gentlemen: General Joseph R. Hawley, of Connecticut, for president; Orestes Cleveland, John D. Creigh, Robert Lowry, Thomas H. Coldwell, John McNeil, and William Gurney, vice-presidents; Alfred T. Goshorn, director-general; John L. Campbell, secretary; and John L. Shoemaker, counselor and solicitor. An executive committee of thirteen was appointed, with Myer Asch as its secretary, and several bureaus of adininistration were constituted under the following chiefs: foreign, A. T. Goshorn, Myer Ash; installation, Henry Pettit; transportation, Dolphus Torrey; machinery, John S. Albert; agriculture, Burnet Landreth; horticulture, Charles H. Miller; fine arts, John Sartain. The corporators of the Board of Finance consisted of two from each congressional district, and four from each State and Territory at large. This body was organized with John Welsh as president; William Sellers and John S. Barbour, as vice-presidents; Frederick Fraley, secretary and treasurer; William Bigler, financial agent; Henry Pettit, Joseph M. Wilson, and H. J. Schwarzmann, engineers and architects; and a Board of Directors of twenty-two members. The city of Philadelphia was decided upon as the place of the Exhibition, a beautiful site in the spacious Fairmount Park being selected. Besides the private subscriptions, appropriations of $500,000 in 1875 and $1,500,000 in the following session were made by Congress as an advance loan, while the city of Philadelphia appropriated $1,500,000, the State of Pennsylvania, $1,000,000, and other States and Territories various lesser amounts. The States made active preparations, appointing local managers to aid and organize the efforts of their citizens. The foreign nations also, to which the invitation had been presented, accepted it promptly in most cases, and bespoke space for their exhibits. The chief com

missioners appointed by the foreign governments were the following gentlemen: Argentine Confederation, Carlos Carranza; Austria, Rudolph Isbary; Belgium, Baron Gustave de Woelmont; Brazil, the Conde d'Eu; Chili, Rafael Lorrain; China, Edward B. Drew; Denmark, Jacob Holmblad; Ecuador, Edward Shippen; Egypt, Prince Mohammed Tawfic Pasha; France, M. M. Ozenne; German Empire, Dr. Jacobi; Great Britain and colonies, the Duke of Richmond; Canada, Senator Luc Letellier de St. Just; New South Wales, Sir James Martin Knight; Victoria, Sir Edmund Barry; South Australia, A. Musgrave; Honduras, Governor Don Francisco Bardales; Italy, Baron Blanc, minister to Washington; Japanese Empire, Okubo Toshimichi; Liberia, J. S. Payne; Mexico, Romero Rubio; Netherlands, Dr. E. H. von Baumhauer; Norway, Herman Baars; Orange Free State, Charles W. Riley; Peru, J. C. Tracy; Russia, PrivyCouncilor Butovsky; Sandwich Islands, S. G. Wilder; Siam, J. H. Chandler; Spain, Colonel Lopez Fabra; Sweden, P. A. Bergstrom; Switzerland, Colonel H. Rieter; Tunis, Sidi Houssein; Turkey, G. d'Aristrarchi, minister to Washington; Venezuela, Leon de la Cova.

An area of 236 acres was inclosed for exhibition purposes. By the beginning of the year 1876 the Exhibition Buildings were erected and ready for the reception of exhibits. The cost of the five main structures was about $4,500,000. At the opening of the Exposition 190 buildings had been erected within the inclosure, and before its close there were more than 200. The city of Philadelphia went to a great expense in improving the avenues leading to the grounds, and in building a handsome iron truss-bridge over the Schuylkill, costing over $1,000,000. The chief railroad-lines of the country entered into special agreements to convey visitors to the Centennial at special reduced rates of fare.

The applications for space exceeded the expectations of the commissioners. It was found necessary to erect a large annex to the Art Building, as the wall-space in Memorial Hall was found far from sufficient to accommodate the applicants. France began early to bestir herself in preparing for the Exposition. Russia was backward in responding to the invitation, questioning the official character of the Exhibition, but at a late hour decided to send a large representative display of her arts and products, selected and managed under governmental auspices, which formed when opened, somewhat more tardily than the other national exhibits, one of the most interesting sections of the fair. Spain also was dilatory in dispatching her exhibits, and also sent a fine representation of her productions, under patronage of the government. The British exhibitors seemed to comprehend best the spirit and requirements of the Exhibition, and took a pride in sending samples of the best art-work of their country, as well as of her

finest industrial products; yet her latter exhibition, owing to the questionable commercial advantage of competing with American protected manufactures, was not so large and

fine as at Vienna. The German and Austrian exhibitors, and the French in their art exhibit, evidently labored under a false appreciation of the taste of the American public, which was a

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Agricultural Hall.

Horticultural Hall.

Main Exhibition Building. Memorial Hall or Art Gallery. THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION GROUNDS AND BUILDING.

little indignant at being credited with so little artistic understanding as was inferred by many of the art and ornamental exhibits. Several

foreign exhibitors frankly declared, after seeing the American displays, that, if they had known what they had to compete with, they

Machinery Building.

would have made a difference in the character of the articles exhibited. In the American department the exhibition was unexpectedly full and rich, although many novel manufacturing processes remained unexhibited, owing to the jealousy of the proprietors lest their methods might be copied. The European colonies and distant nations were, in the main, better represented than in any of the former expositions; and it is one of the best results of international fairs that countries far removed from the usual tracks of commerce have greeted them as a means of opening up intercourse with the commercial world. The British colonies and the South American nations, with the pardonable vanity and ambition which are common to new countries, sent most extensive and interesting collections of their products. In judging of the different displays it should be borne in

mind that the exhibitors were actuated mainly by commercial motives, and that it was an American market which they sought to gain in exposing their manufactures at the Philadelphia Exhibition. Those industries in which the Americans are weakest and those which are not practised in this country would naturally be the best represented in the foreign exhibitions, while those in which American manufacturers, under the protection of import duties, have driven foreign producers out of the home market, could not be exhibited with any advantage by foreigners.

The Main Building, designed for the exhibition of the manufactured products, and products of the mines and metallurgy, as well as the condition of science and education, in all nations, covered an area of twenty acres, with a length of 1,880 feet, east and west, and a

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breadth of 464 feet, and having projecting wings in the centres of the sides, 416 feet in length, and in the centres of the ends, 216 feet in length. The exhibition-space was on one floor. The roof of the main part was 70 feet high. In the centre of the main portion was an elevated square, with 184 feet sides, having towers 120 feet high and 48 feet square at the corners. At the four corners of the building were towers 75 feet high; and the projecting wings, through which led the main entrances, were fronted with façades 90 feet in height. The building was constructed with wrought-iron roof-trusses supported by wrought-iron columns, 672 in number, and sided mainly with glazed sash, with a substructure of brick 7 feet high, upon a foundation of massive masonry. There was a tier of restaurants and withdrawing-rooms at the sides of the building, and above them, in an upper story, a gallery of chambers occupied by the Centennial authorities, and by the educational exhibits of several of the States. The space was apportioned for the collective displays of the different nations as follows, in square feet: Argentine Republic, 2,861; Austro-Hungary, 24,727; Belgium, 15,598; Brazil, 6,899; Canada, 24,118; Chili, 3,424; China, 6,628; Denmark, 2,562; Egypt. 5,026; France, 45,460; Germany, 29,625; Great Britain and Ireland, 54,155; India and British colonies, 24,193;

Hawaiian Islands, 1,575; Italy, 8,943; Japan, 17,831; Luxemburg, 247; Mexico, 6,567; Netherlands, 15,948; Norway, 6,959; Orange Free State, 1,058; Peru, 1,462; Portugal, 5,988; Russia, 11,141; Spain and colonies, 11,253; Sweden, 17,799; Switzerland, 6,693; Tunis, 2,015; Turkey, 3,347. The space reserved for the United States' exhibits was 136,684 square feet. The total exhibition-space of the building was 363,102 square feet. The space was distributed in parallelograms between the main longitudinal aisle, 120 feet broad and 1,832 feet long, and two side-aisles 100 feet broad, and the numerous cross-aisles. Connecting the two side-entrances was a transept of the same width as the central nave.

Two remarkably large organs, one built by Roosevelt, of New York, with two other organs which were played by electric connections with the large one, and the other set up by Hook & Hastings, of Boston, occupied portions of the galleries, and were playing almost constantly. The Maine cotton-mills made a collective exhibit. Nearly all the large New England cotton and cloth factories participated in an extensive exhibit of American textiles. The collection of American carpets was very large. The new floor-cloth called linoleum was also exhibited. The cutlers and hardware manufacturers also made a fine exhibit. A new kind of veneering for interiors was sent from Boston.

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