Solymossy's disappearance. It was clad in her garments, and was recognized as her remains by her father and others; but her mother, pastor, school-teacher, and numerous acquaintances denied the identity. A commission of medical experts reported that it was the corpse of an older person than Esther, and of one not accustomed to hard labor. A second commission, composed of university professors, found that the marks of physical development did not indicate an age of more than fourteen years. The evidence of the body, the modification of the statements of neighbors who heard cries, and the confused and contradictory testimony of the Hebrew boy under cross-examination, would have abundantly exculpated the prisoners if additional suborned testimony had not strengthened the theory that the corpse was a spurious one placed in the river by members of the Jewish congregation to defeat the evidence against the accused. Two Jewish raftsmen confessed that they had been employed to convey the dead body and deposit it in the water where it was found. The public prosecutor, Szeyffert, declared in taking the case that he did not believe in a ritual murder, and only took part in order to have the evidence sifted and the truth brought out. Beyond this the Government did not intervene in the proceedings. The prosecution was conducted by lawyers retained by anti-Semitic partisans. The trial was interrupted by exhibitions of popular passion, and an anti-Semitic outbreak was feared. The trial ended in the acquittal of the ten prisoners. The effect was eventually to confine the anti-Semitic movement in Hungary more within logical bounds. The excitement continued, however, for some time after the trial, and in various places in North Hungary outbursts of fanaticism occurred. At Tisza-Eszlar there were incendiary fires. At Presburg, riots, like those of the preceding year, required the services of the military to suppress. The Scharf family were mobbed out of Pesth, and their advocate, Dr. Eötvös, was the object of angry demonstrations at Nyiregyhaza. At Zala Egersseg, in Western Hungary, serious riots, in which the neighboring peasantry took a prominent part, began Aug. 23d, and lasted several days. The garrison of the town were unable to preserve order or to prevent the mob from sacking the Jewish quarter. In a riot at Szegitvar, Sept. 2d, artisans broke into and wrecked the stores of Jewish shopkeepers, and were fired upon by the police, but not cowed until the arrival of troops. The Hungarian Government maintained throughout the anti-Jewish agitation a firm attitude, and not only employed every means to quell disorder, but gave no countenance to the popular demands for the repeal of Jewish emancipation or any class legislation directed against the Jews. Yet Minister Tisza acknowledged that there was a Jewish question of an economical nature, and that the evils would not cease until the social causes

were removed. The public-houses throughout the country are kept by Jews. They combine with their trade that of the moneylender, and with other usurers, all of the Hebrew race, keep the peasantry in a condition of economical subjection. The Government brought in bills designed to abate the evils, one of which deprives wine and liquor sellers of legal remedies for the collection of debts for drink, and another is a usury law with severe penalties and elaborate safeguards.

The Croatian Troubles.-The Hungarians, who have observed with a feeling of indifference if not with sympathy the victories of the Czechs over the German Centralists, and the federalistic movement among the other Slav nationalities in Austria, were confronted in 1883 with a Slavic question of their own. The results of the Russian War, and the provisional occupation of Bosnia by Austria, were to arouse in Servia the ambition of uniting the Serbic race into one kingdom; then, since Austria was not likely to relinquish the occupied provinces, to excite hopes in Montenegro of becoming the head of a great Serbic nation under the protection of Russia; and, next, of stirring with similar aspirations the petty nationality of the Croats. The Great Croatian idea looks to the creation of a third member of the Dual Monarchy, a South Slav monarchy with its capital at Agram. The Croats have certain grounds for considering themselves the fittest instrument for the mission of Austria among the South Slavs. Their fidelity and attachment to the Hapsburg dynasty are proverbial. They claim to have been of great assistance in rescuing the dynasty in the conflict with the rebel Magyars in 1848. Since then the Croats have progressed in intelligence and culture as much as or more than the Magyars. The development is in the direction which was given it under German control before their incorporation, sorely against their inclination but in obedience to the will of the monarch, in the kingdom of Hungary. They have not been treated with oppression by the Hungarian Government, but have been permitted to retain their old laws as to land, inheritance, and the election of magistrates. They are not fairly represented in the Hungarian House of Magnates, owing to the same electoral system which denies to the Germans their just quota of representatives in the Cisleithan legislative bodies. The Croatian deputies in the lower house have, however, exercised an influence on the Hungarian Government which is out of proportion to the importance of their province, because they have always voted with the ministry, and on several occasions when the opposition was strong their vote saved the Government from defeat. The incorporation of the Military Frontier, which operation was completed in 1882 and 1883, increased the importance of the province, and gave an impetus to the movement for the union of the districts inhabited by Servians and

Croats. in Dalmatia, Slavonia, Istria, Carniola, and Carinthia, with Croatia and the Military Frontier, to form a Croatian kingdom under the Austrian crown, to which Bosnia and Herzegovina could be added, with the expectation that the other Balkan lands inhabited by the Serbic race would gravitate toward this great state in the future permutations of the Eastern question. The Servians of Croatia and the Austrian provinces, who differ from the Croats, not in language or race, but in religion and political tendencies, were strongly opposed to the occupation of Bosnia. They sympathize with the idea of a Great Servia.

In August began a series of violent Croatian demonstrations in Agram and different parts of the country. The first act was the tearing down of the Hungarian arms from the door of the Finance Office in the capital. These escutcheons with bilingual inscriptions had recently been put up an act which was suspected of being the commencement of a policy for the suppression of the Croatian language and institutions. Magyar inscriptions and signs were destroyed by rioters in all the towns. The military were called into requisition, and, in consequence, the disturbances became more violent. Some districts were placed under martial law. In Maria Bistrica, in a collision between gendarmes and Croat peasants, several rioters were killed. The Ban of Croatia, Count Prejacsevich, who had not been a popular administrator, showed sympathy with the movement and declined to replace the Hungarian arms with the obnoxious Magyar inscription on the front of the government buildings. He was obliged to resign his office in consequence, and now received popular ovations as a great patriot. There were signs of the Slavic ferment in the neighboring Austrian provinces. In the beginning of the year Baron Jovanovich created an uproar in Dalmatia by ordering the official communications between civil servants to be made in German. By an act of the Reichsrath this order was subsequently rescinded. In Darenzo, where the Istrian Provincial Diet meets, a Croat deputy made an attempt to debate in his national tongue instead of in Italian, which is the official language. The Dalmatian deputies obtained the enactment by the Reichsrath of a law directing judicial proceedings in their province to be held in the Servian or Croatian dialects, instead of in Italian. The troubles in Croatia attained the magnitude of an insurrection. The Emperor did not nominate a Ban to succeed Count Prejacsevich, but appointed a royal commissioner with extraordinary powers to restore civil order. The Minister for Croatia, Bedekovich, resigned his portfolio. Gen. RamVOL. XXIII.-4 A

berg was selected for this service. In the Zagorien district, encounters took place between the military and the rioters, and the troops were repelled at Krapina, Töplitz, and Sopo. The commissioner issued a proclamation stating that the bilingual official notices would be continued, to demonstrate the fact that political questions were not to be settled by street riots. The escutcheons were replaced on the government buildings at Agram on the 7th of September, and on the following day occurred another riot. The economic distress of the people made them more susceptible to the enticements of agitators, and complicated the movement with socialistic and anti-Semitic demonstrations. The men at the head of the Imperial and Hungarian governments were not inclined to proceed to extremes, and the troops used great forbearance. The suspension of executions for the collection of taxes caused a partial subsidence of the agitation.

After Agram was tranquillized, an insurrection broke out in the Military Frontier, which, like the one in Zagorie, was of an agrarian nature. At Farkasevinez an anti-Magyar riot occurred on the 20th of September, and ten peasants were killed by the soldiery. Persons concerned in the riots at Agram were brought to trial and, September 30th, sentenced to short terms of imprisonment. At the meeting of the Hungarian House of Deputies on the 1st of October, the Croatian deputies refused to take part in the proceedings pending the settlement of the question of the escutcheons. They formulated the national demands, which embraced the restitution of the escutcheons with Croatian legends only, the recall of the royal commissioner and the appointment of a Ban, the establishment of constitutional government, the convocation of the Croatian Diet, and the immediate discussion of the compromise law under which Croatia was attached to Hungary. The Premier announced a policy of conciliation and of willingness to discuss and remedy any grievances. The complaints of unfair taxation were shown to be groundless as far as the Central Government was concerned, but not as regards the local authorities. Peculations of the magistrates of their own appointment aggravate the burden of taxes. All intentions of suppressing the language, nationality, or antonomic rights of Croatia were disclaimed. After a spirited debate, the Parliament approved the proposal of the ministry to replace the demolished escutcheons without any inscriptions, letting those remain which bore Croatian inscriptions. The royal arms were accordingly erected on the 16th of October, after the disturbances were over, without either Magyar or Croatian legends.

BAPTISTS. The "American Baptist YearBook" for 1883 gives tables of statistics of the regular Baptists of the United States, of which the summary of the footings is as follows: Number of associations, 1,167; of churches, 26,931; of ordained ministers, 17,090; of members, 2,394,742; number of additions by baptism during 1882, 94,680; number of Sunday-schools, 15, 138, with 130,606 officers and teachers and 1,065,195 pupils, and 13,804 baptisms in the Sunday-schools. Amount of benevolent contributions reported, $5,219,396. Increase of members during the year, 58,720. The educational institutions of which the "Year-Book" gives reports include 8 theological seminaries, with 45 instructors and 451 students; 33 colleges and universities, with 291 instructors and 4,177 students; and 52 academic institutions and seminaries for young men and young women, with 391 instructors and 6,554 students.

The numerical summaries of the regular Baptists in other countries are as follow:

Bible Convention. The regular anniversary meetings of the Northern Baptist benevolent societies of the United States were preceded by a "Bible Convention," which was called in accordance with action taken by the several societies at their anniversaries in 1882, "to consider and decide what the Baptist denomination ought to do in reference to translations, versions, and the circulation of the Bible in all lands, and through what organizations this object shall be effected." The convention met at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., May 22d. The Hon. James L. Howard, of Connecticut, presided. Resolutions were adopted, as follow:

Whereas, In the year 1883, the Baptists of Americs resolved to give to the heathen the pure Word of God in their own languages, and to furnish their missionaries with all the means in their power to make their

translations as exact a representation of the mind of the Holy Spirit as may be possible; and structed to endeavor by carnest prayer and diligent Whereas, Their missionary translators were instudy to ascertain the exact meaning of the original text, and to express that meaning as exactly as the nature of the language into which they translate the Bible will permit; therefore,

Resolved, 1. That this convention earnestly reaffirms these positions as sound and obligatory.

2. That as these principles are defined, it is the duty of American Baptists to circulate versions made upon these principles in all languages, as far as such

versions can be secured.

3. That as there are differences of opinion in our denomination touching the several versions now existing in English, on the score of fidelity, it is the right of every Baptist to use that version which best commends its faithfulness to his conscience in the sight of God.

4. That while, in the judgment of this convention, the work of revision is not yet completed, whatever organization or organizations shall be designated for the prosecution of home Bible work among American Baptists should now circulate the commonly received version; the new Revised Revision with the corrections of the American revisers incorporated in the text, and the translation of the American Bible Union, according to demand, and that all moneys especially designated for the circulation of cither of these should be faithfully appropriated in keeping with the wish of the donor.

Furthermore, the convention expressed its judgment that the Bible work of the Baptists should be done by the two existing societies, the foreign work by the American Baptist Missionary Union, and the domestic work by the American Baptist Publication Society; that the Missionary Union "should more fully recognize the necessity of accurate translation and wide distribution of the Word of God in foreign lands," and should use every effort to enlarge its means; that the Publication Society should establish a new department, to be designated as the Bible Department, with a special secretary, to be charged with the duty of collecting and expending funds for home Bible work:

That as a guarantee that all the chief views current in our denomination shall be represented in the conduct of our home Bible work, and as a provision for a settlement of the questions which have arisen with regard to the administration of that work, the

American and Foreign Bible Societies be requested to name three persons to be voted for as managers of the Publication Society, and that upon the election of these persons as such managers, the American and Foreign Bible Societics be requested, in the interest of Baptist unity, to dissolve and thenceforth cease to exist as a separate organization;

and that the Publication Society should establish such relations with the American Baptist Home Mission Society that the missionaries of the latter body may co-operate with it in the circulation of the Bible.

The American and Foreign Bible Society, at its annual meeting, May 24th, determined to accept the advice of the convention, and to make arrangements to disband as a separate

organization, and turn over its work to the Publication Society and the Missionary Union. The other societies concerned in the proposed scheme also resolved to accept the functions which its execution would impose upon them. American Baptist Missionary Union.-The annual meeting of the American Baptist Missionary Union was held at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., May 24th. The Rev. George Dana Boardman, D. D., presided. The receipts of the Union for the year had been $327,800, and its expenditures $316,410. The condition of the missions is exhibited in the following table:

MISSIONS.

1,649 24,094

145 1,851

129 69

190

239

4,066 50,146

429

4,510 22,616

28,038 759

813

831

850 146

1,992

9

9

69

4

8

7

150

1

1

679

7

490 6,579 51,570 1,264 1,082 10,645 102,145

A newspaper statement had charged the treasurer of the society with taking advantage, in settlements with the missionaries, of the differences in exchange in the valuation of dollars and rupees at the expense of the missionaries and to the profit of the treasury. This charge was answered by the chairman of the committee of finance, who, after a special examination of the subject and of the treas. urer's accounts, reported that "for tweutythree years previous to 1878 the changing of dollars into rupees favored the missionaries on the field by the appreciation of the rupee, while for three years afterward the Union gained by the depreciation of the value of the rapee. To remove all cause for dissatisfaction by the missionaries in 1879, the Union now changes its dollars into pounds sterling and then into rupees, so that the missionaries now receive the full amount of their salary of dollars in rupees. All of the gain during five years in the depreciation of the rupee is strictly accounted for by the treasurer's report." Resolutions were adopted expressing satisfaction with the statement, and unqualified confidence" in the late treasurer.

American Baptist Home Mission Society. The annual meeting of the American Baptist Home Mission Society was held May 25th. The Hon. James L. Howard presided. The total receipts of the society for the year had been $283,944; the permanent and trust funds held by it amounted to $497,535; and an indebtedness was returned of $49,967. Six hundred and

women.

The Woman's Baptist Home Mission Society had received during the year $22,000 in cash and $4,524 in goods, and had disbursed $22,348. It had employed 26 missionaries, 6 missionary teachers, and 10 Bible-women, who were laboring among the Indians, the freedmen, Scandinavians, Germans, and Mormons.

American Baptist Publication Society.-The anniVersary of the American Baptist Publication Society was held May 28th. The receipts of the society for the year had been $399,673 in the business department, and $122,246 in the missionary department. Forty-five new publications had been issued, and 122,300 Bibles had been distributed.

Southern Baptist Convention. The Southern Baptist Convention met at Waco, Texas, May 11th. The Rev. P. H. Mell was chosen president. The principal business of the meeting consisted in a review of the progress of the missionary and benevolent work of the Southern Baptist churches. The income of the Board of Missions for the year had been $56,805, and the board had a balance of $6,100 in its treasury. Reports were made of the condition of the several missions, as follow: The Mexican mission had 65 church-members, of whom 13 had been baptized during the year. Two missionaries, with three assistants, besides native helpers, were employed at eight stations. In Brazil, four missionaries, all foreign, were employed at the stations of Santa Barbara and Bahia, where were 50 church-members, and in which five persons had been baptized during the year. Three missions were sustained in China, employing 34 missionaries, and with them were connected 587 church-members. In Africa were seven missionaries, at five stations, with 100 church-members and 194 pupils in schools. The missions in Italy included ten stations, at which were 14 missionaries and evangelists, and with which were connected 220 members. Seven missionaries had been sent out by the board during the year.