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at the Khyber pass. The spirit of discontent began to pervade the great Ghilzai nation, upon whose loyalty the power of the Amir mainly rests. These warning signs impelled Abdurrahman not to strain his authority, and he accordingly withdrew the military and yielded to the demands of the Shinwarris.

The British, seeing the power of the Amir broken in the north and threatened in the south, and knowing that the treasure which they had given him three years before, with which he had established his position, was exhausted, thought they could strengthen his hands to maintain his power and at the same time secure his wavering and uncertain attachment by coming to him in the hour of his need with the promise of a stated annual allowance sufficient to support his power and state. Pecuniary gifts and subsidies have been a feature of British policy in Afghanistan from the beginning. Dost Mohammed received, by the treaty of 1856, twelve lacs of rupees per annum during the war with Persia, besides large occasional presents of money and arms. Shere Ali was the recipient of lavish gifts of money and munitions of war, and a treaty to bestow on him a subsidy of twelve lacs a year was in negotiation when his secret understanding with Russia was discovered, and was declared. Sir Louis Cavagnari, whose murder created a fresh rupture, was the bearer of an offer to Yakub Khan of half that amount per annum. When the British set Abdurrahman on the throne, they supplied him with treasure to the amount of over thirty lacs of rupees, or nearly a million and a half of dollars. The offer now made to Abdurrahman by the Indian Government, and accepted by him, was twelve lacs of rupees per annum. The payment of this large subsidy is conditional on his conforming his external policy to the wishes and interests of the British Empire.

ALABAMA. State Government.-The following were the State officers during the year: Governor, Edward A. O'Neal, Democrat; Secretary of State, Ellis Phelan; Treasurer, Frederick H. Smith; Auditor, Jesse M. Carmichael; Attorney-General, Henry C. Tompkins; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Henry C. Armstrong. Judiciary, Supreme Court-ChiefJustice, Robert C. Brickell; Associate Justices, George W. Stone and H. M. Somerville.

Legislative Session. The Legislature, which was in session at the beginning of the year, adjourned near the close of February. Perhaps the most important act of the session was one "to provide for the assessment and collection of taxes for the use of this State and the counties thereof, and to define the duties of officers engaged about the said assessment and

collection of taxes."

It provides a complete system, and contains stringent provisions requiring individuals and corporations to make return by specific items of their property, and special provisions relating to railroad, telegraph, and telephone companies.

Another systematic act fixes the rate of poll and other taxes, the amount and kind of license fees, and defines the classes of taxable property. By an act "to establish a Department of Agriculture for the State of Alabama," a department of agriculture is created and established "which shall be under the management and control of the Commissioner of Agriculture, who shall be a practical and experienced agriculturist. Said commissioner shall be appointed by the Governor, and shall hold his office for the term of two years, and until his successor is appointed and qualified."

An act "to assist the University of Alabama, and the State Agricultural and Mechanical College, in furnishing additional room for students and facilities for instruction," appropriates the sum of $90,000. It was further enacted that "landlords of storehouses, dwelling-houses, and other buildings shall have a lien for rent, upon such goods, furniture, and effects as may belong to the tenant, and that this lien shall be a superior lien to all other liens on said goods, except for taxes."

An act "to prevent monopolies in the transportation of freight, and to secure free and fair competition in the same," provides that "it shall be unlawful for two or more railroad companies or persons operating railroads in this State to enter into any agreement among themselves, directly or indirectly, for the division among themselves of the freight-carrying business at any station, town, or city in this State, or into any pool arrangement among themselves of the nature and character aforesaid, the object, purpose, and effect of which in either event shall be to prevent free and fair competition among said railroad companies or persons operating said railroads, for said freight-carrying business, and to establish extortionate rates in favor of said companies or persons in doing said business, and which shall have the effect of being in undue restraint of the trade and business at any such station, town, or city of this State"; that "it is the true intent and meaning of this act that any such agreement rates or pool agreement made by any convention or association of freight agents, or commissioner of freight rates or rate-making committee outside of this State, but to be performed in whole or in part in this State, shall as to such part of the same as is to be performed within this State, come within the provisions of this act." Other acts were entitled as follows:

To regulate the hiring and treatment of State and county convicts.

To regulate the business of co-operative and mutual aid and relief associations, societies, and corporations.

logical and Agricultural Survey of the State of AlaTo amend an act to revive and complete the Geo

bama.

To provide for the introduction of the study of the laws of health in the public schools of this State.

To authorize railroad companies organized under the general incorporation laws to extend their lines and build branch roads.

To vacate and annul the charter and dissolve the

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The amount of appropriations for the fiscal year was $1,120,435.

Statistics. The total taxable property in Alabama in the year 1881, on which the tax for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1882, was collected, is $152,880,069.24. Of this amount the railroads of the State furnished $17,574,583. The total railroad mileage in Alabama is, main track, 1,788 miles; side-track, 131 miles 1,919 in all. The total valuation of track is $15,801,829.78; of rolling-stock, $1,762,753.89. The average value of the main track is $8,643 per mile. Of the several railroads in the State, the Nashville and Decatur has the highest valuation, it being $14,000 per mile. Of the whole taxable property, the railroads furnish over 11 per cent. Variations in land values, shown by the Auditor's report, are as numerous as the counties in the State. In Baldwin, the value is 65 cents per acre. Even in so rich a county as Barbour, the valuation is only $3.50 per acre; in Cherokee, $4.50; in Escambia, less than 50 cents; in Etowah, $6.50; in Limestone, $5.11; in Lowndes, $5.06; in Madison, $6; in Marshall, over $1; in Washington, less than 50 cents.

The whole tax raised on property that reached the Treasury in the fiscal year ending September 30, 1882, was $651,156.83. Of this amount the five counties in the State paying over $20,000 apiece contributed $254,351.56, or 39 per cent. The amounts paid by each of these counties were as follow:

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of tax retained in these five counties for the school fund, which of course never reached the State treasury, was $43,435.25, or over 19 per cent. of the whole school fund."

Adding to the tax of the counties mentioned that of Barbour, Bullock, Jackson, Lowndes, Talladega, and Tuscaloosa, all of which pay over $15,000, we have the eleven counties in the State which pay over $15,000 in direct taxes, paying considerably more than half the entire property-tax of $651,156.83. The black belt is still by far the richest portion of the State, especially if we include those black counties which are not in the black belt proper.

The entire tax paid by Montgomery county, for general purposes, for the school fund, from licenses and from general taxes, aggregated $93,383.75. The whole amount paid by Mobile county was $109,620.64. The next highest was Dallas, with $40,983. Of the $651,156.83 paid into the treasury from the tax on property, Montgomery and Mobile paid $164,976.57, or about one fourth.

Congressional Election.-On the 2d of January, Gen. Joseph Wheeler was elected, by a majority of 3,846, to fill the vacancy in the 8th district, caused by the death of Mr. Lowe.

Miscellaneous.-In February, Walter L. Bragg was chosen President of the Railroad Commission. James Crook and Charles P. Ball were chosen members. In January, State Treasurer Isaac H. Vincent absconded, leaving a deficit of about $212,000.

ALGERIA. See FRANCE.

AMSTERDAM EXPOSITION. See WORLD'S FAIR AT AMSTERDAM.

ANGLICAN CHURCHES. An exhibit of the work of the Church of England, and the various societies co-operating with it, is given in "The Official Year-Book of the Church of England," the first volume of which was published in 1883, under the sanction of the Archbishops and Bishops of the English, Irish, and Scottish Churches, and of the lower house of the Convocation of Canterbury. The present number of dioceses in the Church of England, including the two archdioceses, is thirty-two. With them are connected 17,970 clergymen, of whom 11,186 are registered as "incumbents resident," 1,509 as "incumbents non-resident," 387 as "curates in sole charge," and 4,888 as "assistant curates." In communion with the Church of England are the Church copal Church of Scotland, having seven dioof Ireland, having twelve dioceses; the Episceses; sixty colonial dioceses in America, Asia, Africa, Australasia, New Zealand, and other colonial settlements, and the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. (See the article on PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH.) The official records of the several dioceses of the Church of England show the number of ordinations to the order of deacons, during the ten years ending in 1881, to have been 6,560. The number of confirmations during the same period was 1,471,718. Five general societies,

The articles "Failures in Business," "Financial Review of 1883," and "United States Finances," show clearly what has taken place in the monetary world. These and the numerous other articles, most of which, being subjects treated every year, need not be specially enumerated, constitute substantially the world's chronicle for 1883. Those who have just lived that year amid the crowding occurrences of our hurrying age, will realize, as they glance over the record, how letters in their simplest and humblest capacity, if they can not bring back the past, at least may double memory, and thereby lengthen life.

An index to the eight volumes (including the present) of the New Series will be found at the close of the book. An effort has been made to give it sufficient fullness to render all the information easily accessible, and yet not to overload it with needless entries that obscure the very things the reader is looking for.

In its proper place will be found a portrait and brief sketch of the late William J. Tenney, who edited this work from its beginning, in 1861, up to and including the volume for 1882.

NEW YORK, April 11, 1884.

THE

ANNUAL CYCLOPÆDIA.

1

A

AFGHANISTAN. Abdurrahman Khan, since he was set up by the British as Amir of Afghanistan, has struggled vigorously to consolidate the Afghan state and maintain his rule over the loose league of turbulent clans which form the Afghan nation. After the withdrawal of the British army from Afghanistan, there was no hope of preserving a close control over Abdurrahman, for as a puppet of England he would immediately become impossible. As the British nominee, he was left in an exceedingly difficult position. The policy of the Imperial Government was, to attempt Do dictation and make no exhibition of British power in Afghanistan, nor even inquire too closely into the loyalty and friendship of the Amir, yet to supply him liberally with money and war materials, at the expense of the Indian revenue, so as to enable him to buy or compel the submission of his vassals. "A strong, peaceful, and friendly Afghanistan" was the aim of this policy, the friendship to be won by large gifts and the renunciation of British claims to domination, which would encourage the Afghans to apply their united strength to resist Russian encroachments. Abdurrahman gained possession of the fortress of Herat, which is the bulwark of Afghanistan on the west, by a prompt military movement. His energy, or that of his lieutenants, broke up the seemingly formidable power of his cousin and rival, Ayub. Yet the undivided authority of the Amir was not established in Herat, nor can the Heratis be counted upon in future complications to remain true either to their allegiance to the Amir, or to their political union with Southern Afghanistan. Gen. Abdul Kudus Khan, who took possession of Herat in the autumn of 1881, after the defeat of Ayub, established himself there as unlimited ruler, and by the mildness of his government won the affections of the Herati people. Abdurrahman quickly re-established the sovereignty of the Amir in Turkistan, or Northern Afghanistan, as soon as he crossed

VOL. XXIII.-1 A

the Oxus. This great province, embracing the rich region on the northern slope of the Hindoo Koosh, was given into the hands of the Amir's cousin, Isa Khan, as a reward for his fidelity to the cause of Abdurrahman while he was still living as an exile in Samarcand. Isa Khan objected to the appointment of his former subordinate, Kudus Khan, to the governorship of Herat, which post he desired for his brother, Mohsin. Abdurrahman would have been glad to please his cousins and displace the dangerous officer who had implanted himself too firmly in Herat, but he dared not put his authority to the test. This caused an alienation between the Amir and his viceroy in Turkistan. Both the northern divisions of the country are thus ruled by governors who are able and ready to defy the commands of the Amir. The advancing influence of Russia finds there a field which the misdirected efforts and sacrifices of the British have helped to prepare for it.

In the southern parts of the country Abdurrahman has been but little more successful in consolidating his power. In Cabool he rules in state with the aid of British gold, and Candahar he holds with a tolerably firm hand. But the maintenance of civil order in garrisoned towns is a different thing from keeping in subjection and restraint the Afghan people, which is composed of warlike clans who have not yet passed out of the tribal organization of society, and who will accept none of the burdens and pay none of the duties of civil government, except to unite in repelling a foreign enemy. In 1883 the Shinwarris, a tribe in habiting the eastern side of the Sufed Koh range, rebelled against the authority of the Amir. Abdurrahman sent a force to reduce them to subjection, but the military operations accomplished nothing except to spread disaffection, and the rebellious agitation extended to the neighboring clans, the Afridis and Momunds. The Government of British India came to the aid of the Amir with arms and ammunition. Some of these were intercepted

at the Khyber pass. The spirit of discontent began to pervade the great Ghilzai nation, upon whose loyalty the power of the Amir mainly rests. These warning signs impelled Abdurrahman not to strain his authority, and he accordingly withdrew the military and yielded to the demands of the Shinwarris.

The British, seeing the power of the Amir broken in the north and threatened in the south, and knowing that the treasure which they had given him three years before, with which he had established his position, was exhausted, thought they could strengthen his hands to maintain his power and at the same time secure his wavering and uncertain attachment by coming to him in the hour of his need with the promise of a stated annual allowance sufficient to support his power and state. Pecuniary gifts and subsidies have been a feature of British policy in Afghanistan from the beginning. Dost Mohammed received, by the treaty of 1856, twelve lacs of rupees per annum during the war with Persia, besides large occasional presents of money and arms. Shere Ali was the recipient of lavish gifts of money and munitions of war, and a treaty to bestow on him a subsidy of twelve lacs a year was in negotiation when his secret understanding with Russia was discovered, and was declared. Sir Louis Cavagnari, whose murder created a fresh rupture, was the bearer of an offer to Yakub Khan of half that amount per annum. When the British set Abdurrahman on the throne, they supplied him with treasure to the amount of over thirty lacs of rupees, or nearly a million and a half of dollars. The offer now made to Abdurrahman by the Indian Government, and accepted by him, was twelve lacs of rupees per annum. The payment of this large subsidy is conditional on his conforming his external policy to the wishes and interests of the British Empire.

ALABAMA. State Government.-The following were the State officers during the year: Governor, Edward A. O'Neal, Democrat; Secretary of State, Ellis Phelan; Treasurer, Frederick H. Smith; Auditor, Jesse M. Carmichael; Attorney-General, Henry C. Tompkins; Superintendent of Public Instruction, Henry C. Armstrong. Judiciary, Supreme Court-ChiefJustice, Robert C. Brickell; Associate Justices, George W. Stone and H. M. Somerville.

Legislative Session. - The Legislature, which was in session at the beginning of the year, adjourned near the close of February. Perhaps the most important act of the session was one "to provide for the assessment and collection of taxes for the use of this State and the counties thereof, and to define the duties of officers engaged about the said assessment and

collection of taxes."

It provides a complete system, and contains stringent provisions requiring individuals and corporations to make return by specific items of their property, and special provisions relating to railroad, telegraph, and telephone companies.

Another systematic act fixes the rate of poll and other taxes, the amount and kind of license fees, and defines the classes of taxable property. By an act "to establish a Department of Agriculture for the State of Alabama," a department of agriculture is created and established "which shall be under the management and control of the Commissioner of Agriculture, who shall be a practical and experienced agriculturist. Said commissioner shall be appointed by the Governor, and shall hold his office for the term of two years, and until his successor is appointed and qualified."

An act "to assist the University of Alabama, and the State Agricultural and Mechanical College, in furnishing additional room for students and facilities for instruction," appropriates the sum of $90,000. It was further enacted that "landlords of storehouses, dwelling-houses, and other buildings shall have a lien for rent, upon such goods, furniture, and effects as may belong to the tenant, and that this lien shall be a superior lien to all other liens on said goods, except for taxes."

An act "to prevent monopolies in the transportation of freight, and to secure free and fair competition in the same," provides that "it shall be unlawful for two or more railroad companies or persons operating railroads in this State to enter into any agreement among themselves, directly or indirectly, for the division among themselves of the freight-carrying business at any station, town, or city in this State, or into any pool arrangement among themselves of the nature and character aforesaid, the object, purpose, and effect of which in either event shall be to prevent free and fair competition among said railroad companies or persons operating said railroads, for said freight-carrying business, and to establish extortionate rates in favor of said companies or persons in doing said business, and which shall have the effect of being in undue restraint of the trade and business at any such station, town, or city of this State"; that "it is the true intent and meaning of this act that any such agreement rates or pool agreement made by any convention or association of freight agents, or commissioner of freight rates or rate-making committee outside of this State, but to be performed in whole or in part in this State, shall as to such part of the same as is to be performed within this State, come within the provisions of this act." Other acts were entitled as follows:

To regulate the hiring and treatment of State and county convicts.

To regulate the business of co-operative and mutual aid and relief associations, societies, and corporations.

logical and Agricultural Survey of the State of AlaTo amend an act to revive and complete the Geo

bama.

To provide for the introduction of the study of the laws of health in the public schools of this State. the general incorporation laws to extend their lines and build branch roads.

To authorize railroad companies organized under

To vacate and annul the charter and dissolve the

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