greatly in the majority on the principal island. They would not recognize the supreme court or bring suits before the chief justice. Mataafa's provisional Government taxed the people heavily and imposed fines on adherents of Tanu. In Savaii the soldiers of Mataafa threatened to burn Malietoan villages unless the people sent taxes and recruits to support Mataafa. A British cruiser visited the island and threatened to shell the Mataafa villages if the peace were disturbed. The British and American consuls issued proclamations threatening to take strong action if the provisional Government interfered with the Malietoans. The German consul issued a proclamation upholding the provisional Government and denouncing the action of his colleagues. Dr. Raffel was recalled by the German Government and left Samoa. Admiral Kautz arrived on the Philadelphia.

Negotiations for the settlement of the Samoan difficulties, carried on by the representatives of the American, English, and German governments, were conducted in Washington and Berlin. A basis was sought for the alteration of the Samoa act of 1889, which was considered unsatisfactory and impracticable by all three governments. A petition of 61 German residents of Apia complained that English was used in the courts; that they paid the greater part of the taxes and customs dues, yet were deprived of influence by a hostile combination of English and American officials; that the natives would not pay the poll tax because the chief justice ignored their cus toms; therefore they prayed the German Government to proclaim a protectorate over Samoa. The German Government protested against any action of the American and British consuls in which the German consul did not concur, as the Berlin treaty makes the unanimity of the representatives of the three powers an essential condition of any decision affecting the administration of the islands. The grounds for this protest were furnished by cabled instructions from Washington to the American admiral to act in accordance with the decision arrived at by any two of the representatives of the powers in default of unanimity. The American Government in its reply recognized the necessity of unanimity under the treaty as a condition of a settled policy or permanent action, and said that any action taken by the admiral on the agreement of a majority of the representatives of the powers when an emergency should arise rendering delay dangerous would be subject to ratification or adjustment by the unanimous vote of the three powers at the earliest possible moment, no permanent arrangement being admissible without such unanimous vote.

When Admiral Kautz arrived at Apia he found existing a state of affairs bordering on anarchy. The decrees of the Supreme Court could not be enforced, and the lives of the chief justice and other Americans were in danger. Mataafa had a large force of armed men surrounding Apia, and his followers defied the constituted authorities. There was constant danger of an outbreak, in which the lives of Americans and British, as well as those of the followers of Malietoa Tanu, would be sacrificed. Admiral Kautz called a meeting of the consular representatives and naval commanders of the three powers to discuss means of ending these conditions. The German representatives did not attend the meeting. By the decision of the American and British representatives the adherents of Malietoa Tanu who had been banished to other islands were brought back and their arms were restored to them. A proclama

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tion was issued by Admiral Kautz declaring Mataafa's Government to be illegal, and calling upon the Mataafa chiefs to disperse their forces and return to their homes, threatening bombardment if they did not withdraw from the vicinity of Apia. On March 13 Mataafa evacuated Mulinuu, the native capital, which was fortified by the Americans for the reception of the Malietoans that the British ship Royalist had brought from other islands. After the German consul had issued a counter-proclamation, saying that Admiral Kautz's proclamation was untrue and that he should uphold the provisional Government, Mataafa assembled his forces and hemmed in the town. His men entered the municipality, killed an American marine and three British sailors, barricaded the streets, and seized British houses. An ultimatum was sent to them on March 14, saying that if they did not evacuate the town in twenty-four hours they would be shelled. bombardment was first opened on villages along the shore, some of which took fire. Marines took possession of the town, which the rebels attacked in the night of March 16, killing an American sentry. The bombardment was kept up for eight days, the whites taking refuge on the war ships. When a third British war ship arrived, the cruiser Tauranga, the British and American consuls issued a proclamation stating that they would give Mataafa a last chance to submit. The French priests tried to induce him to give up, but all efforts failed. The Mataafans continued to pillage the property of foreigners and destroyed bridges and barricaded roads. With the aid of the Malietoans, British and American sailors attempted to clear the country around Apia. A party of Mataafans was attacked and put to flight on March 29 at Maguigui. One of the native auxiliaries was seen carrying the head of one of the enemy, and the British officer commanding, threatening to shoot any man found taking heads, induced Malietoa Tanu to issue a proclamation forbidding the practice. The German consul wrote to Admiral Kautz, asking if the American and British commanders countenanced decapitation by their savage allies, and elicited the reply that if the German consul had not resisted the lawful decision of the Supreme Court there would have been no bloodshed, and that the barbarous Samoan custom first became known to the world ten years before when the chief Mataafa, whom the German consul was now upholding, had cut off the heads of brave German sailors.

Armed cutters destroyed villages and boats belonging to Mataafa's party along the coast, and a flying column was sent out from Apia into the bush daily. On April 1 a force of 214 British and Americans, commanded by Lieut. Freeman of the Tauranga, was caught in an ambush on a German plantation at Vailele. When the rebels opened fire from three sides the friendly natives ran away, but the marines and sailors stood their ground until their machine gun got jammed, and finally retreated in good order after killing nearly 50 rebels and wounding many. Lieut. Angel F. Freeman and two British seamen were killed and two were wounded, and of the Americans Lieut. Philip Lansdale of the Philadelphia and Ensign John Monaghan, who attempted to rescue him, were killed, also two seamen, and five were wounded. The savages carried off the heads of the slain, according to their practice, but these were recovered by French priests. The German manager of the plantation was arrested and carried as a prisoner on board of a British man-of-war on the charge of having incited the natives to attack the British and

American column. On March 23 Malietoa Tanu was installed as King of Samoa at Mulinuu in the presence of the American and British representatives, the German officials taking no part in the ceremony. The Germans objected on the ground that the provisional Government was constituted by the unanimous vote of the three consuls, and could not be disturbed unless all three concurred. Admiral Kautz held that it was accepted provisionally, and that by carrying out the decision of the chief justice the situation was brought into accord with the Berlin treaty.

The officers and men of the German cruiser Falke took no part in the operations, the declared policy of the German Government having been from the first not to interfere in the internecine conflicts of the islanders. When the German exLieut. Von Bülow set out with an expedition of natives in boats to take possession of Savaii the Falke compelled the boats to turn back. Admiral Kautz stopped a German schooner that attempted to steal out of the harbor. On April 15 Lieut. Gaunt and a party of 100 men from the Porpoise, after landing at Muliangi, were compelled to retire to their ship under a heavy fire, but returned when the Malietoan natives attacked the Mataafans and drove them from their village. Instructions were sent to Admiral Kautz from Washington ordering him to preserve the status quo; and when these arrived he retired on the Philadelphia to Pago Pago, leaving the British to carry on the operations against Mataafa alone. The Mataafans occupied Vailima, where they were unsuccessfully attacked on April 17 by Lieut. Gaunt with a party of trained natives, aided by friendlies. The British continued to bombard villages on the northern coast of Upolu. The British commander also ceased his intervention on receiving instructions to confine himself to the protection of life and property. Hostilities among the natives were suspended also when the consuls informed them of the coming of the commission. Capt. Stuart, of the Tauranga, sent orders to Mataafa on April 23 that he should withdraw his forces outside of a zone 12 miles long and 6 miles broad. He replied defiantly, refusing to withdraw unless the German consul and naval commander agreed. Admiral Kautz and Capt. Stuart then sent an ultimatum, and after guns had been landed at Mulinuu Mataafa agreed to withdraw. Lieut. Gaunt with his brigade of 900 natives patrolled the prescribed area, and the truce was observed outside of the lines by both parties of natives. The Mataafans encamped at Falenta and proceeded to build forts outside the lines, within which Tanu and Tamasese with their chiefs governed, having a force of 3,500 men, including those brought over from the other islands and comprising half the adult males of Samoa, of whom 2,700 were armed with rifles. The Mataafans declared that if the commission confirmed Tanu as King they would never recognize him, but would resume the war.

The Joint Commission. The result of the diplomatic negotiations was the acceptance of the German proposition to appoint a joint high commission to study the Samoan question on the spot. The German Government proposed that the commissioners should settle everything by a unanimous agreement on all points. According to the American and English view, the main questions should be referred to the respective governments, and on minor details a majority vote of the commissioners ought to decide. The commissioners were empowered to examine and report upon the state of affairs in Samoa and to assume temporarily the government of the VOL. XXXIX.- -49 A

islands. The United States first accepted the proposition, and a few days later England agreed, that the decisions of the commission must be unanimous in regard to the provisional administration of the islands. If on any point the commissioners were unable to come to an agreement, they were directed to refer to their governments for instructions. The consular and naval officers of the three powers were instructed to obey the orders of the commission. The conclusions arrived at by the commissioners as to the future government of the islands were expected to be followed by the three governments if adopted unanimously by the commission, but the powers of the commission in this respect were only advisory. The commissioners were to furnish separate reports on the recent events, and to make recommendations, either unanimously or separately, as to the future government of the islands. President McKinley selected Bartlett Tripp to be the United States commissioner. C. N. E. Elliot was apointed by the British Government and Baron Speck von Sternburg by the German Government. The international commissioners arrived in Apia on May 13. Malietoa Tanu, with Tamasese, and Mataafa both visited the commissioners, who recognized neither as King, and said they had power to establish a government with or without a king. The Germans for the first time acted with the representatives of the other powers, sending a guard ashore. In obedience to a proclamation of the commissioners, both the Malietoans and the Mataafans surrendered their arms. Admiral Kautz departed on the Philadelphia on May 21. The British consul, Ernest Maxse, and the German consul, F. Rose, to whose rivalry and ambition the natives attributed the troubles, were recalled, and left Samoa on June 17. American engineers arrived for the purpose of erecting a jetty at Pago Pago, and stores of coal were deposited there. The German peace officer Marquardt, appointed by the provisional Government, and the German manager of the Vailele plantation, both of whom had been detained on the Falke at the request of the English authorities, were released.

The commissioners on June 10 issued a proclamation accepting as valid and binding Chief-Justice Chambers's decision recognizing Malietoa Tanu as the rightfully elected King according to native customs. He was, however, induced to abdicate, the commissioners having decided to abolish the kingly office. Mr. Chambers having been confirmed in the office of chief justice, he too resigned. The commissioners appointed a provisional Government, consisting of the consular representatives of the three powers, with Dr. Wilhelm Solf, the new German municipal president, as adviser, the majority to act in all cases where unanimity is not required by the Berlin act.

The commissioners in their investigations found that the kingship depended upon the grant of certain titles by different districts, which were in the gift of small bodies of chiefs, who so often disagreed that it was not unusual for two candidates to be elected at the same time and to decide their claims by force of arms. Even the provision of the Berlin treaty that the chief justice should decide had not averted war. The King in recent years had possessed no authority or practical power to even collect taxes outside of the municipality. The greater part of the population was in permanent rebellion against him, and the mere fact that orders were issued through him was enough to provoke disobedience in certain districts. For many years there had been no law or government other than native custom

outside of the limits of Apia. Murder and other serious crimes, when committed by men of rank, remained unpunished, and the Supreme Court and the nominal Government at Mulinuu had been alike powerless. The importance and bitterness of the disputes arising from the election of a king and his subsequent efforts to exert his authority were complicated by rivalries between the foreign nationalities among themselves and their disposition to take sides in native politics. The insufficient enforcement of the customs regulations al lowed unscrupulous traders to distribute large numbers of arms among the native population rent by political factions and ready to fight both cne another and Europeans. Even the most important chiefs acquiesced in the abolition of the kingship, which was not an ancient institution. The commissioners recommended its permanent abolition, and in its place they proposed to create a native system of government, by which the islands should be divided into administrative districts, corresponding with those recognized by Samoan usage, for each of which a chief would be responsible, and these chiefs should meet annually in Apia in a native council to discuss matters of general interest and make recommendations to the Government. Native courts would be allowed to punish minor crimes in accordance with native law and custom. To guard against strife between rival claimants for the office of provincial chief it was recommended that the head of the administration should have power to appoint the provincial governor or chief in case of dispute. Because of evils arising from rivalry and mutual hostility of the different nationalities, which formed two parties in the. municipal council and decided all questions on partisan and national considerations, the commissioners proposed that an administrator be appointed by the three powers acting in concert, or, in the event of their disagreement, chosen by some disinterested power, to be assisted by delegates of the three protecting governments, who might exercise consular powers. These four would form a legislative council, with power to modify existing laws and ordinances, to alter the boundaries of districts and the details of native government, etc. Consular jurisdiction would be abolished, and the chief justice empowered to decide cases between Europeans and between natives and Europeans, and also to try natives when charged with sericus crimes against one another. A municipal magistrate would act as a court of the first instance within the limits of the municipality. The treaty provision against the importation of firearms and the sale of liquor to natives, which had become a dead letter, the commissioners proposed to make more stringent. The commissioners did not think it possible to do away with the disturbing influence of national jealousies under a tripartite administration, and they all agreed that the only natural and normal form of government for the islands, and the only system capable of insuring permanent prosperity and tranquillity, was the government by one power. The task of the commission was to find a workable system under the tripartite arrangement. The chief justice, to be selected in the same way as the administrator, would have power to interpret the amended act, the powers reserving the right to modify or revoke judicial, executive, or legislative decisions on certain political or international questions.

The commissioners visited every district of the islands, and held meetings of the natives. They brought about a reconciliation between the adherents of the Tanu and Mataafa parties, and

learned the views of the people in regard to the form of native government that would be acceptable and best adapted to their requirements. After having decided upon the amendments necessary and proper to be made in the Berlin general act, the commissioners called a meeting on July 14 of all the leading and common chiefs of both the Malietoa and Mataafa factions at Apia. At this meeting 450 chiefs of all ranks were present. The commissioners explained the general propositions contained in their amendments, and these were agreed to and adopted and signed by 13 chiefs delegated by each party. When Chief-Justice Chambers returned to America on July 14 Dr. Wilhelm Solf, the new German municipal president, claimed that the office devolved upon him, but waived his rights at the instance of the German commissioner, and the commission appointed Luther W. Osborn, the American consul general, to act as chief justice until the nomination of a permanent incumbent under the new Constitution. The commission advised the abolition of the office of municipal president, the division of the municipality into three districts instead of two, the election of a mayor by the six councilors, and the submission of the regulations passed by the municipal council to the administrator for approval, instead of to the consular representatives. After appointing Dr. Solf as adviser to the new provisional Government, consisting of the consuls of the three powers, the high commissioners departed on July 18. It was not till a week later that the consular board issued a proclamation assuming the government. The Malietoans failed to obey the orders of the commissioners to leave Mulinuu and dissolve their Government. The Mataafans complained, and the consuls ordered them anew to go to their homes, but failed to give effect to their proclamation.

Division of Samoa between Germany and the United States. The three governments, adopting the conclusion of their commissioners that the tridominium in any form would not lead to permanent tranquillity, negotiated on the basis of a partition of the islands, and on Nov. 14 concluded the following convention:

"The commissioners, of the three powers concerned having in. their report of the 18th July last expressed the opinion, based on a thorough examination of the situation, that it would be impossible effectually to remedy the troubles and difficulties under which the islands of Samoa are at present suffering as long as they are placed under the joint administration of the three gov ernments, it appears desirable to seek for a solution which shall put an end to these difficulties, while taking due account of the legitimate interests of the three governments.

"Starting from this point of view, the undersigned, furnished with full powers to that effect by their respective sovereigns, have agreed on the following points:

ARTICLE I.-Great Britain renounces in favor of Germany all her rights over the islands of Upolu and of Savaii, including the right of establishing a naval and coaling station there, and her right of extraterritoriality in these islands. Great Britain similarly renounces, in favor of the United States of America, all her rights over the island of Tutuila and the other islands of the Samoan group east of 171° longitude east of Greenwich. Great Britain recognizes as falling to Germany the territories in the eastern part of the neutral zone established by the arrangement of 1888 in West Africa. The limits of the portion of the neutral zone falling to Germany are defined in Article V of the present convention.

"ART. II.-Germany renounces in favor of Great Britain all her rights over Tonga Islands, including Vavau, and over the Savage island, including the right of establishing a naval station and coaling station, and the right of extraterritoriality in the said islands. Germany similarly renounces, in favor of the United States of America, all her rights over the island of Tutuila and over the other islands of the Samoan group east of longitude 171° east of Greenwich. She recognizes as falling to Great Britain those of the Solomon Islands, at present belonging to Germany, which are situated to the east and southeast of the island of Bougainville, which latter shall continue to belong to Germany, together with the island of Buka, which forms part of it. The western portion of the neutral zone in West Africa, as defined in Article V of the present convention, shall also fall to the share of Great Britain.

"ART. III.-The consuls of the two powers at Apia and in the Tonga Islands shall be provisionally recalled. The two governments will come to an agreement with regard to the arrangements to be made during the interval in the interest of their navigation and of their commerce in Samoa and Tonga.

ART. IV. The arrangement at present existing between Germany and Great Britain and concerning the right of Germany to freely engage laborers in the Solomon Islands belonging to Great Britain shall be equally extended to those of the Solomon Islands mentioned in Article II, which fall to the share of Great Britain.

"ART. V. In the neutral zone the frontier between the German and English territories shall be formed by the river Daka as far as the point of its intersection with the ninth degree of north latitude, thence the frontier shall continue to the north, leaving Morozugu to Great Britain, and shall be fixed on the spot by a mixed commission of the two powers in such manner that Gambaga and all the territories of Mamprusi shall fall to Great Britain, and that Yendi and all the territories of Chakosi shall fall to Germany.

"ART. VI.-Germany is prepared to take into consideration, as much and as far as possible, the wishes which the Government of Great Britain may express with regard to the development of the reciprocal tariffs in the territories of Togo and of the Gold Coast.

"ART. VII.-Germany renounces her rights of extraterritoriality in Zanzibar, but it is at the same time understood that this renunciation shall not effectively come into force till such time as the rights of extraterritoriality enjoyed there by other nations shall be abolished.

"ART. VIII.-The present convention shall be ratified as soon as possible, and shall come into force immediately after the exchange of ratifications."

An explanatory declaration was exchanged at the same time:

"It is clearly understood that by Article II of the convention signed to-day Germany consents that the whole group of the Howe Islands, which forms part of the Solomon Islands, shall fall to Great Britain.

"It is also understood that the stipulations of the declaration between the two governments signed at Berlin on the 10th April, 1886, respecting freedom of commerce in the western Pacific apply to the islands mentioned in the aforesaid convention.

"It is similarly understood that the arrangement at present in force as to the engagement of laborers by Germans in the Solomon Islands per

mits Germans to engage those laborers on the same conditions as those which are or which shall be imposed on British subjects nonresident in those islands."

Tutuila, the island that falls to the United States, has an area of only 55 square miles, but contains the only safe harbors in Samoa, of which Pago Pago, almost bisecting the island, has been occupied as an American coaling station. With the little adjacent islands, Tutuila has about 4,000 inhabitants, mainly engaged in fishing. The island is mountainous in the interior, and thickly wooded, and is considered the most fertile of the Samoan group. Sugar, coffee, cotton, and the cocoanut palm are the most promising products. SANTO DOMINGO, a republic in the West Indies, a Spanish colony before independence was achieved in 1844, occupying the eastern part of the island of Hayti. The Congress is a single chamber of 24 members, elected by direct qualified suffrage for two years, 2 members for each of the 6 provinces, 2 for each of the 6 maritime districts. The President is elected for four years by an electoral college. Gen. Ulisses Heureaux was elected President for the term ending Feb. 27, 1900, having already served three terms in succession. The Vice-President is Gen. Wenceslao Figuereo. The Cabinet at the beginning of 1899 was composed as follows: Secretary of the Interior and Police, Gen. J. Pichardo; Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Enrique Henriquez; Secretary of Justice and Public Instruction, S. E. Valverde; Secretary of Finance and Commerce, J. Alvarez; Secretary of Fomento and Public Works, Gen. T. Cordero; Secretary of War and Marine, Gen. T. D. Morales.

Area and Population. The area of Santo Domingo is. 18,045 square miles. The population is estimated at 610,000. Santo Domingo, the capital city, has 14,150 inhabitants. At the head of each province and maritime district is a governor. The language of the country is Spanish. Almost the entire population is of negro or mixed blood. The state religion is Roman Catholicism, but all creeds are tolerated.

Finances. The revenue, which is raised mostly by duties on both imports and exports, amounted in 1897 to $1,601,294 in gold, against $1,545,450 in 1896, $1,382,500 in 1895, $1,378,450 in 1894, $1,115,500 in 1893, and $652,500 in 1892. Gen. Heureaux has kept up an army of 2,500 men, well drilled and equipped, which has swallowed up half the revenue. He also maintained 3 well-armed gunboats.

The foreign debt was consolidated in 1897 into $13,325,000 of 23-per-cent. and $7,500,000 of 4-percent. bonds guaranteed by the customs duties and other assigned revenues, the collection of which was intrusted to the Santo Domingo Improvement Company of New York, which effected the conversion of the debt and undertook to complete unfinished railroads and other improvements." There are also unfunded liabilities bringing up the total indebtedness to nearly $30,000,000. Before Gen. Heureaux seized the presidency in 1882 the principal debt was the Hartmont loan negotiated with the Rothschilds in 1868, and amounting to $3,675,000 nominally, although only $35,000 reached the treasury. President Heureaux raised a loan of $3,850,000 in Hamburg, Amsterdam, and Brussels in 1888 and one of $4,500,000 in 1890 in Amsterdam for railroad construction. All these loans were assumed by the American syndicate that undertook to complete the railroads, and this syndicate received $1,250,000 of bonds for the gunboats, which cost only $300,000, then $1,500,000 of bonds when the French in

demnity of $400,000 was paid, and $1,750,000 bonds additional to pay off $700,000 of advances from the French bank, afterward incorporated by the syndicate as the national bank of Santo Domingo. These were 4-per-cent. bonds, and when the whole debt was consolidated at lower rates of interest the nominal amount was increased, but not a twentieth of the total sum was legitimately expended for public purposes. Commerce and Production.-Over five sixths of the area of the country is fertile. The forests contain valuable woods and other products. Coffee and cacao are cultivated on an increasing scale, and banana plantations have been established with American capital. Sugar cane also is planted more extensively than heretofore, while the cultivation of tobacco has declined. There is no mining industry, although iron and copper are found, as well as coal, salt, and alluvial gold. About 45 per cent. of the imports come from the United States, 12 per cent. from the Danish West Indies, 11 per cent. from England and her colonies, 7 per cent. from France, 7 per cent. from Germany, and the rest mostly from Curaçoa, Belgium, and Italy. The total value of imports in 1896 was estimated at $1,875,000, and of exports at $2,885,000. The export of sugar was 86,866,240 pounds; of cacao, 4,308,820 pounds; of tobacco, 6,332,148 pounds; of coffee, 2,437,400 pounds; of molasses, 1,777,120 gallons; of dividivi wood, 1,304,930 pounds; of mahogany, 264,254 feet; of other woods, 14,740 tons. The total imports in 1898 were $1,694,280 and exports $5,770,489. During 1898 the ports of Santo Domingo were visited by 544 vessels entered and 380 cleared. Railroads, Posts, and Telegraphs.—The railroad from Samana Bay to La Vega, 62 miles in length, is being carried through to Santiago, and another line is to be built from Barahona to the Cerro de Sal, or Salt mountain. The length of railroads in operation in 1898 was 116 miles.

The post office handled 333,908 internal and 214,092 foreign pieces of mail matter in 1896. The length of telegraphs in 1896 was 430 miles. Several new lines were projected. The cable of the French company transmits foreign dispatches. Revolution. Formerly Mexican dollars constituted the principal currency. As these steadily depreciated, while the commerce of the country was mainly with gold-paying nations, President Heureaux, being urged thereto by the merchants and planters, had a law enacted in 1895 retiring the silver currency and declaring a gold basis. All customs dues were made pay able in gold, and Mexican money was declared to be no longer current. There being but little gold in the country, a dearth of currency was felt immediately. A merchant and planter named Vicena, to whom the President was indebted, received permission to put into circulation for the payment of laborers and ordinary internal requirements the sum of $2,200,000 in silver dollars and minor coins. They were minted in the United States, and contained at first 12, afterward only 8 cents' worth of silver. Although declared legal tender at 50 cents on the dollar in gold, the people would not accept them except at a heavy discount as soon as it became known that they were made of base metal. The scarcity of money was more and more severely felt, and to supply a circulating medium the National Bank was authorized in January, 1899, to issue $4,200,000 of paper currency at the exchange rate of $2 for $1 of American gold or bills. It was guaranteed by the Government and declared redeemable in law ful money of the republic, but declared also to be itself lawful money. Congress appropriated

20 per cent. of the export duties for its redemption, a provision that carried little assurance, since the fund would not exceed $125,000 a year. The National Bank is owned by the Santo Domingo Improvement Company, except one third of the stock, which was sold or given to President Heureaux. The new bills became known as Heureaux's money, and almost on the day of issue they dropped to four to one, falling soon to six to one, at which rate they were held as long as no more were put out. President Heureaux decreed that six to one should henceforth be the legal rate, and then began to issue more, upon which the rate fell till it was twenty to one, and merchants were afraid to accept the money, fearing that the emission was already much in excess of the authorized amount. The planters had agreed to pay laborers $3.50 a day in currency for harvesting the sugar crop, but the prices of food and clothing rose to ten, to twenty times what they had been, and many storekeepers refused to take the bills at all. When the people began to starve the revolutionary spirit became rife. In May President Heureaux quit issuing the paper, and to check the rising anger of the people he announced that he would soon redeem the notes with gold at six to one. This remained an empty promise. He had so exhausted the credit of the Government by previous borrowings and financial mismanagement that he could no longer raise a loan on any terms. When he pleaded with merchants to accept the bills at six to one they demanded the redemption of the great quantity they had already taken in and could not get rid of.

Gen. Heureaux, taking what little gold he could get, determined to go into the most disaffected and hostile section of the interior and endeavor by publicly exchanging gold for bills and ostentatiously burning these to restore confidence among the common people and impress his enemies by his bravado. Taking only a small bodyguard, he journeyed on one of his naval vessels from Santo Domingo city to Samana Bay, from Sanchez to La Vega by rail, and thence on horseback to Moca. Arriving there, he was received by the municipalities with outward deference, but was alarmed to find that his orders were not obeyed. Still he went about courageously, giving gold coins to poor people, as was his custom. Suddenly he was surrounded by a band of conspirators and shot down by one of them. No one attempted to arrest the murderer, not even the members of the President's bodyguard who were present.

The American gunboat Machias and the cruiser New Orleans were ordered to Santo Domingo as soon as the news of the murder reached Washington, with orders to protect American lives and property in the event of public disturbances. The arrival of these war vessels had the effect of checking the machinations of some of the individual members of the Cabinet who aspired to the presidency and would have used force to realize their ambition except for the fear of American intervention. As it was, they united under the aged Vice-President in repressing the revolutionary movement against the existing system, each waiting for a favorable moment to unmask his own design. Rioting and shooting had begun in the streets of Santo Domingo, but ceased as soon as the Machias arrived.

The most popular and powerful candidate for the succession-one who had already fitted out expeditions and organized uprisings for the overthrow of Heureaux-was Juan Isidro Jiminez, the wealthiest and most enterprising of the Domini