DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16938#0006
VOL. LXVI.l INTRODUCTION. [January to June, 1874.
WGE
Victuallers who had been powerful supporters of the Con-
servative cause at the elections, and who now found that
the addition of half an hour to the time for closing their
houses at night was the principal benefit they would derive
from Mr. Cross’s Bill.
Mr. Disraeli’s Ministry enjoyed one piece of good
fortune—the inheritance ot the large surplus left to them
by their predecessors. With this great sum (between five
and six millions) the new Chancellor of the Exchequer was
able in his Budget to reduce the Income Tax a penny, to
entirely abolish the Sugar Duties, and to effect some reduc-
tion in the National Debt.
A notice of the Public Worship Regulation Bill will be
found in the Introduction to the next Volume.
On the 23rd of January the marriage of H.R.H. the
Duke of Edinburgh and the G-rand Duciiess Marie,
only daughter of the Emperor of Russia, was celebrated
at the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg. (See “ Cartoon,” p.
35.) The Duke and Duchess arrived at Gravesend on the
7th of March, and, accompanied by the Queen, they made
their state entry into London on the 12th of the same
month. (See “Cartoon,” p. 111.)
The protracted prosecution of the “Claimant’’ to the
Tichborne title and estates for perjury, came to an end on
the 28th of February. It had lasted 1S8 days, spread over
a period of ten months (besides the civil action for the pos-
session of the estates, in which the perjury had been com-
mitted, which occupied 103 days). The prisoner, Thomas
Castro, alias Arthur Orton, was found guilty on both
counts of the indictment, and sentenced to fourteen years’
penal servitude.
One of the prominent events of this half year was the
success of the Ashantee Expedition, narrated, as follows,
in the “ Annual Summary ” of the Times—•
“ Sir Garnet Wolseley (the General-in-Chief), who had arrived on the
Gold Coast in advance of his troops, commenced his inland march in the
last days of 1873, and Captain Glover in tbe East, and other officers in the
West, were commissioned to raise native levies, with which they were to
effect a diversion as all the separate forces converged on the capital. The
natives, with few exceptions, proved utterly worthless as auxiliaries.
The resistance offered by the enemy, though it was resolute and obstinate,
was overcome without the occurrence of any serious check. After several
skirmishes, the Ashantces made a final stand in the neighbourhood of the
capital (Coomassic) ; and, after defeating the enemy, Sir Garnet Wolseley,
on the 5th of February, entered Coomassie and received the submission of
PAGE
the King (Koffee Calcalli), who agreed to appoint Commissioners to con-
clude a treaty. After a stay of three or four days, Sir Garnet Wolseley
thought it prudent to begin his return march, and he halted at Adamsi to
await the Ashantee agents. The King’s fidelity to his engagements* was
confirmed by the arrival of Captain Glover with his contingent on the
north of Coomassie, though he had not yet been able to open communi-
cations with the General-in-Chief. Captain Glover afterwards marched
through the capital to the coast without opposition ; and the European
troops were re-embarked, in accordance with the original plan, before the
commencement of the unhealthy season. Many valuable lives were sacri-
ficed, and some of the survivors suffered from disease ; but the success of
the Expedition justified the confidence which had been reposed in the
Commander-in-Chief, and in his officers and men.”
In. France, under the Presidency of Marshal Mac-
Mahon, the conflict and general anarchy of political par
ties, Imperialists, Orleanists, Bonapartists, and Republicans
of all shades of ojiinion, continued to excite attention. (See
“ Cartoon,” p. 259.)
Athough civil war still prevailed in Spain, a beneficial
change in the government of that country took place which
was “principally due to the resolution of General Pavia
who in the first days of the year turned the incapable and
factious Cortes out of doors. (See “ Cartoon,” p. 25.) After
the successive miscarriages of' Figueras and Salmeron,
Senor Castelar had rendered the conduct of public affairs
temporarily possible by suspending for six months the
sitting of the Cortes, and that impracticable body, when it
re-assembled on the 2nd of January, refused a vote of con-
fidence to Castelar, who was the only possible Republican
President. As Captain-General of Madrid, General Pavia,
(as has been said), forcibly dissolved the Cortes, and ap-
pointed a Provisional Government, of which Serrano,
Topete, and Sagasta were the principal members. Mar-
shal Serrano, who had, a few months before, escaped in
disguise from Madrid, was soon afterwards raised by his col-
leagues to the post of Chief of the Executive Power. The
Republic, though it has never been formally abolished,
remains in abeyance, and its existence was not noticed by
any of the Powers, which have now recognised Serrano’s
Government.” (“ Annual Summary ” of the Times.) Cas-
telar protested against General Pavia’s energetic action
in dissolving the Cortes.
* Envoys from tbe King met Sir Garnet Wolseley on his return march,
bearing in their hands a tribute of 1000 ounces of gold, {see “ Great
Chemical Feat,” p. 167), and asking for a draft of the Treaty, which was
signed a month later.
NOTES.
9 St. Barnabas his Baldacchino.—See “Notes” to last
Volume, pp. 73, 81. Dr. Tristram is Chancellor of the
Diocese of London.
15 The Vatican Hatter (Cartoon).—In the previous Decem-
ber the Pope had created twelve new Cardinals, of whom it
could hardly be said that they were all more deserving of
the distinction than Archbishop Manning, who was not
included in the number. (The Cardinal’s hat has since
been conferred on the Archbishop.)
19 j The Dodo Demolished. ( A letter from Professor
28 \ A Regular Do Do. j Owen appeared in the
Times of Jan. 5, saying that “ the bird of the Samoan
Islands, noticed in a paragraph in the Times of Dec. 29, is
the dodlet. The extinct Dodo of the island of Mauritius
was about six times bulkier. Coloured figures of both
birds are given in my Work on the Dodo.”
In Re Reredos.—The Bishop of Exeter (Temple) held a 23
Visitation Court this month (January) to adjudicate upon
the petition presented by Archdeacon Phillpotts, the
Chancellor of the Diocese, against the Dean and Chapter of
Exeter (of which body Archdeacon Freeman was a
member), for erecting in the Cathedral choir a reredos, on
which were sculptured certain groups representing events in
New Testament History, with figures of angels, which were
alleged to be illegal. By the judgment ultimately given
the removal of the reredos was ordered; but this decision
was reversed on appeal.
WGE
Victuallers who had been powerful supporters of the Con-
servative cause at the elections, and who now found that
the addition of half an hour to the time for closing their
houses at night was the principal benefit they would derive
from Mr. Cross’s Bill.
Mr. Disraeli’s Ministry enjoyed one piece of good
fortune—the inheritance ot the large surplus left to them
by their predecessors. With this great sum (between five
and six millions) the new Chancellor of the Exchequer was
able in his Budget to reduce the Income Tax a penny, to
entirely abolish the Sugar Duties, and to effect some reduc-
tion in the National Debt.
A notice of the Public Worship Regulation Bill will be
found in the Introduction to the next Volume.
On the 23rd of January the marriage of H.R.H. the
Duke of Edinburgh and the G-rand Duciiess Marie,
only daughter of the Emperor of Russia, was celebrated
at the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg. (See “ Cartoon,” p.
35.) The Duke and Duchess arrived at Gravesend on the
7th of March, and, accompanied by the Queen, they made
their state entry into London on the 12th of the same
month. (See “Cartoon,” p. 111.)
The protracted prosecution of the “Claimant’’ to the
Tichborne title and estates for perjury, came to an end on
the 28th of February. It had lasted 1S8 days, spread over
a period of ten months (besides the civil action for the pos-
session of the estates, in which the perjury had been com-
mitted, which occupied 103 days). The prisoner, Thomas
Castro, alias Arthur Orton, was found guilty on both
counts of the indictment, and sentenced to fourteen years’
penal servitude.
One of the prominent events of this half year was the
success of the Ashantee Expedition, narrated, as follows,
in the “ Annual Summary ” of the Times—•
“ Sir Garnet Wolseley (the General-in-Chief), who had arrived on the
Gold Coast in advance of his troops, commenced his inland march in the
last days of 1873, and Captain Glover in tbe East, and other officers in the
West, were commissioned to raise native levies, with which they were to
effect a diversion as all the separate forces converged on the capital. The
natives, with few exceptions, proved utterly worthless as auxiliaries.
The resistance offered by the enemy, though it was resolute and obstinate,
was overcome without the occurrence of any serious check. After several
skirmishes, the Ashantces made a final stand in the neighbourhood of the
capital (Coomassic) ; and, after defeating the enemy, Sir Garnet Wolseley,
on the 5th of February, entered Coomassie and received the submission of
PAGE
the King (Koffee Calcalli), who agreed to appoint Commissioners to con-
clude a treaty. After a stay of three or four days, Sir Garnet Wolseley
thought it prudent to begin his return march, and he halted at Adamsi to
await the Ashantee agents. The King’s fidelity to his engagements* was
confirmed by the arrival of Captain Glover with his contingent on the
north of Coomassie, though he had not yet been able to open communi-
cations with the General-in-Chief. Captain Glover afterwards marched
through the capital to the coast without opposition ; and the European
troops were re-embarked, in accordance with the original plan, before the
commencement of the unhealthy season. Many valuable lives were sacri-
ficed, and some of the survivors suffered from disease ; but the success of
the Expedition justified the confidence which had been reposed in the
Commander-in-Chief, and in his officers and men.”
In. France, under the Presidency of Marshal Mac-
Mahon, the conflict and general anarchy of political par
ties, Imperialists, Orleanists, Bonapartists, and Republicans
of all shades of ojiinion, continued to excite attention. (See
“ Cartoon,” p. 259.)
Athough civil war still prevailed in Spain, a beneficial
change in the government of that country took place which
was “principally due to the resolution of General Pavia
who in the first days of the year turned the incapable and
factious Cortes out of doors. (See “ Cartoon,” p. 25.) After
the successive miscarriages of' Figueras and Salmeron,
Senor Castelar had rendered the conduct of public affairs
temporarily possible by suspending for six months the
sitting of the Cortes, and that impracticable body, when it
re-assembled on the 2nd of January, refused a vote of con-
fidence to Castelar, who was the only possible Republican
President. As Captain-General of Madrid, General Pavia,
(as has been said), forcibly dissolved the Cortes, and ap-
pointed a Provisional Government, of which Serrano,
Topete, and Sagasta were the principal members. Mar-
shal Serrano, who had, a few months before, escaped in
disguise from Madrid, was soon afterwards raised by his col-
leagues to the post of Chief of the Executive Power. The
Republic, though it has never been formally abolished,
remains in abeyance, and its existence was not noticed by
any of the Powers, which have now recognised Serrano’s
Government.” (“ Annual Summary ” of the Times.) Cas-
telar protested against General Pavia’s energetic action
in dissolving the Cortes.
* Envoys from tbe King met Sir Garnet Wolseley on his return march,
bearing in their hands a tribute of 1000 ounces of gold, {see “ Great
Chemical Feat,” p. 167), and asking for a draft of the Treaty, which was
signed a month later.
NOTES.
9 St. Barnabas his Baldacchino.—See “Notes” to last
Volume, pp. 73, 81. Dr. Tristram is Chancellor of the
Diocese of London.
15 The Vatican Hatter (Cartoon).—In the previous Decem-
ber the Pope had created twelve new Cardinals, of whom it
could hardly be said that they were all more deserving of
the distinction than Archbishop Manning, who was not
included in the number. (The Cardinal’s hat has since
been conferred on the Archbishop.)
19 j The Dodo Demolished. ( A letter from Professor
28 \ A Regular Do Do. j Owen appeared in the
Times of Jan. 5, saying that “ the bird of the Samoan
Islands, noticed in a paragraph in the Times of Dec. 29, is
the dodlet. The extinct Dodo of the island of Mauritius
was about six times bulkier. Coloured figures of both
birds are given in my Work on the Dodo.”
In Re Reredos.—The Bishop of Exeter (Temple) held a 23
Visitation Court this month (January) to adjudicate upon
the petition presented by Archdeacon Phillpotts, the
Chancellor of the Diocese, against the Dean and Chapter of
Exeter (of which body Archdeacon Freeman was a
member), for erecting in the Cathedral choir a reredos, on
which were sculptured certain groups representing events in
New Testament History, with figures of angels, which were
alleged to be illegal. By the judgment ultimately given
the removal of the reredos was ordered; but this decision
was reversed on appeal.