The Portland daily press., 1871-12-30
THE PRESS.
SATURDAY MORNING. DEC. 80, 1871.


IL
.portant year of the century, 1t comes very
near II. Beginning with that which is most
: i,nnortant, let us see what has been done to
anneliorate the condition of the race. This
RECORD OF PROGRESS
4 Il full of encouragement, The successful es-
tablishment of the system of storm signals is
one of the most surprising achievements OF
the age The accuracy of the prognostica-
tions from the very first was entirely unex-
pected, and must finally result in disarming
the air and sea of half their terrors. The
claim that the cundurango plant is a specific
for cancer made it probable at one time that
the year would be distinguished by another OF
those gladly welcomed discoveries of medical
3 science, like chloroform and vaccination, that
tend directly to the safety and happiness OF
mankind. But this hope has been only par
TALLY realized, if at all. .iGs
The treaty of Washington, signed by the
representatives of the two countries on the sth
of May, is expected to have an immense in
fuence on the future history of mankind by
serving as valuable precedent for the peace
full settlement of international disputes. The
whole preliminary work preparatory to the
actual carrying of the treaty into effect has
now been done. The Geneva commission for
the settlement of what are known as the AL
ALBANIA claims, met on the 18th of December
and adjourned till the 18th of June, after
choosing Count Sclopis, the Italian commits
sioner President of the board. The Wash
ington commission for the settlement Of other
claims between the two countries has already
begun its work. The Emperor of Germany
has accepted the position of referee in the II
diculous San Juan matter. The Fishery
clause can only be carried into effect by the
concurrent legislation of Great Britain, the
United States and the Provinces.
Among the political events of progressive
character is the beginning of emancipation in
Brazil Slavery now has firm foothold In
America only in Cuba and Porto Rico. The
late remarkable changes in the government
Of Japan, by which the priestly and aristo-
cratic classes have been deprived of so large Q
part of their power and influence, while the
exclusiveness and despotism of the govern
ment have been so materially diminished, is
worthy to be classed among great political re-
forms. The abolition of the purchase sys.
tenn in the British army, and the adoption Of
scheme for reforming the civil service of the
United States by President Grant in his mes
sage of December 10th, may be classed in thu
same way. ..i
Among other political events that deserve
+Ixn-o &c tIa Tn
dian peace policy, the passage by the House
of Mr.. Hoar's bill for commission to inves
tigate the labor question, the defeat of the OPP
ponents of woman suffrage in Wyoming 0
Gen. Butler at the Worcester Convention
and of the Conservative ministry in the On
tario Legislature. l'a ---''''' l-'4 y
International communication has been pro
NOTED by the repair in June last of the Eng
lish cables broken in November, 1869, by tn
laying Of a submarine telegraph from Hon.
Kong to Singapore, the thorough survey 0
the Isthmus of Panama for ship canal, tn
running of trains through the Mt. Gems tun
mel and the extension on the 1st of October O
the postal money order system to the service
between the United States and Great Britain
The prosecution of the Mormons' for polyga
my is expected to put an end at an early da,
to the last of the twin relics of barbarism.
The most important event connected will
religious progress, is the Old Catholic Council
held at Munich. Under the lead of the cele
brated Dollinger this body repudiated the dog
ma of infallibility. ..t.,., r..j...,- .,-t,, "A
,,f f,,f,, l~a 10,
from the republican agitation begun in Eng
land by Sir Charles w. Dixie and his fol
lowers. xxx su., ,,,f r. T't.... .,.' .l,,li
81 lla, IMPORTANT DOMESTIC EVENTS saia
I There is little to be said under this head
and that little not of the most pleas ant char
acter. The burning Of Chicago on the Sth
9th and 10th of October, the loss of the Arcti
whaling fleet during the same month, tn
general and dangerous prevalence of the SINAI
pox, the anti-Orange riot in New York on tn,
18th Of July, and the later astounding devel
opments respecting the frauds committed il
that city by Tweed, Hall, Connolly & Co.
the fight between the Coreans and the United
States fleet on the 10th and both of June, the
little Fenian raid into Manitoba on the It'll o
October, promptly cut of, as usual by til,
United States authorities, and the visit of TIL,
Russian Grand Duke Alexis, are among tn
more noteworthy events. On the othe
hand, the Republicans were successful ii
nearly all the elections during the year. Fiji
teen States with III electoral votes were car
ried by them, while the Democrats must con
tent themselves with States and 81 electora
votes. In February the Union was complete.
ly restored by the admission. of Georgia to the
Senate, thus giving to an the States represen.
tation in Congress for the first time since the
war. The patriotic abandonment by the adj
ministration of the San Domingo scheme
may also be counted among our blessings
since it saved the country from fierce polit
ical strife. 'F". eaRl41'pl ..
At the close of last year gold was. quoted al
1105; onthe 2sth Of December, 1871 at 1881
1t has touched l15 during the year. = orig
10 use IMPORTANT FOREIGN EVENTS, .s,
- The beginning of the year saw, Paris encir
cled by the. hostile Russians, and after the
unsuccessful sorties under Trochu and Dlr
crot, and the defeat by the Prussians o
Chanzy, Beurbaki and Faidherbe, that city
finally capitulated on the Goth of, January
An armistiee was agreed upon during which
on the Sth of February, an Assembly wa
elected, by the French which was almos
unanimously in favor of making peace will
the Germans. By the definitive. treaty sign,
ed on the 10th Of May Alsace and Lorraine
were coded to Germany, while France agreed
to pay billion dollars indemnity, besides
This indemnity is not yet wholly paid, and
Prussian troops still hold portion of the
French territory.
The-provisional government established by
the Assembly was called republic, and the
old Orleanist leader, Theirs, was placed al
its head. The democratic element in Paris
perceiying that the new government would
be republic only in name, and that munich.
pal independence was denied under Theirs as
it had been under Bonaparte, organized an
independent government. The disturbances
government retired in confusion to Versailles,
whence it has not dared to return up to
the present date, and new seige of Paris
begun. On the 2Sth of May, Gen. Mcmahon,
the commander of the Versailles troops, car
ried the city by assault, and general massa-
ere of men, women and Children was con-
tinued for several days. The Communists, as
the patriotic insurgents are commonly called,
fought with desperate valor that will enti-
tie them to conspicuous place among the
g I'LL a.