Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-01-24

Of England, Wales and Scotland,
At least = setting Ireland apart-hBs
greatly improved. Prof. Leone Levi,
up the economic progress
made under Victoria, says that while
the population OF the British Isies has
increased vastly during the last 63 years
nearly 6,000, 900 emigrants have left fer
other lands. Economists look to the
rate OF marriages as reliable index OF
the state of the nation, for the obvious
reason that when times are hard and
the conditions of living are growing
worse, common sense aud prudence
operate to reduce the number. The
marriage rate has grown steadily larger
in the British Isles since 1887. At the
same time the rate Of mortality has
decreased, pointing clearly to improved
sanitary conditions.
There has been also a remarkable
advance in British education. In the
year that Victoria came 10 the throne
over 40 per cent of the persons who
were married could not sign the registry
except by their MARKS Only about 10
per cent are in that illiterate condition
at the present time.
While the progress Of the British
people at home, both politically and
socially, has been great during the Vic
torian era, the extension of the British
dominion3 abroad has been enormous,
especially SO when it Is considered that
the Yeas of Viotoria's reign have been
for the most part years OF peace.
Hindostan. which In 1887 was par.
celed out among number Of native
princes and the Honorable East India
Co., is nov wholly under the British
flag, Burmah has been annexed. Hong
kong has been acquired and made q
stronghold Of British power. Borneo,
large part OF New Guinea and the
whole Of Fiji have been added to the
British possessions. Australia and New
zealand show the greatest growth of all
since Victoria was crowned. Melbourne
was then an unimportant township, and
now 1t is as great city as Liverpool,
and in some respects finer one. There
was not in 1887 u single town or Eng
lish settlement on the whole coast Of
what Is row the gieat and flourishing
colony Of New Zealand. On this con-
tinent the whole Of the Northwest
Territory, including Manitoba, British
Columbia aud Vancouver Islard was
still wilderness in 1887, but today it
has large population and ia rapidly
increasing.
Walter Besant, in his exultant review
Of the Queens reign on the occasion of
her Jubilee in 1887, after referring to
the immanse growth of the British
colonies in. North America, Australia,
Asia and Africa, said:
THE British Empire 10 1887 con .
tanned millions of square miles of
barren heath and wild forest which are
now settled lands and smiling planta-
tions. IL boosted OF vast countries,
with hardly single European in them,
which are now filled with English
towns. In 1897 prophets forstold the
speedy downfall of an empire which
uould no longer defend her vast terri
tories. These territories can now de-
feud themselves. 1t may be that we
shall have to fight for empire, but the
longer the day of battle is put off the
better it will be for England and the
greater will be her might. To carry ON
tnat war there are now, scattered over
the whole of the British Empire,
90, 600, 900 of people speaking the Anglo
Saxon tongue. In 80 years. time there
will be 200, 600, 900 in Great Britain,
Ireland, Australia. Asia, New Zealand
and the Isles, with another 200, 600, coo
in the States. II the English speaking
races should decide to unite 10 n vast
confederacy, all the other powers on the
earth combined will not be able to do
them an injury. Perhaps after this
life we shall be allowed to see what
goes on 10 this world. II so there is
JOY IN store for the Briton; il not we
have been born too soon. F" Xxx
yIcToRIA's FIRST PARLIAMENT.
The Parliament Of 1887, which the
Queen opened inspetsnn November Doth
of that year, contained many remark
able men. In the House OF Lords there
were the Duke of Wellington; tile
oonqueror of Waterloo, and Lord
Brougham, the reformer Of England'e
old and cruel penal code. In the Com
mons there were Sir Robert Peel, Lord
Stanley (afterward famous as seventh
Earl of Derby and twice Prime
Ministerl, Thomas Darlington, Ma
caulay, Lord John Russell, Lord
Palmefston, Daniel O'Connell, Lytton
Bulwer, Benjamin Disraeli and Will
ham 4. Gladstone. Of all this bril-
liant company of statesmen, soldiers
and authors none survives. Il.
Right on the threshold Of the new
Queens reign came the Chartist move
ment. The reform bill of 1889, which
was the first wide extension OF the
suffrage, bad broken down the monopoly
of power by the aristooracy and landed
classes and had brought ths middle
class to the ffont as the potential rulers
Of England. But the worEingmen
were still without representation, and
they had many grievances of which
they justly complained. The condition
of labor in factories and mines was ad-
mittedly shocking, and the law as it
then stood did not permit the working
men to combine in trade unions. Alike
IN town and country there was deer
discomfort among the working classes.
Wages were low and hours OF labor
long. y.
The fierce spirit of the French Reyo.
luton manifested itself in Chartist
literature and speeches. The Peoples
Charter, which was SO named by Daniel
O'Connell, was framed at meetinp of
Radical members of Parliament shortly
after Victoria had opened her first
Parliament. 1t made SIX demands:
l, manhood suffrage; 9, annual Parlls-