Valuable collections were made of plants, etc., found in the Antarctic regions, but they have not yet been forwarded. Mention has several times been made of the volcanoes that have been seen. Whether they were new ones or the two old ones of which we have heard is not yet known. Advices from Jamaica, B. W. Ind., state that the crisis there is over, and that all thought of giving up their allegiance to the mother country has passed out of the minds of the people. The Crisis in The change was brought about through the yielding of Great Britain. When the people found that the Governor, Sir Augustus Hemming, was determined to push the tariff bill through the Legislative Council, in spite of the opposition of its members, they were so enraged that the authorities became alarmed, and lost no time in cabling the true state of the case to Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, the British Colonial Secretary. Mr. Chamberlain represents the Crown in dealing with colonies, and dictates the policy under which they are ruled. This official perceived that he had gone too far with the Jamaicans, and instructed the Governor to yield to the wishes of the islanders. When the Council assembled the Jamaican members were ripe for trouble, and had planned to refuse to transact any business, and insist on the dissolution of the lawmaking body. Behind this defiance loomed an appeal for annexation to the United States, and Jamaica's Tariff Troubles with America 599 the threat of riots and disturbances throughout the island, unless the burden of the tariff was lifted. To the surprise of everybody, the Governor met the Council with the soft words that turn away wrath. He told them that the administration had decided not to press the tariff matter, as it was found to be so objectionable to the people, and merely asked that the Council would vote him funds to carry on the government until the affairs of the colony could be straightened out. The extra members appointed by the Governor to enable the government to have a majority vote in the Council were withdrawn. The victory for the Jamaicans was so complete that all cause for complaint was removed, and there was nothing left for them but to preserve their allegiance to Great Britain. The tariff troubles are not yet ended in that colony. The financial condition of Jamaica is such that it has become absolutely necessary for funds to be raised. The people have objected to the heavy tariff on English goods, and it has now been arranged Jamaica's Tariff to raise the money needed by the government by still further taxing the American imports. This plan, however, does not promise to work any better than the previous one which was tried. The Jamaicans would gladly arrange terms with the United States government by which certain American imports would be admitted into Jamaica free of duty, in consideration of Jamaican products being admitted free into the United States. The British government will not, however, permit this, but insists that imports from the United States (of which flour is one of the principal articles) shall be heavily taxed, because, being necessities, the people will be compelled to buy them. It thinks that in this way the necessary funds can be raised to carry on the government. The United States, however, objects to this proposal. Our government officials think that if American goods cost so dear on being landed in Jamaica, the Jamaicans will be forced to seek a cheaper market, and that the United States trade with the British West Indies, which is now of considerable importance, will be ruined. Our consul at Kingston, Jamaica, Mr. Louis A. Dent, called the attention of the Jamaican government to these facts, and hinted that a careful consideration of the matter would be advisable, for if the present ideas are carried out, disastrous results may follow. The Jamaicans are very anxious in consequence of this warning. They fear it means that the United States intends to retaliate by imposing high duties on West Indian exports to this country, especially on fruit. If this is done, the fruit trade will be ruined, just as the sugar trade has been ruined. The people of the islands believe that there is nothing but desolation in store for them. With this gloomy prospect the Jamaicans are not a very happy people just now. They have had to carry heavy burdens for many years, and hurricane and drought have not eased them. The Army Beef Enquiry 601 The Court of Enquiry appointed to examine into the condition of the meat furnished to the army held its last open session on Monday, April The Army Beef 24. All the evidence was in, and the Enquiry. case was closed. The court is now engaged in preparing its report, which will probably take some time to complete. When ready the report will be submitted to the President, and it will be for him to decide whether any further action shall be taken in the matter. Lieutenant-Colonel Garlington, of the InspectorGeneral's office, submitted a report on the last day of the session. He wished it to go on record with the papers that had been handed in to substantiate MajorGeneral Miles's claim in regard to the unfitness of the beef for food. The document contained the opinions of 539 officers and men, 451 of whom declared the beef to be entirely unfit for food. Only one man declared it to be "good;" 27 said it was "fair with exceptions;" and the rest said it was "mostly bad." The court, however, decided not to accept this report, because all the evidence in it had previously been placed before the body, in one form or another. Major Lee summed up for Major-General Miles, and claimed that it had been at all times perfectly possible to have had herds of cattle at the different camps, that beef cattle could have been landed with the armies in both Porto Rico and Cuba, and that during the war there was not at any time any necessity for supplying the troops with canned, or, as he termed it, "emergency food." Suggestions were made by other officers that delicacies such as were necessary for the sick should be added to the army rations. The case is closed. We must await the report with what patience we can to find out whether it is the opinion of the court that the charges made by MajorGeneral Miles were well founded and justifiable, or otherwise. The Dreyfus Dispatches from Paris stated that fresh riots have occurred over the Dreyfus Case. Meetings were held in different parts of the city by those in favor of a revision of the case, and those also who are opposed to such action. After the meetings ended, the rival parties encountered each other in the streets, and as a result blows were exchanged. In the fighting several persons were injured. There were two causes for the renewed interest in the famous case. Both arose from the publication of the evidence given before the Court of Cassation. The first of these was the presentation to the Court of a petition for a revision of the case. The petition was based on the results of the investigations before the criminal section of the Court, which results became public property through their appearance in the columns of the Figaro. The petition was presented by Maitre Mornard, the counsel for Dreyfus, who declared that the published evidence showed that the documents used to condemn his client had been tampered with, and that in more |