it necessary for the preservation of public tranquillity, to "proclaim" any district under their control, with the consequence that no public political meeting could be held without seven days' notice to the district magistrate or to the head of the police. Any meeting held without such notice, or in defiance of an order forbidding it, was declared to be "an unlawful assembly," and all persons promoting or taking part in it became liable to the penalties provided by the Penal Code. As the ordinance could under the regulation only remain in force for six months, a short Act was passed by the Legislative Council on November 1, embodying its main provisions in the general Criminal Law. It was at first intended that the Act should be permanent, but in deference to the wishes of some of the Native Members of Council it was made operative for only three years. In answer to the objections of the same members that there was no general sedition, and that the existing law was sufficient for the punishment of real offenders, the Viceroy pointed out that although the great mass of the people were loyal and contented, there were undoubtedly mischievous agitators at work in various parts of the country, and that it was impossible to ignore the riots that had taken place both in Bengal and in the Punjab; there were obvious difficulties in the way of proving specific charges of sedition against individuals, and what was desired was not the punishment of a few men who might pose as martyrs, but the stopping of seditious agitation generally.

The Bengal riots referred to by the Viceroy consisted mainly of attacks by Hindus on Mahomedans in Eastern Bengal, and the natural retaliations, but there was also a considerable disturbance in Calcutta caused by a large number of students, joined by the bad characters of the bazaars, who organised a "demonstration" on the occasion of the hearing of charges of sedition against some of their leaders. In the Punjab there were riots at Lahore and Rawal Pindi in April. At Lahore the riot occurred when the editor of a local paper, the "Punjabi," was being conveyed to prison after the rejection of his appeal by the Chief Court. It was similar in character to the one in Calcutta, but of much smaller dimensions; not more than a hundred persons altogether took part in it, and they contented themselves with parading the European quarters, hooting before the houses or offices of prominent persons, and in some cases assaulting stray Europeans. At Rawal Pindi the damage done was greater; the Christian Mission Church was burnt, and some injury was caused to the house and property of the Deputy Commissioner. On the appearance of the military the mob at once dispersed.

But although the actual riots in the Punjab were small the agitation set on foot there was very serious. The leading spirit in this was Lajpat Rai, a pleader of the Chief Court, who for the past two or three years had devoted himself almost entirely

to "politics." There was nothing against his personal character, but his new pursuits may be said to have almost unhinged his mind, and it was his agitation that led to the riot at Rawal Pindi. Another leading spirit was Ajit Singh, who grossly misrepresented to the colonists on the Chenab, many of whom were retired soldiers of the Native Army, the acts and intentions of the Government and urged them to rise in open revolt. Another local paper called India published a series of letters and articles with the object of undermining the loyalty of the Native Army. For this both the editor and printer were prosecuted in the ordinary way in the course of the summer and sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. Previously to this both Lajpat Rai and Ajit Singh had been arrested on a warrant issued by the Governor-General-in-Council under the Regulation of 1818 and deported to Burmah. The effect of these measures was so salutary that it was considered quite safe to allow these two men to return to the Punjab in November, and so far no ill effects appear to have followed from this act of clemency.

For sanctioning this deportation Mr. Morley was hotly attacked by the extreme section of his own party, who charged him with violating the principles of a lifetime. He, however, both in his speech on the Indian Budget in the House of Commons in June, and again when addressing his own constituents in November, declined to make any apology whatever for his action (pp. 152, 241).

The so-called "National Congress" met at Surat in December. The "Moderates" proposed the election of Mr. Ghose as Chairman, the "Extremists" put forward Lajpat Rai. The result was a free fight, in the course of which both sides speedily invoked the aid of the police. The "Congress was adjourned sine die, and a day or two later the "Moderate" party issued a manifesto declaring that their goal was the attainment by constitutional and lawful means of the same position as Canada and the other self-governing Colonies.

On December 23, an attempt was made to murder Mr. C. B. Allen, the magistrate of Dacca, whilst he was waiting for the Calcutta train at the railway station of Goalundo. It was 8 P.M., the station was badly lighted, and there were very few people about. Three Bengali youths approached to within a few feet of him and fired at him with a revolver, causing a most serious though fortunately not a fatal wound. They were able to escape in the darkness and no one could identify them, except in a most general way as being young Bengalis of the student class. It would no doubt be unjust to suppose that the attempt was directly instigated by the Extreme party, but it was a very natural consequence of their agitation. The Dacca students had been particularly troublesome and seditious, and Mr. Allen had been compelled to take action against some of them.

Lord Kitchener's new scheme for the organisation of the

BB

Indian Commands which had been sanctioned by the Secretary of State came into force on June 1. Under it there will in future be only two armies in India, the Northern and Southern, each under a general officer with a suitable staff. The Northern Army will comprise the Peshawur, Rawal Pindi, Lahore, Meerut and Lucknow Divisions and the three Independent Frontier Brigades of Kohat, Bannu and Derajat. The Southern Army will consist of the Quetta, Mhow, Poona and Secunderabad Divisions with the garrisons of Burmah and Aden.

(5) NATIVE STATES.

Maharaja Ram Shri Ranjitsinghi, the well-known cricketer, was installed as Jam of Nawanagar on March 11.

Raja Chura Chand Singh has been given ruling powers in Manipur. The State has an area of 8,000 square miles and a revenue of about 3 lakhs. He will be assisted by a member of the Civil Service as Resident and a Council of Manipuris. Chura Chand was selected when a boy of five as the most suitable member of the ruling family and was educated at the Mayo College, Ajmere. He was for two years in the Imperial Cadet Corps.

The Maharaja of Datia, a State of 836 square miles, died in August and was succeeded by his only son, Raja Bahadur Govind Singh.

Tongsa Penlop was selected and proclaimed hereditary Raja of Bhutan, but his formal installation has been postponed for the present, as the astrologers have been unable to find an auspicious day.

(6) TIBET.

The preamble to the section of the Anglo-Russian Convention regarding Tibet recognises the suzerain rights of China in Tibet, and the special interest of Great Britain in the maintenance of the present régime and external relations of that country. Article I. sets forth that the contracting parties shall respect the territorial integrity of Tibet, and abstain from any intervention in its internal administration. In Article II. Great Britain and Russia agree to treat with Tibet only through the Chinese Government. This agreement, however, does not exclude direct relations between British commercial agents and the Tibetan authorities, as provided for in the Anglo-Tibetan Convention of September 7, 1904, and confirmed by the AngloChinese Convention of April 17, 1906, neither does it modify the terms of Article I. of the Anglo-Chinese Convention. The Buddhist subjects of Russia and Great Britain may enter into direct relations, on strictly religious grounds, with the Dalai Lama and other representatives of Buddhism in Tibet. Russia and Great Britain undertake, in so far as depends on them, not to allow these relations to impair the stipulations of the present

arrangement. Article III. provides that Russia and Great Britain shall not send representatives to Lhasa. Article IV. declares that neither Power shall seek or obtain either on their own account or on behalf of their subjects any railway, road, telegraph, or mining concessions or other rights in Tibet.

In Article V. Russia and Great Britain agree that no part of Tibet, either in territory or in kind, can be engaged or assigned to Russia or Great Britain, or to subjects of either Power. In a supplementary clause Great Britain reaffirms the declaration that the British occupation of the Chumbi Valley shall terminate after the payment of three annual instalments of the indemnity, on condition that the trading centres mentioned in the Convention of September 7, 1904, shall have been effectively open for three years and that the Tibetan authorities during that period shall have strictly conformed in every respect to the terms of the Convention.

In a later correspondence between the British Ambassador at St. Petersburg and the Russian Foreign Minister it was agreed that neither Government should permit the entry into Tibet of any scientific mission during the next three years. the end of this period the matter might be reconsidered. The above arrangements are regarded by many as a complete surrender of nearly all the objects of the expedition to Lhasa in 1904. The one Power to benefit by them is China, whose suzerainty at the time of the expedition was hardly more than nominal. In future she intends to make it a reality. The Tibetan Army is to be reorganised by Chinese officers; trade agents are being sent to many places, and it is said that a number of Chinese peasant farmers are to go to Tibet as settlers.

(7) SIAM.

The Franco-Siamese Convention of February, 1904 (ANNUAL REGISTER, 1904, p. 373), has been modified by a fresh agreement concluded early in 1907. The territorial changes are (1) Siam cedes to France the three provinces of Battambang, Siem Reap, and Sisophon, the area of which is estimated at 12,000 square miles. (2) The frontier line from the Lake of Cambodia to the Gulf of Siam is to be drawn so as to leave to Siam the town and harbour of Krat, and about half the strip of the territory running southwards ceded to France in 1904. (3) On the borders of the Luang Prabang country on the right bank of the Mekong a wedge of territory including the Dansai country is restored to Siam. The chief reason for this last cession was that when the frontier between Luang Prabang came to be demarcated on the spot it was found that one of the streams which was to have formed the boundary rose much more to the south than was supposed, and that to follow it literally would have broken the continuity of the frontier.

The changes unconnected with territory concern the status

of French subjects in Siam. It was at first agreed that all French citizens and residents should have the right of acquiring property throughout Siam, but Germany at once made a demand for the same rights for her own subjects on the strength of the "most favoured nation clause" in her treaty with Siam. It was therefore determined to limit this part of the new treaty to the Asiatic subjects and protégés of France. Hitherto they have enjoyed, equally with all French citizens, the benefit of trial in French courts or in a special Siamese court at Bangkok ; in future they will be amenable to justice as administered in the ordinary courts, but those of them whose names are already inscribed on the consular lists will continue for the present to be amenable only to the jurisdiction of the "international" courts which will however be abolished as soon as the new Siamese codes come into force. All French Asiatic subjects and protégés will then become subject to the ordinary Siamese courts, whether their names were entered in the consular lists before or after the conclusion of the treaty of this year. The privilege of establishing seven commercial depôts on the right bank of the Mekong granted to France by the convention of 1904 is confirmed.

CHARLES A. ROE.

CHAPTER VI.

THE FAR EAST.

I. JAPAN.

JAPAN'S Budget for 1907 contained several unusual features which excited great interest abroad, where her financial position is looked upon as in great measure the key to her policy, but at home the confidence placed in the Government allowed the Budget to be passed almost without criticism. Its leading characteristic was that it avowedly contemplated an expensive policy extending over several years, and that, while nearly a sixth of the revenue for the current year was provided out of funds of a non-recurrent character, it was expected that later on the revenue would suffice without such assistance to meet an expenditure maintained almost at the same high level as in 1907. The ordinary revenue of the year was estimated at 42,400,000l. But with the addition of the surplus revenue in 1906 of 3,000,000l., a surplus standing to the credit of the war fund of 10,000,000l., a domestic loan of 3,100,000l. and miscellaneous receipts estimated at 2,600,000l., the total revenue, ordinary and extraordinary, was estimated at 61,100,000l. The ordinary expenditure provided for by the Budget was 41,250,0001. In addition, 20,000,000l. were required to meet an extraordinary expenditure, partly for naval and military purposes, partly on productive works undertaken by the Government. In the