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anarchists were declared not to be admissible as immigrants, as well as those persons imported under contract to labour. To prevent the immigration of Japanese and prevent them from competing with white labour on the Pacific Coast, the law provided "that whenever the President shall be satisfied that passports issued by any foreign Government to its citizens to go to any country other than the United States or to any insular possession of the United States or to the canal zone are being used for the purpose of enabling the holders to come to the continental territory of the United States to the detriment of labour conditions therein, the President may refuse to permit such citizens of the country issuing such passports to enter the continental territory of the United States from such other country or from such insular possessions or from the canal zone."

It was understood that the Japanese Government had acquiesced in this section and that it was inserted so as to check Japanese immigration, the Japanese Government agreeing to issue passports only to professional men, merchants and tourists and to refuse them to labourers. It was asserted that a great many Japanese nominally went to Mexico, but crossed the border and settled in the United States. To prevent this the American Government impressed upon the Japanese Government the necessity of more closely scrutinising the applications for passports. During the summer the people of the Pacific Coast asserted that there had been no diminution of the flood of immigration, and negotiations were entered into with the Japanese Government with a view to meeting the prejudices of California, where there exists a pronounced feeling in favour of the total exclusion of all Japanese as of Chinese. At the end of the year the negotiations were still in progress.

Congress passed a law prohibiting the employment of any railway servant for more than sixteen hours continuously in twenty-four, and prohibiting his going on duty after he had been employed continuously for sixteen hours until a period of ten hours had elapsed; men employed to receive or transmit orders by telegraph or telephone relating to the movements of trains are not permitted to be on duty more than nine hours in any twenty-four hour period, except in case of emergency. It was asserted that many of the railway accidents were caused by railway servants being overworked, which rendered them physically incapable of properly transmitting or executing orders. The law is designed to correct this evil.

To prevent aliens from obtaining naturalisation in the United States and then residing in the country of their birth and claiming American citizenship, which has often involved the United States with foreign Governments, Congress passed an Act declaring that an American citizen who has resided for two years in the State from which he came shall be presumed no longer to be an American citizen. No American citizen is permitted to expatriate himself when his country is at war. An

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American woman who marries a foreigner takes the nationality of her husband, and can only regain her American citizenship at the termination of the marital relation by registering with an American consul or by returning to the United States and residing there. A foreign woman who marries an American is held to be an American so long as she resides in the United States.

The pension system, which costs the country nearly 30,000,000l. a year, was further extended by giving to every person on reaching the age of sixty-two, who had served for a minimum of ninety days in the Army or Navy during the Civil War, or for sixty days during the war with Mexico, a pension of twelve dollars a month; if seventy years of age fifteen dollars a month, and if seventy-five or over twenty dollars a month.

The Naval Appropriation Act provided for the construction of one first-class battleship and two torpedo-boat destroyers, and $3,000,000 were appropriated for submarines.

It was made unlawful for any national bank or joint stock company chartered by Congress or by a State to make any contribution for political purposes. Any corporation violating the provisions of the law is subject to a fine of $5,000, and any officer or director who is privy to the violation is subject to a fine of $1,000 or imprisonment for one year, or both at the discretion of the court.

A treaty was ratified between the United States and the Dominican Republic, providing for the assistance of the United States in the collection and application of the Customs revenues of the Dominican Republic. By the terms of the convention the President appointed a receiver for the Dominican customs, the proceeds of which were to be used to pay the interests on bonds issued by the Dominican Government to satisfy the claims of foreign creditors and create a sinking fund for the retirement of the bonds, after which any balance remaining was to be paid to the Dominican Government. The Government of the Republic pledged itself not to increase the public debt or modify the Customs laws without the sanction of the President of the United States.

The unfortunate correspondence between the American Admiral and the Governor of Jamaica after the earthquake (post, p. 466) caused considerable irritation in the United States, which was, however, allayed by a virtual amende from the British Government, and later by Sir Alexander Swettenham's resigna

tion.

II. THE DEPENDENCIES OF THE UNITED STATES.

Only very brief reference was made by the President in his message to the Dependencies of the United States. He recommended that the shipping laws be amended so as to exempt Hawaii from the operation of the coastwise law, which seriously interfered with the commerce between Hawaii and the United

States. The improvement of Pearl Harbour was urged so as to make it available for the reception of the largest deep water vessels, as was also the wisdom of fortifying the island.

The President renewed his recommendation that the rights of American citizenship be conferred upon the people of Porto Rico. When, as the result of the Spanish War, the island was ceded to the United States its inhabitants lost their former Spanish citizenship, but the terms of the cession did not provide for their becoming American citizens, and it was held by the American courts that they were not American citizens until they were made so by direct legislative enactment. As they are not Spanish subjects they cannot become American citizens by naturalisation, because they cannot renounce their allegiance to the King of Spain. They are therefore in the anomalous position of being the one people in all the world who have no country and who owe no allegiance to any sovereign. The grant of citizenship or the right to become Americans by naturalisation would give them a national status, but Congress has not seen fit to do either, and they remain a subject race without nationality.

In March the President, in accordance with the provisions of an Act of Congress, directed the Philippine Commission to order a general election of delegates to the Philippine Assembly. The election was held on July 20, and on October 16 the Assembly, which consists of two branches, was opened by Mr. Taft, the Secretary of War, the former Governor-General of the Islands, who had gone to Manila for that purpose. The right of suffrage is limited. It is extended to males over twenty-three years of age, who must have a legal residence in the municipality in which they vote, who are not the citizens or subjects of any foreign Power, who own property to the value of 500 pesos or pay annual taxes of not less than 30 pesos, or who held certain offices under the Spanish Government, or who speak or write English or Spanish. The object of the restrictions is to prevent the uneducated and in many cases almost uncivilised natives from exercising the right of franchise, for which they are not yet prepared. Less than 100,000 votes were cast, representing only 1.4 per cent. of the population. Beginning in November, 1909, there will be regular biennial elections, the term of a member of the Assembly being two years. The Assembly does not supersede the Philippine Commission, which is the executive authority of the islands, subject to the authority of the President, who acts under the powers conferred upon him by Congress. A. MAURICE LOW.

III. CANADA.

The Parliament of Canada resumed on January 9, 1907. Among the earliest motions was one by the leader of the Opposition, Mr. R. L. Borden, K.C., for a committee to investigate the conditions of labour, with a view to the prevention of

strikes. This was opposed by the Government on the ground that the necessary information was contained in the reports of the Department of Labour; and on the ground previously laid down by the Prime Minister (ANNUAL REGISTER, 1906, p. 454) that compulsory arbitration was not at present acceptable in Canada.

One of the first announcements made (Jan. 9) was, that the population of the new Provinces in the West (ANNUAL REGISTER, 1905, p. 459), having rapidly grown, the representation in the Federal Parliament of Saskatchewan would be increased to ten members and that of Alberta to seven. This is a further step in the increase of the political importance of the West (ANNUAL REGISTER, 1906, pp. 457-8). Of several senators elected to fill vacancies on January 13, the most distinguished was Hon. Leo. W. Ross, Minister of Education and for some years Prime Minister in Ontario, and in the Federal Parliament since 1892.

On January 19 Hon. Elihu Root, the United States Secretary of State, paid a private visit to Earl Grey at Ottawa, which set up ingenious speculations in the Press, and a sudden debate on the Fisheries Question in the Commons. On January 22 Mr. Root delivered an address to the Canadian Club at Ottawa, in which he suggested the celebration in 1914 of the centenary of the Treaty of Ghent. The idea was warmly taken up and seemed likely to be realised. His visit was cut short by the alarming illness of Lady Victoria Grenfell, the daughter of Lord and Lady Grey, whose death occurred on February 3, and excited widespread sympathy and regret.

On February 6, on a motion of Hon. Mr. Ferguson in the Senate, an important debate took place regarding the navigation of Hudson's Strait, and the feasibility of a railway to Hudson's Bay from Manitoba. This project has been long before the country, and a land subsidy, long ago provided for it, is still available [see Revised Statistics of Canada, 1906, vol. ii., chap. 55, sec. 6]. Three official expeditions have investigated and reported on the project [Sessional Papers of Canada, No. 11, 1886, appendix 29; No. 15, 1887, appendix 27; No. 116, 1898; No. 21 (Marine Rept.), appendix 12, 1905]. The first two were moderately in favour of the possibility of navigating the Straits from August to October, the third was more favourable to a somewhat longer season. On February 23 the same subject was debated in the Commons and the Prime Minister cautiously approved the scheme, declaring that it was then engaging the attention of the Government. Nothing further was done during the session. The following table of distances was compiled for the debate:

I. Fort Churchill to Liverpool, 2,940 miles; Quebec to Liverpool (southern route), 2,778 miles; Montreal to Liverpool, 2,908 miles; New York to Liverpool, 3,079 miles.

II. Prince Albert (the western centre) to Churchill, 650 miles; Winnipeg to Churchill, 650 miles.

III. Prince Albert to Liverpool vid Montreal, 4,988 miles; Prince Albert to Liverpool via Churchill, 3,590 miles. The railway link required to test the value of a route on which the Canadian West places much stress is only about 500 miles. The debate in the Commons contains all the available information on the project.

The discussion of the new Tariff (ANNUAL REGISTER, 1906, p. 458) was continued early in the session. The Manufacturers' Association had forwarded a strong but ineffectual protest against the "intermediate" tariff. After prolonged debate the Tariff with some alterations in detail, but not in substance, was finally carried without a formal division.

On January 27 the representation of the Maritime Provinces in the Commons and Senate was discussed on a motion for an address to the Crown asking for an alteration in the British North America Act of 1867. As the lower provinces form, for the purposes of representation in the Senate, a unit of one-third of the Dominion as at first constituted in 1867, it was urged that the loss of representation in the Commons, due to a decreased population, would in time be followed by loss of representation in the Senate. The Prime Minister advised the withdrawal of the motion; nothing could be done till after the census of 1911, and the Government would consider the matter meanwhile. This question is destined to assume larger proportions.

On February 7, in reply to Mr. E. N. Lewis, who had asked for an expression of opinion from the Government regarding the rights and position of Newfoundland in its fishery disputes with the United States, the Prime Minister delivered a carefully considered statement, in which he pointed out that the growth of the population of Canada would in time render the North American Colonies independent of any foreign market for fish. Newfoundland would then find her market in Canada; meantime, the British Ambassador had instructions to deal with the fishery question. Canada meant to settle all difficulties with the United States by peaceful means, by diplomatic action, by negotiation, but never by war. Meantime he did not deem it necessary to take any official steps regarding the affairs of an independent Colony. Both Governments have since agreed to place the matter before the Hague Tribunal.

On February 7 the resignation of Hon. C. S. Hyman was placed before the House by the Speaker. It was due to certain revelations of electoral corruption at his election in London, Ontario. On February 18 the case was referred to a committee, which declared the resignation invalid for want of witnesses. A regular resignation was not obtained till April; it included both Mr. Hyman's Portfolio of Public Works and his seat. His health having completely broken down, he did not seek re-election, and at the bye-election the seat was carried by the Opposition.

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