On October 31, 1866, a call was issued for a National Convention, which was held in Indianapolis November 20, with representatives present from Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Kentucky, Indiana, and the District of Columbia. Gen. Stephen A. Hurlbut, of Illinois, was elected Commander-in-Chief, with Dr. Stephenson as his Adjutant-General.

The second general meeting, which was the first officially named an "Encampment," met in the council chambers of Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Jan. 15, 1868, and Gen. John A. Logan was chosen Commander-in-Chief. At this time, owing to various dissensions, the order experienced a period of depression. It was charged with being a secret political organization, and, during the two or three years that followed, its membership was largely reduced by resignation, and the loss was hardly balanced by new recruits. The constitution and by-laws were revised and adapted to the requirements of the case, resulting eventually in renewed vitality, and in its establishment on a basis of assured prosperity. Under the present constitution the following named persons are eligible for membership: Soldiers and sailors of the United States army, navy, or marine corps, between April 12, 1861, and April 9, 1865, in the war for the suppression of the rebellion, and those having been honorably discharged therefrom after such service, and of such State regiments as were called into active service and subject to the orders of United States general officers between the dates mentioned, shall be eligible to membership in the Grand Army of the Republic. No person shall be eligible who has at any time borne arms against the United States.

The order has from the first taken a prominent part in the observance of Decoration Day, or, as it is now more appropriately known, Memorial Day. May 30 of each year has been set apart as a national holiday; banks and public offices are closed, and the survivors of the National armies meet at their respective posts and march together to decorate with flowers and appropriate devices the graves of their former comrades. A simple uniform has been adopted similar to that worn in the service, and the occasion is an impressive one in almost every considerable town and village in the Northern United States.

When on duty, or on occasions of state and ceremony, members of the Grand Army "comrades" as they are officially termedwear the badge designated as No. 1 in the illustration. No. 2 is the officers' badge, No. 3 the past or retired officers' badge, and No. 4 the button worn when off duty and in civilian's dress. The cross-bars designate the rank of the wearer according to the insignia of the United States Army, and all the metal-work is of bronze, made from cannon captured during the civil war. The commanders-in-chief of the Grand Army have been as follows, the

dates and places of their election corresponding with the annual encampments as indicated:

1. Stephen A. Hurlbut, of Illinois, Indianapolis, Nov. 20, 1866.

2. John A. Logan, of Illinois, Philadelphia, Jan. 15, 1868; re-elected (3) at Cincinnati, May 12, 1869; and again (4) at Washington, May 11, 1870 (died Dec. 26, 1886).

5. Ambrose E. Burnside, of Rhode Island, Boston, May 10, 1871; re-elected (6) at Cleveland, May 8, 1872 (died Sept. 3, 1881).

7. Charles Devins, Jr., of Massachusetts, New Haven, Conn., May 14, 1873; re-elected (8) at Harrisburg, Pa., May 13, 1874.

9. John F. Hartranft, of Pennsylvania, Chicago, May 12, 1875; re-elected (10) at Philadelphia, June 30, 1876.

11. John C. Robinson, of New York, Providence, R. I., June 26, 1877; re-elected (12) at Springfield, Mass., June 4, 1878.

13. William Earnshaw, of Ohio, Albany, N. Y., June 17, 1879.

14. Louis Wagner, of Pennsylvania, Dayton, O., June 8, 1880.

15. George S. Merrill, of Massachusetts, Indianapolis, June 15, 1881.

16. Paul Vandervoort, of Nebraska, Baltimore, June 21, 1882.

17. Robert B. Beath, of Pennsylvania, Denver, July 25, 1883.

18. John S. Kountz, of Ohio, Minneapolis, July 23, 1884.

19. S. S. Burdette, of Washington, D. C., Portland, Me., June 24, 1885.

An organization so powerful in numbers and influence could not but excite animosities based upon supposed political sympathies, and as early in its history as 1869 it was deemed best at the annual encampment, held that year in Cincinnati, to adopt the following rule:

"No officer or comrade of the Grand Army of the Republic shall in any manner use this organization for partisan purposes, and no discussion of partisan questions shall be permitted at any of its meetings, nor shall any nominations for political purposes be made." It is one thing to pass such a resolution, and quite another to carry it out in letter and in spirit. In the nature of things it was unavoidable that members should become candidates for office, and that members already holding public office should be prominent in the conduct of Grand Army affairs, but it is believed that in a remarkable degree unseemly partisanship has been avoided, and certainly no formal action has at any time been taken that can fairly be construed as a deliberate violation of the rule cited. Another charge that has been brought against the organization is that it tends to keep alive the bitter memories of the civil war, but such charges have never come from the soldiers of the Confederacy. Indeed, its relations with similar organizations among veterans of the Confederate service have ever been most friendly, and upon several occasions ex-soldiers

of both armies have met and fraternized on the most amicable terms:

The order is constantly active in aiding deserving applicants for pensions, and in exposing unworthy attempts-and they are manyto defraud the Government through unjust claims. During the year more than $253,000 have been officially expended in the relief of families of deceased and dependent soldiers, and probably an equal amount has been contributed by members in a private way calling for no official record. During the sixteen years from 1871 to 1886, the sum of $1,173,688.60 has been disbursed for charitable purposes. These large sums have been distributed directly to those whose needs were personally known to the donors, and it is probable that very little has gone to unworthy pensioners. Twice within a few years, during the yellow-fever epidemic in the Mississippi Valley and immediately after the Charleston earthquake, it was deemed proper to issue a general call for aid to sufferers, a large majority of whom must have been on the side of the rebellion during the civil war. In both instances the order has promptly and generously responded with pecuniary assistance. The latest accessible figures place the total present membership at 372,674, and the number of recruits during 1887 numbered about 47,000. The order is in fact a supplementary pension bureau. That it should take an active part in making known its sentiments in regard to the Government bureau, is to be expected. Its members are now too far advanced in life ever again to bear arms in defense of the republic, but their influence is still potent for loyalty and good government. (Sec LOYAL LEGION and MEDAL OF HONOR.)

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, a monarchy in western Europe. The supreme legislative power is exercised by Parliament. Parliaments hold their sessions annually, meeting about the middle of February. The session is usually closed by prorogation about the middle of August. Parliament is divided into two houses. The House of Lords is composed of hereditary peers; peers created by the sovereign, English bishops, who have seats ex officio, Irish peers, who are elected for life, and Scottish representative peers, who are chosen anew for each Parliament. In 1886 the House of Lords consisted of 549 members, of whom 5 were peers of the blood royal, 2 archbishops, 22 dukes, 20 marquises. 118 earls, 29 viscounts, 24 bishops, 285 barons, 16 Scottish peers, and 28 Irish representative peers. There are 20 Scotch and 65 Irish peers who have no seats in the House of Lords. The House of Commons consists of 670 members, of whom 283 represent county constituencies; 360, boroughs; and 9, universities. For England there are 253 county. 237 borough, and 5 university members; in Scotland, 39 county, 31 borough, and 2 university members; in Ireland, 85 county, 16 borough, and 2 university members.

The elections of 1886 resulted in the return to Parliament of 318 Conservatives, 73 Liberal Unionists, 194 Gladstonian Liberals, and 85 Irish Home Rulers, giving a normal majority to the Conservative government, which was formed in opposition to Mr. Gladstone's scheme of home rule for Ireland, of 112 in a house of 670 members. The metropolis sent 48 Conservatives, 11 Gladstonians, and 3 Liberal Unionists; the rest of England elected 237 Conservatives, 116 Gladstonian Liberals, 49 Liberal Unionists, and 1 Irish Home Ruler, who was returned for one of the divisions of the city of Liverpool; Wales returned 4 Conservatives, 24 Gladstonians, and 2 Liberal Unionists; Scotland returned 12 Conservatives, 43 Gladstonians, and 17 Union Liberals ; and in Ireland 17 Conservatives, 2 Liberal Unionists, and 84 Home Rulers were elected. Of the 285 Conservatives elected in England the boroughs returned 98, besides the 48 London members, the county districts 135, and the universities 4. Of the Welsh Conservatives 3 represent boroughs and 1 a county constituency. In Scotland 1 borough, 9 county districts, and both the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow are represented by Conservatives. In Ireland the universities, 4 boroughs, and 11 county constituencies sent Conservative members to Parliament. Liberal Unionists were elected by 2 of the districts of London, 16 other boroughs, 33 county districts, and 1 university; by 1 borough and 1 county constituency in Wales; by 8 boroughs and 9 county districts in Scotland; and by 2 county divisions in Ireland. Gladstonian Liberals were returned from 11 of the divisions of the metropolis, 50 other borough constituencies, and 66 county constituencies in England; from 7 boroughs and 17 county districts in Wales; and from 22 boroughs and 21 county districts in Scotland. The Irish members were returned from 12 Irish boroughs, 1 English borough, and 72 Irish county districts.

The representation act of 1884, with the redistribution act of 1885, increased the number of voters from 3,152,919 to 5,707,531. The number of county electors was increased in England from 966,719 to 2,536,580; in Scotland, from 99,652 to 325,529; in Ireland, from 165,997 to 631,649. The number entitled to the borough franchise was increased in England from 1,651,732 to 1.840,044; in Scotland, from 210,789 to 235,051; in Ireland, from 58,021 to 106,109. The 32,569 electors who choose the 9 university representatives under the act of 1885 were formerly included in the borough electors. The total number of voters was increased in England from 2,618,451 to 4,391,260; in Scotland, from 310,441 to 574,358; and in Ireland, from 224,018 to 741,913. An act passed in 1872, requiring parliamentary elections to be by secret vote and by ballot expired in 1880, but has since been continued from year to year. The Parliament which was opened in August, 1886, is the 24th of

pounds, as compared with 155-85 pounds in 1869; of sugar, 74-28 pounds, as compared with 42.56 pounds; of bacon and hams, 11:47 pounds, as compared with 2.68 pounds; of butter, 7.15 pounds, as compared with 4.52 pounds; of cheese, 5'48 pounds, as compared with 3.52 pounds; of tea, 5·02 pounds, as compared with 3.63 pounds.

Navigation. The total tonnage of vessels engaged in foreign commerce entered at British ports in 1886 was 31,035,618, of which 22,741,061 tons were under the British, and 8,294,557 under foreign flags. The steain tonnage entered was 24,410,809, of which 19,791,481 tons were British and 4,619,328 foreign. The total tonnage cleared was 31,805,459, of which 23,337,238 tons were British. The steam tonnage cleared was 24,992,884, British steamers being represented by 20,250,706 tons. The aggregate burden of vessels entered with cargoes was 24,778,693; cleared, 29.171,079. The aggregate tonnage of vessels in the coasting trade entered in 1886 was 44,005,833 cleared, 37,420,204.

The number of vessels on the registers of the United Kingdom in 1886 was 22,409, of 7,321,000 tons, of which 6,630. of 3,962,000 tons, were steamers. The number of vessels registered in British colonies was 15,143, of 1,924,000 tons. The number of sailing-vessels built in Great Britain in 1885 was 459, of 208,411 tons; the number of steamers, 393, of 196,975 tons.

Railroads. The number of miles of railroad in operation in the United Kingdom at the end of 1886 was 19,332, of which 13,678 miles were in England and Wales, 3,022 in Scotland, and 2,632 in Ireland. The cost of construction was £828,344,000. The gross receipts in 1886 were £69,592,000, as compared with £69,556,000 in 1885; the net receipts, £33,073,000, as compared with £32,768,000.

Posts and Telegraphs.-The number of letters transmitted by the post-office during the year ended March 31, 1887, was 1,460,000,000; post cards, 179,000,000; newspapers and printed matter, 520,000,000; parcels, 32,860,000; postal orders for the United Kingdom, 9,800,000, of the aggregate amount of £21,952,000; for foreign countries and the colonies, 300,000, of the amount of £763,000; from foreign countries and British colonies, 700,000, of the amount of £2,218,000.

The length of telegraph lines in April, 1886, was 30,276 miles, with 170,195 miles of wire. The gross receipts from the postal telegraphs in 1886 was £1,758,169, and the net revenue £25,343. The number of inland telegrams forwarded in the year ended March 31, 1887, was 50,243,639, of which 42,320,185 were in England and Wales, 5,106,774 in Scotland, and 2,816,680 in Ireland.

Finances. The financial year 1886-'87 showed better results than were originally anticipated. The estimates of revenue adopted by Sir Williain Harcourt, who was Chancellor of the Ex

chequer at the beginning of the year, amounted to £89,869,000. The actual revenue was £90,773,000. The receipts from customs, which were first estimated at £19,700,000, were £20,155,000; stamps, £11,830,000, exceeding the estimate by £465,000: land-tax and house duty, £2,980,000, which was £60,000 more than the estimate; property and income-tax, £15,900,000, being £145,000 more than the estimate, the 8d. income-tax having been more thoroughly collected than in previous years: the post-office and telegraphs, estimated to yield £8,270,000 and £1,730 000 respectively, produced £8,450,000 and £1,830,000; crown-lands, £370,000; interest on advances, £1,176,000. The excise revenue fell below the estimate, producing £25,250,000 instead of the £25,694,000 that it was expected to yield. The expenditure for 1886-'87 also exceeded the estimates by reason of supplementary rates. The total expenditure was £90,115,000, of which £60,294,000, or £497,000 more than the original estimate, was for the supply services. Mr. Goschen, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in presenting his financial statement with regard to the revenue, to illustrate its gradual loss of all elasticity, showed how the increased produce of the taxes had fallen from 10.8 per cent. in the five years 1860-'65, and 24 per cent. in 1870-'75, to 1 per cent. in the fiscal year 1886-'87. The most notable features have been a considerable falling off in the alcoholic revenue, showing that the habits of the British people have reformed in respect to the use of spirituous liquors, and the progress of the free breakfast-table movement. Mr. Goschen illustrated the unsatisfactory character of the revenue raised from the higher classes by reference to the falling off in the yield of the different schedules of the income-tax, and drew the general conclusion that the commercial and agricultural depression, while it had touched the two extremes of the social scale severely, had not affected the profits of the middleman.

The revenue for 1887-'88 was estimated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at £91,155,500, and the expenditure at £90,180,000. He proposed to suppress a part of the sinking fund, reducing the fixed charge of the debt from £28,000,000 to £26,000,000 per annum in order to throw off one penny from the incometax, which seems to be permanently established at war rates. The proposed relief of local taxes could not yet be taken in hand except to the extent of handing over an amount equal to the proceeds of the carriage-tax to the local authorities. The tobacco duty was lowered from 38. 6d. to 38. 2d. per pound, the rate at which it formerly stood.

The Army. The army estimates for 1887-'88 fix the number of regular troops, exclusive of those serving in India, at 149,391. The total effective strength of the regular army is fixed at 9,939 officers and 211,143 men, making to-. gether 221,082, with 25,583 horses. The regu