a bribe offered to a certain class, in order to obtain the necessary majority; all amendments of this nature were negatived. The time of concession is to range from sixty to eighty years, and after the expiration of the concession the waterfalls, with the land acquired and water regulation, go to the State. M. Konow, Vice-Chairman in the Consolidated Left Union of the Storthing, strongly opposed the Government, and did them serious harm by his opposition.

The proposal that the normal working day should be ten hours was negatived by the Odelsthing by fifty to thirty-nine; a proposal to make it eight hours received only twelve votes. A weekly limit of fifty-eight hours was also rejected, though only by a majority of two. The Odelsthing likewise rejected the clause prohibiting night work for youths and adult women, which, however, the Lagthing accepted by a majority of a single vote. It was warmly supported by the Social Democrats, but vehemently denounced by the champions of the women's cause, as upsetting the equality of the sexes.

66

The Admiral conflict" again became acute in September. The Government proposal in this matter having been severely criticised, M. Konow, after conferring with the new Defence Minister, proposed an arbitration court, which should pronounce a short and decisive verdict. The Government should be compelled to accept it and to undertake to discharge the Admiral to whom it was unfavourable, and further to re-instate Admiral Börresen on the mobilisation list should the verdict be in his favour.

The general election to the Storthing took place in October and November, and was invested with additional interest by the fact that women for the first time possessed votes, with the result that they polled in great numbers. In several places they joined with much energy in the campaign. They, however, had no programme of their own, but attached themselves to the various parties already existing. The distribution of power in the Storthing, however, did not fully correspond to the relative strength of parties in the electorate, and it appeared that the enfranchisement of women had made little or no practical difference in the balance of parties. The general election lasted for a month, but the result was known on November 12. The new Storthing comprised sixty-three Right and Liberals, fortyseven Left (the Government party), eleven Social Democrats and two Independents. The former Storthing consisted of fifty-nine Left, fifty-four Right and Liberals, and ten Social Democrats. Although there was a vast increase in the Social-Democratic poll, their gain in the House was but one seat; but the defeat of the Government party was crushing. The Gunnar Knudsen Government, however, decided to remain in office until the Storthing met in January, 1910.

CHAPTER V.

ASIA (SOUTHERN).

I. PERSIA.

AT the close of 1908 Tabriz was still in the hands of the Nationalists, but it was blockaded by the Royalist troops, who were expected to deliver an assault immediately. They did not do so, but the blockade continued and the inhabitants were reduced to great distress. An armistice was granted to enable Europeans to leave the town and supplies to be sent in. A Russian force of 2,600 men was sent to a place within reach of Tabriz to be ready, if required, to save the inhabitants from massacre and pillage. This practically put an end to both the blockade and the siege.

In the meantime a revolt had broken out at Ispahan. The Bakhtiari chiefs began in January to collect arms and men, and on the 27th the Governor was sent under escort to Teheran and the Shah's nominee sent to replace him had to turn back at Kum. On May 5 the Shah issued a proclamation granting a Constitution, and this was followed by another in June promising that the Constitution should be immediately applied and granting a political amnesty. Thirty Constitutionalists, in addition to the members of the Cabinet, were added to the Council of the Empire for the purpose of framing an electoral law. These concessions were, however, of no avail; the combined forces of the Nationalists and Bakhtiaris entered Teheran on July 13. After some severe fighting the Persian Cossacks made peace with the Nationalists and agreed to serve under the new régime. On July 15 the Shah took refuge in the Russian Legation. This was regarded as an act of abdication, and at a meeting of the National Council the same day the Shah was formally deposed and his son Sultan Ahmed Mirza, a boy of thirteen, was declared his successor, Azad-ul-Mulk, head of the Kajar tribe, being appointed Regent. On September 9 the ex-Shah Mahomed Ali, under an escort of Russian Cossacks and Indian Sowars, left for the Crimea, which has been selected as his future place of residence. He is to receive an allowance of 16,6667. a year for life, and on his death one of 4,1667. will be continued to his family.

A new Mejliss was opened by the young Shah in person with all due ceremony on November 15, but who compose it or who elected it is not known. It confirmed the appointment of Azad-ul-Mulk as Regent and passed a resolution affirming the necessity of obtaining a loan from abroad for the maintenance of a home army of 25,000 men and restoring order generally. But order is very far from being restored; in fact the state of the administration and of the whole country is little short of

chaos. Neither within nor outside the Mejliss have the Nationalists produced any leaders of real ability; the management of most of the Government departments has been left in the hands of officials of the old class as they were the only persons possessing the necessary experience. There is nominally a Cabinet of Ministers who bear the usual official titles, but its policy, if it can be said to have one at all, would seem to be directed by secret committees of the various branches of the Nationalist Party.

II. BALUCHISTAN.

Nothing of importance occurred in Baluchistan itself during 1909. On its Persian and Afghan border the "gun-running trade (see ANNUAL REGISTER, 1908, p. 373) continued brisk, and no captures were made by either British or Persian guards. The chief cause of the success of the trade is the utter insufficiency of the naval force in the Persian Gulf to prevent the landing of cargoes of arms on the coast. It was stated at the close of the year that the force was to be considerably strengthened.

The state of anarchy now prevailing in Persia seriously affected the trade by the Nushki-Seistan route.

III. AFGHANISTAN.

Early in the year a plot against the life of the Amir and his brother Nasirullah Khan is said to have been discovered from information given by the tutor of the heir-apparent. It was promptly suppressed by the "vigorous action taken by the

Amir; that is to say, some men suspected as leaders were blown from guns and others were dealt with in the usual Afghan manner. But there was no sort of public inquiry or trial, and it is impossible to say what was the real object of the plot or who was concerned in it.

In order to secure greater tranquillity on the Frontier the special Governor was sent to the Khost Valley with a force of cavalry and infantry. He held a darbar of the tribesmen, at which he read a firman from the Amir, enjoining them to cease their feuds amongst themselves and to prevent raids into British territory, and of course they promised obedience. The telephone system is being introduced into various districts in order to ensure speedy communication between the Frontier and Kabul.

IV. THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER.

The tribes as a whole were quiet throughout the year and no expeditions against any of them were necessary. There were, however, numerous raids, chiefly by outlaws, in many parts of the frontier. In January the notorious raider Multan was surrounded with his gang in British territory; he himself was killed and six of his gang were captured. A little later in the

Kohat district a native officer with twenty-one military police caught sixty raiders in a hut, they refused to surrender and in the fight which ensued eleven of them were killed, the police losing one killed and two wounded. In April a small body of the Zhob levy whilst on escort duty were caught in a defile by a large number of armed men unknown and eleven of them were killed. In May forty of the Zhob cavalry were attacked by seventy Mahsuds near Mir Ali Khel, a military post in Baluchistan, and three were killed and one wounded. At Kharlachi in the Kurram Valley a large body of armed Afghan tribesmen attacked British subjects preparing canal works; the Chief Commissioner, Sir G. Roos-Keppel, at once went to the spot with the Kurram militia and the dam was restored on June 8. On June 10 outlaws from Khost attacked a picket at the Kajuri post in the Tochi Valley and killed seven men, but were repulsed by a force from the post itself. In October another band of raiders again caused trouble in the valley, but the Militia pursued them, and, without suffering any loss, captured ten prisoners and two rifles.

V. BRITISH INDIA.

(1) FINANCE.

The figures for the three years dealt with in the Annual Statement before Council by the Financial Member were as follows:

Surplus £306,046 Deficit £3,720,500 Surplus £230,900

Accounts for 1907-8.-The closing Surplus of 306,0461. was 70,6461. more than anticipated in the Revised Estimate 1908-9.

Revised Estimate for 1908-9.-Instead of the Surplus of 571,500l. estimated for in the Budget there was a Deficit of 3,720,500l. The cause of this was the continuance of famine in Upper India and parts of Bombay, and the general depression of trade which had prevailed not only in India but also in most countries of Europe. In the net Railway Receipts there was a decline of no less than 3,692,000l., whilst there was a decrease of 264,100l. in the Land Revenue, of 185,500l. under Salt and 144,100%. under Forests. There was a falling off of 148,9007. under Mint, owing to the cessation of rupee coinage from new silver and a large decrease in the coinage of bronze. Under Customs, whilst there were considerable increases from the import duties on silver and sugar they were more than counterbalanced by the decreases under piece-goods and rice, and the net result was a decrease of 148,000l. There were also considerable decreases under Irrigation, Interest, Telegraph and Post Office. On the other hand, there was an increase of

1,041,300l. under Opium, due partly to Bengal opium having realised an average of Rs. 1,384 per chest instead of Rs. 1,300 as estimated, but chiefly to heavy advance payments of duty on Malwa opium with the object of securing priority of export in 1909-10.

Under Expenditure there was an increase of 432,3001. in the charge for Salaries and Expenses of Civil Departments chiefly caused by (a) the special bonus of a week's pay to all permanent civil employees on pay of Rs. 50 a month or under, in commemoration of the assumption of the government of India by the Crown; (b) heavier expenditure on grain compensation allowance to low-paid Government servants and on dietary charges in jails; and (c) the special measures necessitated in some of the provinces for detecting and trying offences against the public peace. The opium expenditure was less by 239,600., owing to a shortage in the out-turn of the crop of 1907-8 and to a larger contraction in the poppy-growing area in Bengal.

Under Military Services, also, there was a saving of 196,700., the excess expenditure caused by (a) the additional payment to the War Office as decided upon the recommendations of the Romer Committee, (b) the operations against the Mohmands, (c) the continued high prices of food and forage, and (d) the increase in the pay of the Indian Army sanctioned with effect from January 1, 1909, being more than counterbalanced by lapses in the Budget grants and by economies effected in view of the unfavourable financial situation.

Budget Estimate for 1909-10.-The Estimates under the various heads have been framed on the assumption that there would be a normal monsoon, and that the trade depression would pass away. It was thus hoped that the net Railway Receipts would be 3,099,2001. in excess of the figures of the Revised Estimate for 1908-9 and that the Land Revenue would yield an increase of 1,202,700l., of which Bombay would contribute 385,7001., the Punjab 342,500l., the United Provinces 211,300, and the Central Provinces 134,000l. An increase of 369,9001. was expected under Excise, partly from a general return of prosperity and partly from improved management, and the first of these causes was relied on to produce an increase of 173,100%. under Customs, 137,2001. under Stamps, and 129,7001. under Post Office.

For Salt an increase in consumption was anticipated of 2.2 million maunds. But in view of the probable extension of the credit system of payment of duty, the increase of Revenue was taken at 103,300l. only. Substantial increases were also allowed for under Forests, Interest and Miscellaneous. On the other hand, Opium was expected to yield 1,468,2007. less than in 1908-9; the amount of Bengal opium to be offered for sale was 42,300 chests at an assumed average price of Rs. 1,350 per chest, whilst it was expected that 8,700 chests of Malwa opium would pay pass duty.