over $3,000,000, and the latter over $1,000,000. The export of raw silk received a considerable impetus through the partial failure of the silk crop in France and Italy in 1876. The export of tea decreased from $7,792,244 in 1874 to $5,427,218 in 1876. The tonnage of foreign vessels in the Japanese ports showed a decrease of 270,996 tons in 1876. The tonnage of American vessels showed a considerable decrease, as the line of steamers between Yokohama and Shanghai sailed under the Japanese flag instead of under the American, as formerly. Exclusive of this line, however, the American tonnage showed an increase of 9,000 tons. The number of foreign residents increased 90, while the number of firms decreased 36. The number of foreign residents and firms, in 1875 and 1876, belonging to each nationality is shown in the following table: The aggregate length of the railroads in operation is 105 kilometres. There are three lines: Tokio & Yokohama, Hiogo & Ozaka, and Ozaka & Kioto. The six lines of electric telegraph have an aggregate length of 2,832 kilometres. The number of dispatches sent in 1874 was 396,289. The number of postoffices in 1876 was 3,691; the number of letters forwarded, 20,145,645; the number of postal-cards, 4,020,957; the number of free letters, 644,265; the number of newspapers, 5,122,456; of samples of merchandise, books, etc., 229,291. The events of past years, in Japan, seemed to indicate a reaction among the people against the progressive policy of the Government, which, in 1877, assumed the aspect of a formidable insurrection. A movement of this kind had been anticipated for some time by native statesmen and resident foreign diplomatists, on account of the rapid and extraordinary conformation of the ancient institutions of the country to an extreme pattern of modern civilization. Risings of a more or less dangerous character had occurred from time to time, but through the vigorous measures of the Government they were always suppressed shortly after their inception. In the beginning of 1877 a revolution broke out in the southern provinces of the Empire, not among the people generally, but among the classes of whom the Samurai, or former armed retainers of the Satsuma clan, were the leaders. The outbreak was based upon the discontent among the remnant of the landholders and others belonging to the exploded system of feudal tenures, who received pensions pro rata from the national Treasury on yielding up their lands and privileges to the Central Government. So far this arrangement was fairly successful, but it so drained the Exchequer of means as to check the be made a Government loan at liberal interest, and the remainder be employed in the establishment of useful manufactures by machinery. This proposition, although sanctioned by his colleagues in the administration, was opposed in the Assembly of Nobles not only by the inferior ex-daimios, but by some of the most influential in the state, whose kinsmen held important positions in the army and navy, as well as in the civil service. The leader among these malcontents was Shimadzo Saburo, father of the ex-Daimio of Satsuma, and recognized chief of that powerful clan, occupying the district or Ken of Kagoshima, at the southwestern extremity of Kiushiu, one of the smaller Japanese islands. It was here that the outbreak began. Early in February an armed party of Satsuma men seized a Government steamer, and a quantity of gunpowder which was loaded at Kagoshima. The rebels proceeded thence northward, gaining considerable additions to their ranks as they went. Kumamoto, a large fortified town on the west coast of the province of Higo, was taken and held for some time; but after severe fighting, in which there was great loss of life on both sides, the rebel troops were forced to evacuate it. They then proceeded southward, and held for a time Hitoyoshi and other large towns. Suffering continued defeat, they retired westward, through a thinlypopulated and exceedingly mountainous region. The warfare here was of a very uncertain nature. Small bodies of the opposing troops occasionally met, and in such encounters it is said the Imperialists generally were successful. There were evidences of a failure of supplies in the rebel army, stones being used as bullets, and food being unprocurable in the hilly districts. It gradually retreated before the advancing Imperialists, being much harassed by them; and as it neared the eastern shore of the island, it became partially demoralized, and wholesale desertions from it took place. Saigo, with his force thus weakened boldly emerged from the hilly region, and, with the remainder of his army, took possession of Nobeoka, a large town on the east coast of Kiushiu. On August 14th he was forced to retreat from Nobeoka, and to take again to the mountains. At this time he was again left by many of his followers, so that but 600 remained. With these he made a forced march of 150 miles; and, suddenly appearing before Kagoshima, captured the Government stores of ammunition, and sent off the Government officials in rapid flight. Having established himself, as securely as circumstances admitted, in his own town, which he had left eight months before, he immediately proceeded to the enlistment of fresh recruits for his army, when his operations were disturbed by the arrival of Government troops. He at once retired to a strongly fortified eminence, named Shiroyama, in the neighborhood of the town, and was there surrounded by a body of 15,000 Imperialists. An attack was made on his position on September 24th, which ended in the almost⚫ complete annihilation of the rebel army, 30 only escaping with their lives. The bodies of Saigo, Kirino, and of four other principal leaders, were found lying together, death having been caused by seppuku, or self-immolation. The heads had been cut off and buried, in order to prevent identification, but they were afterward discovered, and, it is stated, were exposed in the streets of Kagoshima. This put an end to the rebellion, and the authority of the Government was again established over the whole country, though at a cost of 12,000 men, and between £7,000,000 and £8,000,000. On August 21st, a national exhibition of arts and industries was opened at Tokio, by the Emperor. It consisted of an Agricultural Hall, a Machinery Hall, a Fine-Arts Building, an Horticultural Building, and an Eastern and Western Hall. The exhibitions in agriculture The Assessors' returns on the 1st of March show that there were, for the year previous, 1,204,274 apple-trees in bearing, and 3,448,915 not in bearing, the annual product being valued at $1,445,128.80; 3,593,708 peach-trees in bearing, and 3,681,690 not in bearing, value of product $539,056.20; 825,717 cherry-trees, of which 345,591 were in bearing, value of product $138,239.60; 162,744 pear-trees, of which 28,648 were in bearing; and 195,035 plum-trees, 58,919 in bearing. There were also 3,304.67 acres of grapes, producing 22,413.65 gallons of wine, valued at $11,201.87; 1,715.81 acres of raspberries, 1,369.09 acres of blackberries, and 450.40 acres of strawberries, the estimated value of the yield per acre being $200, or $707,060 in all for small fruits. The railroad statistics are as follows: Aggregate value of rolling-stock Total...... $12,198.940 00 847.692 00 1,905,531 63 173,389 84 336,065 00 $15,555,608 47 7,075 72 2,198 59 Important discoveries of lead deposits were made in Cherokee County, on what is known as Shot Creek, early in the spring. Shafts were rapidly sunk, and two towns sprang into existence in a few weeks-Galena and Empire STATE CAPITOL, TOPEKA. City. The former has been declared a city of the third class, and the latter a city of the second class. On the 20th of July, less than two months from the commencement of its survey, an official census of Empire City showed a population of 2,337. Successful mining has been carried on in and about both cities, and the yield before the end of the year was between 300,000 and 400,000 pounds per week. The regular biennial session of the Legislature began at Topeka on the 9th of January, and came to a close on the 7th of March. A United States Senator was elected to succeed the Hon. James M. Harvey. After several ballots the choice fell upon Colonel Preston B. Plumb, of Emporia, on the 31st of January. Colonel Plumb was born in Delaware County, Ohio, on the 12th of October, 1837, and after receiving an elementary education in the common schools, entered a printing-office as an apprentice at the age of twelve years. In 1853 he became one of the founders of the Xenia News, and developed considerable ability as a political writer. He went to Kansas during the excitement of 1856, and was one of a party to lay out the town of Mariposa. During the winter of 1856-'57 he was foreman of the Herald of Freedom, at Lawrence. In the course of the year 1857, with four others, he founded the town of Emporia, and established the Emporia News, which became a leading exponent of the principles of the Republican party in that section. He also took a prominent part in active politics, and was a leader among the Radical Free-Soil men. He was a member of the Committee on Resolutions in the Free State Convention of December, 1857, and was in active service among the Free State forces during the border troubles of that winter. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention in March, 1858, and of the first nominating convention of his party in the State in April following. In the latter part of the same year he retired from his newspaper to study law at Cleveland, Ohio, and in the spring of 1861 he opened a law office in Emporia. The following winter he was a member of the Legislature, and at the close of the session was chosen reporter of the Supreme Court. In August, 1862, he recruited two companies of volunteers, and entered the service as a second-lieutenant. By successive promotions he advanced to the position of colonel of a regiment, and served to the end of the war. After his return he served two terms in the Legislature, being Speaker of the House in 1867. He resumed the practice of law in 1868, and continued in it with decided success until 1872, when he accepted the position of president of the National Bank of Emporia. He has also been largely interested in farming and stock-raising, has taken part in railroad enterprises, and accumulated a considerable fortune. Of late he has been There was no important action taken by political parties during the year, though an election was held on the 6th of November to choose a Lieutenant-Governor, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mr. Salter, and a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The vote for Lieutenant-Governor was, for L. U. Humphrey, Republican, 62,570; Thomas W. Walterson, Democrat, 24,740; D. B. Hadley, "Greenback," 9,590; scattering, 1,039; making a total vote of 97,939. Humphrey's plurality over Walterson was 37,830; majority over all, 27,261. The vote for Chief Justice was 100,124, of which Arthur A. Horton, Republican, received 63,850; William R. Wagstaff, Democrat, 25,378; S. A. Riggs, Greenback, 9,880; scattering, 1,016. Horton's plurality over Wagstaff was 38,472; majority over all, 27,576. A case involving the law of libel, P. B. Castle, vs. D. W. Houston, was decided by the Supreme Court of the State in December, en an appeal from the District Court of Leavenworth County. The suit was brought against the proprietor of a newspaper for damages for alleged libelous statements regarding the plaintiff. In instructing the jury, the judge of the lower court had said: The fact of the language being true is not alone an answer to the charge, but can only be shown in mitigation of damages. It is not a defense simply to show the truth of the matter published, but the party must go further, and show that it was not only true, but that he acted with good motives and for a justifiable end, and that he had some purpose in view that was justifiable. If that be the case, if he acts honestly for good purposes and for justifiable ends, and what he says is true, then he is to be excused or acquitted. A verdict for damages having been given, an appeal was taken. Chief Justice Horton, VOL. XVII.-27 A after reviewing the law of libel, laid down these as the established principles: First. In all criminal prosecutions the truth of the libel is no defense, unless it was for public benefit that the matters charged should be published, or, in other words, that the alleged libelous matter was true in fact, and was published for justifiable ends, but in all such proceedings the jury have the right to determine at their discretion the law and the facts. Second. In all civil actions of libel brought by the party claiming to have been defamed, where the defendant alleges and establishes the truth of the matter charged as defamatory, such defendant is justified in law, and exempt from all civil responsibility. In such actions the jury must receive and accept the direction of the court as to the law. Under this view the court below misdirected the jury on the trial in a very material point, and very properly, on attention being again called to the matter by a motion for a new trial, granted such motion, and sct the case again for hearing. The instructions given might have been applicable in a criminal proceeding, where the motive of the publication is important, and where the jury have the right to determine the law as well as the fact, but were erroneous in a civil action, where the facts charged were proven truth is not a full and complete defense unless it was in justification. The instructions assumed that the shown to have been published for good purposes and justifiable ends. This is not correct. If the charges made by the defendant are true, however malicious, no action lies. The order setting aside the verdict and granting a new trial was affirmed, all the judges concurring. A monument to the memory of John Brown was publicly dedicated at Ossawattomie, on the 30th of October, on which occasion United States Senator John J. Ingalls delivered an historical and eulogistic address. KASHGARIA, also called East Turkistan, a Mohaminedan Empire of Central Asia; area, about 574,000 square miles; population, about 1,000,000. |