THIS IS THE PROPERTY

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BENJAMIN CASE. No.

SOUTHOLD, (L. I.) 181

"Tis America alone that can boast of the soil, Where the fair fruits of virtue and liberty smile.

EARLY AMERICAN NAME LABEL. DATE 1810 TO 1819.

graceful curves and lines of the furniture that was then in vogue, from which it derived its name. The Ribbon-and-Wreath, or, as sometimes designated, the Festoon, style followed, and this became very popular for ladies' plates.

The Celestial, the Allegoric, the Portrait, the Bookpile, the Library Interior, and the View bookplates succeeded, in the order indicated, and as the caprice of the period and the artist and designer dictated.

Thomas Bewick did his best book-plate work, so much in favor now among collectors, in the View or Landscape style.

There is now apparently no prevailing school or style, all are fish that come to the modern designer's net; but if there be a tendency to-day it is toward what is called the Pictorial, which more than any other class affords opportunity to show, so far as such things can, the taste, the culture, and the ideals of the plate owner. They afford pleasing opportunities for the introduction of charming little bits of genre, artistic sketches, and a thousand tasteful creations that linger long in pleasant memory.

It was once customary to place upon a book-plate warning verses against various sins of omission or commission, selected examples of which are here introduced:

Fear not nor soil not.

Read all, but spoil not.

My friend, should you this book peruse,
Please to protect it from abuse:

Nor soil, nor stain, nor mark its page,
Nor give it premature old age:
And when it has effected all,

Please to return it ere I call.

If any one should borrow me,
Pray keep me clean;

For I am not like linen cloth,
That can be washed again.

Not until 1820 did book-plates begin to be collected and seriously studied, and it was a Miss Jenkins, of Bath, who inaugurated this amusement.

The book-plate collector has since been frequently subjected to no little abuse by writers who have scorned his harmless pastime, and who ignore the fact that the records on book-plates that are preserved by the indefatigable collector are sometimes of great utility, not alone to the historian and the genealogist, but also to the lawyer. They have compared him with Dr. Dibdin's Grangerite, who destroys ruthlessly many books for the sake of the extra illustration of other books (originally Granger's History of England, whence the derivative) with the engravings thus procured, and have even spoken of all collectors as ghouls, not knowing whereof they write.

Ladies' book-plates, as a separate class, first appeared in Germany about 1588. In England the earliest known is that of Elizabeth Pindar, dated 1606. Hannah Adams had the earliest known American plate.

The department of French book-plates is very interesting, as it records many political changes that have taken place, the influence of which has been reflected even in the examples of ex libris that have come down to us, which find no parallel in any other country. The illustration of a French plate of the middle of the seventeenth century shows a unique peculiarity wherein the arms rest upon a mosaic pavement, wherein the charges on the shield are reproduced on alternate squares thereon.

Prior to 1738 it was customary in England to "trick" the arms by indicating the color, as shown, instead of by arbitrary dots and lines in the conventional forms that subsequently came into use, which system now prevails.

England, Germany, France, and the United States all support ex libris societies, which encourage an interest in this subject. American collectors are turning more and more toward gathering plates of their own country, especially early American examples, and there is an especial interest for an American in such plates as those of George Washington, William Penn, Joseph Dudley, Daniel Webster, Oli

the best-known early engravers of book-plates in America was Nathaniel Hurd, whose style was principally Chippendale, and who engraved a plate for Harvard College which is still in use there. Alexander Anderson, who was the first American wood engraver, produced, so far as known, seven plates on wood and three on copper, included among which are plates for the old Apprentices' Library and Columbia College, which are executed in the Allegorical style. Henry Dawkins worked entirely in the Chippendale style. The style of Amos Doolittle favored the Allegorical. He is remembered by some excellent work of this kind, which includes two plates for the Societies of Yale College. Peter Rushton Maverick favored the Ribbon-and-Wreath style. He engraved a plate for De Witt Clinton, and two for the New York Society Library. Paul Revere was of the company of these early engravers of book-plates, his own and that of Epes Sargent being, perhaps, the best known of his work in this direction. One of the earliest collectors in the United States was the late James Eddy Mauran, of Newport, R. I., whose collection, when he died, in 1888, numbered about 3,500 plates. Among other collectors and authorities in this field in our country may be mentioned Richard C. Lichtenstein, of Boston, who has published several monographs on the subject; Fred J. Libbie, of Boston; H. E. Deats, of Flemington, N. J.; Dr. Henry C. Eno, of Saugatuck, Conn.; Mrs. Richard J. Barker, Warren, R. 1.; Miss Helen E. Brainerd, of Columbia College; Henry Blackwell, of New York; Dr. Charles E. Clark, of Lynn, Mass.; Nathaniel Paine, of Worcester, Mass.; Dr. Joseph H. Dubbs, of Lancaster, Pa.; Dr. George L. Parmalee, of Hartford, Conn.; James Terry, of New Haven, Conn.; H. W. Bryant, of Portland, Me.; George F. Allison, of Brooklyn, N. Y.; and Laurence Hutton, of New York. The literature on this subject is not extensive, and has been limited mainly to newspaper and magazine articles. Charles Dexter Allen published in 1894 "American Bookplates," and in 1896 "Ex-Libris, Essays of a Col

man plates, M. C. M. Carlander of Swedish plates. Robert Day in Ireland and J. Orr in Scotland are workers in the same field. Much remains to be done with this subject. The Italian plates are without remarkable excellence or defect, being often flat and insipid. The Spanish are frequently harsh, but bold and gloomy. The Swiss are stiff and generally ill arranged, and the Russian, so far as they are known to exist, have been borrowed from the French of the Louis XV period.

BRAZIL, a federal republic in South America. The legislative power is vested in the National Congress, consisting of a Senate of 63 members, 3 from each State and the Federal District, and a House of Deputies containing 212 members, elected by the voters of the States in proportion to their population, 1 member to 70,000 inhabitants. Senators serve nine years, one third retiring every three years; Deputies are elected for three years. The State of Amazonas elects 4 Deputies; Pará, 7, Maranhão, 7; Piauhy, 4; Ceará, 10; Rio Grande do Norte, 4; Parahyba, 4; Pernambuco, 17; Alagoas, 6; Sergipe, 4; Bahia, 22; Espirito Santo, 4; Rio de Janeiro, 17: São Paulo, 22; Paraná, 4; Santa Catarina, 4; Rio Grande do Sul, 16: Minas Geraes, 37; Goyaz, 4; Matto Grosso, 4: the Federal District, 10. Every Brazilian male citizen twentyone years of age and able to read and write possesses the electoral franchise with the exception of soldiers actually serving in the army, members of monastic orders, and paupers. The President, who appoints the ministers and, with the consent of Congress, the judges of the Supreme Federal Tribunal and the diplomatic representatives, and has the supreme command of the military and naval forces, is elected by direct vote of the people for four years. The National Congress legislates on import duties, stamps, postal arrangements, and bank-note circulation. The States have the right to impose export duties, and each one is administered at its own expense without the interference of the

food supplies from abroad has been doubled. There was no enterprise shown in pushing manufacturing interests when coffee gave good returns, and all the available labor supply of the country was wanted, for coffee cultivation, and this concentration of capital in a single industry makes the conditions of life in Brazil exceedingly hard since that industry has ceased to be profitable. The overproduction of coffee is the result of planting immense additional areas and the opening of railroads not only in Brazil, but in Mexico, Central America, and other countries. The Brazilian crop for 1897 was nearly 9,000,000 sacks, but its value was much less than when the export was less than half as large. The world's consumption is about 11,000,000 sacks, while the total production of all countries in 1897 was 13.000,000 sacks. As Brazil is the chief producer of coffee it has been the principal sufferer through the fall in prices. The estimated value of Brazilian exports for 1897 is $80,000,000 for coffee, $30,000,000 for rubber, and $12,500,000 for other products; a total of $122,500,000, which is $42,500,000 less than the value for 1895, a decline of over 25 per cent. in two years. The value of rubber is constantly increasing, but the quantities available make up but a small part of the loss through coffee.

Dr. Prudente de Moraes, who retired from the presidency in November, 1896, on the plea of ill health, resumed his functions on March 4, 1897. He issued, on the demand of the ministers, a public statement that he would follow the policy initiated by Vice-President Victorino Pereira. In June demonstrations in São Paulo against President Moraes called for the interposition of the military as well as the police. In May the Government was forced by the crisis to increase the customs duties 10 per cent. and to levy a heavier tax on the postal and telegraph services. Economies to the extent of $7,000,000 were introduced in the Government expenses. The financial committee of the Chamber of Deputies in August reported that it would be necessary to suspend the payment of interest and amortization of the bonds, but the Government found means of raising funds to pay the most pressing obligations. The liabilities to be met during the year amounted to £7,174,300 sterling, consisting of £1,956,700 interest on the external debt, £1,156,700 on the internal gold debt, £1,284,300 of railroad guarantees, £776,600 on the internal currency loans, £1,000,000 of advances from the Bank of Paris to be repaid in 1897, £500,000 for war ships and armament contracted for, and £500,000 to pay for the Canudos expedition. The estimated expenditure for administrative purposes was 270,000,000 milreis, equal to £9,000,000, making the total expenditure over £15,000,000, while the revenue was estimated by the Budget Committee at 316,000,000 milreis, or about £10,500,000. The actual receipts were much

below the estimate.

Foreign Affairs.-In February, 1897, a convention was signed between France and Brazil for the purpose of arbitrating the boundary of French Guiana in the basin of the Cunani river, a dispute of old standing, which reached an acute phase after gold was discovered along the upper Cunani. This convention President Prudente Moraes upheld vigorously, despite strong opposition among the people, which encouraged Congress to refuse its ratification. The Brazilian Government stipulated that the Amapa question should be dealt with and settled before proceeding with negotiations relative to other points in the Guiana boundary dispute. The Italian Government made heavy additional claims for wrongs committed upon Italian subjects during the revolution that occurred in the presidency of Gen. Peixoto. A new extradition treaty was concluded with the United States in May.

The Fanatics of Canudos.-For more than twenty years a religious enthusiast, Antonio, called Conselheiro (counselor), has gone about preaching the necessity of absolute and unbounded faith among the emotional and naturally religious people of mixed Indian, negro, and Portuguese blood inhabiting the interior districts of Bahia, Pernambuco, and the country farther to the north. He built chapels in many places, and was everywhere followed by a horde of devoted adherents drawn from the ignorant and superstitious country people, to whom he promised future happiness if they should be killed in defending his cause. The followers of Conselheiro were in great part armed, it being the custom of the country to carry arms. From their temporary encampments they committed many depredations and levied contributions on the inhabitants, as they had no other way of obtaining food. Their thefts of cattle and other things became a serious nuisance when their numbers increased to several thousands. The movement became a menace, moreover, to the state, for the constant burden of Conselheiro's harangues was that the present Government of Brazil was atheistic, and hence undeserving of obedience and doomed to be overthrown. In November, 1896, the Fanatic, as the Brazilians called Conselheiro, established his headquarters in Canudos, a town in the Monte Santo district of the State of Bahia. The police charged on the bands when they first invaded the place, the leader having refused to depart, and were routed, some being killed. Re-enforcements of police were sent by the Governor from Bahia, and these too were driven back and a large number killed or wounded by a troop of women, who fell upon them in flight and slashed them with the facao, a terrible cutting weapon. After this second affair Conselheiro went into the neighboring sierra with his followers and took up a position in a natural fort. The movement having taken on the character of a rebellion, people in the rural towns and plantations who were hostile to the Government helped the fanatics with arms and money. Others, who would not give willingly, were subjected to the vengeance of Conselheiro's bands. A battalion of Federal troops was dispatched from Rio Janeiro under the command of Col. Moreira Cesar and Major Francisco M. Beitto. While the troops lay encamped in the valley of Monte Santo, firing with their Mauser rifles at any of Consel heiro's men who showed themselves in the mountains, they were attacked by the fanatic Amazons. The onset was so sudden and furious that the soldiers dropped their arms and fled in panic, pursued by the women, who slaughtered the wounded. This victory of the rebels attracted fresh recruits. of military training improved their organization. In February Conselheiro had 8,000 well-armed men in Bahia. The Federal troops were defeated on March 3 when attempting to move upon the positions held by the rebels, fighting through a whole day with five times their numbers, and finally retreating with a loss of 600, leaving guns and ammunition in the hands of the insurgents. Many plantations and two small towns were burned by the fanatics. Having obtained steam launches, they patrolled the rivers in the districts where they were strong, and thus extended their depredations. Large quantities of arms, ammunition, and provisions poured in from mysterious sources. growing strength of the rebellion and manifestations of sympathy in other parts of the republic gave rise to the belief that Conselheiro, who raised the imperial flag, was the forerunner of a general monarchist rebellion, and that the Conde d'Eu, the son-in-law of Dom Pedro II, was at the head of the movement. In Rio Janeiro, São Paulo, and other

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