sends them a most gracious note, saying that it is the feast of so-and-so, and it is contrary to his religion to attend to business during the days appointed for the festival.

By this manoeuvre he manages to keep his army fighting and winning battles, while Europe is helplessly waiting for his answer. After the Powers had asked for an armistice he used this pretext to delay answering for a whole week.

The European diplomats, who are made the victims of the Sultan's devotion to fasts and feasts, wonder why he allows his army to continue the business of war during these times if he is really so pious as he pretends to be.

A report has just been spread that Russia has frightened the Sultan into ceasing hostilities until the terms of peace can be arranged.

It is to be hoped that this is true.

The mining district of Kootenay in British Columbia is the scene of much agitation at this moment.

Kootenay lies on the border of British Columbia, where it joins the States of Montana, Idaho, and Washington.

In this region there are extensive gold mines, many of which are worked and owned by Americans, who have been very successful, and made the mines pay exceedingly well.

To their surprise and annoyance, the Legislature of British Columbia passed a law the other day, making it impossible for Americans to take up any claims, unless they give up their American citizenship and become British subjects.

It is said that numbers of Americans who have crossed the borders from Idaho and Montana are deprived of their finds by this law, and there is a great deal of excitement and indignation over it.

The Government of British Columbia says that the law was passed as a rebuke to Americans, because the United States Government has been making laws which are hurtful to Canadians.

Some of the American mine-owners became so alarmed that they took out their naturalization papers. Others determined to defy the law, and commenced hostilities by sending the ore they got from their mines over the border into Washington, to be smelted.

This took a good deal of business and money out of the hands of the Canadians, and there was an outbreak of indignation over it.

There promises to be a good deal of trouble before the matter is settled.

The Canadians will allow no American workmen to be employed on the Public Works, nor can they hold any good positions in the towns.

The Americans profess not to mind this in the least, declaring that the Canadians are welcome to manage their towns as they please, if they will only let the Americans in the mines alone.

This law against Americans does not, however, meet with the approval of the Canadian Parliament, the Legislature which passed it being only the local one of British Columbia.

Many of the Canadian mine-owners are as annoyed over the matter as the Americans are. They say that the citizens are helping to open up their country, and that it will be a bad thing for British Columbia if the Legislature makes it impossible for Americans to remain there.

The chances are that the Parliament will take the matter in hand and straighten it out. We can but hope that it will do so, for Americans and Canadians have so many ways in which they can be helpful to one another, that it will be a pity if they become estranged.

Mr. Elverton R. Chapman has gone to Washington to serve his sentence of thirty days in jail; and Mr. Havemeyer is also in that city, awaiting his trial.

Efforts were made by Mr. Chapman's friends to obtain a pardon for him, and a petition was circulated among the Senators, begging the President to release him. No action was taken, however, because Mr. Chapman did not personally ask for the pardon; so he has gone to jail. When he has served his sentence he will still have a fine of $100 to pay before he can be freed.

The Senate Committee which Mr. Chapman offended must not be mistaken