to Pobiedonostzeff, Constantine, was b. at Moscow, 1827. He was Professor of Civil Law at Moscow, '59 to '65, and tutor to the Czar Alexander III. In '68 he was created a senator, in '72 elected a member of the Imperial Council, and after the accession of Alexander III., in '81, he was appointed Procurator of the Holy Synod, but he ceased to hold that office in 1905. His influence with his Imperial master then increased, and he endeavoured strengthen the influence of Greek orthodoxy on the Russian policy. In '68 he published "Cours de Droit Civile," and a manual of Civil Procedure. He has also translated "De Imi tatione Christi" from the Latin of Thomas à Kempis. A volume of essays from his pen, translated into French, German, and English, and entitled "Reflections of a Russian Statesman, was published in England in '98. The general thesis of these essays is that autocracy is the only really suitable form of government. Among the most fallacious of political principles is, he holds, that of the sovereignty of the people, out of it springing Parliamentary government, which he contends is the highest expression of egoism. See RUSSIA. Poet Laureate. An office in the household of the sovereigns of Great Britain, the appellation having its origin in a custom of the English Universities, which continued to 1512, of presenting a laurel leaf to graduates in rhetoric and versification, the king's "laureate " being a graduated rhetorician in the service of the king. The first appointment of a poet laureate dates from the reign of Edward IV., the first patent being granted in 1630. It was formerly the duty of the poet laureate to write an ode on the birthday of the monarch, but this custom has been discontinued since the reign of George III. Amongst those who have held this office may be mentioned Dryden, Southey, Wordsworth, and Tennyson. Mr. Alfred Austin (q.v.) is the present holder of the office. Political Parties. The article on Parties in the United Kingdom will be found under PARLIAMENT, p. 455. In the case of the chief foreign countries, particulars of the leading political parties will be found in the articles on those countries given under their proper alphabetical headings. Polytechnic, Regent Street. With the view of further developing the movement on behalf of young men to whom the late Mr. Quintin Hogg had shown such generosity, he purchased in '80 the old Polytechnic, in Regent Street, for £50,000, and converted it into a great technical and recreative school. The curriculum embraces over 500 classes weekly in upwards of 80 different subjects, including carpentering, plumbing, metal work, engineering, pottery work, photography, furniture, decorative art, electricity, etc. A Young Women's Institute has also been founded in premises adjoining the Polytechnic, and promises to be as successful as the latter. The Marlborough Rooms, acquired in '92, have been converted into one of the most commodious schools of art in London. Mr. J. E. K. Studd is Vice-President, Mr. R. Mitchell Director of Education, and the Secretary is Mr. Leonard H. Harris. Continental tours are also a feature of the Institute, over 6000 persons making use of them every year. They include cruises to Norway, visits to the Polytechnic châlets in Switzerland, where a considerable freehold has been purchased, and trips all over the Continent, Baltic, Madeira, etc. PORTUGAL. Portugal is a kingdom in the Peninsula in S.W. Europe, under Carlos I. of the House of Braganza. Area (including the Azores and Madeira, which are regarded as an integral part of the kingdom), 35,490 sq. m.; pop. about 5,423,132. The Azores, a group of islands in the North Atlantic; area, 922 sq. m.; pop. 256,291. Capital, Ponta Delgada, on San Miguel Island; but the Governor usually resides at Angra, in the island of Terceira. They are governed as a province of Portugal. The Madeira Islands lie off the N.W. African coast. Area. 314 sq. m.; pop. 150,574. Capital and port, Funchal, a fine town of 20,000 inhabitants. The Constitution of 1826 (amended in '52, '85, and '95) gives a special moderating power to the king. There are two legislative chambers, the Peers and the Deputies, collectively called the Cortes. In case of a disagreement between the two legislative chambers, a committee of both decides, and if the committee disagree, the king decides. The Chamber of Peers consists of 90 members nominated for life, in addition to the princes of the blood and the twelve bishops of the continental dioceses. The nominated peers may be selected without limitation as to class, but certain restrictions and disqualifications are imposed. The second Chamber is composed of members elected under a system of universal suffrage every four years, to the number of 155, of whom 7 are elected by Portuguese colonies. The king has no veto on a law twice passed by both houses. The army was reorganised on Oct. 1st, '99. The peace footing is 62,427, including 33,420 militia. The infantry of the line are 18,000, the cavalry 3032, the dragoons 1804, the light troops 1212, the field artillery 3375, and the horse artillery 479- The total number of guns is 448. The war footing is 100,264, including 52,675 militia. By a law introduced in Sept. '95, the service is 3 years with the colours, with the first reserve and 4 with the second. There is in addition a colonial army of 9000. The rules of exemption are most liberal, asum of money paid to the Government being accepted as an equivalent. There are 4 military districts-Lisbon, Vizeu, Oporto, and Evora, with garrisons at the Azores and Madeira. The forces are disposed thus: 4 divisions of the active army; cavalry, artillery, and engineers, independent of the divisions, the garrison of Madeira and the Azores, and the troops of the reserve. The number of men in the navy is about 5000, and, in addition, there are 2 vice-admirals, 5 rear-admirals, 16 captains, 25 commanders, 25 lieutenant-commanders, 80 lieutenants, 110 sub-lieutenants, 37 midshipmen, and 96 cadets. The age for retirement of a vice-admiral is 70 years, rear-admiral 66 years, and other officers 64 years. The strength in ships built and building on Nov. 30th was : Built. Projected. The two coast defence vessels vessels are to HAZELL'S ANNUAL, 1906. be of 2500 tons displacement, and will steam 15 knots. There are four small docks at Lisbon. For the administration of justice there are Revenue (estimated), 1902-3, £12,203,000; ex- British Minister at Lisbon, The Hon. Francis Villiers, C.B.-First Secretary, Arthur R. Peel. -Military Attaché, Col. Hon. Stuart Wortley. - Commercial Attache, Herbert B. Harrison. British Consuls: F. H. Cowper, I.S.O. (Lisbon), E. R. E. Vicars (Madeira), R. A. Becker (Marmagoa), H. Grant (Oporto), W. Read (St. Michael's). Minister in London, Marquis de Soveral, 12, Gloucester Place, W. Sovereign. Carlos I., King of Portugal, is the son of King Louis I., and was b. Sept. 28th, 1863. Prior to his accession to the throne he was known as the Duke of Braganza. In May '86 he married Marie Amélie, daughter of the Comte de Paris. He succeeded his father as King of Portugal Oct. 19th, '89. The heir to the throne is Luiz Philippe, Duke of Braganza, born March 21st, '87, who was in 1902 made a Knight of the Garter by King Edward VII. During the financial difficulties of '92 the King and the royal family renounced 20 per cent, of the endowments paid them by the nation, a sacrifice of £23,000 a year. His Majesty visited King Edward VII. at Windsor in 1902 and 1904; received President Loubet at Lisbon Oct. 27th, 1905, and returned the visit at Paris on Nov. 22nd, 1905. Colonies. Angola is the name given to Portuguese South-West Africa, or Lower Guinea. It is bounded on Congo State and Rhodesia, on the south the north and east by the by German South-West Africa, and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Italy's award as to the boundary between The King of Angola and the Barotse region of Rhodesia was published in July 1905. (See Rhodesia, p. 63.) Estimated area, 517,000 sq. m.; pop. estimated officially at 19,400,000, but probably not more than 5,000,000. Capital, St. Paul de Loanda. Divided into six districts: Congo, Loanda, Benguela, Lunda, Huitla, and Mossamedes. The greater part of the country is in the hands of the native owners under their [Por tribal chiefs, the Bantus numbering several Verde, the westernmost point of Africa. bique, which are separated from one another The (at Lorenzo Marques). 467 British Consul, R. C. F. Maugham (Beira). Guinea lies on the west coast of Africa, and | numbered 10,697,020, representing an amount is surrounded on the land side by French of £35,644,916; and foreign and colonial orders possessions. It includes the Bissagos Islands, numbered 2,707,926, representing a value of off the coast opposite the mouth of the Rio £7,290,600. Postal orders numbered 91,249,000, Grande, and the island of Bolama. Area, 4400 representing a value of £36,663,000. sq. m.; pop. 820,000. Capital, Bolama. Chief port, Bissao. Principal products, rubber, wax, cil and ivory. British Consul, Captain C. F. Cromie, C.M.G. (resides at Dakar, Senegal). St. Thomé and Principe Islands, in the Gulf of Guinea, are ruled by a Governor. They are very fertile, and yield cocoa, coffee, and cinchona. Area, 454 sq. m.; pop. 42,103. Imports, 1900, £356,641; exports, 1901, £764,830. Goa is a port-town and territory between the boundaries of Madras and Bombay, India. Once the seat of great trade, now decayed and ruinous. Belongs to Portugal, with Damao, on the coast 100 miles north of Bombay, and Diu, a small island 140 miles off Damao. The capital is Panjin, in Goa. There are a number of salt works in Goa. Area of Portuguese India, 1,638 sq. m; pop. 531,800. Macao is an island at the mouth of the Canton River, in China, forming with small islands adjacent a Portuguese dependency. Area, 5 sq. m.; pop. 80,000. Timor is an island in the Malay Archipelago. The eastern portion of it, with the island of Pulo Cambing, is Portuguese. Chief products, coffee and wax. Area, 7290 sq. m.; pop. 300,000. POST OFFICE REPORT AND STATISTICS, 1905. The use of pictorial postcards accounted both for the slight increase in the number of letters and the enormous increase in the number of postcards. The number of letters registered in the United Kingdom was 18,504,690, and that of parcels registered was 1,041,521. The total number of express services was 1,403,053. The numbers of undelivered postal packets were: Letters, 10,743,447, and postcards, 2,386,124; book packets, etc., 12,559.049; newspapers, 622,731; and parcels, 257,389. There were 315,965 registered letters and letters containing property posted with insufficient addresses. They contained £17,830 in cash and notes, and £622,123 in bills, cheques, money orders, etc. Letters to the number of 4507 were posted without any address at all, containing £9569 in various forms. Inland money orders by post and telegraph In the Savings Bank 40,612,967 was deposited and £41,904,393 withdrawn, the total sum standend of 1904 being £148,339,354. This amount ing to the credit of 9,673,717 depositors at the was credited thus: The number of telegrams sent was 88,969,000, 31st, 1905, with a staff of 192,454, including 10,172 The number of parcels sent to and received from places abroad was: Despatched, 2,315,204; received, 1,315,788. According to the Board of Trade returns, the value of the goods exported and imported by Parcel Post during the last three years was : 1903. 1904. 1905. Exports 3,373,C94 3,475,707.. 3,778,558 Imports 1,342,786 1,306,251 .. 1,377,943 An arrangement came into force on Jan. 1st, 1905, whereby telegrams for transmission from wireless stations on the coast to ships at sea are accepted at postal telegraph offices in the United Kingdom. The Post Office is thus linked up with the Marconi system. The charge is 6d. a word, with a minimum of 6s. 6d. for each telegram. The postal revenue was £16,274.978, and the expenditure £11.455,785, giving a net profit of £4,819,193. The telegraph revenue was £3,920,023, and the expenditure £4,857,518, a deficit of £937,495. Poynter, Sir E. J., Bart., was b. in Paris in 1836, and is the son of Mr. Ambrose Poynter, an architect. He was ed. at Westminster School and Ipswich Grammar School, and studied art in English schools, and at Paris under Gleyre '56-9. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in '69, and an Academician in '76. In '71 a member of the Belgian Water Colour Society, and in '71 and again in '73 Slade Professor of Art at University College, London. He was Director for Art and Principal of the National Art Training School at South Kensington for some years, and Director of the National Gallery '94-1904. In '96, on the death of Sir John Millais, he was elected to the Presidency of the Royal Academy. His best known pictures are "Israel in Egypt" '67, "Perseus and Andromeda" ('72), "Atalanta's Race" (76), "A Visit to Esculapius" ('80-now in the National Gallery of British Art), "The Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba" Nymphs" (1903). Knighted '97; baronet 1902. (91), "Helen and Hermia" (1900), "The Storm HAZELL'S ANNUAL, 1906. H.M. MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL. The Privy Council is a body of persons Meetings of the Council. The Lord President of the Council is appointed by letters patent under the great seal; his duty is to manage the debates in council, to propose matters from the sovereign at the council table, and to report to His Majesty the resolutions taken thereon. occasions that the whole body of members It is only on rare assembles, one of those instances being at the demise of the Crown, when it is the duty of the Privy Council to meet and proclaim the new sovereign. For the ordinary business of the Council only those who are summoned attend, and the number thus called upon is usually very small, and consists generally of members of the party in power. Among other important functions of the Council are the granting of charters of incorporation to public and private bodies, and the bringing into operation by means of orders in council of the provisions of many statutes which Parliament leaves to the executive to enforce, temporarily or permanently, at such time or times as it may deem necessary and desirable. Royal proclamations, summoning or proroguing or dissolving Parliament, and for many other purposes, are made by and with the advice of the P.C. before being issued. Committees of the Council. Several public departments have grown out of or are even now committees of the Council. The Board of Trade, although it is now an entirely separate department, is still officially entitled the Committee of Council for Trade. The Board of Education was a Committee of the Privy Council; and there are still a Universities Committee, which reviews the statutes made under the Oxford and Cambridge Act, a Scottish Universities Committee, and a Judicial Committee (see p. 265) for appellate business. It is provided by statute that certain of the colonial judges, acting or retired, who may have been appointed members of the Privy Council, shall be members of this last Committee. [Pri The Privy Council in Ireland. than that in England, advises the Lord The Privy Council in Ireland, a smaller body possessed by the Council in Great Britain, but Lieutenant, and exercises some of the powers in relation to Irish affairs only. the Privy Council in Ireland are distinct bodies, though it will be noticed that some persons are As the Privy Council in Great Britain and members of both, a separate list of each is set "Peer" is intended to signify that some particulars regarding the public life of the noble lord referred to are given in "Peerage" under out, corrected to Nov. 30th, 1905. The word the heading PARLIAMENT; and "M.P." is meant to refer the reader to the biographical list of the House of Commons also under PARLIAMENT. All Privy Councillors should be addressed as "Right Honourable." (June '85.) Peer. 469 Bonser, Sir John Winfield. (Nov. 1901.) B. '47. E. at Ashby-de-la-Zouche, Loughborough, Halifax Grammar School, and Christ's Coll., Camb. Called to the bar '72; was Att.-Gen. Straits Settlements '83-91, when he was app. Chief Justice, and in the same year Chief Justice of Ceylon. Booth, Charles. (June 1904.) See special biography. Brackenbury, General Sir Henry, G C.B., Brampton, Lord. (Mar. '99.) Peer. (Jan. Brownlow, Earl. (July '87.) Peer. M.P. Canterbury, Randall Thomas, Archbishop of, Cassel, Sir Ernest. (Aug. 1902.) B. '52; E. at Cozens-Hardy, Sir Herbert H. (Nov. 1901.) Cranbrook, Earl of. (July '66.) Peer. Dimsdale, Sir Joseph Cockfield. M.P. (Dec. 1902.) (Feb. 1901.) Dorington, Sir John Edward. (Aug. 1902.) M.P. Ducie, Earl of. (July '59.) Peer. Dudley, Earl of. (Aug. 1902.) Peer. Dunedin, Lord. (1896). Peer. Durand, Sir Henry Mortimer. B. '50. E. Blackheath School; called to the bar Lincoln's Inn '72; entered Bengal Civil Service '73; was Political Sec. to Earl Roberts during Kabul campaign '79, Sec. Foreign Dept. 85-94, Min. and Consul-Gen. at Teheran '94-1900, Amb. at Madrid, 1900-3, when he was app. Amb. at Washington. G.C.M.G., K.C.S.I., K.C.I.E. Dyke, Sir W. H., Bart. (April '80.) M.P. Chamberlain, Joseph Austen. (Aug. 1902.) M.P. Edwards, Sir Fleetwood, K.C.B. (Oct. 95.) Chaplin, H. (June '85.) M.P. Charles, Sir Arthur. (July 1903.) Chesham, Lord. (July 1901.) Peer. Chesterfield, Earl of. (Apr. 94.) Peer. Cholmondeley, Marquis of. (July 1901.) Peer. Christian, H.R.H. Prince Frederick Christian Charles Augustus of Schleswig-Holstein, K.G, G.C.V.O. (Aug. '94.) B. '31; m., '66, H.R.H. Princess Helena; is a general in the army; High Steward of Windsor; created "Royal Highness" by English warrant. Clarendon, Earl of. (Nov. 190.) Peer. Cohen, Arthur, K.C. (Nov. 1905). Collings, Jesse. (Aug. '92.) M.P. Collins, Sir Richard Henn. (Nov. '97.) B. '42, being a son of Stephens Collins, Q.C., of Dublin. Called bar Mid. Temple '67; Q.C.'83; was joint ed. of "Smith's Leading Cases"; Judge Q.B. Division '91-7; a Lord Justice of Appeal, '97-1901, when he was app. Master of the Rolls; was an arbitrator on the Venezuelan Boundary Question; Chm. of the War Funds Committee of Inquiry 1900. 2, Bramham Gardens, S. W. Athenæum. Connaught, H.R.H. Duke of. (May '71.) See special biography. Courtrey, L. H. (Jan. '89.) See special biograr hy. Coventry, Earl of. (Aug. '77.) Peer. B. 42. Entered R.E. '63; Maj. '83. Lieut.Col. 90; A.D.C. to Gov. of Bermuda '67-9; attached to the special Embassy during the Berlin Congress 78; Assist. Keeper Privy Purse, and Assist. Private Sec. to her late Majesty, '78-95; Keeper of the Privy Purse, '95-1900. G.C.V.O. Egerton, Sir Edwin H, G.C.M.G., K.C.B. Fellowes, Ailwyn. (Mar. 1955.) M P. Field, Lord. (Mar. '90) Peer. |