Abbeville, Treaty of.
A treaty between the English Barons and Louis IX of France, signed in
1259, shortly after the establishment in England of the Council of
Fifteen. By its provisions England retained Bordeaux, Bayonne, and
Gascony, and surrendered all claim to Normandy, Anjou, Poitou, and
Maine. The French king agreed to supply a sum of money sufficient to
maintain for two years five hundred knights, to be employed for the
benefit of England or of the Church.
Abecedarians.
A branch of the Anabaptists, founded in Germany in the sixteenth century
by Stork, a disciple of Luther. They held that all human knowledge was
valueless, and therefore declined to learn even the alphabet.
Abencerrages.
A noble Moorish family of Granada, in the fifteenth century. They were
accused by a rival family, the Zegris, of plotting against Abdallah,
King of Granada, and were lured into the Alhambra, where they were
barbarously massacred. Thirty-six members of the family perished.
Abhorrers.
Another name for the Tories in the reign of Charles II. They were so
called from their use of the word in their addresses to the king,
protesting against the petitions in favour of summoning a Parliament in
1679.
Abingdon Law.
Execution first and trial afterwards. The phrase is derived from the
methods adopted by Major-General Brown, of the Commonwealth Army, at
Abingdon, during the Civil War. It was his habit, it is said, to deal in
this fashion with Malignants who fell into his hands.
Abjuration, Act of (England).
An Act passed in 1702, imposing upon all who took office under the
State, an oath abjuring the House of Stuart, and binding them to support
each successor to the throne named in the Act of Settlement.
Abjuration, Act of (Netherlands).
The declaration of independence made at The Hague in 1581 by the
deputies of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, deposing Philip II.
It did not, however, substitute any other form of government.
Abo, Treaty of.
A treaty between Russia and Sweden, signed in 1743, after the surrender
of the Swedish army at Helsingfors. Russia acquired Finland, as far as
the river Kiümer, and secured the election of Adolphus Frederick of
Holstein as Crown Prince of Sweden, in the place of the Prince Royal of
Denmark.
Abolitionists.
The extreme anti-slavery party in the United States, in 1860. They
demanded the total abolition of slavery, and would agree to no
compromise with the South, even at the cost of civil war.
Absentee Tax.
A tax imposed upon absentee landlords in Ireland, in the reign of
Richard II. An attempt was made to reimpose it in 1773, but
unsuccessfully, mainly owing to the opposition of Edmund Burke.
Academic Legion.
A body of armed students who took an active part in the revolutionary
disturbances in Vienna in 1848.
Acadia.
The original name of Nova Scotia.
Acte Additionel.
A proclamation by Napoleon, on his return from Elba in 1815, in which he
accepted, with some slight modifications, the _Charte_ of Louis XVIII.
Adam Kok, Treaty with.
A treaty made with Adam Kok, a Griqua chief, by Sir Peregrine Maitland
in 1845. One of its provisions, which later caused considerable trouble
in the Orange River Sovereignty, prevented the alienation of land by the
Griquas to Europeans over a considerable portion of Kok’s territory. The
treaty was denounced by Great Britain in 1856 after the Convention of
Bloemfontein.
Addled Parliament.
A Parliament summoned by James I, in 1615. An attempt by certain of its
members, who were dubbed the Undertakers, to control it in the interests
of the Court, failed signally, and the king promptly dissolved it.
Adendorff Trek.
A threatened trek of a large number of Transvaal Boers, under a leader
named Adendorff, into Mashonaland, in 1891. Sir Henry Loch raised a
protest, on the ground that the trek would be an infringement of the
Swaziland Convention of 1890, and an act of hostility towards Great
Britain, whereupon President Kruger issued a proclamation forbidding all
Transvaal burghers to take part in the movement.
Adis Ababa, Treaty of.
A treaty signed May 15, 1902, between Great Britain and Ethiopia
(Abyssinia). It provides for the rectification and delimitation of the
frontier between Abyssinia and the Soudan. The Negus undertakes not to
sanction any damming of the Sobat or the Blue Nile without the consent
of Great Britain, grants a lease of a tract of country on the Baro
river, for the formation of a commercial _entrepôt_, and gives Great
Britain the right to connect Uganda and the Soudan by a railway running
through Abyssinia. A further treaty, to which Italy is also a party,
provides for the rectification of the frontiers of Eritrea with
Abyssinia and the Soudan.
Adjutators.
Delegates elected by each regiment of the Parliamentary Army in 1647, to
act with the officers in placing their demands and grievances before
Parliament prior to disbandment.
Admonition.
A document issued by Thomas Cartwright, the leader of the Puritans, in
1572, demanding the establishment of Presbyterianism, as being a divine
institution.
Admonition, Cardinal Allen’s.
A pamphlet addressed to the “Nobility and People of England,” bringing a
series of scandalous charges against Queen Elizabeth, issued by Cardinal
Allen in 1588.
Adonis of Fifty.
A nickname of George IV.
Adrian, Bull of.
A bull issued by Adrian IV, in 1156, granting the sovereignty of Ireland
to Henry II, in return for his undertaking to support the Papal
authority, and to pay Peter’s Pence.
Adrianople, Treaty of.
A treaty between Russia and Turkey, signed in 1829, following the
capture by Russia of the fortresses of Varna, Silistria, and Adrianople.
It gave Russia control over the mouths of the Danube, and the
appointment of protector of the privileges of Moldavia and Wallachia.
Adriatic, Marriage of the.
An ancient ceremony celebrated yearly at Venice on Ascension Day, and
typifying the greatness of Venice as a maritime power. The Doge was
conveyed in his state barge to the sea, and threw into the water a
consecrated ring. The ceremony was established in 1174 by Pope Alexander
III, in memory of the victory of the Venetians over the fleet of
Barbarossa.
Adscriptus Glebæ.
A person who was compelled to remain on his lord’s estate. The condition
of a villein or serf in feudal times.
Adullamites.
A small section of the Liberal party, headed by Mr. Lowe (Lord
Sherbrooke) who opposed Mr. Gladstone’s Reform Bill of 1866. The name
had its origin in a speech of John Bright, who likened the malcontents
to those who took refuge in the Cave of Adullam. The term “cave” is now
applied to any small knot of dissentients within the ranks of one of the
great political parties.
Adventurers of 1642.
The gentlemen and others who had advanced money to the Government during
the Irish Rebellion of 1641, to be repaid by grants of forfeited land.
In 1653 these claims were recognized by grants in various parts of
Leinster and Munster.
Afrancesados.
The partizans of Napoleon in Spain and the Spanish Colonies.
Afrikander Bond.
An organization formed in Cape Colony in 1881, with the avowed object of
securing for the Afrikanders a larger share of political power. Its
moving Spirit was Mr. Hofmeyr, a member of the Cape Ministry. It has
taken a leading part in Cape politics, generally in opposition to
British rule, and during the Boer war of 1899-1902 gave strong evidence
of disloyalty.
Agraviados.
The Catalan insurgents, in 1825, called themselves the Agraviados, or
men with a grievance.
Agrarian League.
A league formed in Berlin in 1893, to advocate bimetalism and a return
to protection. In the latter portion of its programme, it has had
considerable success.
Agricultural Alliance Bill.
The name given to a bill passed by the Prussian Parliament in 1896, at
the instigation of the Agricultural Alliance. It prohibited time
bargains in corn, mining shares, etc., and provided for the regulation
of the Berlin Bourse, Corn Exchange, and other Exchanges, by a committee
under a Government official. To escape these vexatious restrictions, the
produce brokers deserted the Exchange and formed a Free Commercial
Union, meeting in another building to carry on their business.
Aids.
Taxes levied on their feudatories by the English kings, prior to Magna
Charta. By that instrument, however, it was provided that they were to
be granted only by the Great Council, except in three specified cases:
the delivery of the king from prison, the knighting of the king’s eldest
son, or the marriage of his eldest daughter.
Aigun, Convention of.
A treaty between Russia and China, signed in 1858, by which Russia
obtained all the territory eastward of the Ussuri river to the Japan
Sea, and fixed her southern boundary at the frontier of Corea.
Aix-la-Chapelle, Congress of.
A congress held in 1818, and attended by plenipotentiaries from Great
Britain, Prussia, Austria and Russia, to arrange for the evacuation of
France by the army of occupation, and the readmission of France, as one
of the Great Powers, to the Councils of Europe.
Aix-la-Chapelle, Treaty of.
A treaty between the Triple Alliance (England, Holland and Sweden) and
Louis XIV of France, signed in May, 1668. Spain, which acceded to the
Treaty, received Franche Comté from France, and surrendered certain
frontier towns, including Lille, Courtray, and Tournay. The Triple
Alliance were thus enabled to checkmate Louis’ designs in the Low
Countries.
Aix-la-Chapelle, Treaty of.
A treaty signed by England, France, Austria, Spain, and Holland, in
1748, putting an end to the War of the Austrian Succession.
Territorially, its provisions in the main amounted to a return to the
_status quo ante_, but it was provided that the Pretender should be
expelled from France, that Spain should renew the Asiento treaty with
England, and that Austria was to receive the acknowledgment by the
signatories of the Duke of Lorraine, husband of Maria Theresa, as
Emperor, in return for the cession of Silesia to Prussia.
Akerman, Treaty of.
A treaty between Russia and Turkey, supplementary to the Treaty of
Bucharest, signed in 1826. It provided that the Hospodars of Moldavia
and Wallachia should rule independently, each with a council of Boyars,
and should not be deposed without the Czar’s consent; that Servia should
elect her own princes, and that Russia should occupy the East coast of
the Black Sea, and should have free access to all Turkish waters.
Alabama.
A privateer fitted out in England during the American Civil War, to prey
upon the commerce of the Northern States. After the war the United
States made an enormous claim for compensation, which was submitted to
arbitration, with the result that England was condemned to pay about
three and a half millions sterling.
Alais, Treaty of.
A treaty between the Catholics and the Huguenots in France, signed in
1629, after the fall of La Rochelle. By this treaty the Huguenots were
finally deprived of their political rights.
Alaric Cottin.
A sobriquet of Frederick the Great of Prussia, given him by Voltaire. It
infers that he was a great soldier but a very poor poet.
Alascans.
The name given to the foreign Protestant refugees in England during the
reign of Edward VI. The name is derived from Laski, the superintendent
of foreign church communities.
Alaska Purchase.
By a treaty between the United States and Russia, in 1867, the latter
Power surrendered all her possessions on the continent of the United
States, together with the Probyloff Islands, in consideration of a
payment of 7,200,000 dols.
Alaska Treaty.
A treaty between Great Britain and the United States, signed in 1903, by
which it was agreed to submit the question of the boundary between
Alaska and Canada to a commission of six jurists, three to be nominated
by each side. This question had been pending since the cession of Alaska
to the United States by Russia in 1867, the doubt as to the true
frontier arising from the very indefinite terms of the Anglo-Russian
Convention of 1825.
Albanian League.
A league founded by the Porte in 1880, to oppose the aspirations of
Montenegro towards an increase of territory. In 1887 the league
presented to the Sultan a petition for autonomy, under an Albanian
governor, and receiving no answer, rose in rebellion. The outbreak,
however, was easily suppressed.
Albany Regency.
A coterie of Democrats who from 1820 to 1854 exercised a controlling
influence over the politics of New York State, and had consequently
considerable power in national politics. Their headquarters were at
Albany.
Albigenses.
A sect of dissenters from the Romish doctrine, settled in the South of
France, under the protection of Raymond, Count of Toulouse, their name
being derived from the town of Albi. Innocent III organised a crusade
against them in 1215, under the leadership of Simon de Montfort, and at
the siege of Béziers it is estimated that 15,000 Albigenses were put to
the sword. They nevertheless held out until 1229, when Raymond
capitulated, and the Inquisition was established in Toulouse. The sect,
though dispersed, was not destroyed, and its members carried the seeds
of Protestantism into Bohemia, Germany and England.
Alcantara, Knights of.
A Spanish order of religious chivalry, established in 1177, and directed
against Mohammedanism.
Ale Conner.
An official appointed annually the Court-Leet to test and examine the
ale sold in the borough, and to prosecute dishonest vendors.
Alexander of Bulgaria, Abduction of.
A conspiracy of the pro-Russian party in Bulgaria, in 1886. Prince
Alexander, whose policy was to free his country from Russian influence,
was kidnapped by some Bulgarian officers, and carried off in his yacht
to Russian territory. An attempt was then made to establish a
pro-Russian government under M. Zankoff, but the sympathies of the
Bulgarians were with the Prince, and M. Stambuloff set up a Council of
Regency, and demanded his return. The Prince came back, but with nerves
completely shattered by his experiences, or, as was alleged, by the
administration of certain drugs, and he shortly afterwards abdicated.
There seems little doubt that the Russian Foreign Office was privy to
the plot.
Alexander of the North.
A sobriquet of Charles XII of Sweden (1682-1718).
Alexander, The Albanian.
Iskander Beg (George Castriot, 1404-1467) was so called.
Alexander, The English.
A sobriquet of Henry V.
Alexander Newski, Order of.
A Russian order of knighthood, founded by Peter the Great in 1722.
Alien Act.
An act passed in 1793, to deal with the enormous influx of foreigners
into England, due to the French Revolution. Aliens were required to
state the object of their visit, to register their names, and to obtain
passports for moving to and fro.
Alien and Sedition Laws.
A series of Acts of Congress passed in 1798, to deal with the situation
caused by the residence in the United States of a large number of
naturalized Frenchmen who sympathized with France in the difficulties
then pending between the two countries. They gave the President the
power to banish undesirable aliens. They were very unpopular, and were,
in fact, never enforced with any stringency, but are noticeable as
having led to the first declaration of States Rights, Kentucky and
Virginia declaring them unconstitutional.
Aliwal North, First Treaty of.
A treaty, signed in 1858 between the Orange Free State and Moshesh, the
Basuto chief, through the mediation of Sir George Grey. This treaty
rectified the frontier somewhat in favour of the Basutos, and made other
provisions tending to the maintenance of peace.
Aliwal North, Second Treaty of.
A treaty between Great Britain and the Orange Free State, signed in
1869, settling the boundary between the two contracting parties in
Basutoland. After the annexation by Great Britain of the territories of
Moshesh, the Orange Free State claimed the boundary line fixed by the
treaty of Thaba Bosigo, while Great Britain claimed that in existence
before the war of 1865. A compromise was eventually arrived at, and the
frontier thus fixed is that at present existing between the Orange River
Colony and the Cape.
All Red Cable.
A cable route from England to Australia, touching only British soil,
projected by the Ottawa Conference in 1894. The scheme met with the
approval and support of the Imperial Parliament, and the cable was
completed in 1902.
Allgemeines Landrecht.
The Prussian Code of Law, amplified from the Landrecht of Frederick the
Great.
Alliance Society.
A political association formed in Belgium in 1897, with the object of
uniting the different branches of the Liberal Party.
Allodial Lands.
Among the Franks, lands held in absolute proprietorship, as opposed to
lands held as fiefs, and dependent upon a superior. They were subject to
no burden, except the call to arms for national defence, and passed at
death to all the children equally, or, failing issue, to the next of
kin.
Alte Fritz.
Frederick the Great of Prussia is constantly referred to by this
sobriquet.
Althing.