A league of the Catholic Princes of Germany, formed at Frankfort in
1651, to carry out the provisions of the Peace of Westphalia.
Catholic Relief Act.
An Act passed in 1793, admitting Catholics to the magistracy, grand
juries, and the franchise.
Catholic Rent.
An unauthorized tax or cess levied upon Irish Catholics by O’Connell’s
Catholic Association in 1823, and afterwards. The funds thus obtained
were placed in O’Connell’s hands, to be used at his absolute discretion
for furthering the objects of the Association.
Cato Street Conspiracy.
A plot to murder the Ministers, during Lord Liverpool’s administration
in 1820, at a dinner which they were to attend at Lord Harrowby’s house.
The plot was discovered by a police agent named Edwards, who posed as
one of the conspirators, and Thistlewood, the ringleader, and four
others were executed.
Caucus.
A private meeting of members of a political party to decide upon the
adoption of candidates, or the platform of the party. The name is of
American origin.
Cautionary Towns.
The Dutch towns of Flushing, Walcheren, Rammerkins and Briel, which were
handed over to Elizabeth in 1585, to be held as security for the payment
of the English troops in the Netherlands. They were restored to Holland
by James I.
Cavalier Parliament.
_See_ Pensioned Parliament.
Cavaliers.
The supporters of Charles I against the Parliament. The name was first
applied to them in the course of the frequent disturbances which arose
in London between the King’s party and the City party, the “Roundheads,”
in 1641.
Cave.
_See_ Adullamites.
Cawnpore, Massacre of.
The massacre by Nana Sahib of the English Garrison in Cawnpore, during
the Indian Mutiny of 1857. The garrison had surrendered under a pledge
of being permitted to retire unharmed. Of those massacred, 560 were
women and children.
Cecil’s Fast.
The name given to an Act passed by Cecil, Lord Burleigh, after the
Reformation, enjoining the eating of fish on certain days. Fish had
almost ceased to be an article of diet in England, as it was looked upon
as a badge of Romanism.
Cent Jours.
_See_ Hundred Days.
Centralists.
A party in Mexico, who support the centralized republican government,
and are opposed to undue extension of the autonomy of the various
states. The party came into existence about 1823.
Centralists.
A party in Switzerland in 1800, who supported the Helvetic Constitution,
which established a uniform republican government, and abolished the old
cantonal liberties.
Centennial State.
Colorado is so called, as having been admitted a State in 1876, the year
of the centenary of the Union.
Centro-Americana, Confederacion.
A league of Nicaragua, Honduras, and Salvador, formed in 1842, with the
object of uniting the Central American States into a federal republic.
Guatemala opposed the scheme and it fell to the ground.
Centrumsfraction.
The Centre, or Clerical, party in the first German Reichstag in 1871,
under the leadership of Dr. Windhorst. They were strong supporters of
the Papal claims in the subsequent Kulturkampf.
Centum Gravamina.
The list of grievances and charges against the Roman Catholic clergy,
drawn up by the Diet of Nuremburg in 1523.
Ceorl.
In Saxon times, a freeman owning his own land, and independent of any
overlord.
Chambre Ardente.
A court, specially composed of bigoted Catholics, established by Henri
II in 1551, for the trial of heretics.
Chambre Introuvable.
The French Assembly elected in 1815, and dissolved in the following
year, was so named by Louis XVIII.
Champ de Mars.
The annual meetings of the Franks for military purposes during the early
times were held during the month of March. At a later period the month
of meeting appears to have been altered to May, when the assembly was
called a Champ de Mai. The great parade-ground in Paris is known as the
Champ de Mars.
Chaperons Blancs.
The White Capes, the popular party in Ghent in 1379, under the
leadership of Jan Yoens.
Chapter of Mitton.
The name given by the Scots to the defeat of the Archbishop of York’s
forces at Mitton, in 1319, by a Scottish invading army. It was so called
on account of the number of ecclesiastics in the Archbishop’s army.
Charte La.
The charter issued by Louis XVIII on ascending the French throne in
1814. He proclaimed the equality of all Frenchmen before the law,
liberty of opinion and liberty of the press, and confirmed the
inviolability of all property sold by the state. He established an
hereditary peerage, and fixed, as the qualification for electors to the
Chamber of Deputies, the payment of direct taxes amounting to 300 francs
per annum.
Charter of 1826.
A constitution promulgated by Pedro IV of Portugal, on the model of the
English Parliamentary system.
Charters.
_See_ Acte Additionel, Aragon, Confirmatio, First, Forests, Fuero,
Groote Privilegie, Irish, Joyeuse Entrée, Justice, Maryland, Magna,
Massachusetts, People’s, Pfaffenbrief, Priests’, Virginia.
Chartism.
An agitation which broke out in 1837 and culminated in the Chartist
riots of 1839. It was probably due to the declaration by the Liberal
party that they were satisfied with the results of the Reform Bill of
1832, and did not intend to press for further reform in this direction.
The movement takes its name from the “People’s Charter,” a manifesto
setting forth the aims of the agitators. This Charter demanded manhood
suffrage, annual Parliaments, the ballot, abolition of the property
qualification for a member of Parliament, payment of members, and equal
electoral districts. The most prominent Chartists were Feargus O’Connor,
Frost, and Williams.
Chartres, Treaty of.
A treaty signed in 1299, by Edward I of England and Philip IV of France,
after Edward’s abortive Flemish expedition. England recovered Guienne,
and undertook to give up the Flemish alliance, while France renounced
the alliance with Scotland.
Chastisement of Novgorod.
The massacre, by Ivan the Terrible, of over 1,500 prominent citizens of
Novgorod, owing to his suspecting the aristocracy of the city of a
design to open the gates to the Poles.
Châteaubriand, Edict of.
An edict issued by Henri III, enacting severe measures against heresy.
Among its provisions was one forbidding all argument on religious
matters, and another confiscating the property of any person who went to
Geneva. This edict also established the Chambre Ardente.
Châtillon, Congress of.
A congress opened at Châtillon on February 5, 1814, to treat with
Napoleon as sovereign of France. The allies, however, found his demands
impossible, and before the Congress was dissolved, the Treaty of
Chaumont had been signed, by which Napoleon lost all chance of obtaining
the terms that the allies were at first prepared to grant.
Chauffeurs.
Bands of brigands, who in 1793 infested the northern and afterwards the
central departments of France. They took their name from their habit of
roasting the feet of their victims, to force them to disclose the
whereabouts of their valuables.
Chaumont, Treaty of.
A treaty signed by England, Austria, Russia and Prussia, in March, 1814,
after the allies had entered France. The signatories bound themselves
for twenty years to unite in resisting the designs of France. Each of
the contracting parties was to provide 150,000 men, and England in
addition a subsidy of £5,000,000. It was the knowledge of the signature
of this treaty which induced Joseph, in Napoleon’s absence, to order the
Marshals to capitulate, and the army to leave Paris, thus entailing the
abdication of the Emperor.
Chauvinism.
Originally an unreasoning admiration for Napoleon, the name being taken
from Chauvin, a character in Scribe’s “Le Soldat Laboureur.” At the
present time, the word has lost its dynastic significance, and is used
to express a perfervid patriotism, somewhat corresponding to the English
Jingoism.
Chefoo Convention.
A convention between Great Britain and China, negotiated by Sir Thomas
Wade in 1876, by which China recognized the right of foreigners to
travel in the interior, and to be duly protected while so doing.
Chester, County Palatine of.
A County Palatine, established by William the Conqueror, who bestowed it
on his nephew, Hugh Lupus. The earldom was seized by Henry III in 1237,
and has since been an appanage of the crown.
Chevalier Sans Peur et sans Reproche.
Pierre du Terrail, Seigneur de Bayard (1476-1524), is called by his
biographer “the fearless and stainless knight.”
Chevaliers du Poignard.
A band of royalists, who, armed with daggers and hunting knives,
assembled at the Tuileries on February 28, 1791. They were dispersed and
disarmed by Lafayette, and being charged with a conspiracy to carry off
the king, maintained that they were assembled only for his protection.
Chiltern Hundreds.
The Hundreds of Bodenham, Desborough, and Stoke, in Buckinghamshire, the
stewardship of which is a sinecure, in the gift of the crown, originally
established to keep down the bands of robbers which infested the
Chiltern Hills. It is now used as a means of enabling a member of
Parliament to vacate his seat, as by accepting the office he becomes
disqualified for a seat in Parliament, unless re-elected.
Chimney Money.
_See_ Hearth Money.
Chinandega, Pacto de.
A name given to the Confederacion Centro-Americana, which was formed at
Chinandega in 1842, with the object of uniting the Central American
States.
Chinese Gordon.
The sobriquet of General Charles Gordon, the conqueror of the Taepings.
Chônin.
In old Japan the wardsmen or trading class, the lowest in rank of the
four Japanese classes.
Chouans.
The royalist party in La Vendée and other parts of Brittany, who held
out against the revolutionary armies until 1779. Among their most
celebrated leaders were Larochejaquelin and Cadoudal.
Chouiski.
_See_ Belski.
Christ, Order of.
A Portuguese order of knighthood, founded circ. 1318.
Christian Alliance.
An offensive and defensive alliance entered into in 1529 by Austria and
the Canton of Zurich. It was also known as the Treaty of Ferdinand.
Christinos.
The Spanish party supporting the Regency of Queen Christina in 1833, in
opposition to the Carlists.
Chupatties.
Small cakes of unleavened bread, which were sent through the villages of
British India just before the outbreak of the Indian Mutiny in 1857. It
is supposed that they were a signal to prepare for a rising, though
other explanations have been given of their meaning.
Cicero, The British.
A sobriquet of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham (1708-1778).
Cid, The.
Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, a celebrated Spanish chieftain, in the reigns of
Ferdinand I, Sancho II, and Alfonso VI, was known as the Cid Campeador,
or Campaigning Chief. He died in 1099.
Ci-devants.
The name given during the French Revolution to those who, owing to the
abolition of all titles of honour, were no longer known by their titles,
but by their family names. Thus Marie Antoinette was brought to trial as
the “Widow Capet.”
Cincinnatus, The American.
A sobriquet of George Washington.
Cinq-Mars, Conspiracy of.
A conspiracy directed against Richelieu, the leaders of which were
Cinq-Mars, the favourite of Louis XIII, the Duc d’Orléans and De Thou.
An arrangement was made with Spain, by which she was to support the
conspirators with men and money. This agreement was discovered by
Richelieu in 1642, and Cinq-Mars and De Thou were arrested and executed.
Cinque Cento.
The sixteenth century, the later period of the Italian Renaissance.
Cinque Ports.
These were originally Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich, to
which were afterwards added Rye and Winchilsea. They were incorporated
at a very early, though uncertain date, to provide and man ships for the
defence of the Channel, and in return enjoyed certain privileges,
judicial and other. Their earliest known charter was granted by Edward
I, but they were summoned to send Barons to Parliament by Henry III in
1265, there is no doubt that they were incorporated in some form at a
considerably earlier period. Their privileges were finally abolished by
the Municipal Corporations Act in 1835.
Cintra, Convention of.
A convention signed by Junot and Sir Hew Dalrymple in 1808, after the
defeat of the French at Vimeira. It permitted Junot to evacuate
Portugal, England providing transport, with liberty to him and his
troops to serve elsewhere. The convention caused great indignation in
England, and led to the recall of the three English generals, Dalrymple,
Burrard, and Wellesley.
Circe of the Revolution.
Madame Roland was so called from the influence exercised by her
fascinating manner over the leaders of the French Revolution, and
especially over the Girondins.
Circumspecte Agatis, Statute.
A statute of Edward I, issued in 1205, to put a stop to the pretensions
of the ecclesiastical courts, which were gradually encroaching more and
more upon the functions of the civil courts.
Cisalpine Republic.
A republic formed by Napoleon out of the provinces conquered by him in
Northern Italy in 1796-1797.
Cispadane Republic.
A republic, with Bologna for its capital, established by Napoleon in
Italy in 1797.
Civil Marriage Bill.
A Bill introduced into the Hungarian Diet in 1893, by Dr. Wekerle. It
made civil marriage compulsory, permitted marriage with a deceased
wife’s sister, and made sundry changes in the divorce laws in the
direction of greater freedom. It was violently opposed by the Catholics,
and only passed the Upper House through the personal interposition of
the King Emperor.
Civil Rights Act.
An Act of Congress, passed in 1875, conferring equal rights on all
citizens, black or white, in the matter of public conveyances, inns,
places of amusement and jury service.
Claim of Right.
A declaration by the Scottish Convention of 1689, accompanying the offer
of the crown to William III. It was similar in character to the
Declaration of Rights of the English Parliament, but in addition it
proclaimed the abolition of the Episcopacy.
Claimant, The.
Thomas Castro, alias Arthur Orton, a butcher of Wagga-Wagga, New South
Wales, who in 1871 brought an action with intent to prove that he was
Sir Roger Tichbourne, the rightful owner of the Tichbourne estates in
Hampshire. His case broke down, after a long trial, and in 1874 he was
convicted of perjury and sentenced to fourteen years’ penal servitude.
Clair-on-Epte, Treaty of.
A treaty between Charles the Simple of France, and the Northmen under
Rolf the Ganger, in 912. In order to obtain immunity from the Viking
raids, Charles ceded to the Northmen the coast of Normandy.
Clan Act.
An Act passed in 1715, providing (1) that if a feudal chief rebelled,
all his vassals who remained loyal should in future hold direct from the
crown. (2) That a loyal tenant whose landlord was convicted of treason
should have two years gratuitous possession added to his lease. (3) That
the lands of a disloyal tenant should revert to his chief if loyal. (4)
That settlements of estates after August 1, 1714, should be no bar to
their forfeiture for high treason.
Clan Chattan and Clan Quhele.
A combat between thirty picked men of each of these clans was fought at
Perth in 1396. It is supposed to have been for the purpose of deciding a
dispute as to the chieftainship of the Clan Chattan.
Clan-na-Gael.
An Irish secret society, an offshoot of the Fenians, formed in 1881. It
was composed of the extreme physical force men among the Fenians, and
was also known as the United Brotherhood.
Clarendon Code.
The name given to the four Acts composing the repressive ecclesiastical
legislation of Clarendon, in the reign of Charles II, namely the
Corporation, Uniformity, Conventicle, and Five Mile Acts.
Clarendon, Council of.
_See_ Constitutions of Clarendon.
Classes, Act of.
An Act of the Scots Parliament, passed in 1649, disqualifying from
public office and seats in Parliament, all Malignants, enemies of the
Covenant, Engagers, etc.
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty.
A treaty between Great Britain and the United States, signed in 1850,
providing for the construction of a canal to connect the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans. It was stipulated that in the event of such canal being
constructed, neither party should erect fortifications on the line of
the canal, nor assume any sovereign rights over any portion of Central
America. The United States afterwards repudiated the treaty, and it is
now superseded by the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty.
Clean the Causeway.
The name given to a brawl in the streets of Edinburgh in 1519, in which
the Douglas faction were attacked by the supporters of the Government.
The Douglasses swept their opponents from the streets, killing their
leader, Sir Patrick Stuart.
Cleargrits.
The extreme democratic party in Canada in 1850 were so called. They were
in favour of secession from England and annexation to the United States.
Clemency Canning.
A nickname given to Lord Canning, Governor-General of India, in
consequence of what many considered his undue leniency in the treatment
of the rebels, after the suppression of the Indian Mutiny in 1858.
Clementine League.
_See_ Holy League.
Clergy of France, Declaration of the.
A manifesto issued by Bossuet in 1682, declaring that the Pope had no
power in France in temporal affairs, and that his spiritual authority
was subject to that of a General Council, as proclaimed by the Council
of Constance; that the constitution of the Gallican Church was not to be
subverted, and that, in questions of faith, the Pope’s opinion was not
binding unless supported by the Church. This declaration was, by Royal
Edict given the force of law.
Clericis Laicos, Bull of.
A Bull issued by Pope Boniface VIII in 1296, forbidding the clergy to
pay tribute to a temporal sovereign. The result of this Bull in England
was that the clergy refused to pay taxes. They were consequently
outlawed, and much church property was confiscated by Edward I.
Clermont, Council of.
A Council summoned by Urban II in 1095, at which the Pope proclaimed the
duty of Christians to free the Holy Sepulchre from the hands of
Saracens. At the Council Godefroi de Bouillon and other notable
personages assumed the red cross, and the First Crusade followed.
Clicquot, King.
The nickname by which Frederick William IV of Prussia was known in
England.
Clontarf Meeting.
The name given to an incident which marked the collapse of O’Connell’s
Repeal agitation. A monster meeting was fixed to be held at Clontarf on
October 8, 1843. The Government proclaimed the meeting, and O’Connell
did his best to prevent the peasants assembling. In this he was
successful, but the proof that he did not mean under any circumstances
to resort to strong measures was the death blow to his movement.
Clouds, Battle above the.
The name given to the attack on Lookout Mountain by the Federal troops
at the battle of Chattanooga in 1863, during the American Civil War.
They advanced to the attack through a heavy mist, and the battle was
fought in a clear atmosphere, with the fog below.
Closter Seven, Convention of.
A convention, signed in July, 1757, between the French and the Duke of
Cumberland, who had advanced to the Weser in command of an English
force, and had been driven back by a French army, under D’Estrées, to
the mouth of the Elbe. The Duke agreed to disband his army.
Club, The.
A section of the Whig party in Scotland, who, at the accession of
William and Mary, advocated extreme views as to the limitations to be
set to the power of the king. Notwithstanding their opinions, they did
not hesitate to ally themselves with the Jacobites in their opposition
to William.
Club Parliament.
The Parliament of 1346, so called because the Barons attended it
accompanied by their retainers armed with clubs. It is also called the
Parliament of Bats (or Batons.)
Clubmen.
The name assumed by bands of peasants who, in 1644, assembled in various
parts of England, but especially in the West, to protect their lands
from the ravages of the civil war. They sided with neither party, but
attacked both impartially when their property was threatened.
Coalition Ministry.
A Ministry formed under Lord Aberdeen in 1853, composed of Liberals and
Peelites, and including among its members, Lord John Russell, Lord
Palmerston and Mr. Gladstone.
Cockburn’s Act.
The Betting Act, passed in 1853, is so called after its introducer, Sir
Alexander Cockburn. It did away with betting houses, and rendered the
exhibition of betting lists illegal. In 1874 the Act was extended to
Scotland.
Cockerton Judgment.
A judgment in the Court of Queen’s Bench in the case of Regina _v._
Cockerton. Mr. Cockerton, the auditor of the Local Government Board, had
surcharged certain expenditure of the London School Board, and the
correctness of his action being called in question, the court held that
it was illegal to make a payment out of the rates (1) for advanced
instruction in art and science in elementary day schools, (2) for any
instruction to adults at evening continuation classes.
Cockpit of Europe.
The name given to Belgium on account of the numerous important battles
which have been fought there.
Code Napoleon.
The Code of Law issued by Napoleon in 1803. It was based on the old
French law, with such alterations as had been rendered necessary by the
Revolution, and certain new provisions, introduced by Napoleon, notably
those relating to the law of succession and to the marriage law. For the
purpose of this codification, which remains the law of France, he called
to his councils the most eminent French lawyers, irrespective of party,
among others Tronchet, Cambacérès, Portalis and Roederer.
Codes.
Allgemeines Landrecht, Brehon, Bretts and Scots, Burgos, Caroline
Ordinance, Clarendon, Consolato, Doom-Book, Etablissements, Frédéric,
Frostathing, Fuero Juzgo, Grágás, Gulathing, Jus Magdeburgicum, Jutland,
Landrecht, Louis, Libro de Tasas, Lübeck, Ludlow, Martian, Mulmutine,
Noir, Oleron, Recess of Colding, Regiani Majestatem, Savary, Siete
Partidas, Thirty-three Articles, Wisbuy, Wisliza.
Codini.
The Pigtail Party, a name given by the supporters of the House of Savoy
to the Papal party in Rome, the suggestion being that they are behind
the times.
Coercion Act.
An Act of Parliament passed in 1833, giving the Lord Lieutenant of
Ireland power to prohibit any meeting of whatever nature which he
regarded as dangerous to the peace, and to declare any district to be in
a disturbed state. The bill gave the right to search for arms and
suspended the Habeas Corpus Act in the proclaimed districts,
substituting martial law for the regular tribunals.
Cœur de Lion.
The sobriquet of Richard I of England.
Cognac, League of.
_See_ Holy League.
Collectivism.
A form of socialism, the leading tenet of which is that capital and the
means of production should be in the hands of associations of workers,
and not be privately owned.
College of Justice.
The supreme court of Scotland in civil cases. It was established by
James V in 1533, and was composed of fourteen judges and a president. At
the same time the body of Advocates was created.
Colonial Conference.
A conference held in London in 1902, between Mr. Chamberlain and the
Colonial Premiers. The principal recommendations of the conference were
an increase in the Colonial contribution to the navy, increased
facilities for Colonial cadets to enter the services, that preferential
duties between Great Britain and the Colonies should be kept in view,
that the metric system should be adopted, and that postage rates should
be lowered.
Colonies, Council for the.
A Council appointed by Charles II in 1660, to supervise all the affairs
of the oversea plantations.
Coloquy of Poissy.
A conference of divines summoned by Catherine de’ Medici in 1561, and
attended, among others, by Peter Martyr and Beza. It was hoped that a
_modus vivendi_ with the Huguenots might be arrived at, but the
divergences between the two religions were perhaps unduly emphasized by
the reformers, and the conference proved abortive, though in the
following year an edict was issued permitting the Huguenots to worship
outside the towns.
Colorados.
_See_ Blanquillos.
Coloured League.
A confederation of the coloured people of the Southern States of
America, formed after the war, with the object of securing for the
negroes the free exercise of their political rights.
Comité de Salut Public.
The Committee of Public Safety was appointed by the French Convention in
April, 1893, to exercise the functions of a Ministry. The first object
was to drive the Girondists from power. The members of the first Comité
were comparatively moderate men, but it was reorganized in July of the
same year, from which time it was composed almost entirely of the
extremists, and became a mere instrument in the hands of Robespierre.
Comitia Paludata.
The Diet which met in Poland during an interregnum only. The whole body
of nobles attended, the meeting taking place on an open plain, and the
members appearing armed and mounted.
Comitia Togata.
The ordinary Polish Diet of representatives of the nobles. It was
summoned by the king, and the members attended unarmed.
Commando.
The military system established by the English in South Africa in 1806.
The country was split up into districts, each under a field cornet,
whose duty it was to summon the burghers when called out for military
service. The burghers were divided into three classes, according to age,
and every male was liable to service from sixteen to sixty. The system
was maintained by the independent Dutch States, till the close of the
Boer War in 1902, but compulsory service was abolished in Cape Colony in
1834.
Commendation.
In feudal times the personal submission of a man to a feudal lord, by
which he became his vassal, was so called.
Commercial Treaty of 1786.
A treaty between France and England, abolishing prohibitive duties and
establishing a moderate tariff between the two countries. The Methuen
Treaty between England and Portugal, which had been very prejudicial to
French interests, was abrogated.
Commission of Government.
A Commission of Peers, authorized by Richard II in 1386, to inquire into
abuses in the Government, and to prepare a scheme of reform.
Commission of Grace.
A proclamation under the Great Seal by James I in 1604, securing Irish
landowners from all claims of the Crown, and empowering the governor,
in all cases of precarious tenure, to grant indefeasible titles.
Commissions of Array.
Commissions given by the English Kings to certain commissioners to
impress men for military service. They were first issued under Edward I.
Committee of Religion.
A committee appointed by the Long Parliament in 1641 to consider the
question of religious reform.
Commune, Paris.
An outbreak of the extreme revolutionary party in Paris in 1871, after
the withdrawal of the Germans. Its leaders were Assi, Billioray,
Blanqui, Cluseret, Paschal Grousset, Félix Pyat, and other noted
extremists. They obtained complete possession of Paris, and were guilty
of terrible atrocities, including the cold-blooded murder of the
so-called hostages, amongst whom was the Archbishop of Paris. The city
underwent a second siege at the hands of the Provisional Government, but
after severe fighting the Government troops, under the Marquis de
Gallifet, surmounted the last barricade, and those of the Communist
leaders who failed to escape were brought to trial, and executed or
transported. Many of the public buildings, including the Tuileries, were
set fire to during the fighting by the “Pétroleuses.”
Communeros, Revolt of the.
_See_ Santa Junta.
Compactata of Prague.
An agreement between the Hussites and their religious opponents in 1433.
This agreement afterwards formed the basis of the Treaty of Iglau.
Compagnies d’Ordonnance.
The first French regular army, called into existence by Charles V in
1370.
Complaints of the Commons of Kent.
A document submitted to the Government in 1450 by the insurgents under
Jack Cade. It set forth the causes of the unpopularity of Suffolk, and
demanded the restoration to favour of the Duke of York.
Composition of Connaught.
An arrangement between Sir James Perrot, Governor of Ireland, and the
landowners of Connaught in 1585, by which the landowners agreed to pay a
fixed ground rent, in consideration of a patent from the Crown, and
relief from all other taxes and imposts. At the same time all members of
the clans were released from their allegiance to their chiefs, and
placed directly under the Crown.
Compound Householder.
The occupier of a small tenement who did not pay poor rates directly,
but compounded with his landlord, who was responsible for the rate to
the authorities. During the debates on the Reform Bill of 1867, the
question of his enfranchisement was very hotly contested, and in the end
the compound householder was abolished, and every name put on the rate
book.
Compounders.
The name given to the more moderate section of the English Jacobites in
1692. They desired a restoration of the Stuarts, but accompanied by a
general amnesty. The non-compounders, who would listen to no suggestions
of moderation, were, however, more powerful at St. Germains.
Compromise, The.
A document signed in 1566 by some 2,000 nobles and gentlemen of the
Netherlands, by which the signatories bound themselves to offer the most
strenuous resistance to the Inquisition, while loyally supporting the
sovereignty of Philip II.
Compromise Act.
An Omnibus Act passed by Congress in 1850. It provided for the admission
to the Union of California as a state, and of New Mexico and Utah as
territories, for the settlement of the boundaries of Texas, the return
of fugitive slaves to the owners, and the suppression of the slave trade
in the district of Columbia.
Compte Rendu.
A manifesto by the Moderate party in the French Chamber, drawn up by
Odilon Barrot in May, 1832. It denounced the Ministry for continuing the
Restoration rather than the Revolution, and complained of the
institution of hereditary peerages, the excessive civil list, and the
extravagant expenditure on the army. With regard to foreign policy it
pointed out that, through lack of firmness, the Government was
abandoning Italy to Austria and Poland to Russia.
Compurgation.
The acquittal of an accused person, in consequence of an oath taken by
his kinsmen to the effect that he was innocent of the charges brought
against him. This was abolished by the Assize of Clarendon in 1166.
Concentration Camps.
Camps formed in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, during the Boer
War, for the reception of women and children who could not be protected
in their own homes in the disturbed parts of the two colonies. Charges
were made of gross mismanagement of these camps, but a commission
appointed to investigate pronounced that the complaints were absurd, and
that everything had been done for the refugees that the circumstances
permitted.
Conclave.
An assembly of the Cardinals summoned for the purpose of electing a
Pope. The regulations governing the Conclave were issued by Gregory X in
1275.
Conclusions.
An argument drawn up by the Puritans of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1629,
and circulated among the Puritans of England, setting forth the
desirability of strengthening the Colony of Salem.
Concordat.
An agreement entered into in 1801 between Napoleon and the Pope,
providing for the re-establishment of Roman Catholicism, which had been
proscribed during the Revolution, as the religion of the majority of
the French nation. It was agreed, among other provisions, that bishops
were to be nominated by the State, but instituted by the Pope. The
nomination of parish priests was vested in the bishops, the State having
a right of veto. The State undertook to see that adequate stipends were
provided for the clergy, to replace the ancient revenues which had been
confiscated during the Revolution.
Concordat of 1516.
An agreement between Francis I of France and Leo X, by which the King
obtained the right of nominating archbishops, bishops and mitred abbots,
the inferior clergy being appointed by the bishops as before. In return
for this, Francis granted the Pope annates and the right to levy a
yearly tribute.
Concordat of 1855.
An agreement between Francis Joseph of Austria and Pius IX, by which the
control of public education was entrusted to the priesthood, and all
offences against canon law were sent for trial before ecclesiastical
courts. This concordat was abrogated in 1870.
Concordats.
_See_ Aschaffenburg, Bec, German, Worms.
Condottieri.
Soldiers of fortune who hired themselves out to the various petty states
of Italy, during the wars of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Confederate Catholics.
A federation of Irish Catholics formed in 1642, at the commencement of
the Great Rebellion. They formed a provisional government, consisting of
a general assembly, with two houses, and appointed a judicial body for
each county under their control, with an appeal to a supreme council of
twenty-four persons.
Confederate States.
The independent republic formed, under the presidency of Jefferson
Davis, by the states which seceded from the Union prior to the American
Civil War of 1860.
Confederation of 1573.
An enactment of the Polish Diet, granting to all sects liberty of
conscience and equal rights and privileges. This is the first instance
of the establishment of complete religious toleration.
Confederation, Treaty of.
An agreement entered into in 1643, by Connecticut, Massachusetts, and
New Haven, and later joined by Plymouth, uniting the four communities
under the title of the United Colonies of New England.
Confines, Audiencia de los.
During the Spanish domination, the Supreme Court of Central America. It
was established in 1542.
Confirmatio Cartarum.
The confirmation by Edward I in 1297 of Magna Charta and the Charter of
Forests, to which was added an article known as “De Tallagio non
Concedendo,” sometimes referred to as a separate statute, and denying
the right of the king to levy Tallages without the consent of
Parliament.
Conflans, Treaty of.
A treaty between Louis XI and his nobles, signed in 1465, putting an end
to the Guerre du Bien Public. Louis ceded the Duchy of Normandy to his
brother, the Duc de Berri, to be held as a fief of France, and made
certain concessions to the Duc de Bretagne, the Comte de Charolais, and
others.
Congé d’Elire.
The invitation sent by the Crown to a cathedral chapter to elect a
certain person as bishop of the diocese.
Congo Conference.
A conference of the Powers held at Berlin in 1884-5. It declared for
freedom of commerce in the basin and mouths of the Congo, and along the
coast from Gaboon to Angola, and appointed an international commission
to regulate the navigation of the Congo and the Niger. It recognised the
neutrality of the Congo Free State, decreed the abolition of slave gangs
and slave markets, and all monopolies, and insisted that foreigners
should enjoy equal rights with the subjects of the sovereign state.
Congregation, Lords of the.
The leaders of the reforming party in Scotland, who issued the First
Covenant in 1557, took this title.
Congress.
The Parliament of the United States, consisting of two Chambers, a House
of Representatives, and a Senate. The former consists of a certain
number of members from each state, elected by direct popular vote. The
number of representatives of each state is in proportion to the
population, as shown in the decennial census. The Senate is composed of
two members from each state, irrespective of population, elected by the
respective state legislatures. One third of the Senate retires annually.
Congresses.
_See_ Aix-la-Chapelle, Arras, Berlin, Brussels, Carlsbad, Châtillon,
Congo, General, Hague, Heilbronn, Kilkenny, Laibach, Troppau, Vienna,
Verona.
Conservative.
This name came into use to designate the Tory party about 1837. It was
first employed by John Wilson Croker, in an article in the _Quarterly
Review_.
Consistoriali.
A secret society, established in Naples, with the Papal authorization,
during the first decade of the nineteenth century, to oppose the
Carbonari and support the Church.
Consistorium.
A tribunal established in Geneva by Calvin in 1541, to deal with
offences against religion and morals. Its rule was terribly severe, all
amusements being proscribed and all criticism of the Calvinist doctrine
being sternly repressed. In five years the Consistorium imprisoned over
800 persons, and put to death fifty-eight.
Consistory.
An assembly of the Cardinals, in the presence of the Pope; summoned for
the transaction of business.
Consolato del Mare.
A code of maritime law, said to have been compiled, from Roman and
Rhodian laws, by the trading communities of Barcelona about the middle
of the thirteenth century. Other authorities attribute it to the
Venetians or the Pisans.
Conspiracies, Plots, etc.
_See_ Alexander, Amboise, Ankarstrôm. Army, Assassination, Atterbury,
Babington, Biron, Booth, Bridal of Norwich, Burr, Bye, Catherine, Cato
Street, Cinq Mars, Craigmillar, Despard, Dutch, Emmett, Falieri,
Fieschi, Gowrie, Gunpowder, Hunting of Braemar, Incident, Jerviswood,
Malet, Meal Tub, Orsini, Overton, Pablen, Pazzi, Pichegru, Popish,
Porcari, Strelitzi, Ridolfi, Rye House, Queensberry, Throgmorton,
Tiepoli, Venner, Vowel, Waller.
Constance, Council of.
A council summoned by John XXIII, at the instance of the Emperor
Sigismund in 1415. It was concerned with the Hussite heresy, and John
Huss, who attended under a safe-conduct, was declared a heretic and,
notwithstanding the safe-conduct, burnt at the stake. The council
further dealt with the schism, deposing two popes, and electing Martin
V.
Constance, Peace of.
A treaty, signed at Constance in 1183, between Frederick Barbarossa and
the Italian cities, after the successful revolt of the Lombard League.
It provided for the re-establishment of self-government in the cities,
including the right of electing their magistrates, subject to certain
unimportant reservations of the Imperial prerogative.
Constantinople, Conference of.
A conference of the Great Powers, summoned in 1876, with the object of
preventing war between Russia and Turkey. The terms agreed upon by the
Powers were, however, rejected by the Porte, and war followed.
Constantinople, Council of.
A council of the Church, held at Constantinople in 754, under the
auspices of Leo the Iconoclast. It proscribed the use of images and
religious pictures in worship. The decrees of this council were
anathematised by the Synod of Rome in 769, and reversed by the Council
of Nicæa in 787. It is not regarded by the Church as an Oecumenical
Council.
Constantinople, Fourth Council of.
An Oecumenical Council, held in 869, which declared that no Metropolitan
could enter upon his functions until he had received the pallium from
the Pope. This decision practically placed the nomination of the higher
church dignitaries in the Pope’s hands.
Constitution of 1812.
The Constitution drawn up by the Spanish Cortes which met at Cadiz in
1810. Ferdinand VII, on his restoration in 1814, refused to subscribe to
the instrument, and continued to govern the country on absolute
principles, but a military _pronunciamiento_ forced him finally to give
way and agree to its conditions in 1820.
Constitutions.
_See_ Body of Liberties, Canada, Eadgar, Estatuto Real, Federal Pact,
May, Mediation, Model, Nine Articles, Waldemariana.
Constitutions of Clarendon.
A recital of the ancient customs of England, defining the relations
between the Church and the Crown, drawn up by order of Henry II, and
accepted, after much opposition, by Thomas á Becket on behalf of the
Church. It made the criminous clerk subject to the civil jurisdiction,
provided that questions relating to land claimed by the Crown should be
submitted to a jury, constituted the King the final court of appeal, and
limited the power of the bishops. By these and other provisions, the
supremacy of the Crown was assured. The constitutions were promulgated
at the Council of Clarendon in 1164.
Consulta.
The committee of three members of the Council of State of the
Netherlands, during the regency of Margaret of Parma, 1559 to 1567. The
three were Viglius, Barlaymont, and the Bishop of Arras.
Continental Blockade.
A system established by Napoleon, in 1806, by the Berlin Decree. In this
instrument he declared the whole of the British Isles to be in a state
of blockade, and forbade any correspondence with them on the part of the
countries dependent on him. He further declared all Englishmen found in
any country occupied by French troops to be prisoners of war, and
ordered all English merchandise and all private property of English
subjects wherever found to be confiscated. So impracticable was it to
carry out this system that, within the year, Napoleon found it necessary
to purchase English cloth to clothe his own troops.
Contra-Remonstrants.
The Gomarists, the opponents of the Arminians in the Netherlands, were
so called from their having presented to the States-General a
counter-remonstrance, protesting against the five articles set out in
the remonstrance of the Arminians in 1610.
Contracting Out.
The chief point at issue in the Employers’ Liability Bill of 1893. The
difference of opinion between the two Houses on this point wrecked the
bill. _See_ Employers’ Liability.
Conventicle Act.
An Act passed in 1664, rendering illegal any meeting for religious
purposes which was attended by more than five persons beyond the family,
unless held in accordance with Church of England practice.
Conventicles.
Open air meetings for public worship held by the dispossessed Scotch
ministers, after the establishment of the Episcopal Church in Scotland
at the Restoration. They were declared illegal, were then permitted by
Indulgence, and finally again made illegal, and suppressed whenever
possible.
Convention Parliament.
Two Parliaments are known by this title, being irregular assemblies, as
not having been summoned by Royal Writ--(1) The Parliament which
restored the Crown to Charles II in 1660. (2) The Parliament which
offered the throne to William and Mary in 1689.
Conventions Bill.
An Act passed by the Irish Parliament in 1793. It forbade the holding of
meetings for the purpose of petitioning the King or Parliament, and also
the election of delegates to attend such meetings.
Convicts Prevention Act.
An Act passed by the Victorian Legislature in 1852, forbidding the
immigration into the colony of any but free men, thus shutting out
ticket-of-leave men from the penal settlements. The Queen at first
refused her assent, but the bill was passed a second time and became
law.
Conway’s Cabal.
_See_ Cabal, American.
Co-operation.
The first Co-operative Society was started in 1844 by twenty-eight
Rochdale weavers. They began their operations with a capital of £28
only, and in sixteen years the Society was worth over £120,000.
Copperheads.
A name given by the Federals, during the American Civil War, to the
Peace Party in the Northern States. The copperhead is a peculiarly
venomous snake, as deadly as the rattlesnake and more dangerous, because
not provided with the warning rattle.
Coppernose.
A nickname of Henry VIII. derived from the silver coinage of his reign,
which was made of an alloy containing a quantity of copper.
Copyhold.
A tenure by service, as opposed to freehold or leasehold. In most cases
the service has long since been commuted for a small annual payment. In
the event of a copyholder dying intestate and without issue, the
copyhold reverts to the Lord of the Manor.
Cordeliers.
A revolutionary club in Paris, in the early days of the French
Revolution, composed mainly of the partisans of Danton. It took its name
from an old monastery of the Cordelier order, where its meetings were
held.
Corn Law of 1804.
An Act establishing a prohibitive duty on foreign corn while the price
of English wheat stood at 63s. per quarter or under, and fixing the duty
at 3s. 6d. per quarter with the price between 63s. and 66s., and at 6d.
per quarter with the price above 66s.
Corn Law of 1815.
An Act prohibiting the importation of foreign corn, until the price of
English wheat stood at 80s. per quarter.
Corn Law of 1824.
An Act reaffirming the principle of the sliding scale of duties on
imported grain, as in the Corn Law of 1804.
Corn Laws, Repeal of the.
An Act passed by Sir Robert Peel’s Government in 1846, reducing
immediately the tax on foreign grain, and providing for its ultimate
abolition, with the exception of a registration duty amounting to 1s.
per quarter. This Act was mainly the result of the efforts of the
Anti-Corn Law League.
Cornwall, Duchy of.
Cornwall was created a Duchy by Edward III, and its revenues were
assigned to the maintenance of his eldest son, the Prince of Wales.
Since that period the eldest son of the Sovereign has borne the title of
Duke of Cornwall, and enjoyed the revenues of the Duchy. Alterations in
the internal administration were made by Acts passed in 1863 and 1893.
Coronation Stone.
The ancient Scottish Coronation Stone of Scone was brought to England by
Edward I, after his defeat of Balliol at Dunbar in 1296, and is now in
Westminster Abbey.
Corporal John.
The great Duke of Marlborough was so called by his soldiers.
Corporation Act.
An Act passed in 1661, compelling all holders of office in corporations
to swear to their belief in the doctrine of Passive Obedience, to
receive the sacrament according to the rites of the English Church, and
to renounce the Covenant. This Act was not repealed until 1828.
Corsican Ogre.
A nickname of the great Napoleon.
Cortes.
The Spanish Parliament is so called.
Corti Compromise.
A compromise proposed by Count Corti, Italian Ambassador to the Porte in
1880, to meet the difficulties raised by Turkey in carrying out the
provisions of the Berlin Treaty, relative to Montenegro. He proposed
that Turkey should retain Gussinje and Plava, ceding instead
Kutschi-Kraina and Podgoritza.
Corvée.
Enforced labour on the roads and other public works, exacted from the
French peasant before the Revolution. The same system prevailed in Egypt
prior to the English occupation.
Cossacks.
The inhabitants of the debateable land between the Russian frontier and
the Crim Tartars. The most important of these communities were those of
the Dnieper and the Don. They retained a certain degree of independence
until the reign of Catherine II of Russia. The soldiers of the military
cordon established by the Russians and Poles along their southern
frontiers were also known as Cossacks.
Cottereaux.
Bands of mercenaries in the French service during the twelfth century.
Cotton Famine.
The name given to the distress in Lancashire in 1862, in consequence of
the cessation of cotton shipments from America during the Civil War, by
which thousands of operatives were thrown out of employment. Large sums
were received by subscriptions in aid, and in August of that year the
Relief Act was passed, by which loans were granted to the guardians to
enable them to establish relief works.
Council of State.
A council of forty-one members, in whom Parliament vested the executive
power, on the proclamation of the Commonwealth in 1649. They were
appointed for one year.
Councils.
_See_ Ancients, Anziani, Aulic, Blood, Castle, Clarendon, Consulta,
Colonies, Federal, Fifteen, Five Hundred, Hlutdaw, Indies, Kilkenny,
Magnum, North, Policy, Reason, Sixteen, Ten, Thirty-six.
Councils, Church.
_See_ Bari, Basle, Clermont, Constance, Constantinople, Dort, Lateran,
Lyons, Nicæa, Œcumenical, Pisa, Trent, Vatican, Vienne.
Country Party.
A political party, formed about 1673, under the leadership of Lords
Russell and Cavendish. They were in full sympathy with the demands of
the Dissenters for toleration, and made it their special business to
keep a watch on the religious and political designs of the Court. They
afterwards became known as Whigs.
County Palatine.
A county possessing certain Royal privileges, created originally for
defence of the frontier against the Welsh, the Scotch and the French.
They were Chester, Lancaster, Durham, Kent, Shropshire, Pembrokeshire,
and Hexhamshire. Only the three first named retained any of their
privileges beyond the sixteenth century.
Coup d’Etat.
A term applied to any overthrow of free institutions by military
intervention, but used especially to denote the bold stroke of Louis
Napoleon, who by a display of military force in the Paris streets in
December, 1851, and the imprisonment of the Republican members of the
Chamber, succeeded in getting himself proclaimed Consul, and, later,
Emperor.
Cour d’Héritage.
An ancient feudal court in Jersey, having jurisdiction over all disputed
questions as to landed property.
Cours Plénières.
Assemblies of the Barons, called, on the great festivals of the year, by
the early kings of France and England.
Court Baron.
A court of the old Norman Manor, summoned to settle all questions
arising out of the cultivation of the demesne land of the Manor.
Court Customary.
A baronial court in feudal times held to decide questions arising out of
the tenure of land by villeins.
Court Leet.
Under Henry I the Hundred Court was so called, when it sat for the
purpose of trying criminal cases under the presidency of the Sheriff.
Courte Paix.
_See_ Longjumeau.
Courts.
_See_ Audiencias, Augmentations, Aulic, Austrägal, College of Justice,
Chambre, Confines, Consistorium, Curia Regis, Four Burghs, Great
Session, Haute Cour, Heemraden, High Commission, Jews, Manor, Parlement,
Piés Poudrées, Reichskammergericht, Requests, Salford, Star Chamber,
Tribunal, Tynwald, Vehmgericht, Wales.
Coventry Act.
An Act passed in 1671 declaring nose-slitting or other mutilation of the
person to be a felony. It was passed in consequence of a dastardly
attack upon Sir James Coventry, a Member of Parliament, who, having
incurred the enmity of the Court party by some comments in the House on
Charles the Second’s _liaison_ with Nell Gwynne, was waylaid on his way
home by Sir Thomas Sandys and some of the King’s friends, who dragged
him from his coach and slit his nose to the bone.
Cowboys.
Bands of British marauders who infested the banks of the Hudson River
during the American War of Independence. The name is now applied to the
cattlemen on the ranches in the Far West.
Cowper-Temple Clause.
A clause inserted in the Education Act of 1870, embodying an amendment
moved by Mr. Cowper-Temple. It provides that unsectarian Bible teaching
shall be given during school hours in all rate-aided schools under the
School Boards.
Coyne and Livery.
The right of an Irish chieftain to quarter his soldiery on the tenants.
It was forbidden by the Statute of Kilkenny in 1307, and was finally
stopped in 1603. It was called by the Irish “Bonaght.”
Cradle of Liberty.
The name given to Faneuil Hall, Boston, which was the place of meeting
of the American patriots during the period of the Revolution.
Craigmillar, Bond of.
An agreement entered into in 1566, at the instigation of Bothwell, by
Argyle, Huntly, Maitland and Sir James Balfour, with the object of
compassing the death of Darnley.
Crapaud, Jean.
A Frenchman is so called, probably from the fleur-de-lys of the old
French standard, which bears a faint resemblance to a toad (crapaud).
Creole State.
The State of Louisiana is so called because of the large number of its
inhabitants who are descendants of the original French and Spanish
settlers.
Creoles.
In Spanish America this term is applied to all persons of pure European
descent, born in South America. Those with an admixture of Indian blood
are known as Mestizos. The word Creole was also applied in Louisiana to
those of pure French descent who were born in the Colony.
Cretan Convention.
A convention between the Porte and the Powers, signed in September,
1896. It provided for the appointment of a Christian Governor, and for
the summoning of an Assembly within six months. Two-thirds of the
official appointments were to be held by Christians and one third by
Mohammedans. The Cretan Government was to retain one half of the Customs
duties, the other half being taken by the Sultan, in lieu of the old
tribute.
Crimes Act, 1882.
An Act empowering the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to suspend jury trial
in disturbed districts, and to send agrarian cases for trial by a
commission of three judges, with an appeal to the Court of Criminal
Cases Reserved. Power of search was given to the police in proclaimed
districts, and, further, power to arrest and remove strangers thought
dangerous to public safety.
Crimes Act, 1887.
An Act to repress the lawlessness of the Irish Land League. It gave
power to the Lord Lieutenant to proclaim the affected districts, and to
suppress seditious gatherings and unlawful associations. It also
provided for change of venue, in cases where a fair trial could not be
relied upon under ordinary conditions.
Croppies.
A name given to the Roundheads during the Civil War. The Irish rebels of
1798 were also called by this name.
Crown, Treaty of the.
A treaty signed at Vienna in 1700, between the Emperor Leopold I, and
Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg, by which Leopold recognized Frederick
as King of Prussia. Frederick undertook to place 10,000 men in the field
for the service of the empire, if required, to support Austria in the
German Diet, and to vote, as Elector, for Leopold’s son, Joseph, and his
successors as occupants of the Imperial throne.
Crusade of Children.
In 1212, some 90,000 children, mostly from Germany, inspired by the
crusading spirit of the times, left their homes for the Holy Land. Many
who embarked at Marseilles were carried to Alexandria and there sold as
slaves. Others got no further than Genoa, where they were enslaved by
the Genoese.
Cum ex Apostolatus Officio, Bull.
A Bull of Pope Paul IV, issued in 1559, declaring all Protestant Princes
incapable of reigning, and giving Catholics the right to levy on their
possessions.
Cumbernauld, Bond of.
An agreement signed by John Graham, Earl of Montrose, and his
associates, prior to their invasion of England in August, 1640, by which
they bound themselves to oppose any dictatorship vested in the hands of
subjects.
Cupar Justice.
_See_ Jedburgh Justice.
Curfew, or Couvrefeu.
The famous enactment of William the Conqueror, ordering all persons in
the country districts to be in their houses, with all lights
extinguished, by eight o’clock in winter and sunset in summer. It was
presumably designed to prevent secret meetings and conspiracies directed
against the King, of which there were many, owing to his unpopularity
with the Saxon element of the population.
Curia Regis.
A court of law established by William the Conqueror as the Final Court
of Appeal of the realm. At its head was the Justiciary, as the King’s
representative. It was re-organised in the reign of Henry I, when the
Exchequer Court was established by Roger of Salisbury, the Barons of the
Curia Regis sitting as Barons of the Exchequer for financial purposes.
It was again reconstituted by Henry II, who limited its numbers to five,
and by Magna Charta, when it was divided into three courts, those of the
Exchequer, the Common Pleas, and the King’s Bench. It thus took the form
which lasted, with minor modifications, until the Judicature Acts of
1873-5.
Curt-Mantle.
The nickname of Henry II of England, from his wearing the short cloak of
Anjou instead of the longer mantle worn by his predecessors.
Custer Massacre.
The destruction by a body of Sioux Indians of the whole of General
Custer’s force, on the Little Big Horn, Montana, in 1876.
Custos Rotulorum.
The keeper of the rolls of the County Sessions. The office is generally
held by the Lord Lieutenant of the County.
Cyprus Treaty.
A treaty between Great Britain and Turkey, signed in 1788, whereby the
Sultan recognized the occupation and administration of Cyprus by Great
Britain, with the following provisos: that a Mussulman religious
tribunal should be established; that all surplus revenue should be paid
to him; that the Porte should retain the right to sell or lease lands
belonging to the Crown, and that Cyprus should be restored to the Porte
in the event of Russia restoring Kars.
D
Dacoity.
The name given in India to brigandage or highway robbery. It was very
prevalent in Burmah after the annexation.
Daimios.
The great hereditary nobles of Japan. The principal Daimios, such as the
Princes of Satsuma, Choshiu, Kaga, and some others, were almost in the
position of independent sovereigns, though they owed a nominal
allegiance to the Emperor, and in some cases to the Shôgun. The word,
strictly Dai-miyo, signifies “Great Name.”
Dalai Lama.
The sovereign pontiff or spiritual ruler of Thibet. He is supposed to be
always a reincarnation of a previous holder of the office. The actual
government is carried on by the Des-ri, or king.
Dancing Chancellor.
Sir Christopher Hatton, Chancellor of Queen Elizabeth, was so called.
The Queen first saw him at a masque, where her attention was attracted
by his graceful dancing.
Dandy King.
A nickname of Joachim Murat, King of Naples.
Danegelt.
A tax imposed for the first time by Æthelred the Unready, for the
purpose of buying off the Danish invaders, in 994. It became a permanent
tax till the reign of Henry II, who replaced it by “Scutage.”
Danelagh.
The country ceded to the Danes by the Treaty of Wedmore, in 878.
Danites.
A Mormon secret society, founded in 1838, for the protection of the
Mormons from the “Gentiles.” It contained organized companies, called
“Destruction Companies,” whose business it was to burn and destroy
“Gentile” property, nominally by way of reprisals, and there is little
doubt that these bands did not stop short of assassination. They were
probably concerned in the Mountain Meadow Massacre.
Dannebrog, Order of the.
A Danish order of knighthood, founded by Waldemar II in 1219, and
reconstituted by Christian V in 1693.
Danube Navigation Commission.
An international commission appointed in 1856, when the navigation of
the Danube was thrown open to all nations. It was originally appointed
for two years only, but has from time to time been continued, the last
extension being for twenty-one years from 1883. Its jurisdiction extends
from the mouths of the Danube to the Iron Gate.
Dardanelles, Treaty of.
A treaty signed in London in 1841, after the conclusion of the Syrian
War, by England, France, Russia, Prussia, Austria and Turkey. It
confirmed the agreement arrived at by the Convention of London of the
previous year, depriving Mehemet Ali of all his Asiatic possessions, but
securing him the Government of Egypt. It also provided that the
Bosphorus and the Dardanelles should be closed to all ships of war,
excepting small vessels under a special firman. This provision was
confirmed by the Treaty of Paris of 1856. The Treaty of the Dardanelles
is also known as the Treaty of London.
Darien Scheme.
A scheme promoted by a Scotchman named Paterson, in the reign of William
III, to secure the trade with the Far East by utilising a route across
the Isthmus of Darien. A company was formed, and obtained a charter from
the Scottish Parliament, granting a monopoly for thirty-one years of the
trade with Asia, Africa, and America, and the right to introduce all
goods from those regions free of duty, excepting sugar and tobacco. In
1698, 1,200 colonists started for Darien, but were at once opposed by
the Spanish colonists, and though a further expedition was dispatched in
the following year, the whole enterprise failed ignominiously. The
scheme had from the first been opposed in England, and was the cause of
much bad blood between the two countries, and of a heavy pecuniary loss
to Scotland.
Dauphin.
The title of the first-born heir-male to the French throne.
De Facto King, Statute of.
A Statute of Henry VII, passed in 1485, enacting that no person could be
convicted of high treason for services rendered to the King who was
actually on the throne.
Death Ride.
The charge of the Light Cavalry Brigade at Balaclava, on September 20,
1854, is so called.
Debateable Land.
A district on the English and Scottish borders, claimed by both
countries, and inhabited by the Grahams, who were generally on the
English side in war time, though they raided both sides of the border
impartially in time of peace. The district lay between the waters of the
Esk and the Sark. Under James I the whole Graham Clan was removed to
Ulster.
Decamisados.
The extreme section of the Spanish revolutionists in 1821. They may be
said to correspond to the French _sans-culottes_. The word means the
“shirtless ones.”
December Emeute.
A meeting of about 200 students and young people, on the Nekvsi Prospekt
in St. Petersburg, in 1876, at which cheers were raised for the exiles
in Siberia, The police interfered, and arrested some thirty, but there
seems to have been little resistance, and the affair, though supposed to
have been part of a more important movement, was probably much
exaggerated by the authorities.
December, Man of.
Napoleon III was so called because December was the month of his
election to the Presidency, of the _Coup d’Etat_, and of his taking the
title of Emperor.
December Rising.
An outbreak in St. Petersburg in December, 1825, on the accession of
Nicholas I, fomented by a revolutionary society known as the Society of
the North. The rightful heir to the throne was Constantine, the elder
brother of Nicholas, but he had waived his rights. The revolutionists,
however, made use of the question of succession to excite the mob, their
real object being the overthrow of the dynasty. The rising was easily
suppressed, and the ringleaders convicted and hanged. The conspirators
were afterwards known as the Dekabrists.
Decet Romanum Pontificum, Bull.
A Bull of Leo X, issued in January, 1521, calling upon the German
Princes to uphold the Papal authority by condemning Luther unheard.
Decimation.
An arbitrary income-tax of ten per cent. levied on all Royalists by
Cromwell’s Major-Generals, in 1655.
Declaration of Independence (America).
The Manifesto issued by the second Congress in America, on July 4, 1776,
declaring the colonies independent. It was only carried in Congress by a
majority of one.
Declaration of Independence (Brazil).
This instrument, promulgated in 1822, proclaimed the separation of
Brazil from the Crown of Portugal. The colony was erected into a
constitutional monarchy, Pedro, the second son of John VI of Portugal,
being proclaimed Emperor.
Declaration of Indulgence, 1673.
A proclamation by Charles II, suspending all penal laws against
Dissenters. Parliament, however, held that while the King had the power
of pardon in individual cases, he had no constitutional right to suspend
general enactments. The King was consequently forced to withdraw the
Declaration.
Declaration of Indulgence, 1687.
A proclamation by James II, issued on his sole authority, annulling all
religious tests, and all penal enactments against Dissenters, which he
ordered to be read in the churches. This led to the famous Protest of
the Seven Bishops.
Declaration of Right.
A declaration by the Convention, accompanying the offer of the Crown to
William of Orange in 1689. It declared that the dispensing power was
non-existent, that the sovereign could only raise money by the aid of
Parliament, and that no army could be maintained in time of peace. It
further asserted the right of petition, of freedom of debate in
Parliament, of free choice of representatives, and of pure
administration, and the necessity of frequent Parliaments. The
declaration was accepted by William, and afterwards embodied in the Bill
of Right.
Declaration of Rights.
A manifesto issued by the General Congress in America, in 1774,
maintaining the rights of American colonists as Englishmen, and
demanding the repeal of the Boston Port Act and other obnoxious
legislation.
Decretals, False.
A collection of Decretals, or Papal Edicts, purporting to have been
issued by very early Popes, which was produced in the ninth century.
These Decretals were designed to support the claim of the Bishops of
Rome to supreme authority in the Church.
Defender of the Faith.
The title granted to Henry VIII by Leo X in 1521, in recognition of his
book “The Assertion of the Seven Sacraments,” written in opposition to
the Lutheran doctrine. This title has been borne by all the English
Sovereigns since Henry VIII.
Defenders.
The name assumed by the agrarian bands formed by the Catholic farmers of
Ulster for defence against the Peep o’ Day Boys, in 1782.
Defensionale.
A joint military scheme for the defence of the country, drawn up by the
Federated States of Switzerland, in 1647.
Deficit, Madame.
A name given by the Parisians to Marie Antoinette, circ. 1786, the
constant deficits in the French Budget being attributed to her
extravagance.
Dekabrists.
The name given to the conspirators concerned in the December rising in
St. Petersburg in 1825.
Delegations.
A body of 120 members, chosen half by the Austrian and half by the
Hungarian Legislature, which controls all questions affecting the common
interests of the dual monarchy. To this body the Ministers of War,
Foreign Affairs, and Finance are responsible. To have the force of law,
its enactments require the confirmation of both Parliaments.
Demarcation, Bull of.
The Bull issued by Pope Alexander VI in 1493, defining the respective
colonial spheres of Spain and Portugal. A line was drawn north and
south, 100 leagues west of the Azores. All extra-European countries east
of this line were granted to Portugal, and all west of it to Spain. On
this Bull Spain based her claim to the whole of the American Continent.
Demesne Lands.
The lands belonging to the Crown were so called in the early days of
English History.
Demetrius, The False.
A pretender to the Russian throne, who appeared in Poland, and obtained
the support of the Jesuits in 1591. He claimed to be the Demetrius
Ivanovitch who was supposed to have been murdered by the usurper Boris.
After the death of Boris, the Pretender, aided by the Poles, entered
Moscow, and ascended the throne, but the Muscovites soon discovered the
fraud and put him to death.
Democrats (U.S.A.).
_See_ Republicans.
Deogam, Treaty of.
A treaty between the British and the Rajah of Berar, at the close of the
second Mahratta War in 1803. The Rajah surrendered Katak and Balasore,
and all his territory west of the Wardha, and assented to the conditions
of the Treaty of Bassein.
Deposition, Bull of, 1535.
A Bull of Pope Paul III, dated in 1535, and issued in the following
year, excommunicating and deposing Henry VIII. It was the Pope’s reply
to the Act of Supremacy and the execution of Fisher and Sir Thomas More.
Deposition, Bull of, 1569.
A Bull issued by Pius V, declaring Queen Elizabeth to have forfeited her
right to the throne, and freeing her subjects from their allegiance.
Derby Dilly.
A name given to a section of the Tory party in 1835, which followed Lord
Stanley, afterwards Earl of Derby.
Despard’s Plot.
A conspiracy, headed by Colonel Despard, a retired army officer, who
had become imbued with the principles of the French Revolution, to
assassinate George III, 1802. His accomplices were almost all men of the
labouring classes. The conspirators were seized, and Despard and some
others hanged.
Des-ri.
The king or political ruler of Thibet, to whom the functions of
government are handed over by the Dalai Lama.
Destiny, Man of.
Napoleon I was so-called, owing to his firm belief in his lucky star.
Devil’s Parliament.
A Parliament summoned by Henry VI at Coventry in 1459. It passed a Bill
of Attainder against the Yorkist leaders.
Devil’s Wall.
The wall which in ancient times separated England from Scotland.
Devolution, Law of.
An ancient local custom in certain fiefs of Brabant, whereby, upon the
death of one parent the fief passed to the children.
Diamond, Battle of.