The duchy of Schleswig has an area of 167 geographical square miles, with a population, in 1855, of 409,970; Holstein has an area of 155 geographical square miles, with a population of 544,419 inhabitants. Holstein is exclusively inhabited by Germans, and is a member of the German Confederacy. Schleswig is inhabited by a mixed population, consisting of Germans, Danes, and Frisians. The statistics of these three different nationalities are differently estimated; according to the Almanac de Gotha for 1864, they were as follows: 146,500 inhabitants speak German as their native language, 135,000 Danish, 85,000 Danish and German, and 33,000 Frisians. The little duchy of Lauenburg which is, like Holstein, exclusively inhabited by Germans, and belongs likewise to the German Confederacy, has a population of 50,147 inhabitants. Together the three duchies have an area of 341 geographical square miles, against 696 of Denmark Proper, and an aggregate population of 1,004,473, against 1,600,551 of Denmark Proper.

Schleswig does not belong to the German Confederacy; but, according to the fundamental law of the duchies, it is inseparably connected with Holstein. This fundamental law dates from the year 1460 when, Adolphus VIII., Count of Holstein and Duke of Schleswig, having died without direct issue, the estates of both united countries elected, after prolonged negotiations, King Christian I. of Denmark, of the house of Oldenburg, their duke and lord on these principal conditions: 1. That they elect ed him not in his quality as King of Denmark, but as Duke and Lord of Schleswig and Holstein. 2. That the estates and people of Schleswig-Holstein be free in future to elect their ruler from among his heirs, under certain safeguards. 3. That Schleswig and Holstein should remain forever undivided and inseparably united. All the following king-dukes of Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein, up to Frederic VII., deceased in 1863, confirmed this Magna Charta of the two duchies. In 1616 the estates of the two duchies consented to renounce their elective franchise in favor of the right of primogeniture. By a family statute of both the branches, into which the house of Oldenburg had divided in the 16th century, the law of male primogeniture and agnatic (male) lineal succession was finally substituted for the former system of election. Since 1660, only the male line of the house of Oldenburg was entitled to succession in the duchies. A different order of succession, however, was established in the kingdom of Denmark, by the Ler Regia, published by King Frederic III. in 1665. According to this law the cognatic (female) descendants of King Frederick were to succeed in Denmark, in case his male line should fail. The same king had already, in 1658, dissolved the feudal connection between Denmark and Schleswig, and declared the latter an independent state. Holstein had always been a fief of the German empire, and, in 1815, became an independent

state of the restored German Confederacy. As, at the beginning of the present century, it became apparent that the male line of King Frederick III. was likely soon to fail, the kings of Denmark made great efforts to secure, in such an event, the integrity of the Danish monarchy. King Christian VIII., by his famous Letters Patent of July 8th, 1846, declared that the validity of the cognatic succession in the duchies of Schleswig and Lauenburg was unquestionable, but that in regard to some parts of the duchy of Holstein there existed certain facts militating against an equally positive opinion concerning the rights of inheritance of all his royal hereditary successors in that duchy. The estates of Holstein (on August 3d) applied to the German Diet for protection. The king, in reply (September 7th), declared that it had never entered his mind to violate the independence of Holstein, its constitution, and its union with Schleswig, and that it was not his object to infringe upon well established rights of the agnates. Still the efforts, both for dissolving the connection between Schleswig and Holstein, and for securing the integrity of the monarchy, were not abandoned. On March 24th, 1848, King Frederic VII. declared, by royal proclamation, that Denmark and Schleswig were henceforth to form an inseparable union under the same con. stitution, thus dissolving the ancient union between Schleswig and Holstein. This procla mation led to a three years' war between the people of the duchies, who regarded the proclamation as an abolition of their independence, and the Government of Denmark. The German Diet sent auxiliary troops to assist Holstein, but in 1851 peace was restored on the basis of the state of things before the war. The people of the duchies complained, however, that the Danish Government persistently continued to violate their constitutional rights. Against some of these measures complained of, not only the states of the German Confederacy, but also the Governments of England and Russia remonstrated. On November 18th, 1863, the present king of Denmark, Christian IX., signed a new constitution, under which Schleswig was again incorporated in the kingdom of Denmark. The German Diet, and, particularly, the Governments of Austria and Prussia declared this to be a violation of the constitutional rights of the duchies, and by order of the Federal Diet, troops of Austria, Prussia, Saxony, and Hanover, were called out to prevent the execution of the new Danish Constitution. But the people of the two duchies, who were supported by the almost unanimous voice of the people of all the German States, and by several German Governments, asserted that all and every connection between the duchies and Denmark had ceased forever with the extinction of the last prince of the royal line of Oldenburg, on the 15th of November, 1863, and that, in accordance with the law of succession, Prince Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Au

gustenburg is the next legitimate heir to the duchies.

To forestall the claims which it was foreseen Prince Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg would raise to the succession in the duchies upon the death of the childless King Frederick VII., the Danish Government had prevailed upon the Great Powers of Europe (England, Austria, Prussia, France, Russia, and Sweden) to agree upon the "Treaty of London," of May 8th, 1852, by which the said Powers acknowledged the "integrity of the Danish monarchy" as a perpetual principle in European politics, and engaged to recognize the succession of Prince Christian, of Glücksburg, and his male issue, to all the lands united under the sceptre of Frederic VII. The London treaty was afterward acceded to by Hanover, Würtemberg, Saxony, Electoral Hesse, Oldenburg, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and the Italian States. The Duke of Augustenburg was also prevailed upon to sign an act (December 30th, 1852), by which he renounced his claims to succession. The London treaty was not acceded to by the Federal Diet, and the Diets of the two duchies. The eldest son and the brother of the Duke of Augustenburg declared that they did not consider themselves bound by the declaration of the duke, and the former (Prince Frederic) therefore, in the place of his father, asserted his claims to the duchies. Those who advocate his rights, assert, that "to change the order of succession in any country subject to princely rule, it is required to obtain: 1. The consent and renunciation of all the male and female heirs (agnati and cognati), whose right to the inherit ance would be impaired by the change. 2. The consent of the people of that country, or its lawful representatives, and that neither of these two conditions has been fulfilled.

The Federal Diet of Germany, at the close of 1863, had not yet decided the question, whether Germany would recognize Prince Frederic as Duke of Holstein, or confine itself to compel Denmark to repeal the Constitution of November 18th, 1863, and give guarantees for the protection of the constitutional rights of the duchies.

SIDERIUM. In course of the development of his invention for producing on a commercial scale the metal magnesium, Mr. E. Sonnstadt, of Loughborough, England, is said to have discovered a new metal. This he found in the "carcasse" remaining when the chloride of magnesium is obtained by evaporating and igniting the mixed chloride of the same and of sodium. In many of its reactions this new metal corresponds almost precisely with iron, for which it may hitherto have been mistaken. It appears to occur invariably in connection with magnesium, which cannot be entirely freed from it.

SOUTH CAROLINA. A special session of the Legislature of South Carolina was held in April. Governor Bonham, in his message,

made a number of recommendations of which the following are the most important: To prohibit the planting of over a half, or at most one acre with cotton, to the "full hand " (ablebodied slave), and that the hands to be enumerated should only be such as "work in the crop; " also, to adopt some legislation to arrest the purchase and monopoly of articles of prime necessity, even when it is not intended to export them beyond the limits of the State; also, to prevent the undue distillation of spirits from the cereals and molasses, for which the enormous profits on whiskey offered a great temptation. The governor declares that the act to supply negro labor for the coast defences cannot be made effectual for the accomplishment of its objects.

Early in June, Colonel Montgomery, with five companies of his negro regiment, and a section of company G, 3d Rhode Island artillery, left Beaufort with three steamers on an expedition up the Combahee river. They carried eight guns, a portion of them 10-lb. Parrotts, and the rest 12 and 24-lb. howitzers. The party landed at Field's Point, about twenty miles up the river, and there found two deserted forts and numerous rifle pits. A rebel force appeared in the distance, but hastily retired. Leaving a few men in the forts and rifle pits, Colonel Montgomery threw out the balance of his command as skirmishers, making the enemy believe that he had a large force in reserve. Upon the withdrawal of the rebels, the gangs of slaves who were just going to work on the plantations broke away from their overseers, and came rushing down to the landingplace in droves of hundreds and thousands. They were sent on board the steamers, till all the spare room was taken up. Meanwhile companies of negro soldiers were sent in various directions to burn buildings and secure horses, provisions, and other property. Several ricemills, store houses filled with rice and cotton, and every house, barn, or other building belonging to any known rebel were burned, and all the portable property of value brought away. One store house that was fired contained two years' crops of rice; and another $10,000 worth of cotton. The locks by which the plantations are irrigated were destroyed, flooding the fields of rice and destroying the young crop. One company alone burned twenty-five buildings, many of them containing immense quantities of rice. All this work of devastation was done in a few hours, when Colonel Montgomery thought it prudent to withdraw, and did so without loss, arriving at Beaufort within twenty-nine hours of the time of his departure. The trophies of the expedition were over eight hundred slaves, men, women, and children, several hundred bags of hominy, a fine lot of horses, and a large quantity of household furniture.

About the same time that the above raid was made, Colonel Barton, with a large picked force, made an expedition on three steamers

to the village of Bluffton. The village was captured, with but little opposition, and burned to the ground, only one building, a church, being spared.

On the 12th of June, General Hunter was relieved from his command by order of the President, and General Q. A. Gillmore was appointed his successor.

General Gillmore's operations against Charleston caused a feeling of anxiety among the people of that city such as they never felt before. The newspapers were filled with appeals to the courage and local pride of the citizens. They were called upon to welcome "destruction and extermination" sooner than succumb to " Yankee dominion and all its nameless enormities." Gov. Bonham repeated the same sentiments in his proclamation ordering non-combatants to leave the city. The commission who had been elected in 1862, to remove women, children, and other non-combatants from the city, whenever, in their opinion, it should become necessary, now proceeded to act. Free transportation and board, and lodging, at safe places out of the city, were given to all persons who were unable to pay. It is probable that the city was (with but few exceptions) cleared of all women and children before Gillmore commenced throwing his shells into it.

The disposition of the Federal negro troops captured by the rebels on Morris and James Islands, was a mystery which the rebel authorities did not take the trouble to clear up. It was generally supposed that they had been hung or sold into slavery. General Beauregard authorized a statement, on the 12th of August in the "Charleston Mercury," to the effect that the Secretary of War had ordered the negro prisoners to be turned over to the State authorities by virtue of the joint resolution of Congress. Governor Bonham had therefore been notified that the negroes were held subject to his orders. The governor had requested General Beauregard to retain them in military custody until he could make arrangements to dispose of them. That was their situation on the date above given; and of their fate nothing further is definitely known.

The proceedings of the Legislature during the latter part of the year were chiefly confined to the increase, equipment, and maintenance of the military forces of the State; and were devoid of special interest.

SPAIN, a kingdom in Southern Europe. The present queen is Isabella II., who was born 10th of October, 1830, and succeeded her father, the late King Ferdinand VI., on 29th of September, 1833, remaining under guardianship until 8th of November, 1843, when she was declared of age by the Cortes (Legislature). She was married 10th of October, 1846, to Francis d'Assisi, her cousin german. Her eldest son and heir to the throne is Alfons, Prince of Asturias, who was born 28th of November, 1857.

The difficulties between Spain and St. Do

mingo form the only topic we can notice in this volume.

In Feb., 1863, the people of the late republic of Santo Domingo, which in 1861 was sold by its President Santana, to Spain, rose again in insurrection for the recovery of their national independence. The movement showed itself in particular in the two provinces of Cibao and Santiago de los Caballeros. The chief of the insurrection, Lucas de la Pena, had counted upon the support of the Government of Hayti; but the latter refused to take part in any hostile demonstrations, and the commander of Fort Liberté, who had favorably received a communication from the chief of the insurgents, and replied to it, was promptly deposed. On February 26th, a body of from six to seven hundred insurgents, under the command of Lucas de la Pena, presented themselves before the town of Guayabin, and captured the small garrison of twenty-four men. Almost at the same time they occupied the town of Savaneta. In Manga and Santiago the attempts at making an insurrection were unsuccessful. Savaneta was likewise soon wrested from them again, and on March 21st the whole insurrection seemed to be suppressed, and the captain-general proclaimed a general amnesty, from which he only exempted the leaders. Soon, however, the insurrection broke out again on a larger scale than before. Though the Spanish accounts and those received from the neighboring Turks Island (the latter were friendly to the cause of the insurgents) materially differed, there is no doubt that the Spanish forces were defeated in several engagements, and driven from Guayabin, Savaneta, Moca, la Vega, and Macoris. Even the city of Santiago, the largest city in the north, was burned by the insurgents, and the Spanish troops had to retire to the seaport town, Puerto Plata. But even this place was abandoned, on the ground that it was not adapted for a base of extensive operations, and Monte Christo, another seaport town near the Haytian frontier, selected for that purpose. The insurgents fought with the utmost bravery, and it was only owing to the immense superiority of the Spanish forces in numbers, that they had gradually to yield. An offer was made by the authorities at Santiago, to the President of Hayti, to annex themselves to Hayti; but the offer was not accepted. appeal was made to all the republics of America for assistance, but although much sympathy was expressed for them, no material aid was given; and toward the close of the year, the insurrection, although still holding out, had been greatly reduced.

An

STEAM. The controversy between Messrs. Dickerson and Isherwood on the value of expansion in the cylinder of the steam engine, has been brought prominently before the public by a trial at Washington, in which Mr. Dickerson appeared as attorney to establish the value of the Sickles cut-off in the saving of fuel, and

ance and steam-passage.

8th. The influence of the back pressure in the cylinder resisting the stroke of the piston.

9th. The influence of the pressure required to work the engine per se.

10th. The difference of dynamic effect due to an equal weight of steam used at the average cylinder pressure and at the boiler pressure.

To which Mr. Dickerson replies:

Now, each and all of these statements are either false or do not affect the economy of expansion any more than the economy of non-expansion.

1st. The first one is false. Expanded steam increases its pressure-not diminishes it-in a higher ratio than the volume increases; and this is the discovery of Regnault.

2d. The second one is false, no such condensation occurs; but if it did, there would be no difference of practical consequence between expansion and nonexpansion.

3d. The third one is of itself immaterial, and not adverse to expansion.

4th. The steam does not condense by expansion in an engine, as Regnault shows.

5th. The loss by external radiation from the cylinder is too insignificant to mention, but Isherwood says of it that "the radiation from the exterior surface of the cylinder and the condensation by the interior surfaces will be about the same," whether expansion or non-expansion is used.

6th. No such effect is produced-no "water is deposited on the interior surface of the cylinder," and of course none is re-evaporated

7th. The total loss of power by clearance is perfectly calculable, but is less with expansion than without it, although it is a greater percentage of the total power with expansion than without it.

8th and 9th. The answer is that the back pressure and friction are just like all other resistances which oppose the steam in its effort to drive down the piston just such resistance as the friction of the boat going through the water, or of the mill-stone which grinds the grain-and by whatever means any of these resistances are overcome with less steam than otherwise would be needed, by that same means all of these resistances are overcome more economically.

But "back pressure" is diminished by increasing expansion-that is to say, a lower" vacuum" is produced by cutting off short than by following full stroke -and therefore, in respect to this item, there is a re

duction of resistance to be overcome, effected by the very act of economizing the means by which it is

to be overcome.

10th. I trust I shall not be considered intensely ignorant when I confess that I don't understand what this means-either philologically or scientifically considered.

SUEZ, CANAL OF. The project of a ship canal across the Isthmus of Suez, for which M. de Lesseps, a Frenchman, has received the concession from the Pasha of Egypt, is not only of the utmost importance for the commercial world, but has, of late, also led to some political complications. According to the plan of M. de Lesseps a canal was to be dug, ninety miles long, three hundred and thirty feet wide at the water line, and sloping at the sides down to the bottom, which was to be twenty feet below low-water level in the Mediterranean. A sluice-lock, three hundred and thirty feet long, by seventy wide, was to be formed at each end; and by taking advantage of the rise of the tides at Suez, it was expected, or hoped, that an additional depth of three or four feet might be obtained. The more formidable portions of the work would be two artificial harbors, necessary to be constructed at the ends of the the sea except through a harbor protected at canal; seeing that no ship could enter it from all times from sands and shoals. At Suez, the piers would have to be carried out to the length of three miles, in order to inclose a harbor deep enough for such a purpose, and would have to pass through shifting sand; but still the stone to construct them is near at hand, and the difficulties are only such as engineers are accustomed to deal with. At the Mediterranean end of the canal, however, near Tyneh or Pelusium, the indispensable harbor would be much more difficult of construction, and much more costly. The Nile annually pours out thirteen million cubic yards of sand and mud into the Mediterranean, beside that which is deposited on the land of the Delta, or Lower Egypt. These thirty million cubic yards are borne by a current directly toward the shore of the Mediterranean near the region of Tyneh, making the sea at that spot shallower and shallower every year, full of shifting mud banks and sand banks. The English, in general, showed a great opposition to the plan, and the French naturally attributed this to political reasons. After seven years of discussion, the matter was taken up, in 1855, somewhat in an international spirit. The nations that would be most benefited commercially by the opening of a canal across the isthmus-France, England, Austria, Prussia, and Holland-were invited by the pasha to send out a joint commission of civil engineers, to test the plans of Lesseps and Talabot, and to report upon the feasibility of the whole project. After they had made their report, a larger commission, appointed by the consideration of the matter. The commission pasha, devoted the greater part of 1856 to a came to the conclusion that a canal, differing in certain points from Lesseps' plan, could be

constructed with profit. The result of all this was: that M. de Lesseps obtained requisite powers from the pasha; that a company was formed; that the pasha and French shareholders agreed to furnish the funds; and that the works were commenced, and have been progressing, with a few interruptions, ever since.

The now canal commences many miles to the westward of Tyneh, near the old Damietta mouth of the Nile, and takes Lake Temsah on the way. As there is scarcely a drop of fresh water to be met with along the arid region to be traversed by the canal, and as the laborers employed in the works must be reckoned by tens of thousands, an important preliminary enterprise has been necessary, to bring the fresh water of the Nile to the villages or encampments where the laborers are stationed. This has been accomplished, from the Nile at Cairo to a point near Lake Temsah; from thence iron pipes convey the water along the northern half of the route toward Damietta, while arrangements are also being made for conveying it along the southern half toward Suez. Another auxiliary work is being constructed in the shape of a service-canal, designed to take men and materials from place to place. It was opened from Lake Temsah northward, some months ago.

Said Pasha of Egypt, although he always declared that the sanction of the Ottoman Porte was indispensable even for the commencement of the canal, did not debar the director of the company from preliminary works or from employing forced labor. He even became responsible for nearly one half of the capital of the company. On his death, the sultan was induced to visit Egypt and examine the works personally, and on his return to Constantinople, he declared that he could not sanction the large grants of territory which the company claimed, and which would have rendered them proprietors of a great portion of the soil of Egypt, and that, further, he could not allow the continuance of forced labor, which had decimated the people by exhaustion and fever. M. de Lesseps declared this order of the sultan contrary to his treaty with Said Pasha, and denied the right of the sultan to interfere in any way with its execution. The present Pasha of Egypt, Ismail, despatched, therefore, one of his councillors, Nubar Bey, to Paris, to lay before the company and its directors the chief demands of the Porte, which were concurred in by the pasha, and to entreat their acquiescence. When his offers were rejected, Nubar Bey laid the whole circumstances before three of the most eminent French lawyers, Odillon Bar

rot, Jules Favre, and Dufaure, who declared in emphatic terms that the Government of Egypt had acted with perfect propriety, and that the canal company was unwise in asking for more than it had thought fit to accord.

SUMNER, Major-General EDWIN VOSE, an officer of U. S. volunteers, and brevet majorgeneral in the U. S. army, born in Boston, Mass., in 1796, died at Syracuse, N. Y., March 21st, 1863. He was educated at the Milton Academy, Boston, and in March, 1819, was appointed second lieutenant in the 2d infantry, and served in the Black Hawk war. When the 2d regiment of dragoons was raised by Gen. Jackson, he was commissioned as its captain, and was for many years employed in service on the Indian frontier, and subsequently commanded the school of cavalry practice, at Carlisle, Penn. He was promoted to be major in 1846, and in April, 1847, led the famous cavalry charge at Cerro Gordó; was wounded, and obtained the brevet of lieutenant-colonel. At Contreras and Churubusco he won much honor, and at the battle of Molino del Rey commanded the entire cavalry, holding in check 5,000 Mexican lancers. For his gallant conduct, he received the brevet of colonel, and in July, 1848, was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the 1st dragoons. At the close of the war, he was placed in command of the department of New Mexico. In 1855, he was promoted to the colonelcy of the 1st cavalry, and the following year was in command at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In July of 1857, he led a successful expedition against the Cheyenne Indians, and in 1858 was appointed commander of the department of the West. In March, 1861, he was appointed brigadier-general in the regular army, in place of General Twiggs, and in March, 1862, appointed commander of the first army corps in the army of the Potomac. At the siege of Yorktown he commanded the left wing, and was engaged in all the battles of the Chickahominy, during which he was twice wounded. For his services before Richmond, he was made majorgeneral of volunteers, and brevet major-general in the regular army. Upon the reorganization of the army, Gen. Sumner was assigned to the second corps, and in the battle of Antietam, was wounded. Subsequently he was placed in command of the right grand division of the army of the Potomac, but, upon the appointment of Gen. Hooker as chief of that army, he asked to be relieved, and after a few weeks was ordered to the command of the army of the frontier. Upon the way thither he was taken sick, and died after a short illness, at Syracuse.