ld not dream of disobeying their orders, and
are led and advised by them to a very great extent.

That one of the great men who are governing them should dare to disobey
the commands of the Church, and have to be punished by so awful a
penalty as excommunication, is so extraordinary to them that they can
hardly believe it. The Carlists' agents have worked on these feelings
until they have made the peasants believe that no good can come to a
country governed by such ungodly men.

Numbers of these peasants have become dissatisfied with the Government,
and are turning toward Don Carlos, because they believe him to be a
leader who will respect the laws of God as well as the laws of man.

The Queen of Spain, hearing of this, has sent an urgent message to his
Holiness the Pope, asking his aid, and he has immediately set about
smoothing the matter over.

* * * * *

England has sent a final refusal to take part in the conference on the
seal question.

The British Foreign Office has notified our ambassador in England, that
Great Britain must decline to take part in any sealing conference to
which Russia and Japan are invited.

We told you a week or so ago that England had objected to the presence
of Russia and Japan because she insisted that the conference that was
called had reference to the Paris award. As there were only two parties
to the Paris conference, herself and the United States, she declared
that she could not see what business Russia or Japan had in the matter
at all.

The Paris award, if you remember (see page 976), had to do with the
right of the United States to prevent other ships from entering the
Bering Sea.

The United States has called the attention of Great Britain to the fact
that the Washington conference is in no way connected with the Paris
award. It has been repeatedly stated that its object is to be merely to
discover whether the seal herds are decreasing, and if so to decide upon
a means of preserving them. Any decision that shall be arrived at at the
Washington conference is to be binding on all nations interested in the
sealing industry.

Great Britain will not listen to this. She takes the stand that by the
terms of the Paris award the code of laws governing the sealing
fisheries will have to be revised every five years anyhow, and as the
first five years will be up in 1898, she does not see the use of
entering into the matter now. She therefore positive