Lachute, P.Q., July 1st, 1842, was educated at Huntingdon Academy and Victoria University, Cobourg (B.A., and Prince of Wales gold medal, 1862), M.A., 1866; LL.B., 1868; LL.D., 1888, and graduated B.C.L. at McGill University 1868 (D.C.L., in course 1888). He was called to the Quebec bar in the year 1868, and to the Ontario bar in 1884. In the same year he moved to Toronto, where he succeeded Mr. Justice Rose in the firm of Rose, Macdonald, Merritt &

Shepley. He was secretary of the British and American Joint Commission on Hudson Bay claims, 1867-69 ; and was appointed a member of the Commission on the Code of Civil Procedure of Quebec, 1887. Judge Maclaren has also found time in his busy life for the authorship of "Roman Law in English Jurisprudence," 'Bills, Notes, and Cheques," and Banks and Banking."

His

BRITAIN'S MISSION IN AFRICA. John Bull is the big, burly policeman of the waste places of the earth. special mission is to carry law and order and civilization to the regions lying in barbarism. In this mission he has to receive as well as give some hard knocks, but his work essentially is one of peace and beneficence. Of this his record in Egypt, in the Soudan, in the Zulu and Kaffir country, and in Somaliland are amplest demonstration. Somaliland is the vast and comparatively unknown region shown in our map, for the most part a wild, unbroken jungle. It has been for some years a huge British protectorate, the control of which is necessary to guard Britain's route to India, and to suppress the nefarious slave trade. A writer in Harper's Weekly summarizes recent events: To assert and define the limits of British control Colonel Swayne set forth some time ago, with

one of those composite forces which so remarkably demonstrate the British genius for organization, unequalled since the Romans. He had built up an army of about four thousand natives, with only a score of British officers; Colonel Swayne represented the advance of civilization; he found himself confronted by the Mad Mullah," one of those martial enthusiasts that Islam has produced so abundantly. This native general had some three thousand men armed with modern rifles, and trained by an Austrian adventurer, and, in addition, a much larger contingent of native horsemen and spearmen. This formidable host caught the British force in a thick forest, and compelled their retreat with loss of a couple of guns and a camel corps. Reinforcements are already pouring into Berbera from Aden and Bombay.

The serious reverse by which Colonel

Plunkett's detachment of two hundred men was surrounded by two thousand of the Mad Mullah's horsemen and ten thousand spearmen exhibits the traditional heroism of a British square against overwhelming odds. They held out till their ammunition was exhausted, but were overwhelmed by weight of numbers. All the officers

and one hundred and seventy men were killed. It is estimated two thousand of the Somalis were slain. There is nothing for it but to defeat the Mad Mullah as completely as the Mahdi was defeated. His forces are reported to aggregate three to four thousand cavalry and eighty thousand spearmen -a fierce, ferocious, fanatical body of Moslems. The result, though costly

in life and treasure, must be the supremacy of British arms, law, order, and liberty. The same transformation from savagery to civilization will follow in Somaliland as has in the Soudan, as Kipling says, where almost before the conflict ceased the children were gathered into school.

The usual perfidy of Russia is shown in her deliberate violation of her pledge to evacuate Manchuria, and the demand that China shall practically yield her the sovereignty of that country, and the exclusion of all other nations. "Her assurance," says Public Opinion, "is enough to take one's breath away." The press of both hemispheres denounces the outrage. Russia will continue to hedge and lie and steal unless these protests take more practical form. If Great Britain,

Japan, and the United States unite to maintain the open door and the integrity of China there might be some hope of success. But will they ?

King Edward VII. is not a "roi faineant." His personal influence is seen in the generous terms to the Boers, the pacification of Ireland, the royal diplomacy of his visits to Portugal, Italy, and France. He has won golden opinions of all sorts of people, Even in Paris, which but recently howled itself hoarse with cries of "Fashoda!" "Vive Kruger !" and "A bas Angleterre !" the King was acclaimed with enthusiasm. Important results are expected that will help to maintain the world's peace and prosperity.

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The condition of affairs in the Balkans is one of tragic significance. A reign of terror prevails throughout Macedonia. Between the upper and nether millstones of the Bulgarian outlaws on the one side and the Albanian bandits on the other, its unfortunate people are ground to powder. The Turkish atrocities rival those of the dark days of the Armenian and Bulgarian massacres which roused all Europe. We have personally traversed these disturbed regions from end to end, and in the next number of this Magazine will have a special article collating information from missionary and other authorities, elucidating the dark problem which confronts civilization in the south-eastern principalities of Europe.

WESLEY SOUVENIR.

It is with no ordinary pleasure that we submit to our readers this John Wesley memorial number of The Methodist Magazine. We are specially gratified at the generous tribute paid to this great man by writers who are not of the Methodist Church. These friendly greetings show that far above all denominational lines is recognized the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. We hoped to have had similar greetings from other branches of the Christian Church. The Rev. Dr. Sheraton, Principal of Wycliffe College, eleven years ago contributed a very generous tribute to the character of John Wesley, and would have done so again, but the pressure of important college duties at this season of the year rendered that impossible. A distinguished layman of the Anglican Church would also have done the same but for similar reasons. Contributions were expected also from the Congregational Church, but were not received in time for this issue.

While it is right and proper to thank God for blessings vouchsafed to our Church and to the Church of our fathers, it is also proper to remember that we form only a part of the hosts of Christendom, of the great army of

the living God. that there are which had an

We should remember old historic Churches heroic history before Methodism was born, to which Methodism owes much, and upon which in return she has conferred great religious, influence and inspiration.

It is, therefore, proper that we should seek the Christian fellowship of these. Churches in our rejoicings and thanksgivings. We regard it as a happy concurrence that in the pages of our connexional magazine we are able to present so numerous and kind fraternal greetings from the representatives of other Christian Churches of this land. Some of the most distinguished men in Our country-members of these to pay their

Churches-have joined

tribute of respect to the memory of John Wesley, and of appreciation of the services of Methodism in this land.

The greatest missionary problem in the world is the Chinese problem. Our cut from "World Wide " sets this forth in a very striking manner. The enormous bulk of China as compared with Great Britain brings this fact home with startling vividness. Yet the "tight little island" is moulding the destinies of the world, while China, in a condition of arrested development, is an obstruction in the path of civiliza

tion. The question of the future is whether the Slav or the Teuton is to control the world. Britain's unselfish policy of the open door," her missionary zeal, and her maintenance of liberty beneath the red-cross flag, make her dominant influence a blessing to the world. Russia's selfish commercial policy, shutting out all other nations from her sphere of influence; her religious intolerance, persecuting the Finns, the Doukhobors, the Stundists, the Jews, and her bureaucratic autocracy make her the menace of civilization.

THE WESLEY BICENTENARY.

The bicentenary celebration of the birth of John Wesley, which is to be observed throughout universal Methodism, is to be made an occasion, not for the glorifying of an individual, even of one so God-honoured and influential as our venerated founder, but for the glorifying of God and the increase of the Church's spiritual life and practical service. This end it is proposed to promote by recalling to the minds of our people the great personality of Wesley, his utter devotion, his absolute unselfishness, his extraordinary industry, his wonderful lifework, and the far-reaching developments which, by God's blessing, have followed from the Wesleyan revival of the eighteenth century. The essential spirit of Methodism, and its combined and mutually interdependent co-operation Godward, and manward upreach and outreach, will be brought before public attention in the pulpit and through all the branches of the connexional press.

The main emphasis of the movement, however, will be directed to the promotion of a genuine revival of personal religion on the part of those already members of the Church, as well as of those who, while adherents of Methodism, are unhappily indifferent or undecided on the great question of their individual relationship to God in Christ. Special evangelistic services will be held with this end in view, and all over the world the Methodist people will be on their knees before God for a baptism of the Holy Ghost. In our own branch of Methodism, there will be put before our people, in addition to and as an outcome of the awakening of deeper religious life and interest, the proposition to raise the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars as a Bicentenary Fund, to be

devoted entirely to the extension of the missionary work of the Church.

The Executive decided as follows: That Sunday, June 28th, the Bicentenary of Wesley's birth, be signalized by devotional and thanksgiving services on all the circuits of the Connexion. That the month of October be taken for a revival effort for the deepening of spiritual life in the Church and the salvation of the unconverted, and that the financial effort be made on Sunday, October 25th. Thus the great connexional scheme is put before the Church. God give us grace and wisdom, every one, to aid it by our prayers, our gifts, and our personal consecration.-Guardian.

Another of the old landmarks of Toronto has passed away in the death of the revered and honoured Emerson Coatsworth. Only five days before his death he celebrated his thirtieth anniversary as City Commissioner, and true to his purpose of working to the last, he signed the city pay-rolls on that day. He was a grand old man, revered and honoured more and more as the years passed by. Throughout his long and strenuous life of seventyeight years he was diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the I ord. He was one of the most effective local preachers we ever knew, a