Political and Governmental Notes.

The population of Cleveland, O., according to the recent census, is 381,768, against 261,353 in 1890, an increase of 120,415 or 46.07 per cent. Cleveland now ranks as the largest city in Ohio, the population of Cincinnati being 325,902. The new census gives Toledo a population of 131,822, against 81,434 in 1890, an increase of 61.88 per cent, and Columbus 125,560, against 83,150 in 1890, an increase of 36.01 per cent.

The population of Greater New York, as indicated by the count just completed at the census office, is 3,437,202. This includes the population of the boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx, previously announced, and those of Brooklyn, Richmond, and Queens. An approximate estimate of the increase since 1890 shows it to have been 37.9 per cent.

The State Department has received advices from Minister Storer at Madrid to the effect that a treaty of amity, commerce and navigation, and general intercourse has been signed provisionally by the minister of state and himself. This practically marks the last step in the complete restoration of relations between Spain and the United States.

Omaha, Neb., is the first city thus far counted in the twelfth census to show a decrease in population during the past decade. The count of the population of Omaha, just completed, shows 102,555. The population in 1890 was 140,452. This indicates a decrease in ten years of 37,897, or 26.98 per cent.

The census office gives the population of Philadelphia as 1,293,697, against 1,046,964 in 1890, an increase of 246,733 or 23.57 per cent. Philadelphia ranks third in population among the cities of the United States, following New York and Chicago.

William J. Bryan received official notification from the Populist party of his nomination for President in Topeka, Kan., August 23. At the same time he was notified of the indorsement of his candidacy by the United States Monetary League.

A floating post-office, which is to be a substation of the San Francisco office, is to be established in Chinese waters for the accommodation of the American soldiers and legation people. This post-office will have its base at Nagasaki, Japan.

Boston's total assessed valuation of May 1, 1900, is $1,129,130,762 as against $1,089,808,120 is last year, showing an increase in valuation of $39,322,642. The gain in real estate is $35,713,400 and in personal estate the gain is $3,609,242.

Foreign News.

In his correspondence with the State Department Consul General Osborne says that the new electric underground railway in London, which was recently completed at a cost of $17,032,850, has proved an immediate success. As but one fare is charged, the grades or classes of carriages (first, second, or third) are abolished, and there is no longer any distinction of passengers. The newspapers call attention to the fact that the new system has not only emptied the omnibuses, but has actually thinned out the crowds on the pavement.

Since the capture of Pekin by the allied forces, Li Hung Chang has been importuning all the powers concerned to appoint peace commissioners and permit negotiations to be opened for an amicable settlement. The United States has replied in substance that it is willing to begin peace negotiations, but not until it has proof that there exists a responsible government in China, and that it has power to maintain order throughout the empire.

A message from Minister Conger, dated August 19, announced that allies then occupied the entire city of Pekin, except the imperial palace, and that was expected to be taken immediately. The Japanese, Russians, British, Americans, and French had divided the city up into districts for police purposes. The message stated that no representatives of the Chinese government were in sight, the imperial family and the Chinese army having fled.

Among the foreign commissioners figuring in the list of decorations conferred by the Legion of Honor is United States Commissioner-General Ferdinand W. Peck of Chicago, who is appointed a grand officer of the legion.

An automobile service has been started between the Senegal and the Niger. The automobiles are of French make, and are run by Frenchmen.

Industry and Commerce.

A New York financial paper announces that a great combination has been formed to control the bituminous coal trade, including the coal mining companies controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, Norfolk and Western Railroad Company, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company. The combine is said to have apportioned the markets of the United States among the various mining concerns and assigned to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company the business of exporting coal to foreign countries. For the purpose of shipping coal economically it is stated that the combine will build a fleet of enormous coal ships of the size of the Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse.

The National Negro Business League held its convention in Boston last week. Booker T. Washington, the great negro teacher, leader, and benefactor of his race, started the movement to encourage negroes to engage in business for themselves, which movement this organization represents. About three hundred delegates were present. Mr. Washington was elected president. The convention was addressed by Mayor Hart of Boston, and William Lloyd Garrison, son of the great abolitionist.

About forty nations possess trading ships of one kind or another, and as the supply increases year by year the total is gradually assuming colossal dimensions. In the middle of 1899 the vessels numbered 28,180, representing a tonnage of 27,673,528; now the respective figures are 28,422 and 29,043,728. Close on fifty per cent of this enormous tonnage is owned by Great Britain and her colonies. The United States is second in both the number of ships and tonnage.

The production of iron ore in the United States for the year 1899, according to the annual report of the United States geological survey, amounted to 24,683,173 long tons, an increase of 5,249,997 tons, or 27 per cent, over 1898. The records for 1898 and 1899 represent the largest output of iron ore mined in any country in one year, the nearest approach being a total of 18,062,040 tons mined in 1880 in England.

Newspaper reports say that by a deal which it has just closed, the Carnegie Company will control the iron production of the Lake Superior region for the next fifty years, and that it has made a contract with the ore companies calling for a total of ten million tons of ore a year. Last year the Carnegie Company produced six million tons from its own mines.

The product of honey in Evansville, Ind., is said to have reached such a magnitude that people are beginning to complain of the swarms of bees. The city authorities are considering an ordinance which shall require owners of hives to move them beyond the city limits.

It has been officially announced that the cars of the Metropolitan Street Railway of New York, on Twenty-Eighth and Twenty-Ninth streets, will be running with compressed air as a motive power within a few weeks.

Announcement is made of the organization of the National Starch Company with a capitalization of $13,000,000, of which $10,000,000 will be issued.

General News.

An exchange says: "Much of the hesitation in Chinese diplomacy results from the canon that every minister of state is personally responsible for the advice he gives. There is also a rigid point of etiquette that no one shall speak first. The first of these makes the minister hesitate to give advice, and the second makes them all speak at once; and it is said that the activity of Rugby forwards with the football is nothing to be compared with their dexterity in passing questions from one to another."

Professor Du Bois, a negro alumnus of Harvard, gives the following statistics as to the effect of the higher education upon those of his race who have enjoyed it. He has found 2,414 negroes, including 235 women, who have taken degrees from institutions of every sort. All of these, so far as he can ascertain, have been self-supporting, and letters from half of them report an average assessed valuation of real estate of $2,500.

The Catholic Citizen says: "Humbert enjoyed the distinction of being the most highly insured king in the world. He carried policies aggregating $7,000,000 and had $20,000,000 invested through the Rothschilds. He is said to have saved most of this out of his civil list of $2,620,000. It is probable that his private income amounted to $1,000,000 a year."

Rosewood and mahogany are so plentiful in Mexico that some of the copper mines there are being timbered with the former wood, while mahogany is used as fuel for engines.

In New York City there is a maximum density of one thousand residents to the acre, and this is more than double that of the most congested cities of Europe.

Mount Edgecomb, in Alaska, has one of the largest craters in the world, being five miles in diameter, and filled with dense forest 2,000 feet below the rim.

There is $50,000,000 worth of United States Government property, as appraised locally, within the boundaries of the Greater New York.

The island of Cuba, with her exhibit at the Paris exposition, has achieved a notable success. The exhibit received 140 prizes.

The State of Washington has decided to publish all the text-books in use in its public schools.