or the Travancore Parliament, as the natives delight to call it, has met for its second session at Trevandram, and high hopes are entertained in oficial circles in Travancore of the benefit to be derived from the new political departure; every grievance is to be dispelled and all wrongs righted as by the waving of a magic wand. The Dewan—as the Prime Minister of the Sti is called—is himself regarded by the conservative population of this West Coast Kingdom as a foreigner, having been imported some two years ago from the go-ahead State of Mysore. At first the many innovations and reforms introduced by Mr. Madava Rao, C.LE., the Dewan, wore regarded by the Rajah and his people with the deepest suspicion, but since they have become more acquainted with the Dewan and his methods, there is every hope that the Rajah and his factotum will learn to work together in perfect accord. On the present occasion the Popular Assembly commenced its sitting in the Victoria Jubilee Hall, which was profusely decorated with bunting, flags, and arches. The Dewan and the Hon. Mr. James Andrew, British Resident, were present seated on a dais with about 100 representatives and guests. The body of the Hall was crowded with people, and many hundreds had to be turned away. Some of the bu: considered was of an extremely practical nature, but others smacked distinctly of ancient days. Grants to idols, upkeep of tame elephants, capture of wild ones in the future, and the sums to be devoted for these objects, including the weighty question as to the whether the cultivator to pay his taxes for the were all matters for grave deliberation, and but a few of the late problems which confront the administration of Travancore.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.