The supporters of the House of Stuart after their expulsion from Great Britain.

Jacquerie.

The peasant rising in France in 1358 is so called from Jacques Bonhomme, the familiar name for a peasant. The revolt was most sanguinary, the peasants burning over 200 chÂteaux, and murdering indiscriminately all who refused to join them. Equally cruel reprisals followed the suppression of the insurrection.

Jaffa Massacre.

The massacre by Napoleon in 1799 of the Turkish garrison of Jaffa, who had surrendered as prisoners of war.

Jamaica Bill.

A bill suspending the constitution of Jamaica, brought in by the Melbourne Ministry in 1839, in consequence of the House of Assembly refusing to put in force an Act for the better regulation of prisons in that island. The bill only passed the House of Commons by a majority of five, and Lord Melbourne resigned.

Jameson Raid.

An invasion of the Transvaal by the forces of the British South Africa Company in January, 1896. Jameson acted on an undated letter, signed by certain members of the Johannesburg Reform Committee, summoning him to the aid of the Uitlanders. His raid, however, was ill-timed, the Johannesburgers being unable to give him the assistance he counted on, and he was defeated by the hastily summoned Boer commandos. Cecil Rhodes was a party to the scheme, which was designed to overthrow the corrupt Boer Government. The Boers made the raid an excuse for increasing their armaments.

Janissaries.

A military force established about the middle of the fourteenth century by Amurath I, Sultan of Turkey. They were recruited from Christian youths captured in war, who were brought up in the Mohammedan faith and trained to arms.

Jansenists.

A sect or schism of Catholics, founded in France in the seventeenth century, who strongly opposed the doctrinal and ethical teachings of the Jesuits. Their doctrines were based on the Augustinus of Cornelius Jansen, Bishop of YprÈs, published after his death, which took place in 1638. Its adherents included such men as Arnauld and Pascal. Jansenism was finally declared heretical by the Bull Unigenitus in 1653.

January, Edict of.

An edict issued by Charles IX of France in January, 1562, setting forth the terms of pacification between the Huguenots and the Catholics as arrived at by a conference between the leaders of the two parties.

Jarl.

In the early Norse times the Jarl was a dignity conferred by the king upon chiefs of conspicuous ability as leaders in war. The title was not hereditary.

Jassy, Peace of.

A treaty signed in 1792 by Catherine II of Russia and the Sultan Selim III after a war rendered memorable by the successes of Potemkin and Suwarrow. Turkey surrendered Oszakov, and the Dniester was fixed as the boundary line between the two empires.

Jay’s Treaty.

The name given to the treaty between Great Britain and the United States in 1794, which provided for the surrender to the latter of the British military forts in the North-East and settled certain boundary and financial questions pending between the signatories.

Jedburgh Justice.

The prompt measures taken by the Earl of Dunbar in the reign of James I and VI to punish border raiders at Jedburgh and other Scottish towns gave rise to this phrase. Raiders were hanged always, and tried if circumstances permitted. “Cupar Justice” and “Burlaw” have the same meaning.

Jehad.

A holy war of Mohammedans against Christians is so called.

Jenkin’s Ear.

One of the many stories of the ill-treatment by the Spanish Guardia Costa of British subjects in the employment of the South Sea Company. These stories were utilized by the war party in Parliament to force the Government into war with Spain in 1738. War was in fact declared the following year.

Jesuits.

A religious order founded in 1534 by Ignatius Loyola, a Spaniard, and sanctioned by Paul III in 1540. They have always endeavoured to lead and control public opinion, and to that end have taken an active part in education and in political intrigue, as well as in missionary work. The order was suppressed by Papal Bull in 1773, but revived in 1814.

Jerrymandering.

The manipulation of electoral divisions in such a way as to give an undue advantage to one political party. The word is said to be rightly Gerrymandering, and to be derived from Elbridge Gerry, Governor of Massachusetts in 1812, who was the originator of the idea.

Jerviswood Plot.

A plot entered into by certain Scottish Presbyterian gentlemen, under the leadership of Lord Melville, the Earl of Tarras and Baillie of Jerviswood, to prevent the Duke of York succeeding to the throne on the death of Charles II. The plot was discovered owing to the failure of the Rye House Plot, and though Melville and other leaders made good their escape, Baillie was seized and executed in 1634.

Jeu de Paume, SÉance du.

The famous session of the Tennis Court, on June 22, 1789, when the Deputies of the National Assembly, excluded from their regular place of meeting, took an oath that they would not separate, but would continue to meet when and where they could until they had promulgated the new constitution.

Jeunesse DorÉe.

The gilded youth, or young men of Paris, who endeavoured to bring about the counter-revolution after the fall of Robespierre in 1794.

Jewish Disabilities Acts.

A series of Acts passed during the reign of Queen Victoria by which the disabilities under which the Jews laboured were gradually removed. In 1845 they were admitted to office in municipalities; in 1846 they were placed on the same footing as Protestant Dissenters in respect of their schools, while by the alteration in the form of the Parliamentary oath in 1858 they were enabled to sit in Parliament.

Jews’ Exchequer.

A special court established by Richard I in 1194 to hear cases in which Jews were concerned and to supervise their contributions to the revenue.

Jingoes.

The war party in England during the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-78 were so called by their political opponents. The name arose from a music-hall song, sung by “The Great Macdermott,” the chorus of which began “We don’t want to fight, but by Jingo if we do.” The term “Jingoism” is now applied to aggressive Imperialism.

Jo-I.

The ultra-nationalist party in Japan in the early days of the new rÉgime. They were strongly opposed to the invasion of Western ideas. The name signifies “Expel the Barbarians.”

Jockey of Norfolk.

The sobriquet of Sir John Howard, an adherent of Richard III.

John Company.

The East India Company was so called.

Joinville, Treaty of.

A secret treaty between the Guises and Philip II of Spain in 1584, providing that the Cardinal de Bourbon should succeed Henri III, and that no heretic should ascend the throne or hold office in France. Philip undertook to advance 50,000 crowns monthly for the purposes of the League, to be repaid on the accession of the Cardinal.

Joyeuse EntrÉe.

The ancient charter of Brabant, granted by Wenceslas of Luxemburg in the latter part of the fourteenth century. It provided that no one should be prosecuted except before the ordinary courts of law; that no foreigner should hold office in the State; that no alteration should be made in the status of the Church without the consent of the Estates, and that any breach of the Constitution by the prince should absolve his subjects from their allegiance. The charter was abrogated by Joseph II in 1789.

Judicature Acts, 1873 and 1875.

By these Acts a Supreme Court of Justice was created, in place of the various courts in existence dealing with various branches of the law. These Courts were made branches of the High Court of Justice. In the same way the various appeal courts were brought into one general Court of Appeal. Certain provincial jurisdictions were abolished, such as the Courts of Pleas of the Palatine counties of Lancaster and Durham. Probate, Divorce and Admiralty were united in one division by the latter of the two Acts.

Judenhetze.

The anti-Jewish campaign, started in Berlin in 1880. See Anti-semitism.

July, Government of.

The reign of Louis Philippe (1830-48) is so called, as having been inaugurated by the Revolution of July.

July Laws.

Two laws passed in July, 1883, modifying certain of the severer provisions of the Falk Laws.

July, Revolution of.

The revolution of 1830, which overthrew the Government of Charles X and established Louis Philippe on the throne, is so called.

July, Treaty of.

A treaty signed on July 15, 1840, by Great Britain, Russia, Austria and Prussia, dictating terms to Mehemet Ali, Pasha of Egypt, which terms he was given ten days to accept. He was to retain the Pashalic of Egypt for himself and his descendants, and Acre for life, withdrawing from the rest of Syria and the Holy Land. This treaty was confirmed in 1841 by the Treaty of the Dardanelles.

Junkers.

The younger members of the aristocratic Conservative party in Prussia with whom Bismarck acted at the beginning of his political life.

Junius, Letters of.

A series of letters issued anonymously from 1769 onwards, attacking the King and the Grafton Ministry with extraordinary vigour, and full of literary merit. The authorship of these letters remains a mystery, but they are generally attributed to Sir Philip Francis.

Junta.

In Spain, an assembly of persons, whether legally summoned or self-constituted, exercising legislative or administrative functions. The Junta of 1808, which represented those portions of Spain not under the rule of Joseph Buonaparte, is one of the best known.

Junta Apostolica.

A Junta formed in Spain in 1824, under Saez, to carry out to the full the principles of absolutism and ecclesiastical domination. For some time the Junta practically ruled Spain.

Junto.

The chiefs of the Whig party, and leaders of the Ministry formed in 1696. They were Somers, Russell, Halifax and Wharton.

Junto, Presbyterian.

The name given to the Sons of Liberty by the Royalist party in America in 1765.

Jurandes.

Committees of the trade guilds in France, appointed to supervise the operations of the members of the guild, with special reference to the granting of apprenticeships and the payment of the necessary fees thereupon. The regulations of these guilds were often exceedingly oppressive.

Jury, Trial by.

The origin of the system is probably to be found in the Assize of Clarendon in 1166, by which it was enacted that twelve men should be appointed from each hundred to present criminals for trial by ordeal. They were sworn to determine the value of the charge, and could commit or release the accused. By Magna Charta, the right of every Englishman to be tried by his peers is expressly stipulated.

Jus Magdeburgicum.

The local law of Magdeburg, a free city of Germany. It was composed partly of Saxon custom and partly of ancient local usages, and was adopted in many of the Slav countries.

Justice, Charter of.

A charter issued by Canning’s Government in 1828 providing for the reorganization of the judicial system in Cape Colony, and regulating other matters connected with the Government. It abolished the Heemraden, and instituted courts in which all the pleadings were to be in English. It was superseded in 1834 by an amended charter, whereby, among other changes, ignorance of English was no longer to be held a bar to jury service.

Justiciary.

Under the Norman kings this functionary was the President of the Curia Regis and the king’s representative and regent during his absence from the realm.

Justinian, Code of.

A codification of the Roman law, carried out by Tribonianus by order of Justinian in 529.

Justiza.

The supreme judge in the kingdom of Aragon. He was appointed by the Cortes, and was the final interpreter of the laws, even the king being obliged to consult him in doubtful cases. He was the ultimate court of appeal in all cases, and had himself the right to initiate prosecutions.

Jutland, Law of.

The code of law presented to a Danish National Assembly by Waldemar II (Seir) of Denmark, and confirmed in 1241. This remained the law of the whole of Denmark till the reign of Christian V (1670-1699).