The murder of a family named Joyce in Ireland in 1882. Ten men were put on their trial for the crime, of whom two turned Queen’s Evidence, and the remainder were convicted, three being hanged. In 1884 Casey, one of the informers, declared that he had given false evidence against Myles Joyce, one of the men who had been hanged, and that he had been ordered by the officials, on pain of capital punishment, to swear away this man’s life. A searching inquiry confirmed the justice of the sentence, but the case was made the pretext for a violent attack in Parliament upon the Irish Secretary.

McKinley Tariff.

A Tariff Act passed in the United States in 1890. Large increases were made in the import duties, and the measure as a whole was one of thoroughgoing protection. It was repealed in 1894.

McMillanites.

The Cameronians were so called, after the Revolution, from the name of their minister, McMillan.

Mad Cavalier.

The sobriquet of Prince Rupert of Bavaria, nephew of Charles I.

Mad Parliament.

A Parliament of Henry III, which met in June 1258. It was by this Parliament that the Commission was appointed which drew up the Provisions of Oxford.

Madame VÉto.

See Monsieur VÉto.

Madman of the North.

A sobriquet of Charles XII of Sweden (1682-1718).

Madras Mutiny.

A mutiny of the officers in the Madras Army of the East India Company in 1809. It was caused by the action of the Board of Directors in depriving the officers of some of their perquisites. Sir George Barlow appealed to the sepoys, who supported the authorities against their officers, and the latter were forced to give in. With the exception of twenty-one of the ringleaders, the mutinous officers were forgiven, and allowed to resume their posts.

Madras, Peace of.

A treaty between Haidar Ali and the British, closing the first Mysore War in 1769. It provided for mutual restoration of all conquered territories, and a mutual guarantee of the integrity of each other’s dominions.

Madrid Conference.

A conference of the Powers, held in 1880, to consider the affairs of Morocco, and especially the treatment of Jews, and the right of foreign nations to protect their subjects. An agreement was arrived at, and a joint Note addressed to the Sultan, insisting on the necessity of respecting liberty of conscience, and of enforcing toleration on the part of his subjects.

Madrid, Treaty of.

A treaty between Charles V and Francis I, putting an end to the captivity of Francis, signed in 1526. The French King ceded Burgundy to Charles, and renounced the sovereignty of Flanders and all his rights in Italy.

Maffia.

A secret society which largely controlled the appointment of officials, and practically governed Sicily. The disclosures following the murder of Signor Notarbartolo, deputy for Palermo, in 1899, caused the Italian Government to institute a searching inquiry, which led to the suppression, temporarily at least, of the Maffia.

Magdeburg, Sack of.

At the capture of Magdeburg by the Austrian General, Tilly, in 1629, during the Thirty Years’ War, the Protestant inhabitants were put to the sword with ruthless barbarity.

Magna Charta.

The Great Charter of English liberty, extorted from John by his Barons in 1215. It prescribed the constitution of the Great Council of the Kingdom, the members whereof were to be summoned by writ; it defined and limited the feudal obligations of the Barons and other tenants of the Crown; restricted the powers of the sheriffs and other royal officers, and secured the liberties of the free towns. It further declared the right of an accused person to be tried by his peers.

Magnum Concilium.

The Great Council of the Realm, which in Norman times took the place of the Anglo-Saxon Witanegemot, and was the forerunner of the Parliament. It consisted in the main of the King’s great vassals, and with the King exercised legislative functions and initiated taxation. Its constitution was defined, and the mode of summoning it prescribed in Magna Charta.

Magyars.

The original Turanian invaders of Pannonia, the modern Hungary. The name is now applied to Hungarians generally, whether of pure Turanian descent or not. It is often erroneously used as referring to the Hungarian nobles or magnates only, but it carries with it no idea of rank or dignity.

Mahdi.

The expected Messiah of the Moslems, said to have been promised by Mohammed. The title has been claimed by several pretenders, the best known being Mohammed Ahmed, who headed a rising in the Eastern Soudan in 1881, and afterwards captured Khartoum.

Maid of Norway.

The daughter of Eric, King of Norway, and grand-daughter of Alexander III of Scotland. On the death of her grandfather in 1286, she succeeded to the Scottish throne, but died on her voyage to Scotland, leaving the throne open to numerous claimants, of whom Balliol was eventually chosen. Had she lived she was to have become the wife of Edward, son of Edward I of England, thus uniting the two crowns.

Maid of Orleans.

The name given to Jeanne d’Arc, after the relief of Orleans in 1429.

Maid of Saragossa.

The name given to Agostina Zaragoza, in consequence of her bravery at the siege of Saragossa in 1808, where she took her part with the soldiers in fighting the guns on the ramparts.

Maiden King.

The sobriquet of Malcolm IV of Scotland (1153-1165).

Maiden Queen.

Elizabeth of England is so called.

Maillotins, Insurrection of the.

A rising in Paris in 1382, against a tax on the sale of provisions and merchandise. The name is derived from the heavy iron maces with which the majority of the insurgents were armed.

Main Plot.

See Bye-Plot.

Maine Liquor Law.

A law passed in the State of Maine, U.S.A., in 1851, prohibiting the trade in intoxicants. It has since been incorporated in the constitution of the State, rendering repeal impossible without previous recourse to a popular vote.

Maintainers.

Bodies of retainers in the service of the great feudal lords. It was to check the abuses arising from the system of maintenance that the Star Chamber was originally established.

Maire du Palais.

The prime ministers of the later Merovingian Kings, and the de facto rulers, as these monarchs took no part in the Government. The last Maire du Palais was Charles Martel, the father of Pepin, and founder of the Carlovingian dynasty.

Maison du Roi.

The military household of Louis XIV of France. It consisted of the Gardes du Corps and the Mousquetaires du Roi, all gentlemen by birth, numbering twelve thousand.

MajestÄts Brief.

An edict issued by the Emperor Rudolph II in 1609 granting to all Bohemians of certain recognized religions freedom of conscience, admission to the University of Prague, and the right to build churches on Crown lands. The edict further declared that any subsequent ordinances issued in contravention of this charter were null and void.

Major-Generals, Cromwell’s.

Twelve officers, commanding the twelve military districts into which Cromwell divided England in 1655. They were given command of the militia, and their functions were to suppress any Royalist rising, and to supervise the collection of the 10 per cent. tax levied from Royalists. The plan was abandoned in 1651, Parliament refusing to vote the money for the militia.

Majuba Hill.

The scene of the defeat of General Colley’s force by the Boers on February 27, 1881, which virtually closed the Boer War of that year. The surrender of the British Government to the Boer demands is generally known as the “Majuba Surrender,” and the bitter feeling thereby aroused caused “Remember Majuba” to be a sort of war-cry at the outbreak of the war of 1899-1902. The Paardeberg surrender on the anniversary of Majuba in 1900 was hailed as in some degree wiping out the disgrace attached to the word.

Malcontents.

In 1578 the Walloon troops of the Netherlands, being irritated by the promulgation of the Religious Peace, and by their pay being in arrear, mutinied under the leadership of the Seigneur de Montigny. Attempts to appease them were fruitless, and eventually, with the support of the nobles of Hainault and Artois, the mutiny ended in the formation of a confederacy of the Walloon provinces, pledged to support the Pacification of Ghent, and owning allegiance to Philip II.

Malet’s Plot.

A plot contrived by General Malet and the AbbÉ Lafone, in 1812, to dethrone Napoleon. By means of forged papers Malet persuaded a section of the Paris garrison that Napoleon was dead, and that he was entrusted by the Senate with the command of the troops. He then proceeded to the police ministry, where he arrested Savary, the minister, and the prefect of police. Attempting, however, to dispose in the same way of General Hullin, the Commandant of Paris, he was overpowered by the General’s orderlies, and the plot came to an abortive end.

Maletolte.

An additional tax of forty shillings the sack on the export of wool imposed by Edward III in 1337.

Malignants.

During the latter part of the Civil War and under the Commonwealth, those who had borne arms on the King’s side were so called by the Parliamentarians.

Malisset, SociÉtÉ.

A company under the control of the French Government, formed about 1767 to keep up the price of breadstuffs. The company took advantage of the scarcity to make enormous profits, and it seems clear that Louis XV was pecuniarily interested in its transactions. About 1774 it became known as the Pacte de Famine.

Malta, Knights of.

An order of religious chivalry, established in Malta in 1104. In 1310 they captured Rhodes, and were known as the Knights of Rhodes until they were expelled from that island by the Turks in 1503, when they returned to Malta. They are now known as the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, and have become an English order, interesting themselves specially in ambulance work.

Malus Intercursus.

The name given by the Dutch to the Treaty of Commerce between England and Philip of Burgundy signed in 1506. By this instrument British ships were admitted free of harbour dues to the Ports of Antwerp, Bruges, Berghem and Middelburg, and English merchants were permitted to sell cloth throughout the Netherlands. In return Henry VII. agreed to surrender to Philip all rebels and fugitives from the Burgundian States captured in his dominions, a provision which was of no benefit to the Dutch.

Mamelucos.

Bands of half-breeds who raided the missions of the Jesuits in Paraguay in the seventeenth century, carrying off the converts as slaves. The word is generally applied in Brazil to those of mixed Indian and Negro blood.

Mamelukes.

The bodyguard of the Egyptian Sultans, chiefly composed of Circassian and Georgian slaves. In 1250 they mutinied, murdered the Sultan, and founded a dynasty of their own, nominating and removing the Sultans at their will. The Mameluke Dynasty lasted till 1517, when they were finally suppressed by the Sultan Selim.

Mamelukes.

The name given to the Savoy party in Geneva in the sixteenth century.

Manchester Martyrs.

Allen, Larkin and O’Brien, who were executed for the murder of a policeman in the attempt to rescue the Fenian prisoners at Manchester in 1867, are so called by the disloyal Irish.

Manchester Massacre.

A cavalry charge through a crowded meeting which was being held in St. Peter’s Field, Manchester, in connexion with the Reform agitation in 1819. Many persons were injured. The accident, for it practically amounted to no more, was entirely due to the mismanagement of the magistrates, who attempted to arrest the agitator, Hunt, while on the platform in the centre of the meeting. This affair is also called, derisively, “Peterloo.”

Manchester School.

A political and economic school, which was responsible for the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League, under Cobden, in 1838. They believed in the principle of laissez faire, in free competition and freedom of contract, and looked upon Government interference with, or control of trade, as an economic heresy.

Mandamus Councillors.

A council of thirty-six members, formed by Gage, the Governor of Massachusetts, after the subversion of the constitution in 1774. As no one of any standing would accept an appointment to this council. Gage, in whom was vested the whole of the administrative and judicial authority, appointed those whom he selected by writ of mandamus.

Mandarins.

The name given by Europeans to the Chinese official classes. The word is of Portuguese origin, and means “officer” or “commander.”

Mandeshwar, Treaty of.

A treaty signed in 1818, by which Holkar of Indore, after his defeat at Mahidpore, renounced his claim to suzerainty over the Rajput States, and placed himself under British protection.

Mangalore, Treaty of.

A treaty between the British and Tippu Sahib, at the close of the second Mysore War in 1784, by which a return was agreed upon to the status quo ante.

Manoa.

The fabled capital city of El Dorado, said to be situated to the East of the Andes, near the equator. It was the objective of an expedition led by Gonzalo Pizarro from Quito in 1539, who had many imitators, both Spanish and English, as unsuccessful as himself. According to the Indian tales, gold was so plentiful in the district of El Dorado that it was used for the gates and roofs of the houses in Manoa.

Manor Court.

In Anglo-Saxon times the court of a township built on the land of a lord, and not on public land. Such townships were known as manors, and the lord undertook the duties, and enjoyed the privileges which in other townships were in the hands of the freeholders.

Mantua, Treaty of.

A treaty signed in 1791 by Austria, Spain and Sardinia, by which the contracting parties bound themselves to provide forces to act on the French frontiers, with the object of overawing the revolutionists, and to issue a manifesto to the French nation, calling upon them to submit to the authority of their King, failing which the allies would take active steps to coerce them.

Marathon Murders.

The murder by brigands, near Athens, of a party of Englishmen, including Mr. Herbert, a secretary of the British Legation, in 1870. The Greek Government were greatly blamed for the action they took in moving troops against the brigands, contrary to their express undertaking, before the required ransom, which had been provided, had been handed over to the brigands and the prisoners released.

Mark System.

A system of land tenure, apparently of a communistic nature, which prevailed in Germany in very early times. It seems to have been introduced into England by the Saxon invaders, and traces of it are found in the common lands.

Marlborough, Statute of.

A re-enactment by the Parliament of Marlborough in 1267, after the Barons’ War, of the Provisions of Oxford, with some slight changes, giving the King the power of appointing the Ministers of the Crown and the sheriffs.

Maroons.

The fugitive slaves in Jamaica, who, after the conquest of the island by England in 1655, took refuge in the mountains, and maintained a guerilla warfare against the colonists, which lasted until 1795.

Marranos.

The Spanish Moors who, after the conquest of Granada, accepted Christianity.

Marriage Act.

See Hardwicke’s Act.

Married Women’s Property Act.

An Act passed in 1882, by which, in all marriages subsequent to the passing of the Act, a wife’s property is vested in herself, and is not subject to her husband’s control, as was previously the case.

Martian Law.

A code of British Law translated by Alfred the Great into Anglo-Saxon. It is said to have been compiled by Martia, the wife of Guithelin, great-grandson of Mulmutius, King of the Britons, in 300 B.C.

Martin Mar-Prelate.

The pseudonym of the author of certain pamphlets advocating Puritan doctrines, which appeared between 1588 and 1590. The suspected author, a Welshman named Penry, was brought to trial, condemned and executed.

Maryland, Charter of.

A charter for the colonisation of Maryland, granted to Lord Baltimore by Charles I in 1629. It was similar in its provisions to the Charter of Virginia.

Masaniello, Revolt of.

A revolt of the Neapolitans, under a fisherman named Tommaso Aniello, against the Spanish Viceroy in July, 1647. The revolt was completely successful, and the Viceroy was compelled to come to terms with Masaniello, whose head, however, seems to have been turned by his success, as he was guilty of the most extraordinary excesses, and was murdered by his former followers in the course of the month in which the rising took place.

The line delimiting Delaware and Maryland, drawn by Mason and Dixon in 1764-67. It is often erroneously referred to as the line between the freesoil and the slave States, but as a matter of fact both the States in question were slave-holding States.

Mason and Slidell.

See Trent Incident.

Massachusetts, Charter of.

A charter issued by Charles I in 1629, providing for the government of the colony by a governor, deputy, and eighteen assistants, to be elected annually by the freemen of the plantation. They were entrusted with both legislative and executive functions, but it was provided that no laws should be made which were not in harmony with the law of England. The charter was revoked in 1684, after a dispute on the subject of the navigation laws.

Massacres.

See Abencerrages, Amboyna, Armagnacs, Armenian, Barmecides, Blood Bath, Boston, Bulgarian, Cawnpore, Chastisement, Custer, Dragonnades, Farquharsons, French Fury, Fusillades, Glencoe, Jaffa, Lebanon, Magdeburg, Manchester, Mountain Meadow, Noyades, Privas, St. Bartholomew, St. Brice, Scullabogue, September, Sicilian Vespers, Sinope, Spanish Fury, Tenth of August, Ulster, Valtelline, Vassy, Veronese.

Match Tax.

An impost proposed by Robert Lowe (Lord Sherbrooke), Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1871. The proposal was excessively unpopular, and was withdrawn.

Mau-brulez, JournÉe des.

April 27, 1562, when two Protestant ministers. Mallard and Faveau, were to be burnt at the stake by order of Granville, Bishop of Arras. They were rescued by the populace.

May, Constitution of.

The constitution established by the Polish Diet on May 3, 1791. It abolished the elective monarchy, and named the Royal House of Saxony as successors to Poniatowski. It abolished the Liberum Veto, and vested the legislative authority in the King, the Senate and the Chamber of Nuncios, and the executive in the King, with a council of six Ministers.

Mayflower.

The ship that carried the first colonists of New England, the Pilgrim Fathers, to the shores of America. They were chiefly Independents from the neighbourhood of Scrooby, in Lincolnshire, who under stress of persecution determined to leave England. They went first to Holland, and then, deciding to make their home in America, finally sailed from Plymouth on September 6, 1620. They landed on the shores of Cape Cod, and named their first township Plymouth.

Maximum.

By a decree of May 4, 1793, the French Convention established a maximum price for food stuffs, obliging farmers to state the quantity of grain in their possession, bring it to market, and accept a price fixed by the commune in which it was offered, such price to be based on the average price ruling in the district during the four previous months. Heavy penalties were enacted for concealment of grain supplies, and for taking more than the authorised price.

Maynooth Grant.

A grant to the Roman Catholic College of Maynooth, in Ireland, made in the face of strong Protestant opposition by Sir Robert Peel’s Government in 1845. It was abolished in 1869, at the time of the Disestablishment of the Irish Church.

Maynooth, Pardon of.

The name given ironically to the suppression of the revolt of the Geraldines in 1535, when Maynooth Castle, the seat of the Earl of Desmond, was captured, and out of thirty-seven prisoners taken, twenty-six were executed.

Meal Tub Plot.

A pretended plot, fabricated by Dangerfield in 1679, in emulation of Titus Oates, the inventor of the Popish Plot. Dangerfield averred that a Presbyterian plot existed to depose the King, and establish a Republic. After arrest he stated that this was only a blind to conceal a plot of the Papists, documents relating to which would be found hidden in a meal tub in the house of Mrs. Cellier, a Roman Catholic. This lady was tried for high treason and acquitted. Dangerfield was condemned to be flogged from Newgate to Tyburn and back, and died under the lash.

Measures, Assize of.

An edict issued in 1197, with the object of securing uniformity in weights and measures throughout England. It was, however, found impossible to obtain acceptance for this reform, and the edict remained a dead letter.

Mediation, Constitution of.

A constitution in which an attempt was made to harmonise the old Cantonal system with the new Helvetic Constitution, and which was imposed upon the Swiss by Napoleon in 1803.

Mediatized Princes.

Members of the old ruling families of the smaller German States, who have at various times been deprived of their sovereign rights.

Meersen, Treaty of.

A treaty, signed in 870, by which Lewis the German and Charles the Bald divided the territories of their nephews, Lewis II and Charles. The former took Alsace and the Rhine Provinces, the latter Burgundy and Provence, thus finally separating Germany and France.

Mellanriks Law.

The decree confirming the Union of Sweden and Norway, accepted by the Norwegians in November, 1814, and defining the financial and other relations between the two kingdoms.

Melun, Treaty of.

A treaty signed in 1593, between Queen Elizabeth and Henri IV of France, providing for an offensive and defensive alliance against Philip II of Spain.

Mercatoribus, Statute de.

A statute of Edward I, passed in 1283, giving protection to foreign merchants settled in England.

Merchandise Marks Act.

An Act passed in 1887, inflicting penalties for the use of false trade descriptions, and enacting that, in all cases of imported goods, when any question is likely to arise as to the country of origin, the same shall be clearly marked on the goods.

Merchant Adventurers.

A guild of merchants established in Brabant in 1296. They received special trading privileges in England from Henry VII, and in 1564 were given a charter of incorporation by Elizabeth.

Merchant Shipping Act.

See Plimsoll’s Act.

Merchants, Charter of the.

A charter granted by Edward I in 1303, to foreign merchants trading in England, which at the same time imposed import and export duties on wool and other commodities passing through their hands.

Merciless Parliament.

See Wonderful Parliament.

Merry Monarch.

A sobriquet of Charles II of England.

Mestizos.

In Spanish America persons of mixed European and Indian blood are so called.

MÉtayage.

A system of land tenure in France, prior to the Revolution, by which the tenant was supplied by the landlord with stock and farming implements, and the produce of the land, after payment of taxes, was divided equally between them. Farmers holding land on this tenure were called mÉtayers.

Methuen Treaty.

A treaty between England and Portugal, signed in 1703, whereby the latter was induced to join the Grand Alliance. It contained only two clauses, one admitting English woollen goods into Portugal, the other providing that Portuguese wines imported into England should only pay one-third of the duty levied on French wines. This treaty was abrogated on the signing of a commercial treaty between England and France in 1786.

Middle Kingdom.

China is so called by the Chinese, who believe it to be the centre of the inhabited world.

Mignon.

A nickname of Henri III of France (1574-1589).

Mikado.

The name by which the hereditary sovereign of Japan was known to Europeans, in the early days of intercourse with that country. From the time of the ShÔgun Iyeyasu, in the early part of the seventeenth century, the functions of the “Mikado” as a temporal ruler were usurped by the ShÔguns, or Commanders-in-Chief, though he was always recognized as the de jure head of the State. Since the revolution, however, he has resumed his rightful position as Emperor of Japan. The title is now in disuse, the Emperor being known as the Tenno.

Milan Decree.

A decree issued by Napoleon in 1807, as a reply to the Orders in Council, declaring that every vessel, of whatever nationality, sailing to or from a British port or colony, had forfeited her neutrality, and was a lawful prize.

Mile Act.

An Act of the Scottish Parliament, passed in 1662, forbidding any minister who had failed to comply with the provisions of the Episcopal Ordination Act to reside within five miles of a royal borough, or within twenty of his own parish.

Military Septennate.

A compromise, introduced by Bismarck in the Reichstag, between an annual vote for military purposes, and a vote for an indefinite period. It fixes the military establishment and the requisite supplies for a period of seven years.

Millenary Petition.

A petition presented to James I by certain Puritan clergymen of the Church of England, said to have numbered a thousand, asking to be relieved from the celebration of certain ceremonies to which they were conscientiously opposed. The petition was rejected.

Million Act.

An Act passed in 1692, authorising the raising of one million sterling by means of tontine annuities, in aid of the expenses of the French War. This is the first instance of the English Government raising money by means of annuities.

MinistÈre de Trois Jours.

The ministry of the Tiers Parti in France, under the Duc de Bassano, in 1834. It held office for three days only.

Ministry of All the Talents.

A ministry under Lord Grenville, with Fox as Foreign Secretary, formed on the death of Pitt in 1806. It is so called because it was not formed exclusively from Grenville’s supporters, but was an attempt to bring together the best men of various political shades. Thus Earl Spencer and Mr. Windham, who had been members of Pitt’s first administration, held office in it.

Mints, Indian.

These were closed to the free coinage of silver in 1893, and the value of the rupee for exchange purposes fixed at 1s. 4d.

Minute Men.

A militia of 12,000 men enrolled during the American Civil War by the State of Massachusetts. They bound themselves to be ready for service at a moment’s notice.

Mir.

The Russian village commune, holding and tilling land in common. The land is divided into plots, of which a certain number are allotted to each family, in proportion to its size. These plots are farmed by the family in common, and they pay into the coffers of the Mir a certain fixed sum, retaining the rest for the general use of the family. The Mir is responsible to the Government for the payment of the taxes of the community, which are in the nature of a poll-tax on the adult males. The division of the land is periodically revised, to meet changes in the circumstances of the different families. The affairs of the Mir are controlled by the village Elder, or Selski Starosta, who is elected by the heads of families.

Mirabeau of the Mob.

A sobriquet of Danton, the French revolutionary leader.

Miracle of Nature.

Christina, Queen of Sweden (1632-1654), was so called.

Mise of Amiens.

See Amiens.

Mise of Lewes.

See Lewes.

Mississippi Scheme.

A wild scheme, not unlike the South Sea Bubble, propounded by John Law in Paris in 1718. A company was formed, which was permitted to establish a Bank of Issue, the shares of which were offered to the national creditors in exchange for their stock. The company was also granted a monopoly of the trade with Canada and the Mississippi. The usual inflation of values followed, and subsequently the inevitable collapse, which almost amounted to national bankruptcy. It is also called “Law’s Bubble.”

Missouri Compromise.

An agreement between the slavery and anti-slavery parties of the United States in 1821, arising out of the admission of Missouri to the Union as a free-labour State. It was determined that slavery should only be lawful south of 36° 30´ north latitude. This arrangement was maintained until 1854, when it was violated by the admission of Kansas and Nebraska as territories, with the right to decide the slavery question for themselves.

Mitad.

In South America, under Spanish rule, the bodily service to which every Indian from fifteen to fifty was liable. Those upon whom the lot fell had to work for six months in the mines, and such were the conditions of servitude that barely a fifth survived the ordeal. It is estimated that over eight millions perished from this cause in Peru alone.

Mitchelstown Riot.

A riot at Mitchelstown, co. Cork, at a Land League meeting in August, 1887. The Government reporter and his police escort endeavoured to force their way through the crowd to the platform, which the crowd resented. The police lost their heads and fired on the people. “Remember Mitchelstown” was for some time afterwards the watchword of the Land-leaguers.

Mixed Pickles.

The name given to the Liberal Imperialist party in the first Reichstag of the German Empire.

Model, The.

The Constitution of Carolina, prepared by John Locke in 1670. It was the only constitution in America providing for an hereditary nobility, and recognizing different classes of citizens. It was in some respects feudal in its character, as the small cultivator was adscriptus glebÆ, and had no franchise. North Carolina objected to the model, rose in revolt, and formed itself into a separate colony.

Modern Gracchus.

A sobriquet of the Comte de Mirabeau (1749-1801).

Modern Messalina.

A name given to Catherine II of Russia (1762-1796), referring to her vicious and cruel character.

Moldavian Capitulation.

A treaty signed in 1512 between Bogdan, Voivode of Moldavia, and Selim I, Sultan of Turkey, by which Bogdan recognized the suzerainty of Turkey, and agreed to pay tribute.

Molinists.

The followers of Molina, the Spanish Jesuit, who was the principal antagonist of the Jansenists and Port Royal.

Mollahs.

In Turkey, the name given to the principal judges, who, the law being more ecclesiastical than civil, exercise functions of almost a priestly character. In less civilized Moslem communities, as in Arabia, and among the Afridis and Afghans, the mollahs are priests or holy men.

Molly Maguires.

An agrarian society formed in Ireland in 1843, to resist distraint for rent. They took their name, originally “Maguires,” from Cornelius Maguire, a leader in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, the word Molly being afterwards added because they usually dressed in women’s clothes when engaged in their raids.

Molly Maguires.

An Irish secret society, which terrorized the mining districts of Pennsylvania from 1867 to 1877. Its object was, apparently, to control the State and municipal politics. In the latter year, owing to informers, its leaders were discovered and convicted, and the society broken up.

MolokÁni.

A Russian sect who model their institutions on the early Apostolic Church, as depicted in the New Testament. They are strong upholders of the right of private judgment, allowing considerable latitude to individual opinion within the fold.

Monastic Orders.

See Benedictines, Carmelites, Carthusians, Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits, Theatins.

MonÇon, Treaty of.

A treaty between France and Austria, signed in 1626, after the French invasion of the Valtelline. It provided for a return in the Grisons and Valtelline to the status quo before 1617. Only Catholicism was to be tolerated in the valley. The Valtelline was to have the right of electing her own magistrates, subject to the veto of the Grisons, and was to pay the Grisons an annual tribute. The forts in the Valtelline and Chiavenna were to be razed.

Monetary Conference, International.

A conference held at Brussels in 1892, to discuss the question of a bimetallic standard. Great diversity of opinion was shown by the delegates, and the conference dissolved without making any recommendations.

Monroe Doctrine.

A statement of policy in the message to Congress of President Monroe in 1825, to the effect that the United States could not regard with indifference any further territorial expansion on the part of European Powers on the American Continent. The occasion for the pronouncement was the suspected intention of the Holy Alliance to interfere on behalf of Spain in her struggle with her revolted colonies. Various interpretations have been given to this doctrine, some, like that of Mr. Olney, going much further than President Monroe’s words warrant, but it is now generally held to mean that the United States will consider her interests involved, if any European Power seeks territorial aggrandisement in any part of America, or interferes with the internal affairs of any American State.

Monsieur VÉto.

A nickname of Louis XVI, referring to the power given him by the Constitution of 1791 to veto the acts of the Legislative Assembly. Marie Antoinette was known as Madame VÉto, as it was believed that it was largely her influence which induced the King to exercise his right.

Montesa, Knights of.

A Spanish order of religious chivalry, established in 1317. They succeeded the Templars in Aragon.

Montpelier, Treaty of.

A treaty between Louis XIII and the Huguenots, after their last appearance in arms in 1622. The King undertook to observe the Edict of Nantes, and gave the Huguenots two towns. La Rochelle and Montauban, as places of safety.

Montrouge Club.

A club composed of friends of the Duc d’OrlÉans (Philippe EgalitÉ), which was formed about 1789. Its object was to supplant the reigning dynasty by the Orleans branch. Among its prominent members were Mirabeau, SiÉyÈs and Sillery.

Montsioa War.

In 1884 the Transvaal Boers attacked Montsioa, a Bechuana chief under British protection, and forced him to make a treaty with them, in defiance of the London Convention. In the following year a force under Sir Charles Warren occupied the disturbed territory, which was brought under the British administration, and the Boers were forced to withdraw.

Montt-Varistas.

The extreme reactionaries of the Pelucones, or Conservative party, in Chile in 1850. They took their name from President Montt, and his Secretary of State, Varas.

Moonlighters.

An agrarian secret society, similar in its constitution and methods to the Whiteboys, which was guilty of numerous outrages in Ireland in 1881.

Moors, Expulsion of.

The final overthrow of the Moorish power in Spain was accomplished by the capture of Granada in 1492, under Ferdinand and Isabella. The terms of capitulation provided that the Moors, while remaining under Spanish dominion, should preserve their own laws, language and religion, with the right to hold property free of molestation. The non-Christian Moors were, however, expelled from Spain by Philip III in 1610.

Morant Bay Riots.

An outbreak of negroes in Jamaica in 1865, which was promptly suppressed, and is only noteworthy as leading to the long controversy with regard to the action of Governor Eyre, whose repressive measures led to his recall. Several attempts were made to bring him to trial, but the case never got beyond the Grand Jury, who always declined to find a true bill.

Moravians.

A Protestant sect, having its origin in the Hussites, which was very numerous in Bohemia and Moravia in the sixteenth century. In 1627 they were expelled from these countries, and, later, settled in Saxony.

Morey Letter.

A letter purporting to be written by Garfield, on the eve of the Presidential Election in the United States in 1880, to a large employer of labour named Morey. It advocated free admission of Chinese labour, and it was hoped by the Democrats would seriously injure the Republican cause on the Pacific Slope. It was of course a forgery.

Mormons.

A sect founded by Joseph Smith, the son of a Vermont farmer, in 1830, at Fayette, New York State. The Mormons moved westward and, after several years’ wanderings, settled on the Great Salt Lake in 1847, under Brigham Young. Their advocacy of polygamy was for a long time a bar to the admission of Utah to the Union, but the enforcement of the Edmunds Act of 1882 led to the formal abandonment of polygamy as a tenet by the Mormons in 1890, and Utah was admitted a State in 1896.

Mortmain, Statute of.

A statute passed in 1279, to put a stop to the growing practice of giving landed property to the Church, and receiving it back as tenants, thus evading feudal obligations. To prevent land thus passing into a dead hand (mortuum manum), all such alienations were forbidden, except with the King’s consent.

Morton’s Fork.

The scheme devised by Morton, the Minister of Henry VII, to increase the revenues of the State. He exacted contributions from those who lived well on the plea that they were obviously rich, and from those who lived plainly on the ground that their economy had made them wealthy.

Mossbacks.

The name given to an old-fashioned section of the Democratic party in the United States, most numerous in Ohio. The word is derived from the popular name for the snapping turtle, which is so called from the growth of a species of aquatic moss on its shell.

Most Holy Synod.

A body charged with the administration of the Russian National Church. Its members are appointed and removed by the Czar, and its head, the Procurator, is practically an autocrat in all matters of Church discipline. It has however no jurisdiction over matters of dogma.

Mother Ann.

The leader of the Shakers in Sussex, at the end of the eighteenth century. Her name was Ann Lee.

Mother of Presidents.

The State of Virginia is so called, as having furnished no less than six Presidents of the United States.

Mother of States.

A name given to the State of Virginia, either as the oldest colony, or as having had five States, namely, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and West Virginia, formed out of her original territories.

Moujik.

The Russian peasant.

Moulins, Edict of.

An edict issued in 1566 by the Chancellor, de l’HÔpital, after a conference of Notables representing both the Huguenot and the Catholic parties. It dealt with the reform of judicial procedure.

Mountain.

The Jacobins, or ultra-revolutionary party in the Convention during the French Revolution. Its leaders were Danton and Robespierre. The Mountain came to an end with the fall of Robespierre and his followers on the 9th Thermidor (July 28, 1794). It was so called because its members occupied the upper tiers of seats in the Convention.

Mountain Meadow Massacre.

The massacre by Indians, under Mormon leadership, of a party of 140 emigrants, who were crossing Utah on their way to California in 1857. The Mormons had been for some time in difficulties with the United States Government, and Federal troops were in the neighbourhood of Salt Lake City, but no hostilities had taken place. The leader of the band, J. D. Lee, a Mormon Bishop, was executed for the crime on the actual site of the massacre in 1877.

Mountain Men.

A name given to the Cameronians.

Mugwumps.

A section of the Republican party in the United States who, in 1884, supported Cleveland, the Democratic candidate for President, owing to his advocacy of Civil Service Reform. The word is also applied to those who for various reasons decline to attach themselves definitely to either of the great political parties.

Mulmutine Laws.

A code of laws said to have been drawn up by Mulmutius, King of the Britons, circ. 400 B.C. They were translated by Alfred the Great, and remained the basis of English law until the Conquest.

Mundebunde or Mundium.

Among the Franks the protection afforded by the King or a feudal lord to an ecclesiastic or other person not being an ordinary vassal.

Municipal Reform Act.

An Act passed in 1835, dealing with 178 municipalities. In the majority of these the election to municipal offices had been entirely in the hands of the freemen, often a very small minority of the inhabitants. The Act instituted an electoral qualification of three years’ residence, and the payment of poor and borough rates. It also established town councils, and provided for an independent audit.

Mustafiz.

The second line of reserve, or militia, of the Turkish army.

Mutiny Act.

This Act was passed for the first time in 1689, for one year only, and has since that time been passed annually. It gives disciplinary powers to the officers of the army and navy, apart from the ordinary process of law, and neither service could be maintained without it.

Mutualists.

A secret association of the chefs d’ateliers, or middlemen, of the Lyons weavers, which ordered a strike of workmen in April, 1834. The strike resulted in a rising, which was promptly suppressed, and the leaders were prosecuted under the Associations Law.