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ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE (Methodist Episcopal); and has a National bank, manufactories of drop forgings, steam hammers, boilers, white lead, terra cotta ware, and agricultural implements, and daily, weekly, and monthly periodicals. Pop. (1900) 8,974; (1920) 21,603.

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE, FÉDÉRATION DE L', an association of societies organized in the United States and Canada in 1902. Its purpose is to promote the study of the French language, literature, arts, and history. A council composed of twenty directors meets five times yearly to supervise the affairs of the Federation. There are in the United States and Canada over 50 groups or circles which send delegates to the annual convention held in various cities.

ALLIANCE ISRAELITE UNIVERSELLE, an organization established in 1860 in Paris for the general benefit of the Jews throughout the world. Its original program included the emancipation of the Jews under oppressive laws and political disabilities. The movement spread until it became a great power. Schools were established in various parts of Europe and Asia. Farm schools were also established in Palestine. Normal schools for teachers are maintained in Paris. There are committees of the Alliance in New York and Philadelphia. It publishes monthly bulletins and semi-annual reports, together with reports on special studies on subjects related to its work.

ALLIBONE, SAMUEL AUSTIN, an American bibliographer, born at Philadelphia. April 17, 1816. He was at one time librarian of the Lenox Library, New York. He was the author of a "Dictionary of English Literature, and British and American Authors"; "Poetical Quotations," "Prose Quotations," etc. It took 20 years to write the Dictionary. He died at Lucerne, Switzerland, Sept. 2, 1889.

ALLIGATOR, a genus of reptiles belonging to the family alligatoridæ and order crocodilia. The alligator is known from its nearest allies, the crocodiles and gavials, by having the head depressed and the canine teeth of the lower jaw received in a pit in the upper. The hind feet are never completely webbed, and sometimes there is scarcely any membrane. The best known species is alligatoridæ mississippiensis, the alligator of the Mississippi river. It is 15 or 18 feet, or even more, in length.

ALLINGHAM, WILLIAM, an Irish poet, born at Ballyshannon, March 19, 1828. Having for some years been an officer in the customs, he became assistant editor of "Fraser's Magazine," in 1872, and succeeded Froude as editor in 1874, when he also married Helen Paterson, the illustrator and water color artist. Prominent among his works is "Lawrence Bloomfield in Ireland" (1864), a narrative poem on contemporary Irish life. He died near London, Nov. 18, 1889.

ALLISON, WILLIAM BOYD, an American legislator, born in Perry, O., March 2, 1829; was brought up on a farm; and subsequently educated at Allegheny College, Pa., and Western Reserve College, O. He practiced law and in the early part of the Civil War served on the governor's staff. In 1863-1871 he was a representative in Congress; and on March 4, 1873, entered the United States Senate as a Republican, to which he was re-elected in 1878, 1884, 1890, and 1896. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Chicago, in 1860. In the session of the Senate, beginning Dec. 4, 1899, he was Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations and a member of that on Finance. He died Aug. 4, 1908.

ALLITERATION, the succession or frequent occurrence of words beginning with the same letter. In the older Scandinavian, German, and Anglo-Saxon poetry it served instead of rhyme. It is found in early English poetry with the same function.

ALLOBROGES, in ancient history, a warlike people of Gaul, who inhabited the territory between the Rhone and the Isère, extending to Lake Geneva. They appear in the annals of Hannibal's expedition to Gaul (218 B. C).

ALLODIUM, or ALLODIAL TENURE, the absolute ownership of landed property unburdened by any rent or service due