Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/405

 1899.] America. — West Indies. [397

that he would assist in disbanding the Cuban army, and dis- tributing among the soldiers the $3,000,000 voted by Congress. The Cuban Military Assembly demanded a much larger sum. On March 11 the Assembly, by 26 votes to 4, impeached Maximo Gomez, and removed him from his command as genetral-in- chief, charging him with "failure in his military duties and disobedience to the Assembly."

•On April 4 the Cuban Assembly voted to disband the army by 21 votes to 1. As all hope of raising an additional sum from the United States failed, it also voted for its own dissolu- tion, thereby removing the last obstacle to the return of the Cuban soldiers to their homes. Yet on April 7 General Gomez was reinstated by a majority of the Cuban generals as com- mander-in-chief, and conferences were held by him with General Brooke, the United States Military Governor. For a long time the distribution of the money was delayed by the action of the Cuban patriots, but at length, on September 2, General Brooke reported that the payments to the Cuban army were completed, leaving a surplus of $400,000.

President M'Kinley on August 17 issued a proclamation directing a census of the people of Cuba to be taken, and the work was begun on October 16. There was nothing in the proclamation to indicate that the United States would give immediate independence to the island, and the military govern- ment was certain to continue for at least several months in the coming year.

Bahamas. — Eevenue exceeded expenditure to a considerable amount, through a great increase in imports due to the pros- perity of the colonial industries. The main exports were sponges, fruit and Sisal hemp.

Barbados. — Sugar was the principal industry, but was still manufactured in the most pnmitive manner. A reciprocity treaty with the United States was concluded on June 16, allow- ing 12 per cent, reduction on sugar, but the reciprocal con- cessions for United States produce threatened to diminish materially the customs revenue, unless counterbalanced by increase of trade.

Bermuda. — The revenue of the colony last year was 38,923Z., or 2,958Z. more than in the previous year. It was almost wholly due to increased customs receipts, consequent on the growing popularity of the island as a winter resort. Trade was principally with the United States. Population was estimated at about 16,000, of which 10,000 were coloured people.

A cyclone occurred in Bermuda on September 13, which did great damage to public and private property. The damage done to the dockyard alone was estimated at 20,000Z. The Government houses, the city hall and the public gardens suffered from the storm, which was more severe than any since 1880.

Hayti. — A plot to overthrow the Government of President