the treaties of commerce, and passing in
1892 a highly protectionist tariff. This was the starting-point of the
decline in foreign trade, the advance of foreign exchanges, the decay of
railway traffic, and the monetary and financial crisis which continued
from 1892 to 1898. Splits in the Conservative ranks forced Canovas to
resign at the end of 1893, and Sagasta came in for eighteen months,
Canovas resumed office in March 1895 immediately after the outbreak of
the Cuban insurrection, and devoted most of his time and efforts, with
characteristic determination, to the preparation of ways and means for
sending 200,000 men to the West Indies to carry out his stern and
unflinching policy of no surrender, no concessions and no reforms. He
was making up his mind for another effort to enable General Weyler to
enforce the reforms that had been wrung from the Madrid government, more
by American diplomacy than from a sense of the inevitable, when the
bullet of an anarchist, in August 1897, at the baths of Santa Agueda,
cut short his career. On the whole, Canovas must be regarded as the
greatest Spanish statesman of the close of the 19th century. He was not
only a politician but also a man of the world, a writer of considerable
merit, a scholar well versed in social, economic and philosophical
questions, a great debater, a clever lecturer, a member of all the
Madrid academies and a patron of art and letters. (A. E. H.)

CANROBERT, FRANCOIS CERTAIN (1809-1895), marshal of France, was born at
St Cere (Lot) on the 27th of June 1809 and educated at St Cyr; he
received a commission as sub-lieutenant in 1828, becoming lieutenant in
1833. He went to Algeria in 1835, served in the expedition to Mascara,
at the capture of Tlemcen, and in 1837 became captain. In the same year
he was wounded in the storm of Constantine, receiving the Legion of
Honour for his conduct. In 1839 he was employed in organizing a
battalion of the Foreign Legion for the Carlist Wars. In 1841 he was
again serving in Africa. Promoted lieutenant-colonel in 1846 and colonel
of the 3rd regiment in 1847, he commanded the expedition against Ahmed
Sghir in 1848, and defeated the Arabs at the Djerma Pass. Transferred to
the Zouaves, he defeated the Kabyles, and in 1849 displayed both courage
and energy in reinforcing the blockaded garrison of Bou Sada, and in
command of one of the attacking columns at Zaatcha (December 1849). For
his valour on the latter occasion he