Why the Chinese play cricket (an Imperial Federation timeline)

Sept-Dec 1891: Changing the rules
~Sept-Dec 1891: Changing the rules

September 1891: The delivery of the 240 Maxim guns ordered in 1888 taken over two years to complete. The army is deeply dissatisfied at the time frame involved and compels the Maxim company to grant a licence to RSAF Enfield to produce the weapon. It is also decided all future production will be in the standard 0.303” rifle cartridge.

September 1891: With the depression in Irish agriculture continuing, the Industrial Development (Ireland), along with the Railways and Roading (Ireland) Acts are passed. The first is very similar to the Imperial Development Act, while the second is intended to encourage the development of a transport infrastructure necessary to support such industry. The intention of the acts are to foster the development of industry in Ireland outside of Ulster and thereby decrease Irish dependence on agriculture.

September 1891: The Dominions contribution to the Sudan Campaign is to consist of two composite infantry battalions, one from Canada and southern Africa, and one from the Pacific Dominions. These will be supported by two artillery batteries, one from Canada and one from the Pacific. They will form the Dominion Brigade supported by an Indian battalion. These begin arriving in Egypt to commence training and familiarisation. They will join a British infantry brigade of four battalions, five Egyptian and seven Sudanese infantry battalions in three brigades, a cavalry brigade consisting of a British and two Egyptian cavalry battalions along with the Egyptian camel battalion, along with two British and four Egyptian artillery batteries and a specialist engineer battalion. This last unit is intended to lay a railway to follow the invasion and maintain its supply line. Included in this last unit is Second Lieutenant Zaitian Aisin-Gioro. The army is to be commanded by General Herbert Kitchener and totals some 24,000 men, equipped with seven Maxim guns directly attached to the British and Dominion battalions and another twelve in two Maxim batteries of the Royal Artillery.

October 1891: The Russians introduce the Pekhotnaya Vintovka Obrazca 1891-go goda, or Infantry Rifle Model 1891, more commonly known as the Mosin M1891. Designed by Sergei Mosin, the rifle is a conventional turn bolt action weapon using a 7.62x53mmR cartridge fed by a five round stripper clip. The rifle is unusual in being sighted assuming the bayonet is fixed. While the bolt mechanism will be shown to be somewhat complicated, the Mosin will prove to be a dependable service weapon and equip the Russian army. Most will be produced in Russia, however initial lack of domestic facilities will lead to a large number being manufactured in France for some years.

October 1891: The Liberal Party's program of reform in India has created a demand in India for further reform, with radical elements taking a distinctly anti-Imperial tone. Recognising that Indian nationalism can not be ignored, the government has adopted a policy of supporting the moderate pro-Imperial Indian National Congress over the radical Indian National Association. After extensive consultations with the INC, the Indian Civil Service Act is passed. It splits the previously united Indian Civil Service into a Central Civil Service and individual Provincial Civil Services for each province, though retaining a pathway for elevation from a provincial service to the central service. It also finally allows for the Civil Service exams to be held both in Britain and India, along with scrapping the separation of roles into covenanted and uncovenanted allowing for Indians eventually to reach senior levels. It is hope this will encourage increased participation of the growing Indian middle classes in the administration of India and give them a vested interest in mainlining the existing power structure by allowing them to take over at the provincial level while maintaining Imperial control of the core central government.

October 1891: After many months of tense negotiations, a new US-Canadian fisheries and trade treaty has been negotiated. The new treaty would see both sides gaining mutual access to the other's fisheries under a quota system. While the trade agreement would see mutual tariff reductions to foster greater trade ties.

October 1891: Charles Parnell dies, and his seat will be taken by the Irish National League in the following by-election. This leaves just five Irish Home Rule Party members in parliament under the new leader John Redmond. Redmond throws himself into trying to revive the party's fortunes by negotiating a coalition between the three Irish parties, pointing out their representation in Parliament has fallen from 73 to 63 seats due to their disunity.

November 1891: After the failure of the 1889 coup the boulangist Ligue des Patriotes was banned and many of leaders fled overseas, including leader Paul Déroulède. Nevertheless the movement has survived with over sixty members of the Chamber of Deputies being boulangists, headed by Victor Rochefort. Rochefort allies himself with the monarchists and begin a campaign calling for an amnesty for the exiled boulangist leaders and rehabilitation of the movement.

November 1891: At the request of the Emperor the Constitutional Court is created in Brazil. Consisting of nine members appointed for a ten year term, the court will be the court of last resort in Brazil, with a bench of three to five judges ruling on cases. The full bench will also have the power to strike down any law it finds to be contrary to the 1824 Constitution. The court will also serve to advise the Emperor on the use of his reserve powers, though in practice, the Emperor will always follow the courts advice. The court will be a further step in assuaging conservative opposition to the ongoing liberal reforms and ease the potential succession of Pedro II's daughter Isabel to the throne when her father dies.

November 1891: In response to the Japanese order for two modern battleships the Chinese order another pair of battleships from the British. Virtual repeats of the Royal Navy Centurion class, they are specifically designed for operations in Chinese waters, with a shallow draft to enable them to operate in rivers. Unfortunately the two new battleships will stretch the Qing naval budget beyond its limits, and the British naval mission will be dismissed for financial reasons, along with training operations and the purchase of supplies and ammunition being cut back.

December 1891: The British and Chileans sign a naval treaty at Valparaiso. The Treaty of Valparaiso commits both sides to cooperation and regular joint exercises in the Pacific, the first such exercise being held off Australia next year. The treaty also includes provision for the Chileans to 'join' the All Red Line of undersea telegraph cables, with the intention to lay a cable from Chile to New Zealand via Easter and Pitcairn Islands.

December 1891: The Trans Pacific Cable Company's new cable ship CS Isaac Newton reaches Fanning Island from Bamfield in British Colombia, having laid some 6.000km of undersea telegraph cable. Five days earlier her sister ship the CS Humphry Davy arrived after laying 5,000km from Norfolk Island via Fiji. This will mark the finally completion of the All Red Line of telegraph cables linking the British Empire. With the final link now complete, the Imperial Security Council begins planning on incorporating additional redundancy into the system and developing a plan to link Hong Kong into the system. While the Trans Pacific Cable Company begins work on the Valparaiso to Tauranga cable linking Chile to New Zealand.
 
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As usual, thank you problem is spell checker doesn't pick up those things lol
You also have a passed instead of past in reference to the Bill in the Lords and a have instead of a half or halves in connection to Alaska. But the story is great. Interestingly OTL there was a late early 20th Century attempt to solve the Irish problem by UK wide devolution the negotiations are covered in Duff cooper's biography of FE Smith which i read recently. One thing the radical liberals would presumably do is remove the Church of England from local government. OTL this happened in 1894 with the last Act of the last Gladstone Government setting up civic Parish Councils. Given that education was a driver OTL for Women getting the vote in Local Elections would this new devolution bill have any implications?
 
Oh btw, my partner is fine. She got discharged from hospital yesterday. Medical science in the form of large doses of intravenous antibiotics and some minor surgery worked it's wonders and she's back up on her feet. Thank you all for your good wishes 😘
 
You also have a passed instead of past in reference to the Bill in the Lords and a have instead of a half or halves in connection to Alaska. But the story is great. Interestingly OTL there was a late early 20th Century attempt to solve the Irish problem by UK wide devolution the negotiations are covered in Duff cooper's biography of FE Smith which i read recently. One thing the radical liberals would presumably do is remove the Church of England from local government. OTL this happened in 1894 with the last Act of the last Gladstone Government setting up civic Parish Councils. Given that education was a driver OTL for Women getting the vote in Local Elections would this new devolution bill have any implications?

Thank you, now corrected. Though the passed was meant to be "passed by the Lords" but past works better and saves a couple of words lol.

There's already been one serious attempt to introduce women's suffrage which nearly succeeded but for the lords. The basic problem ITTL is the radicals who control the Liberal Party like Campbell-Bannerman and Dilke are possibly TOO committed to it. They're unwilling to compromise and are pushing for women's suffrage o the same basis as men, rather than the more limited form which was introduced in 1911. If they'[d been willing to put the same 30+ age limit on it probably would have been passed in 1888 when C-B made his attempt. But it will come in sooner.
 
Thank you, now corrected. Though the passed was meant to be "passed by the Lords" but past works better and saves a couple of words lol.

There's already been one serious attempt to introduce women's suffrage which nearly succeeded but for the lords. The basic problem ITTL is the radicals who control the Liberal Party like Campbell-Bannerman and Dilke are possibly TOO committed to it. They're unwilling to compromise and are pushing for women's suffrage o the same basis as men, rather than the more limited form which was introduced in 1911. If they'[d been willing to put the same 30+ age limit on it probably would have been passed in 1888 when C-B made his attempt. But it will come in sooner.
Otl i think it came in Local elections first justified by Women;s concern for children, but i could be misremembering.
 
Still no General staff though to enforce uniform standards though that was an important institution for the the British Army when it was set up.
 
Otl i think it came in Local elections first justified by Women;s concern for children, but i could be misremembering.

From memory a big part was the fact that single women who owned property could vote in local body elections whereas married women couldn't. Part of the fall out from the Married Women's Property Act in the 1870s. Might have to go back and mention that.
 
Still no General staff though to enforce uniform standards though that was an important institution for the the British Army when it was set up.

The bones are already there as a result of the Hofmeyr Compromise of 1888, but yes no proper General Staff yet. That will require some fiasco like the 2nd Boer War still.
 
Jan-April 1892: Imperial games
~Jan-April 1892: Imperial games

January 1892: Work begins on the construction of a military railway to support the invasion of Sudan. The railway will use the same 3'6” gauge as is in use in southern Africa and extend from Wadi Halfa to Kerma, bypassing the second cataract of the Nile. Then it is intended to build another line from Wadi Halfa to Abu Hamad, allowing supplies to reach the invasion force all year round. This construction is to be covered by an Egyptian brigade, while the British brigade and remaining Egyptian units are to advance cautiously to engage any Mahdist forces. General Kitchener does not feel the new Dominion forces have yet reached a sufficient level of training, so they are to remain in Egypt in reserve for the time being. Kitchener's plan is to secure his supply line's flank by advancing on Gondola and then eventually attack the Khalifa's capital at Omdurman via Abu Hamad.

January 1892: US Senator William McKinley successfully passes the McKinley Tariff Act which massively increases US tariffs, despite President Cleveland's fierce opposition, The act instantly causes a huge increase in prices of many goods and is massively unpopular. It will also lead to widespread introduction of retaliatory tariffs in other countries.

January 1892: Khedive Tewfik of Egypt dies unexpectedly and is succeeded by his eighteen year old son Abbas II, The young Khedive immediately begins to resent the control the British exert over Egypt, seeking to re-establish full Egyptian independence. Abbas immediately begins to surround himself with advisers, primarily French who oppose British control over Egypt. Additionally he begins secretly recruiting supporters in the Egyptian army. In this he is aided by growing opposition to British rule in the Egyptian middle class.

February 1892: Congress votes to reject the new US-Canadian trade and fisheries treaty as is, requiring it to modified to restrict Canadian access to US fisheries and totally rejecting the proposed tariff reductions. While President Cleveland does communicate the modifications Congress requires to the British and Canadians, they refuse to contemplate any such modification, feeling they would unduly favour the US.

February 1892: Since 1881, a French company has been trying to construct a trans oceanic canal cross the Isthmus of Panama. However work came to a halt in 1889. Since that time the company has to attempted to maintain the equipment and keep itself afloat. However the debts are now massive and the company collapses, wiping out hundreds of thousands of investors savings. In the resulting scandal, massive political corruption comes to light, with many prominent politicians being implicated and even convicted.

February 1892: Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont, heir to a fortune, moves to Paris and begins studying engineering and aeronautics.

February 1892: In order to support his policies of devolution and domestic reform, Campbell-Bannerman appoint the radical Charles Dilke as Home Secretary. His former position as Colonial Secretary is taken by Herbert Asquith, while Asquith's role as Secretary of State for War is taken by Reginald Brett. Brett, aware the army is in need of further reform, is finally successful in convincing the Duke of Cambridge to retire as head of the army. General Garnet Wolseley is promoted to Field Marshall and appointed as his replacement. Wolseley immediately begins advocating for change and rationalisation, demanding additional telegraph battalions along with the creation of specialist railway engineering battalions in the Royal Engineers, along with the creation single unified Medical Corps and similar unified Ordinance Corps. Finally Wolseley also abolishes the regimental numbers retained for line regiments in Childers Reforms.

February 1892: Since their establishment of a Protectorate over Cambodia in 1863, the French have been seeking to expand their control in Indochina into Siamese territory, with ultimate aim of absorbing Siam completely. However after the French attempts to intervene in Burma, the British have been providing support and arms for the Siamese, allowing them to resist these efforts. In return the Siamese have renounced their claims to the Thai speaking Shan region of Burma. In a new attempt to expand their control, the French demand the Siamese acknowledge French control of all territory east of the Mekong River. Relying on British support, the Siamese refuse.

March 1892: With memories of the Panama Crisis fading and it now clear former President Blaine's trade sanctions on Chile are having little or no effect on Chile, President Cleveland is finally successful in having them lifted. He also sets about negotiating an Treaty of Friendship with the Chileans. The proposed treaty would have little practical effect but Cleveland hopes it might be the first step in restoring US influence in Chile.

March 1892: The French, seeking to undermine British control of Egypt begin giving Khedive Abbas II covert support in his opposition to the British, smuggling some 10,000 single shot Gras rifles into the country. Additionally political advisers are provided, along with funds to incite nationalist unrest.

March 1892: French anarchist François Ravachol plants a series of bombs in the offices of senior members of the French judicial system. He is easily captured after information from a police informant and executed. However a certain romantic mythology around him will develop in anarchist circles, leading to further examples of 'propaganda of the deed' and an eventual crackdown on anarchism and by extension, socialism, throughout continental Europe.

March 1892: With 80% of the Brazilian population being illiterate, Prime Minister Afonso Celso introduces free compulsory education to the age of 11, along with government subsidies for education to the age of 15. Once again, the new liberal policies cause a great deal of opposition with the countries conservative elites.

March 1892: The new Regional Administration Boards are elected, with the English, Scottish and Welsh boards falling under the control of the Liberals, while the Irish board is narrowly dominated by the Irish Reform Party and the Ulster board the Conservatives. With the exception of the Ulster board, all will introduce free and compulsory education until the age of 13 by the end of the year. However Ulster will wait until 1896 before bringing in similar reform.

April 1892: The new Chinese arsenal at Hanyang is completed and begins producing modem weapons. Unfortunately a major fire breaks out a few weeks after production starts, inflicting major damage and requiring extensive repairs. However despite this setback it is seen as a great success.

April 1892: With Thomas Edison having lost control of his own company in 1891, Westinghouse and Edison Electrical merge to form the General Electric Company. This marks the final triumph of AC power distribution in the US and the end of the War of the Currents. From this point on, AC will be the dominant power distribution system worldwide.

April 1892: The naval building programs of the Blaine years finally begin to show their effect with eight armoured warships commissioning into the US navy, unfortunately due to the extended construction times, at least six of these are already regarded as near obsolete. However, despite the calls of the Mahanist Secretary of the Navy Hilary Herbert, the 1892 building program only includes a single battleship, albeit to a greatly improved design and two armoured cruisers.

April 1892: In the wake of the near catastrophe of the Baring crisis the Banking Security Act is passed, for the first time imposing regulation on the British financial sector. The act requires all British banks to make regular financial statements to the Bank of England and allowing the bank to impose capital requirements based on the risk of investment the institution holds. Despite the modest nature of the regulations, the act incites fierce controversy over government intrusion into the workings of the market.
 
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You know your a sex worker when your partner thinks the solution to intimacy issues in the relationship is to arrange for a couple of friends also in the industry to come round and have sex with you without mentioning it.

While perhaps not the approved method of creating open communications about relationship issues (certainly wouldn't recommend it generally), seems to have worked for us and issues resolved more or less.

However, sorry for the delay. Will be an update later today:)
 
If it's stupid/unorthodox/Other words meaning 'bad' or 'disapproved of'/etc. And it works? Then it isn'st stupid/so on/so forth.

Glad it seems to have helped, and looking forward to the update!
 
If it's stupid/unorthodox/Other words meaning 'bad' or 'disapproved of'/etc. And it works? Then it isn'st stupid/so on/so forth.

Glad it seems to have helped, and looking forward to the update!

It's more a reminder how different some parts of my world are from the norm. I just can't imagine anyone other than a sex worker following the line of logic which led her to do that. It's actually an incredibly caring act. Acknowledging my concerns are both reasonable and important plus trying to make it special as kind of apology for her actions. Even the women she chose were selected with extreme care haha.
 
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