000. The Treasury was somewhat embarrassed by the act of the last Legislature, repealing the Defence Loan Bill, and the tax authorized for the redemption of bounties, as a large balance of bounties was still unpaid, and the receipts from the sale of bonds of the defence loan were considered as a collateral fund to meet the demand from that quarter. Further embarrassment was caused by the failure of the Mayor and Council of Baltimore to appoint commissioners to collect the State taxes in that city. The Governor had the power to make the appointment in case of such failure on the part of the city officials; but the gentlemen appointed for the purpose by the Governor declined to serve, on account of apprehended complications, and the heavy responsibilities under the existing law. The difficulties, however, are of a kind likely to be remedied without delay. The amount of property throughout the State subject to assessment is reported at $492,653,472, free from all exemptions. For the year ending June 30, 1867, the amount of money expended in the State for the support of schools, exclusive of those in the city of Baltimore, reached the sum of $436,204.89, or $341.05 for each of the 1,279 different schools. These schools were in operation for an average of nine months in the year, employing 1,558 teachers, and furnishing instruction to 71,060 children. The new constitution, as has been already stated, puts an end to the present school system, and imposes on the Legislature now in session the duty of providing an entirely new one. vious year. The expenses of the State Penitentiary, for the year ending November 30th, were covered by the sum of $106,506.30. The number of inmates was 667, showing an increase of 126 over the number confined there during the preThere were only 31 more white convicts than five years ago, while the number of negroes had more than quadrupled in the same time, and nearly doubled within the last two years. There is a House of Refuge for white juvenile offenders, but no such provision has as yet been made for the correction of youthful delinquents of the colored race. A new militia has been organized during the year in accordance with an act of the Legislature at its last session. The law provided for the appointment of an Inspector-General to superintend the organization of the militia. A State militia was enrolled, numbering about 80,000, of which nearly 60,000 form the National Guard, and 20,000 constitute the reserve militia. The Constitutional Convention provided that the law should become inoperative after the close of the present session of the General Assembly, and put an end to the office of Inspector-General from the time at which the constitution went into force. An interesting decision was made by ChiefJustice Chase, in the United States Circuit Court at Baltimore, on a case arising under the Civil Rights Law enacted by Congress on the 8th of April, 1866. A colored girl, who had formerly been a slave, was apprenticed by the Orphans' Court on an indenture, the terms of which differed materially from those required by the laws of the State in the case of white children apprenticed. The man to whom the girl had been indentured was brought before the court by writ of habeas corpus granted on petition of a friend of the colored girl. The respondent employed no counsel, and the case was argued but briefly on the part of the petitioner. The girl was discharged from the custody of the respondent, on the ground that her indenture of apprenticeship was in conflict with the Civil Rights Law, which assures to all citizens, without regard to race or color, "full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of persons and property as is enjoyed by white citizens." The first election under the new constitution took place in November. The political parties held their nominating conventions on the 9th and 10th of the previous month, at Baltimore. The Democratic Convention, on the 9th of October, after organizing and expressing their gratification at the result of the elections in several of the States, proceeded to nominate for Governor, Oden Bowie, with a full State ticket. Provision having then been made for the appointment of a State Central Committee for the party, the convention adjourned. On the following day the delegates of the Republican party assembled and adopted the following resolutions: Resolved, That the Republican party of Maryland, in convention assembled, adhere firmly to the principles of manhood suffrage, universal and uniform education, and the payment of the national debt, and pledge themselves to fight it out on that line. education for all the children of the State, and as a 2. Resolved, That we are in favor of free public cardinal principle in this campaign we advocate the maintenance of the existing school system of the State, with no changes except to increase its usefulmaintaining its great features of uniform supervision ness and promote economy, and as an essential point and uniform State taxation, which shall secure general officers, and by the compulsion of the whole State secure school facilities to every county in the State. Resolved, That we are in favor of the repeal of the useless and oppressive features of the militia law, and the abolition of compulsive enrolment and taxation for exemption. Resolutions were received from a inass meeting of colored citizens indorsing the principles of the Republican party, and the nominations which had been made for the officers of the city of Baltimore, and declaring their preference for Hugh L. Bond for Governor of the State, who was nominated with a full State ticket. After the nominations were completed, the following resolution was adopted: convention assembled, recommend to the Republican Resolved, That the Republicans of Maryland, in party of the Union, General Ulysses S. Grant as their candidate for President of the United States. The election on the first Tuesday in November resulted in the choice of the Democratic candidates. The whole vote for Governor was 85,492, of which Oden Bowie received 41,712 majority over H. L. Bond. The Legislature of 1868 is unanimously Democratic in both branches. MASSACHUSETTS. The Massachusetts Legislature net on the 2d day of January, 1867, and continued in session until the 3d day of June following, the whole number of days in which the members were in actual attendance being 153. Three hundred and fifty-nine laws were enacted, and 93 joint resolutions adopted during this time, mostly relating to matters of local interest. The credit of the State was loaned to the extent of four millions of dollars for internal improvements, and an additional grant of $600,000 was made to the Troy and Greenfield Railroad and Hoosac Tunnel. The Militia Act was so amended as to create the office of Assistant Adjutant-General, its incumbent to be ranked as colonel, and to hold the position of chief of the division staff; and a medical director was added to the staff of the major-general. The usury laws were virtually repealed by an enactment allowing a higher rate of interest than that assigned as the lawful rate, by special agreement of the parties. On the last day of the session an act was passed over a veto from the Governor, providing for the annexation of the city of Roxbury to Boston, in case the people of the former city should vote in favor of the project. The vote was given in favor of the annexation in September, and from the 1st of January, 1868, the municipal authority of Boston extends over an additional population of about 40,000. A subject which occupied the attention of the Legislature to a considerable degree during the session, and excited a lively interest among the people of the State throughout the year, was the expediency of the law now existing on the statute-books prohibiting the sale of all intoxicating liquors, including ale, beer, and cider. This law, enacted in 1855, prohibits absolutely any sale of these liquors to be used as a beverage, and forbids their sale for any mechanical or medicinal purpose by any one but the agents of the State appointed for that purpose. Various petitions were received by the Legislature, embodying the sentiments of 34,963 legal voters of the State, praying for the enactment of a judicious license law in place of the prohibitory statute now in force, and also a petition from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, asking that druggists and apothecaries might be allowed to sell spirituous liquors for medicinal and chemical purposes; and on the other hand remonstrances against the substitution of a license law for the present statute were received over the signatures of 25,863 legal voters, the officers of numerous temperance societies and conventions, and 14,471 "women and others." This mass of petitions and remonstrances was referred to a joint special committee. The committee gave a series of public hearings, at which the testimony of many scientific and medical men was taken, as well as that of other citizens interested in the question, both as to the effects of the use of alcoholic beverages and as to the practical operation of the prohibitory law on the habits and morals of the people. Learned and able arguments were also delivered before the Legislative committee by prominent advocates, representing public opinion on both sides of the question. A report was finally submitted to the Legislature, in which the subject of temperance and legislation pertaining thereto was discussed at some length, and the results at which the committee had arrived by their investigations concerning the prohibitory law were summed up in these three propositions: 1. It is not sinful nor hurtful in every case to use every kind of alcoholic liquors as beverages. It is not, therefore, wrong in every case to sell every kind law prohibits every sale of every kind of alcoholic of alcoholic liquors to be used as beverages. But this liquors to be used as beverages. 2. It is the right of every citizen to determine for himself what he will eat and drink. A law prohibiting him from drinking every kind of alcoholic liquors, universally used in all countries and ages as a beverage, is an arbitrary and unreasonable interference with his rights, and is not justified by the consideration that some men may abuse their rights, and may, therefore, need the counsel and example of good men prohibit him from drinking every kind of alcoholic to lead them to reform. But this law does, in theory, liquors, since it prohibits every sale of every kind of alcoholic liquors to be used as a beverage. 3. Finally, if the use should be totally prohibited, because it is either sinful or hurtful in all cases, or But this law punishes the sale, and does not punish may be in some cases, the use should be punished. the use. Testimony also was submitted tending to show diminished under the operation of this law; that intemperance had increased rather than and that the effect was, not to lessen the amount of liquor sold, but to degrade the charcontraband trade in inferior qualities of the acter of the traffic by fostering a disgraceful liquors, which ministered effectually to all the mischievous abuses springing from the sale, in any form, of alcoholic drinks. The committee, therefore, reported a bill providing for a license system to regulate the sale of intoxicating liquors. In the first place, they proposed to make it lawful for any person to sell cider or Beer on condition of having recorded with the city or town clerk his intention of so doing. Licenses to sell other liquors were to be granted to the following classes of persons: 1. Licensed hotel-keepers and common victuallers to sell to their guests, the liquor to be drank upon the premises. 2. Wholesale and retail dealers to sell, in proper quantities, to persons carrying the liquor away from the premises. 3. Druggists and apothecaries to sell only for use in medicine, cooking, and the arts. Stringent conditions, however, were laid down in the proposed measure, among which was an entire prohibition of the sale at a public bar on Sunday, or to minors or other unsuitable persons. This bill, which was made very strict in its provisions for the thorough regulation of this kind of traffic, in the hope of effecting a compromise with the opponents of the license system, was rejected by the Legislature, and the old law suffered to remain in force. derstood that the support of that law is an essential part of the duties of the Republicans of this Commonwealth: but that it recognizes the entire right of every member of the party to advocate and vote for a law of prohibition or regulation, as his individual judgment shall dictate. The resolutions of the Democratic party allude to the subject in the following language: Resolved, That we distinctly affirm and avow without reservation the traditional democratic principle of opposition to all legislation that infringes upon the private rights and liberties of the citizens; and we especially oppose the extraordinary and odious method of the enforcement of the laws by systems of espionage and by subsidized spies and informers. quent appeal in behalf of the cause of temperOn the subject of the prohibitory law ance. he said: This subject continued to agitate the minds of the people, and the State constabulary force, to whom the execution of the law was intrusted, continued to enforce its provisions with vigor in all parts of the State until after the election in November. There were seizures of liquor to the amount of 92,658 gallons during In the interval between the two conventions the year, of which 46,805 gallons were destroyed, 11,337 gallons were returned to claim- of these political parties, on the 17th of Sepants by order of the court, 5,468 gallons turned tember, the friends and advocates of proover to the agents of the State, and the remain-hibition met at Worcester and organized a der, 49,048 gallons, awaited the orders of the Rev. Dr. Eddy, of Boston, presided. The Hon. State Temperance Convention, at which the court. At the end of the year, the State constable had caused some 3,000 cases to be Henry Wilson, Senator in Congress from Masbrought in the various courts of the Common-sachusetts, addressed the assembly in an elowealth against persons employed in the illegal sale of liquor, in most of which pleas of guilty had been entered or verdicts rendered. The operations of the constabulary force had not, however, been confined to seizing liquor and closing grog-shops. Gambling-implements had been destroyed to the value of fifteen thousand dollars, and numerous lotteries, houses of illfame, and other illegal institutions had been suppressed. An attempt to break up a gambling-establishment in Westfield, in the early part of October, was forcibly resisted, and a serious riot ensued, in which a citizen of that place was killed by a pistol shot from one of the officers of the constabulary force. The expenses of this department for the year reached the sum of $125,430.48, while the receipts from fines, sale of confiscated liquors, etc., amounted to $246,027.19, leaving a balance to the credit of the State of $120,596.71. This question of regulating the sale of liquor had a visible effect upon the political issues in the State, the support of the prohibitory policy being generally attributed to the dominant party; but the division of the people upon this question did not coincide altogether with the lines separating political organizations. A movement was made in the Republican Convention in September, formally to repudiate the policy of prohibition, as essentially a part of the platform which that party occupied on questions affecting the interests of the State. The following resolution was offered and referred to the Committee on Resolutions, but not reported by them for adoption: Resolved, That the Republican party of Massachusetts exacts no other test of membership than faithful adherence to the principles from time to time set forth in the resolutions of the State and National Conventions; that in view of the vast importance of the present national issues, it hopes that differences of opinion upon matters of State legislation will not impair the efficiency and strength of the party as a political organization; that it hereby disclaims all responsibility for the enactment and retention of the present prohibitory liquor law, and will not permit it to be unVOL. VII.-31 To the convention he would say-do up your work plates that you may use all the power and influence well to-day. Resolve it, write it upon your dooryou possess to cause that the next Legislature of Massachusetts shall keep upon the statute-book that law which was put there many years ago, and which he hoped would stand as long as grass grows or water runs. It would be folly to overlook the great fact that there is much power engaged in the license movement, that there are powerful men engaged in regulating and controlling it. Let us appeal to the heart, to the conscience and reason, to the higher and better sentiments of the people, and if the people of Massachusetts are what we claim they are, they will see to it that right and true men fill the chairs of the Senators and Representatives next winter, and that we have a Legislature true to the cause of prohibition. Among the resolutions which were adopted by this body, the following are selected as relating to the subject of the proper legislation touching the sale of liquor. The other resolutions relate to the evils of intemperance, and the importance of united efforts for its suppression. Resolved, That the licensing of any crime or moral evil is based upon a principle destructive to society, and cannot be defended on any plea of public neceslicense laws designed to regulate the sale of strong sity, nor by any law of Christian ethics; that the drinks have proved a failure both in this country and in Europe; that instead of restricting the sale, they only tend to render respectable what is really dishonorable, and make the business a fearful monopoly, and miseries of drunkenness, and thus involve every produce a revenue to the Government from the woes citizen in the guilt and shame of a traffic, the only legitimate products of which are public dishonor, domestic misery, intellectual degradation, and spiritual death. Resolved, That the prohibitory law of 1855, having been thoroughly tested by the courts, sifted in its general features and in its minutest details, and sustained by the highest legal authorities in the land, should remain on the statute-book, and be supported by all the power of the Commonwealth; that its enforcement is practicable, reasonable, and essential; that any modification that would impair its efficiency 482 would at this time be mischievous and deplorable- Resolved, That we consider the question of temper- to nominate for reëlection the entire board of officers then in power, viz.: for Governor, Alexander H. Bullock, of Worcester; for Lieutenant-Governor, William Claflin, of Newton; for Secretary of State, Oliver Warner, of Northampton; for Treasurer and Receiver-General, Jacob H. Lord, of Plymouth; for AttorneyGeneral, Charles Allen, of Boston; for Auditor of Accounts, Henry S. Briggs, of Pittsfield. The following resolutions were then adopted, as expressing the views of the delegates on matters of national interest: Resolved, That we regard the speedy restoration, upon the principles of equal rights, of civil governments, wherever they were overthrown by the rebellion, as of the highest importance to the nation, and we approve the measures adopted by Congress at its recent sessions to secure that desirable consummation. Resolved, That the conduct of President Andrew Johnson, his fellowship with the foes of their country, who are plotting in peace for the success of the conspiracy which failed in war; his usurpation of unlawful powers, as well as his flagrant abuse of powers confided to him; his persistent determination to evade and defy the laws and defeat the will of the people as declared in them; his removal of faithful cabinet and military officers for no other reason than that they stood in the way of his hostile purposes; his deliberate and successful endeavors to continue and aggravate disorder and insecurity of person and property in Southern communities, resulting at times in the massacres of innocent citizens-all made more conspicuous and painful by his perverse character and his disregard of the proprieties of his high station-all render his continuance in office the constant cause of the gravest anxiety, and make it imperative to employ every constitutional mode of curbing and resisting him, and, if necessary, to deprive him of all We, therefore, in behalf of the power to harm. people of Massachusetts, while declaring our approval of the past measures of Congress to arrest the career and defeat the plans of this dangerous and desperate man, pledge also to that body in the future Resolved, That we thank our Senators and Repre- Resolved, That our gratitude is due to the military their commands to restore order, initiate civil governcommanders, who have done all in their power within ments, and secure protection to citizens of every race and party. Resolved, That it is appropriate, at this time, to accord our tribute of grateful praise to the enfranchised masses of the South, whose fidelity to the country, and whose just appreciation of their new duties as citizens, confirm in peace their title to the good name which their patience and valor won for them in war. Their loyal votes having already secured good governments in the District of Columbia and in the aid the triumph of republican principles in the counState of Tennessee, give promise that through their try is secure. Resolved, That time and continued peace ought never to diminish our gratitude to the brave and true men by whose courage and toils on land and sea the rebellion was suppressed, and the country saved. It is and will ever be our sacred duty to care for the disabled survivors, and the families of the dead. The Democratic State Convention assem bled at Worcester on the 14th of October, and Resolved, That each State in the Union is free, and enjoy every power, jurisdiction, and right which sovereign, and independent, and entitled to exercise is not expressly delegated to the General Government in the Constitution of the United States. Resolved, That the burdens imposed on the people through an absurd system of taxation and a vast expenditure of money for the support of a corrupt and extravagant administration of the General Government, and to meet the expense of a large standing army, demand our serious consideration and a speedy reform, that taxation may fall equally upon property and labor. Resolved, That those members of Congress who have passed laws outside of, and in defiance of the Constitution, for the purpose of subordinating the civil to the military power, have trifled with the safeguards of justice, liberty, and peace, and are guilty of perjury and usurpation. Resolved, That the real sympathy and regard of the Republican party, for the soldiers who have so bravely fought the battles of the country, are to be found in the action of the Republican Senate of the United States, which has refused to confirm the and brilliant his services in the field, unless he voted nomination of any soldier to office, however faithful the ticket of the party. Resolved, That it is the imperative duty of this Republic to afford ample protection to all its citizens, to remain at home or travel abroad; that language whether native or adopted, and whether they choose spoken within the limits of the United States is not punishable in any other country; that our citizens arrested on suspicion and now suffering imprisonment in foreign countries, when no specific charge is preferred against them, should be immediately dis |