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. 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 previous year. There 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. 2. Resolved, That we are in favor of free public education for all the children of the State, and as a 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. useless and oppressive features of the militia law, and Resolved, That we are in favor of the repeal of the 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 nomina tions 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: Resolved, That the Republicans of Maryland, in party of the Union, General Ulysses S. Grant as their convention assembled, recommend to the Republican candidate for President of the United States. |