for India. In July the entire Ministry resigned. The reason for this step was that serious differences had arisen between the Ministry and the King on an important constitutional question. The Ministry desired to increase the number of members of each Chamber, and also to change the qualification of voters, and resigned because the King did not favor the plan. On August 18th a new Ministry was formed, as follows: Lynden van Sandenberg, President and Minister of Foreign affairs; Six, Interior; Modderman, Justice; S. Vissering, Finance; Taelman Kip, Navy; Colonel Reuther, War; Van Golstein, Colonies; Klerck, Commerce and Industry.

The budget of the Ministry of War, which occupied the attention of the Chambers during the spring session, was passed on May 28th by 59 to 14 votes. It proposed extensive fortifications on the coast.

In opening the Chambers on September 15th, the King dwelt upon the distress under which industry, commerce, and navigation were laboring, and upon the poor harvest. These causes, it was to be feared, would result in a decline in the yield of some of the imposts, and a necessity for strengthening the resources of the Treasury. He announced that, for the purpose of promoting the prosperity of the country, the Government would maintain the salutary principles of free trade, and would propose measures for the improvement of the means of communication.

The fall session of the Chambers was occupied with the discussion of the budgets of the kingdom and of the East Indian colonies for 1880, which were both voted by the Chambers. The former showed a deficit of 8,000,000 florins, and the latter of 6,000,000 florins, which was, however, reduced to 2,500,000 florins by the increased sale of tobacco. The duty on sugar was slightly increased.

On January 7th the King was married to Princess Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont, at Arolsen in the principality of Waldeck. She is the third daughter of Prince George of Waldeck, and was born August 2, 1858.

The war in Acheen was declared by the Government to be virtually at an end at the close of the year, but the Batavian journals described the condition of the country as being far from satisfactory.

NEVADA. The Legislature of this State opened its session of 1879 in the first week of January, and closed it by adjourning sine die on March 6th, when the time of its duration expired by constitutional limitation.

On January 14th the two Houses separately voted for the election of a United States Senator, the official term of the present incumbent, John P. Jones, expiring on March 3d. Mr. Jones was reelected, the vote being as follows: In the Senate-Jones 19, A. M. Hillhouse 6; in the House-Jones 41, Hillhouse 8.

On January 21st W. W. Bishop, T. N. Stone, and J. S. Mayhugh were elected Regents of VOL. XIX.-42 A

the State University by joint ballot of the two Houses.

The most important of the numerous acts of a public character passed at this session were the following: To pay the State debt proper, and to purchase Territorial bonds; fixing the State tax at fifty-five cents on every hundred dollars; exempting from taxation widows' property to the amount of one thousand dollars; to create a State Board of Equalization ; to redistrict the State; to encourage the growing of trees; appropriating ten thousand dollars for the relief of the sufferers of Reno. Among the joint resolutions were the following: Instructing the State Representatives in Congress "to support the bill limiting the number of Chinese to be brought to the United States to fifteen for each vessel and voyage," and others tending to discourage the employment of Chinese in the State, and give white men a better chance; asking of Congress an extension of time (ten years) in which to comply with the provisions of the act respecting the use of lands granted the State for educational purposes.

In order to give uniformity to the legislative action relative to railroads, a resolution was adopted by the Lower House appointing a select committee of one member from each county "to prepare a bill to regulate fare and freight rates on railroads"; and a concurrent resolution was adopted by both Houses on February 6th, referring all railroad bills to a joint select committee of fourteen." On February 25th the committee presented a majority report against the railroad bills, which was sustained. A bill to prevent discrimination in fares and freights on railroads operated wholly or in part within the State passed the House of Representatives on January 30th by an almost unanimous vote; it passed also the Senate on February 4th, with an amendment, which applies the provisions of the act to the local roads of the State, considered as independent and having no connection in the sense of their being a continuous line with the Central Pacific. It provides that their fares and freights shall be regulated directly by the laws of the State, and not indirectly by "schedules, rates, agreements, or contracts" of any outside railroad company whose line operates also within the State. The charges of transportation, especially for merchandise, have been' thereby greatly reduced. The reduction on the Virginia and Truckee road, as appears from a detailed statement made by its freight agent in March, 1879, ranges from one fifth to 28 per cent., running through almost all the intermediate numbers between these two extremes, according to the various classes of goods transported, and the distances between the several points on the line. The company estimates the decrease in its gross earnings at 12 to 15 per cent., which is considered equivalent to a diminution of over 30 per cent. in the net proceeds.

The value of gold and silver bullion yielded by the Consolidated Virginia and California mines, respectively, during the first six months of 1879, was as follows:

Silver.

Total.

$65,500 $74,200 131,000 165,100 193,600 244,800 207,300

132,800

May.

June..

83,000 66,300

$139,700 296,100

$174,900 83,300 82,600 214,400 246,500 294,400 287,700 131,900 93,800 92,400 $946,800 $910,000 $1,856,800 672,300 822,400 1,434,600 $1,618,500 $1,732,400 $3,350,900

93,600 186,000

On June 30th the Sutro Tunnel was actually opened to discharge the water of the flooded mines, and the day was celebrated with extraordinary festivities. The following particulars of the opening were written by a newspaper correspondent on the same day:

The final completion of the Sutro Tunnel, for the reception of the water from the Comstock mines, was celebrated in the Carson Valley to-night. After ten years of ceaseless labor day and night, and the expenditure of $6,000,000, the powerful engine of the combination shaft of the Hale and Norcross and Savage mines was started up this morning at precisely 6 o'clock, discharging the water into the Sutro Tunnel, at the mouth of which it made its appearance in one hour and twenty minutes, showing a temperature at first of 101, which gradually increased to 118° in eight hours. The water in the long-drowned-out mines was lowered one hundred feet. Everything worked well. The wooden boxes, constructed of three-inch tongued and grooved Sierra Nevada pine, did not show a leak. No steam escaped from them, so that the tunnel showed

It furnishes fuel, charcoal, and timber for the mines, and together with the enduring juniper, so generally associated with it, supplies the ranches with aburdance of firewood and fencing. Many a square mile has already been denuded in supplying these demands, but, so great is the area covered by it, no appreciable loss has as yet been sustained. Besides its general uses, this tree yields edible nuts, which are excellent as food, and in fruitful seasons the pine-nut crop of Nevada is perhaps greater than the entire wheat-crop of California. The Indians alone appreciate this por tion of nature's bounty, and celebrate the harvesthome with dancing and feasting. The cones, which are a bright grass-green in color, and about two inches long by one and a half in diameter, are beaten off with poles just before the scales open, gathered in heaps of several bushels, and lightly scorched by burning a thin covering of brushwood over them. The resin with which the cones are bedraggled is thus burned off, the nuts slightly roasted, and the scales made to open. Then they are allowed to dry in the sun, after which the nuts are easily threshed out and are ready to be stored away. They are about half an inch long by a quarter of an inch in diameter, pointed at the upper end, rounded at the base, light brown in general color, and handsomely dotted with purple, like birds' eggs. The shells are thin, and may be crushed between the thumb and finger. The kernels are white and waxylooking, becoming brown by roasting, sweet and delicious to every palate, and are caten by birds, squirrela, dogs, horses, and men. When the crop is abundant the Indians bring in large quantities for sale; than they are eaten around every fireside in the State, and oftentimes fed to horses instead of barley. Long bo fore the harvest-time, which is in September and October, the Indians closely examine the trees, and as the cones require two years to mature from the first appearance of the little red rosettes of the fertile flowers, the scarcity or abundance of the crop may be predicted more than a year in advance. When the har

vest season arrives, the Indians abandon all other pursuits, and, assembling at some central point, scatter in all directions to gather the nuts. Old and young are busy, and in a few weeks they obtain enough to last them all winter. These nuts are their main dependence, their staff of life, their bread.

NEW HAMPSHIRE. The official term of Bainbridge Wadleigh, one of the United States Senators from New Hampshire, having expired on March 3, 1879, and the election of his successor by the State Legislature being necessarily delayed till its meeting for the regular session in June, Governor Prescott appointed Charles H. Bell of Exeter to fill the vacancy in the mean time. The Governor's letters having been duly presented in the United States Senate, that body referred the matter to its Committee on Privileges and Elections, which reported against Mr. Bell's admission, by a vote of 6 to 3. The Senate, however, admitted Mr. Bell-yeas 35, nays 28.

The regular June session of the Legislature, the first of the biennial sessions, commenced on June 4th. Jacob H. Gallinger was elected President of the Senate, and Henry H. Huse Speaker of the House of Representatives. Both were Republicans. The votes stood 15 to 3 in the Senate, and 163 to 101 in the Lower House.

A ballot was taken by the two Houses for the election of United States Senator on June

17th; the candidates were Henry W. Blair of Plymouth, Republican, and Harry Bingham of Littleton, Democrat. The votes were 20 for Blair and 4 for Bingham in the Senate, and 161 and 98 respectively in the House of Represen

tatives.

On June 18th, in joint convention, the Legislature elected the following State officers for the term of two years by ballot: Secretary of State, Ai B. Thompson; State Treasurer, Solon A. Carter; Commissary-General, Benjamin F. Rackley; State Printer, John B. Clarke.

On June 20th the following joint resolution was introduced in the Senate, and made a special order:

Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1. That in all cases and at all times the military ought to be under strict subordination to and governed by the civil power.

2. That we approve the several vetoes by the President of the United States wherein he has firmly upheld his constitutional power against the threat and attempt to withhold necessary supplies to the Government, unless he should approve legislation that he does not approve; and we pledge him our continued support in maintaining the rights of the Executive and the national supremacy.

3. That we approve the action of the Republican Senators and Representatives in Congress in exposing and resisting the scheme of the majority to deprive the national authority of all power to keep the peace and secure free and honest voting at national electons; and we pledge them our continued support in resisting all such disorganizing and revolutionary designs.

4. That we condemn as unpatriotic, destructive, and revolutionary all attempts of the majority in Congress to revive the dogma of State supremacy, to rekindle the flames of sectional animosity, and to stop and

starve the Government by withholding necessary supplies, because the President will not approve of legislation that he is constitutionally bound to veto if he does not approve of it. "A refusal to vote the appropriations is revolutionary; it is worse, it is revolution."

forwarded to the President and to each of our own 5. That a copy of these resolutions be promptly delegation in Congress.

The June session was closed on July 17th.

Two acts were passed in the interest of children, entitled "An act prohibiting the employment of children under ten years of age by manufacturing corporations," and "An act to provide for the better protection of destitute and abused children."

"An act to protect the rights of citizens of this State, holding claims against other States," has been commented upon by the press of the country generally, being regarded as leveled against the so-called repudiating States, to make them pay any bond once issued by them, though afterward repudiated; the State of New Hampshire assuming, under certain conditions, to personate any private holder of such bonds among her citizens, and in his interest to sue any other State in the Union before the Supreme Court of the United States for that purpose. The main provisions of the act are as follows:

SECTION 1. Whenever any citizen of this State shall be the owner of any claim against any of the United States of America, arising upon a written obligation to pay money issued by such State, which obligation shall be past due and unpaid, such citizen so holding such claim may assign the same to the State of New Hampshire, and deposit the assignment thereof, duly executed and acknowledged, together with all the evidence necessary to substantiate such claim, with the Attorney-General of the State.

SEC. 2. Upon such deposit being made, it shall be the duty of the Attorney-General to examine such claim and the evidence thereof, and if, in his opinion, ble to enforce, vested by such assignment in the State there is a valid claim which shall be just and equitaof New Hampshire, he, the Attorney-General, shall, upon the assignor of such claim depositing with him such sum as he, the said Attorney-General, shall deem necessary to cover the expenses and disbursements incident to, or which may become incident to, the collection of said claim, bring such suits, actions, or proceedings in the name of the State of New Hampshire, in the Supreme Court of the United States, as he, the said Attorney-General, shall deem necessary for the recovery of the money due upon such claim and it shall be the duty of the said Attorney-General to prosecute such action or actions to final judgment, and to take such other steps as may be necessary after judgment for the collection of said claim, and to carry such judgment into effect, or, with the consent of the assignor, to compromise, adjust, and settle said claim before or after judgment.

A bill to abolish capital punishment was long and warmly debated, and at last indefinitely postponed by the House of Representatives at the sitting of July 17th, by a vote of 166 yeas to 86 nays.

The measure asking relief of the people from tions in the conveyance of passengers and merthe exorbitant rates and unjust discriminachandise, practiced by the railway companies operating in New Hampshire, was considered

87,887 4,294

$26,282,186 09

2,507,412 91 1,145,567 91 704,284 27 20,978 04

$28,152,961 81.

$14,521,719 46 11,578,746 45

1,222,051 86 880,444 04 $28,152,961 81

The operations of insurance companies of various descriptions doing business in the State appear to be exceedingly large. The gross amount of premiums paid to fire-insurance companies in 1878 was nearly $445,000, of which $417,764.92 wns paid to stock companies of other States and countries licensed in New Hampshire, and the remainder to mutual companies in the State. The following is a summary of the operations of the stock companies for 1878: Total risks written in 1878, $33,816,838; risks in force on December 31, 1878, $50,646,552; amount of premiums received, $417,764; amount of losses paid, $366,848; proportion of losses to premiums, 86 per cent. The receipts of life and accident insurance companies upon their policies in New Hampshire were $260,383.77, and the amount paid by them to representatives of insured persons was $219,484.28. These sums do not include the receipts and payments of the "mutual relief associations" organized among the members of secret societies and others in the State.

The education of youth in the State appears to continue in its healthy condition. The State Normal School at Plymouth is said to be in a more satisfactory condition than ever before.

The State Asylum for the Insane, at the beginning of June, 1879, contained 275 patients. Besides these there are a great number of that unfortunate class in the State, a large proportion of whom are kept by their respective families at home, because they can not afford to pay the weekly rate for board and attendance at the asylum.

The indigent deaf-mutes, blind, and feebleminded of New Hampshire are kept at the charge of the State in institutions or schools in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Their number in New Hampshire is increasing rather than diminishing. For their support, clothing, and education, the Legislature of 1879 appropriated the annual sums of five thousand, four thousand, and one thousand dollars respectively.

The State Penitentiary continues under excellent management in all respects, the convicts being constantly employed in profitable work, which is the making of bedsteads. There were 68,000 beadsteads manufactured

The State militia, under the appellation of "National Guard," as ordained by the Legislature of 1878, is composed of thirty companies of infantry, four sections of artillery, and two troops of cavalry; all of these being organized into three regiments. Three new companies were organized last year.

The members of the New Hampshire Temperance Association met in State Convention at Manchester on February 19th, and adopted the following resolutions:

Resolved-1. That moral suasion is one of the great instrumentalities for promoting the advancement of the cause of temperance to be constantly used and

never abandoned.

2. That to the end that there may be any complete triumph of the temperance cause, the places of temptation must be closed, the principles of prohibition must be recognized, and the prohibitory law now on our statute-books must be rigidly enforced. 3. That we do most heartily approve of the detective system in enforcing the law, and recommend the organization of legal-suasion clubs in all parts of the State, and their cooperation in the detective system of enforcing the law, until such time as it shall be enforced by the regularly constituted authorities.

4. That the interests of the temperance cause imperatively demand that the local-option clause of the lager-bier law, passed at the last session of our Legislature, should be repealed.

5. That we condemn the practice of prosecuting officers in "hanging cases up" over the violators of the prohibitory law, and earnestly request the full execution of the law in these as in all criminal cases.

6. That we believe the temperance movement can not complete its work till the manufacture as well as the sale of intoxicants is prohibited by law. 7. That a general mass convention of all who believe in the prompt and rigid enforcement of the law be held, and that a committee of seven be appointed to make all necessary arrangements for the same.

With regard to the main object of the Convention, which was the adoption of some method to secure the enforcement of the existing liquor laws, arrangements were made for the holding of another meeting, in which bettermatured plans of action might be presented and decided upon. In accordance with this determination, they assembled again at Concord on March 27th, when they formed themselves into a "State Temperance League." A constitution was adopted, which provides for the formation of a "State Temperance League," in which every church and temperance organization is entitled to seven members; and for a board of prosecuting officers, whose duty it shall be to prosecute all violations of the liquor law. The