of the will of the people expressed by their votes at an election.

Resolved, That we recognize in the custom recommended and established by Washington and by our fathers, that no person should occupy the Presidential chair for more than two terms, thus far scrupulously adhered to both in theory and practice by the people of the United States, the enunciation of a principle salutary and necessary to the preservation of our libcrties, and that a departure therefrom must be deemed a dangerous infraction of what has become the unwritten law of this country; that the proposed election of ex-President Grant for a third term is such a violation of this high safeguard of American liberty as to excite serious alarm, and to call upon all good citizens to prevent by all lawful means the consummation of the intended wrong.

The "Greenbackers" held a State Convenvention at Minneapolis on the 27th of May, made nominations for electors, chose delegates to the national nominating assembly of the party, and adopted a platform whose declara

tions have been summarized as follows:

Adopting the Weaver resolutions introduced in the

House of Representatives;

Demanding that all taxation be made equal, and that incomes be made to pay their share of the public debt; Reserving the public lands for the occupancy of settlers; Protesting against Government subsidies of all kinds; For the protection of labor by repealing all class legislation, and for constituting eight hours as a day's work;

Favoring a soldiers' and sailors' homestead law, giving them lands without cost, except district and office

fees;

Making up to soldiers the depreciation of money in which they were paid for their services, and praying for the passage of the "Weaver soldier bill ";" In favor of taxing mortgages;

The passage of punitive laws by Congress forbidding any combination or arrangement by which railroads and other common carriers may discriminate on rates of transportation;

Holding railroad and other public corporations amenable to law, and so regulated and restrained as to subserve the ends for which they were created, by promoting and not thwarting the public good; Against any limitation or curtailment of the right of franchise and in favor of a secret ballot;

For a direct vote for President and Vice-President of the United States, and limitation to one term of office; Against the labor of convicts; the employment of children under fourteen years of age; against dealing in options in stocks, and making all such contracts void; Against the payment of the old State railroad bonds by taxation, grants, improvement lands, or in any other manner whatever;

Calling on all citizens to aid in restoring honesty, fidelity, economy, and justice in the administration of government, and obliterating sectional animosities.

There was to be no election for State officers, and no other general conventions were held. An incident of some interest was a division of the Republicans in the First Congressional District. The Hon. Mark H. Dunnell, the Representative of the district, was a prominent candidate for renomination, but there was a strong opposition to him, and the Convention split into two organizations, one of which unanimously nominated Dunnell, while the other set up W. G. Ward as the candidate. Both claimed to be the regular nominees, the dispute turning on certain contested delegations in the district convention. An effort

was made, which was favored by Mr. Ward, to secure the withdrawal of both candidates and the holding of a new convention; but this, as well as all other attempts at compromise, failed, and both candidates remained in the field. 150,771, of which 93,903 were cast for the Republican and 53,315 for the Democratic ticket. There were also 3,267 "Greenback and 286 Prohibitory votes. The Republican majority was 37,035.

The total vote for Presidential electors was

Republicans were chosen to Congress from all the three districts. The vote in the first district was 22,392 for Dunnell, 7,656 for Ward, and 13,768 for Wells, the Democratic candidate. The Legislature, elected at the same time, is composed of 29 Republicans, 11 Democrats, and 1 "Greenbacker" in the Senate, and 87 Republicans, 15 Democrats, and 4 "Greenbackers" in the House of Representatives; making the Republican majority 17 in the Senate, 68 in the House, and 85 on a joint ballot. A vote on continuing in force for five years more the act relating to school text-books resulted in 44,739 in favor of the proposition, and 45,465 against it, defeating it by a majority of 726. The law in question was passed in 1877, and provided for a uniform series of textbooks for all the schools of the State, to be furnished by a contractor at fixed prices. It provided that the question of continuing it in force should be submitted to a vote of the people in 1880.

The following statement of the population of Minnesota by counties is furnished by the United States Census Bureau :

The population of the city of Minneapolis is 46,887, that of St. Paul 41,498, Winona 10,208.

The second centenary of the discovery of the Falls of St. Anthony was celebrated at Minneapolis on the 4th of July.

MISSISSIPPI. The Legislature of Mississippi began its regular biennial session on the 6th of January, and brought it to a close on the 6th of March. It was occupied with the transaction of business fifty-three days. A United States Senator was chosen to succeed Mr. Blanch K. Bruce, for the term beginning March 4, 1881. The Democrats held a caucus on nine successive evenings, and took forty-nine ballots before they could agree on a candidate. Those highest in favor on the early ballotings were E. Barksdale, O. R. Singleton, and E. C. Walthall. Later, the name of J. Z. George was introduced, and took a high place. Finally, Mr. Barksdale withdrew his name, and General George was nominated. The ballot in joint session of the Legislature, which resulted in a choice, was taken on the 22d of January. There were one hundred and twenty-seven votes for J. Z. George, fourteen for A. M. West, four for B. K. Bruce, one for E. C. Walthall, and one for T. W. Harris, and General George was elected.

The Hon. J. A. P. Campbell, who had been commissioned in 1878 to revise and codify the laws of the State, submitted the result in the form of the "Revised Code." In an accompanying report he said:

I have taken as the basis of my action the existing statutes, and have presented them, for the most part,

making only such changes as experience has suggested to be necessary, and adding such new provisions as appear to be required to complete the statutes and make them an harmonious and efficient body of laws, plainly expressed, conveniently arranged, and easily to be understood by those for whom they are designed as rules of action. Many of our statutes have existed, in the language in which they are now, since 1822, and some of them since long prior to that. Much of the Code of 1857 was transferred from the Code of 1822, and, in turn, was copied into that of 1871. While there has been growth, by addition to the statutes, in successive years, there have been preserved, unchanged for more than fifty years, the most important provisions affecting the affairs of the living, and the administration of the estates of the dead. Amid revolutions and changes of the Constitution, the statutes have remained unchanged. Generally, suited to any Constitution likely to be accepted by the people, a change of the Constitution requires no change in the great body of the statutes. Secession required only the substitution of "Confederate" for "United," before States, and the statutes harmonized with the new conditions. The Constitution of 1869 (a faithful copy of that of 1832, with few changes and a few additions) necessitated little other change in the statutes it found in force, than to make the Probate Court Law a part of the Chancery Court Law. The Code of 1871, under the Constitution of 1869, retained nearly all of the articles of the Code of 1857, and the very few omitted, except the chapter on slaves, free negroes, and mulattoes, were probably left out by inadvertence. Of the twenty-nine hundred sections into which the Code of 1871 is divided, about twenty-six hundred were copied from the Code of 1857.

The fidelity of the copy to the original is not appar

ent to the casual observer, only because the excellence of the Code of 1857 is obscured by the derangement

and confusion of that of 1871.

Imbued with the spirit of conservatism, apparent in the history of legislation in this State; firmly convinced of the error of sudden and violent changes in the laws generally understood and acquiesced in; believing that a rule, not the wisest and best, but which is understood and accepted, is more desirable than a better one not demanded by the popular will, and apprised that through successive generations little change has been demanded or made in the statutes familiar to the great body of the people, and affecting their everyday life, I have faithfully preserved the main body of these statutes, which have proved their excellence by long toleration by those who could have changed but chose to preserve them, and have endeavored to perfect the system by judicious pruning and careful grafting, guarding against a spirit of change, and never changing, except cautiously, and thereby surely to imI have introduced changes which will lead to great saving of money in the conduct both of public and private matters; have called to my aid the bench and bar of the State in my effort to improve the machinery for the assertion of rights and the redress of wrongs through the courts; have endeavored to provide for increased efficiency of the laws for the prevention and punishment of crimes; have had in view the great agricultural interest of the country, and tried to proing land-owners and laborers, and hope, by the aid mote it by drawing together and reciprocally protectafforded me, I have succeeded in so improving the statutes of the State as to make them acceptable to the intelligent, and worthy of the people on whom they are to operate.

prove.

Much time was occupied throughout the session in considering the Code, and it was finally adopted without material change.

On the second day of the session Governor Stone submitted a message vetoing a bill passed near the close of the session of 1878 "relative by railroad companies." The bill declared all to excessive charges and unjust discrimination railroads to be public highways, and all transportation companies to be common carriers; prohibited the consolidation of parallel and competing lines and discriminations in dealing with customers, and fixed maximum charges for the transportation of cotton. The general ground of the veto was that the act was in violation of the provision of the Federal Constitution which forbids the passing of laws that impair the obligation of contracts. The Gov

ernor said:

As this provision of our State and Federal Constitutions admits of but a single construction, it is only necessary to present such argument as will show conclusively that the rights and powers conferred upon a corporation by its charter are contracts between the State whose Legislature granted the charter, and the corporation accepting it; that certain rights were conferred upon every corporation operating a railroad in this State by its charter; and that the effect of this legislation is to divest them of those rights. To accomplish this I submit a few legal and judicial authorities, and contrast them with the provisions of the bill under consideration, and those of the various railroad charters in the State. The parties in support of the principle here maintained are numerous, but I have sought in vain for a single decision in any of the books holding a contrary view on the subject.

After quoting numerous authorities and statements of principle, he concluded as follows:

It is too late to raise the question whether it was wise to grant to these corporations the exclusive right to regulate their rates of charges; has been granted; the Constitution under which the grants were made, empowered the Legislature to make them; the companies have accepted the grants, and any legislation that seeks to alter one of those charters in any material point, without the consent of the corporators, is absoJutely prohibited. Any power exercised under a general law may be taken away, but if granted in a charter, and the charter is accepted, it is thereby placed beyond the reach of the Legislature, and must so remain as long as the charter exists.

A bill was afterward introduced in the Senate by W. W. Humphries, and known as the "Humphries Bill," which was entitled "An act to prevent extortion and unjust discrimination in the rates charged for the transportation of passengers and freights on railroads in this State and to punish the same, and to prescribe the mode of procedure and rules of evidence in relation thereto, and for other purposes." It fixed no maximum of charges, but prohibited discrimination and unreasonable rates, and imposed severe penalties for the abuse of corporate powers. It also provided for a Railroad Commissioner, to be elected by the Legislature, to supervise the operations of railroads and look after the execution of the law. The bill was debated with spirit and at great length in both Houses, passed the Senate, and was amended in the House, but failed on the last day of the session to reach a final vote in the latter body. The following memorial to Congress was adopted:

Whereas, Doubts have arisen whether the Legislature of the State of Mississippi can constitutionally enact a law regulating the tariffs on inter-State railroads, and the freights on navigable streams in this

State; and

Whereas, Unjust discrimination is made on all railroads in this State, as well as by steamers and other water-craft, on said navigable streams, respecting tariff and freight rates in favor of different localities along said roads and streams; and

Whereas, Gross injustice is thus done to persons passing freight over said roads and streams, by leaving them to the mercy of large and powerful corporated monopolies, without any means of resisting their extortionate and unjust demands: therefore

Be it resolved, by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring therein, That we, the representatives of the people of the State of Mississippi, do solemnly memorialize the Congress of the United States to provide, by appropriate legislation, some adequate means of restraining such unjust discrimination by the passage of a general law regulating the tariff and freight rates on all railroads and navigable streams in the United States.

The question of calling a convention to revise the Constitution of the State was referred to a joint committee, and two antagonistic reports were made. No definite action was taken on the subject. An act was passed providing for an enumeration of the population and of the qualified electors of the State. This is required by the Constitution as a basis for the State apportionment. The public healthlaws were thoroughly amended, so as to provide for health officers in each county, to authorize local boards of health, under the gen

eral supervision of the State Board, and to extend and define the powers of the latter. Among other things it may establish a strict quarantine in case of an epidemic. An act for the prevention of cruelty to animals was also passed.

The following resolution was unanimously adopted by the Senate on the 3d of March, and afterward concurred in by the House:

Whereas, The late Mrs. Sarah A. Dorsey, of Beauvoir, Mississippi, bequeathed at her death to the State of Mississippi a crayon-portrait of the Hon. Jefferson President of the Confederate States, he was captured Davis, taken in the apparel which he wore when, as at the close of the late war by United States troops; and

Whereas, Said portrait is valued by us not only as a likeness of one who faithfully and ably represented the patriotism and manhood of the South during our four years' struggle for self-government, but also for its historic value in presenting ex-President Davis in the true garb in which he was attired at the time of his capture, as appears from an autograph letter from her accompanying said picture:

Be it therefore resolved by the Senate (the House concurring), That the people of Mississippi, through their representatives here assembled, do hereby express their appreciation of the gift, and their gratitude to the giver, who has thus linked her name with that of the illustrious President of the Lost Cause.

Resolved, further, That the Librarian take charge of said portrait and put it in a suitable place in the State Library, and that the autograph letter of exPresident Davis be framed and preserved with said portrait.

Resolved, further, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Hon. Jefferson Davis.

There was no State election this year, but conventions were held for the purpose of choosing delegates to the national nominating assemblies of the several parties. That of the Republicans took place at Jackson on the 5th of May. The sentiment of its members was divided on the subject of a candidate for the Presidency between supporters of General Grant, Secretary Sherman, and Senator Blaine. It was freely charged that the Secretary of the Treasury had used his official power to secure control of the Convention, and a caucus of the Grant men adopted the following resolution:

Resolved, That when it shall become evident that the friends of Ulysses S. Grant can hope for no justice and look for no fair play at the hands of the majority, which, ruled by the office-holders, grossly misrepresents the Republican masses of this State, we withdraw in a body, organize a truly representative convention, send our own delegates to Chicago, and formally protest against the action of the clique which has attempted to betray and misrepresent us.

Those opposed to General Grant's candidacy succeeded in organizing the Convention and directing its proceedings, and a resolution declaring General U. S. Grant to be "the choice of the Republican voters of Mississippi for President of the United States " was laid on the table. The Grant delegates remained after the adjournment of the Convention, and, besides adopting a resolution declaring General Grant to be the "choice of this Convention," unanimously agreed to the following:

Resolved, That we still adhere with unflinching devotion to the principles of the Republican party as set forth in its national platform, and that we recognize in Grant the statesman best of all able to enforce these principles as the Executive of the United States.

At this time Mr. J. M. Bynum, of the committee on resolutions, produced the following, which had been framed by his committee. They were adopted:

The Republican party of Mississippi, in convention assembled, reassert and adopt as the cardinal principles of the party: A stable currency for the people. The equal political and civil rights of every American citizen. Free schools, free speech, and free elections; the right of every man to vote once, and have his vote counted.

We pledge a hearty support to the nominee of the Chicago Convention.

The Democrats held their convention at Jack son on the 27th of May. Delegates to the Cincinnati Convention were chosen and candidates for Presidential electors were nominated. The

following resolutions were unanimously adopt

ed by the Convention, but the Committee on Resolutions reported that as the contest was a a national one, and the National Convention would soon "declare the platform of principles of the Democratic party," it was cessary to declare any platform of the party in this State":

66

unne

Resolved, That this Convention recognizes the necessity of the harmony and the hearty cooperation of the friends of good government throughout the Union in the approaching Presidential election. That it deems the election of the nominee of the Cincinnati Convention of supreme moment to the whole country; and that this success should not be jeopardized by the indulgence of personal aspirations, nor by the gratification of personal preferences; and while individual members of our party in this State may have their preferences as to who should receive the nomination, this Convention deems it unwise to make any other declaration on that subject than to say that the choice of the Democratic party of this State is he who shall be nominated by the National Convention; and that we will give him our hearty support, and with it the electoral vote of this State.

Resolved, That our delegates to the Democratic National Convention be instructed to act in the spirit of the foregoing resolution, and to cast their votes for that man whom they shall find, after full consultation with the delegates from the other States, will best harmonize the opposition to the longer continuance of the unconstitutional and unwise methods of the Republi

can party.

A Greenback mass-meeting, at Jackson, near the end of May, appointed delegates to the National Convention of the party, and left it to the Executive Committee to make nominations for electors.

The result of the Presidential election in the State was 75,750 votes for the Democratic ticket, 34,854 for that of the Republicans, 5,797 for that of the Greenbackers, and 677" scattering." The total was 117,078, and the Democratic majority 34,422. Democratic Representatives were elected in all of the six Congressional districts. The vote, as officially returned, was as follows: First district, Muldrow, Democratic, 14,456; Morphis, Republican, 3,828; Da

VOL. XX.-34 A

vidson, Greenbacker, 1,058; scattering, 3: total, 19,345-Muldrow's majority, 9,567. Second district, Manning, Democrat, 15,250; Buchanan, Republican, 9,996; Harris, Greenbacker, 3,585; total, 28,856-Manning's plurality, 5,257. Third district, Morey, Democrat, 11,722; Gunn, Greenbacker, 2,790; scattering, 22: total, 14,534-Morey's majority, 8,910. Fourth district, Singleton, Democrat, 13,745; Drennan, Republican, 4,177; scattering, one: total, 17,927 Singleton's majority, 9,561. Fifth district, Hooker, Democrat, 11,771; Deason, Independent Republican, 6,193; Osborn, regular Republican, 125; Patterson, Greenbacker, 222; scattering, 10: total, 19,121-Hooker's plurality, 5,578. Sixth district, Chalmers, Democrat, 9,172; Lynch, Republican (colored), 5,393 ; scattering 2: total, 14,565-Chalmers's majority, 3,777.

Among the provisions of the new election laws was the following:

ink, with a space of not less than one fifth of an inch

All ballots shall be written or printed with black between each name, on plain white news printing-paper, not more than two and one half or less than two and one fourth inches wide, without any device or mark by which one ticket may be known or distinguished from another, except the words at the head of the ticket; but this shall not prohibit the erasure, correction, or insertion of any name by pencil-mark or ink upon the face of the ballot; and a ticket different from that herein described shall not be received or counted.

In the sixth district it was alleged that no fewer than 5,358 Republican ballots were thrown out by the election commissioners because they contained distinguishing marks in the form of dashes separating the different parts of the ticket. Mr. Lynch gave notice of his purpose of contesting the election of General Chalmers, enumerating cases of alleged fraud and illegal exclusion of votes from the count in several counties. General Chalmers made a reply, which was mainly devoted to a legal argument in support of the rejection of the ballots containing the so-called "distinguishing marks."

The State census which was taken under the direction of the Secretary of State, to serve as a basis of apportioning representation in the Legislature, places the total population at 1,145,480. It gives the number of legal voters as 240,478, of whom 109,995 are white, and 130,483 colored. It also reports the number of bales of cotton raised in 1879 by white labor at 290,957; by colored labor, 549,990. There are in the State 4,995 public and 964 private schools, the number of children of school age being 178,218 whites, and 251,438 colored.

The returns of the tenth census of the United States for the State of Mississippi, as officially announced on January 15, 1881, shows the total population to be 1,131,592. Of this number 567,137 are males, and 564,455 females; 1,122,424 are natives of the United States, and 9,168 of foreign birth; 479,319 are white, and