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taining this principle, and we instruct our delegates to the St. Louis Convention to take like action when the financial plank of the platform of the Convention is being rade."

The 1894 State platform declared for the free and unlimited coinage of both gold and silver at the ratio of 16 to 1. The delegates to St. Louis were instructed to vote for McKinley, but the Convention pledged its support to any candidate nominated at St. Louis.

August 13, 1896.-"We favor the free coinage of gold and silver into standard money, as expressed in our former platforms, under such legislation as will guarantee that all our money shall remain on an equality."

DEMOCRATIC.

May 21, 1896.-The platform had this one plank only:

"Whereas, The paramount issue before the American people is the curency question; therefore,

"Resolved, That we, the Democracy of Wyoming, demand the free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold into primary

redemption money at the ratio of 16 to 1 without waiting for the action or approval of any other Government."

No mention was made of President Cleveland nor his Administration.

CONNECTICUT: NAT'L DEMOCRATS.

October 8, 1896. The principal feature of the platform read as follows:

"The Democrats of Connecticut believe that the fundamental principles of the party, declared by its founder, Thomas Jefferson, and reaffirmed by Jackson, Tilden and Cleveland, are binding at all times. Among them are the following essential doctrines in the creed of the party:

"The honest payment of our debts and the sacred preservation of the public faith.

"Economy in the public expenses, that labor may be lightly burdened.

"Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever State or persuasion. religious or political-freedom of religion."

PUBLIC ACTS AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE FIRST SESSION OF THE LIVTH CONGRESS, TOGETHER WITH THE AMOUNTS OF APPROPRIATIONS AND THE DATES WHEN THEY BECAME LAWS.

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Diplomatic and Consular Service, for fiscal year of 1897, $1,642,558 76. Approved February 27, 1896.

11,

District of Columbia, for fiscal year of 1897. $5,900,319 48. Approved June 1896. In addition to this contracts were authorized to be entered into (subject to future appropriations by Congress) for sewer construction, $62,000; school buildings, $62,000.

For fortifications, $7,377,888. Approved June 6, 1896. In addition to this, contracts were authorized to be entered into (subject to future appropriations by Congress) for fortifications, $2.500.000; for armament of fortifications, $1,695,076.

Indian Department, for fiscal year of 1897, $7,390,496 79. Approved June 10, 1896.

Legislative, Executive and Judicial expenses, for fiscal year of 1897: Senate, $1,098,428 90; Capitol Police, $52.420; Congressional Directory. $1,200; House of Representatives. $2.498,873 06; Public Printer, $18,100; Library of Congress, $67.320; Botanic Garden, $18,893 75; Executive, $101,200; Civil Service Commission, $98.340; State Department. $134.820; Treasury Department, $3,043,329: Collecting Internal Revenue. $3.610.000; Independent Treasury, $435.690; United States Mints and Assay offices, $970.950; Government in the Territories, $150,700; War Department, $1.437.436; public buildings and grounds, $48,520; State, War and Navy Department buildings, $158.880; Navy Department. $417,540; Interior Department, $4,822,034; Surveyors-General

and their clerks, $163,700; Postoffice Department, $882,530; Department of Justice, $205,290; Labor Department, $172,170; Judicial, $862,120; Court of Claims, $39,840; relief and protection of seamen, $50,000; total legislative act, $21,519,324 71.

Military Academy, for fiscal year of 1897, $449,525 61. Approved March 6.

1896.

Navy Department, for fiscal year of 1897, $80,562,660 95. Approved June 10, 1896. In addition to this $12,900,000 was appropriated for three coast-line battleships and five torpedo-boats.

Pension Department, for fiscal year of 1897, $141,328,580. Approved March 6, 1896.

Postoffice Department, for fiscal year of 1897, $92,571,564 22. Approved June 9. 1896.

River and Harbor act, $12,659,550. Passed over the President's veto and became a law June 3, 1896. In addition contracts were authorized to be entered into (subject to future appropriations by Congress) for various works, to the amount of $59,616,404 91.

Sundry Civil act, for fiscal year of 1897, $33,096.710 19. Approved June 11, 1896.

For deficiencies of fiscal year of 1896 and prior years, $8,972,914 55. Approved June 8, 1896.

Urgent Deficiency act, 1896 and prior years, $6,305,436 52, Approved February 26, 1896.

Deficiency act, House of Representatives, etc., for fiscal year of 1896, $35,560. Approved June 11, 1896.

Deficiency act, Navy Department printing, for fiscal year of 1896, $25,000. Approved March 20, 1896.

Miscellaneous Appropriation act, $416,

010 06.

ARIZONA.

The following became a law June 6. 1896, without the President's approval.

he having failed to return it to Congress within the time prescribed by the Constitution:

"That the lands reserved for university purpees, and all of the school land in the Territory of Arizona reserved by law for school purposes, may be leased under such laws and regulations as may be hereafter prescribed by the Legislature of said Territory, but until such legislative action the Governor, Secretary of the Territory, and Superintendent of Public Instruction shall constitute a board for the leasing of said lands under the rules and regulations heretofore prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior for the respective purposes for which the said reservations were made, except that it shall not be necessary to submit said leases to the Secreatry of the Interior for his approval; and all necessary expenses and costs incurred in the leasing, management, and protection of said lands and leases may be paid out of the proceeds derived from such lecses. And it shall be unlawful to cut, remove, or appropriate in any way any timber growing upon the lands leased under the provisions of this Act, and not more than one section of land shall be leased to any one person, corporation, or association of persons, and no lease shall be made for a longer period than five years, and all leases shall terminate on the admission of said Territory as a State, and all money received on account of such leases in excess of actual expenses necessarily incurred in connection with the execution thereof shall be placed to the credit of the public school fund of said Territory, and shall not be used for any other than public school purposes: Provided, That the proceeds of leases of university and normal school lands shall be placed to the credit of separate funds for the use of said institutions."

Authorizing the extension of the funding of certain indebtedness of the Territory until January 1,1897. Section 2 provides that all bonds and other evidences of indebtedness heretofore funded by the Loan Commission of Arizona, under the provisions of the Act of Congress of June 25, 1800, are hereby declared to be valid and legal for the purposes for which they were issued and funded; and all bonds and other evidences of indebtedness heretofore issued under the authority of Arizona's Legislature are proved and validated. confirmed. арIt is also provided that the United States shall not be liable or responsible for the payment of any of these issues.

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pany, to build a bridge across the Columbia River, between Oregon and Washington.

Time extended to Union Railroad to build a bridge across Monongahela River. May 4, 1896.

St. Louis, Perry and Chicago Railroad may bridge Illinois River, Grafton, Ill. May 21, 1896.

Lewiston Connecting Bridge Company, to build a bridge across Niagara River, between Lewiston, N. Y., and Canada. May 22, 1896.

Boonville and Howard County Bridge Company may bridge Missouri River, Boonville, Mo. May 25, 1896.

Central

North Dakota and Minnesota
Railroad may bridge the Red River of the
North. May 28, 1896.

St. Charles and St. Louis County Bridge
Company may bridge Missouri River, be-
tween St. Charles and St. Louis, Mo.
June 3, 1896.

Mobile and Ohio Railroad may bridge across Warrior River, near Tuscaloosa County, Ala.; also Cahaba River, in Bibb County, Ala.; also Alabama River. June 11, 1896.

may

Butler and Pittsburg Railroad bridge Allegheny River, in Allegheney County, Penn. June 11, 1896.

St. Louis County, Minn., may bridge St. Louis River, Fond du Lac, Minn. June 11, 1896.

CUSTOMS.

An act to expedite the delivery of imported parcels and packages not exceeding $500 in value, imported in packages not exceeding 100 pounds in weight, provides that they may be specially delivered to and appraised at the public stores, and the entry thereof liquidated by the collector under regulations prescribed and then be delivered to bonded express companies or other duly incorporated inland carriers. Not more than one such consignment to one ultimate consignee from the same consignor shall be imported in any one vessel. The bonded express companies or other inland carriers will be held responsible to the United States for the safe delivery of such articles to the ultimate consignee. June 8, 1896.

Making the States of Indiana and Illinois one collection district. December 27, 1895.

Making Palm Beach, Fla., a sub-port of entry and delivery. January 6, 1896. Stamford, Conn., made a sub-port of entry. April 6, 1896.

Conneaut, Ohio, made a sub-port of entry, Cuyahoga District. May 19, 1896. Colorado-Pueblo, Durango and Leadville made ports of delivery. May 22, 1896. Syracuse, N. Y., made a port of delivery and given immediate transportation privileges. May 18, 1896.

Sub-ports of entry in Florida may be designated from time to time as in the judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury the exigencies of commerce may require. June 10, 1896.

California-Santa Barbara is made a sub-port of entry and delivery in the district of Los Angeles. June 10, 1896.

Erie, Penn., made a port of immediate transportation. June 11, 1896.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

An act approved May 13, 1896, regulat

72

ing marriages in the District of Columbia, provided among other things that males under 21 years of age and females under 16 years of age must have consent of parents or guardians before marrying; they must also be provided with a proper license.

On May 19 an act was approved abolishing days of grace on promissory notes, drafts, etc.

Incorporating the Post Graduate School of Medicine. February 7, 1896. to married women, to make parents the natural guardians of June 1, 1896. their minor children, etc.

Laws amended as

Regulating the practice of medicine and surgery, to license physicians and surgeons, and to punish persons violating the June 3, 1896. provisions thereof.

To establish and maintain a free public June 3, 1896. library and reading-room.

EXPOSITIONS.

Authorizing and encouraging the holding of a Transmississippi and International Exposition at Omaha, Neb., 1898, under the auspices of the Transmississippi and International Exposition AssoIt reads: ciation. June 10, 1896.

or

"That whenever any article or articles or 'ive stock shall be sent out of the United States for temporary use or exhibition at any public exposition, fair held in a foreign country, conference such articles shall be entitled to be returned to the United States, under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, without the payment of customs duty, whether they shall be of domestic or of foreign production: Provided, That the articles of foreign production have once paid duty in the United States and no drawback has been allowed thereon, and if any domestic articles are subject to internal revenue tax, such tax shall be proved to have been paid before exportation and not refunded." May 18, 196,

NAVY.

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approaches

to the value country National of establishment and their said parks declared to be are hereby manoeuvres

military parks,

National fields for military for the Regular Army of the United States and the National Guard or militia of the States: Provided. That the said parks shall be opened for such purposes only in the discretion of the Secretary of War, and under such regulations as he may prescribe."

The Secretary of War was authorized to assemble, at his discretion, in camp at such season of the year and for such period as he may designate, at such fleld of military manoeuvres, such portions of the military forces of the United States as he may think best, to receive military instruction there; also to

make and publish regulations governing the assembling of the National Guard or militia of the several States upon the manoeuvring grounds, and he may detail instructors from the Regular Army for such forces during their exercises.

Authorizing the Secretary of War to improve and maintain the public roads within the limits of the National Park, Gettysburg, Penn., over which jurisdiction has been or may hereafter be ceded to the United States. This act does not prejudice the rights acquired by any State or by any military organization to the ground on which its monuments or markers are placed, nor the right of way to same. June 10, 1896.

PENSIONS.

An act approved March 13, 1896, profiled vided that in considering claims the death of an under the pension laws enlisted man or officer shall be considered as sufficiently proved if satisfactory evidence is produced establishing the fact of the continued and unexplained absence of such enlisted man or officer from his home and family for a period of seven years, during which period no intelligence of his existence shall have been received. And any pension granted under this act shall cease upon proof that such officer or enlisted man is still living. affidavits, Taking agents abolished.

etc.. by March 23, 1896.

PUBLIC LANDS.

pension

or

Extending the time for the purchase of public lands to January 1, 1897; provided that actual residence upon the lands by persons claiming the right to purchase the same shall not be required, where such lands have been fenced, cultivated, otherwise improved by such claimants, and such persons shall be permitted to purchase two or more tracts of such lands by legal subdivisions, whether contiguous or not, but not exceeding 320 acres in the aggregate. January 23, 1896.

Purchasers of land grants who have paid only a portion of the purchase price to railroad companies, which is less than the Government price for similar lands, will be required to pay to the Government the difference before the delivery of the patent. February 12, 1896.

Yankton Reservation, S. D.: Homestead settlers granted leave of absence for one year. February 26, 1896.

Extending time within which suits may be brought to vacate and annul land patents. March 2, 1896.

Fort Klamath Hay Reservation opened March 31, 1896. to homestead entries. Homestead entry authorized on vacated town sites, Oklahoma. May 11, 1896. Commutation of homestead entries alof fourteen lowed after the expiration months from date of settlement. June 3, 1896.

Settlers on Northern Pacific second indemnity grant, Minnesota, allowed other lands for cancelled entries. June 3, 1896. A concurrent resolution, passed by the House June 6, and by the Senate June 10, 1896, directed the Secretary of the Interior to resume work upon and to issue patents to the Union Pacific Railway Company without delay to all lands which have been sold by said company to bona fide

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Arkansas and Choctaw Railroad granted right of way, Indian Territory. February 24, 1896.

Fort Smith and Western Coal Railroad granted right of way through Indian Territory. March 2, 1896.

Time extended to Gainesboro, McAlester and St. Louis Railroad in right of way through Indian Territory. March 4, 1896. Columbia and Red Mountain Railroad given right of way through Colville Indian Reservation. March 6, 1896.

St. Louis and Oklahoma City Railroad granted right of way, Indian and Oklahoma Territories. March 18, 1896.

Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railroad granted right of way, Indian Territory. March 28, 1896.

St. Louis, Oklahoma and Southern Railroad granted right of way, Indian and Oklahoma Territories. March 30, 1896.

Railroads engaged in interstate commerce must equip cars with automatic couplers and continuous brakes, and their locomotives with driving-wheel brakes, under a heavy penalty. Not applicable to four-wheel or logging cars. April 1, 1896. Arkansas Northwestern Railroad granted right of way, Indian Territory. April 6, 1896.

Duluth and North Dakota Railroad granted right of way, Winnibagoshish, Chippewa, White Oak Point and Red Lake reservations. April 14, 1896.

Time extended for right of way through Indian Territory of Interoceanic Railroad, etc. April 14, 1896.

Atchison and Nebraska Railroad granted right of way, Sac and Fox and Iowa Indian Reservation, Kansas and Nebraska. April 18, 1896.

Denison and Northern Railroad granted right of way, Indian Territory. May 21, 1896.

Denver, Cripple Creek and Southwestern Railroad granted right of way, South Platte and Plum Creek forest reserves, Colorado. May 28, 1896.

ΕΙ Paso and Northeastern Railroad granted right of way through the new Fort Bliss Reservation, Texas. June 10, 1896.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Making an appropriation for the expenses of a commission to investigate and report on the true divisional line between Venezuela and British Guiana. December 21, 1895

Authorizing the Secretary of State to reconvene the delegates of the United States to the Washington International

Marine Conference of 1889, whenever in his judgment it is expedient, for the further consideration of rules to prevent collisions at sea and in the waters of the United States. February 5, 1896.

Prohibiting prize-fighting and pugilism between men and animais, and providing penalties therefor, in the Territories and District of Columbia. The act provides that any one voluntarily engaging in any such encounter shall be deemed guilty of a felony, and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary for not less than one nor more than five years. February 7, 1896.

Incorporating the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. February 20, 1896.

Opening forest reservations in Colorado for the location of mining claims. February 20, 1896.

Extending the limits of the port of entry of New-Orleans. March 20, 1896.

That portion of Oklahoma heretofore known as Greer County, Tex., was established as Greer County, Okla., on May 4, 1833, it having been ceded to the United States by Texas on March 16, 1896.

Repealing the following section of the Revised Statutes: "No person who held a commission in the Army or Navy of the United States at the beginning of the late Rebellion, and afterward served in any capacity in the military, naval, or civil service of the so-called Confederate States, or of either of the States in insurrection during the late Rebellion, shall be appointed to any position in the Army or Naviy of the United States." March 31, 1896.

To provide for the safety of passengers attending yacht regattas: "That in order to provide for the safety of passengers on excursion steamers, yachts, oarsmen and all craft, whether as observers or participants, taking part in regattas, amateur or professional, that may hereafter be held on navigable waters, the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered in his discretion to detail revenue cutters to enforce such rules and regulations as may be adopted to insure the safety of passengers on said excursion steamers, yachts, oarsmen and all craft, whether as observers or participants, taking part in such regattas." May 19, 1896.

An act approved May 25, 1896, provides that one year's residence is required in a Territory as a prerequisite to obtain'ng a diverce there.

Right of way granted for pipe lines in Colorado and Wyoming. May 21, 1896.

Punishment for shooting at or throwing any rock or other missile at or into any locomotive or car in the Indian Territory. May 25, 1896.

Incorporating the National University, District of Columbia. June 1, 1896.

Exempting distillers of brandy made exclusively from apples, peaches, grapes, pears, pineapples, oranges, apricots, berries or prunes from general spirit regulations. June 3, 1896.

Congressional Committee ordered to examine and report on use of alcohol in the arts. June 3, 1896.

Defining mailable matter of the fourth class. June 8, 1896.

in

Provides for the protection of the salmon fisheries; prohibits obstructions streams preventing ascent of salmon; prohibits fishing above tide waters, except with rod or spear, or to lay or set any drift net, set net, trap, pound net, or seine for any purpose across the tide waters of any river or stream for a distance of more than one-third of the width of the river; prohibits fishing from midnight on Fridays to 6 p. m. on Sundays; and provides for spawning grounds and closed seasons. June 9, 1896.

ANALYSIS OF MORE IMPORTANT ACTS OF CONGRESS.

COLLISIONS AT SEA.

An act amending the laws to prevent collisions at sea, approved June 10, 1896, and to take effect at a subsequent time to be fixed by the President by proclamation for that purpose, provided as follows:

"Article 15. All signals prescribed by this article for vessels under way shall be given: First-By 'steam vessels' on the whistle or siren Second-By 'sailing vessels' and 'vessels towed' on the fog horn. The words 'prolonged blast' used in this article shall mean a blast of from four to six seconds' duration.

"A steam vessel shall be provided with an efficient whistle or siren, sounded by steam or by some substitute for steam, so placed that the sound may not be intercepted by any obstruction, and with an efficient fog horn, to be sounded by mechanical means, and also with an efficient bell.

(In all cases where the rules require a bell to be used a drum may be substituted on board Turkish vessels, or a gong where such articles are used on board small seagoing vessels.) A sailing vessel of twenty tons gross tonnage or upward shall be provided with a similar fog horn and bell.

"In fog, mist, falling snow, or heavy rainstorms, whether by day or night, the signals described in this article shall be used as follows, namely: (a) A steam vessel having way upon her shall sound, at intervals of not more than two minutes, a prolonged blast. (b) A steam vessel under way, but stopped, and having no way upon her, shall sound, at intervals of not more than two minutes, two prolonged blasts, with an interval of about one second between. (c) A sailing vessel under way shall sound, at intervals of not more than one minute, when on the starboard tack, one blast; when on the port tack, two blasts in succession, and when with the wind abaft the beam, three blasts in succession. (d) A vessel when at anchor shall, at intervals of not more than one minute, ring the bell rapidly for about five seconds. (e) A vessel when towing, a vessel employed in laying or in picking up a telegraph cable, and a vessel under way, which is unable to get out of the way of an approaching vessel through being not under command, or unable to manoeuvre as required by the rules, shall, instead of the signals prescribed in subdivisions (a) and (c) of this article, at intervals of not more than two minutes, sound three blasts in succession, namely: One prolonged blast followed by two short blasts. A vessel towed may give this signal and she shall not give any other.

Sailing vessels and boats of less than twenty tons gross tonnage shall not be obliged to give the above-mentioned signals, but, if they do not, they shall make some other efficient sound signal at intervals of not more than one minute."

FILLED CHEESE.

An act was approved June 6, 1896, which went into effect September 4, to govern the manufacture and sale of "filled cheese." It is defined as "all substances made of milk or skimmed milk, with the admixture of butter, animal oils or fats, vegetable or any other oils, or compounds foreign to such milk, and made in imitation or semblance of cheese." Special taxes are imposed by the act, as follows: Manufacturers to pay $100 for each and every factory, per annum; wholesale dealers, $250 per annum; retail dealers, $12 per annum. Every manufacturer of filled cheese is required to file with the Collector of Internal Revenue of the district in which the manufactory is located such notices, inventories and bonds, and shall keep such books and render such returns of materials and products, and put up such signs and numbers to his factory, etc., as the Commissioner of Internal Revenue may require. It is required that filled cheese shall be packed by the manufacturers in new wooden packages, marked, stamped and branded; that it shall be retailed only from original stamped packages, and when sold shall be packed in wooden or paper packages properly marked or branded; that all retail and wholesale dealers in filled cheese shall display in a conspicuous place, in his or their salesroom, a sign bearing the words "Filled cheese sold here," in black-faced letters not less than six inches in length, upon a white ground; that each manufacturer shall securely affix on each package a label on which shall be printed a notice, prepared by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue; that there shall be levied a tax of one cent a pound on manufacture, and that imported filled cheese shall pay an import duty and an internal revenue tax of 8 cents per pound. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue is authorized to have applied scientific tests, to determine whether any substances used in the manufacture of filled cheese contain ingredients deleterious to health. All packages of filled cheese that shall be found without the required stamps or marks, and all intended for human consumption which contains ingredients adjudged as deleterious to health, shall be forfeited to the United States.

MERCHANT MARINE ENGINEERS.

An act, approved May 28, 1896, for the improven.ent of the merchant marine engineer service, and thereby also to increase the efficiency of the Naval Reserve, defines that vessels registered pursuant to law and no others, except such as shall be duly qualified according to law for carrying on the coasting or fishing trade, shall be deemed vessels of the United States. It also provides that officers of vessels of the United States who shall have charge of a watch, including pilots, shall in all cases be citizens of the United States. The word 'officers' shall include the chief engineer and each

"all the

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