9. Who has the power to remove county officials who fail to perform their duties? What are the duties of the coroner? of the surrogate?

10. What are the duties of the district superintendent of schools? How is he chosen? Who has the power to remove him from office?

11. How is the county superintendent of highways appointed? Who has the power of removing him from office and filling vacancies? To what officer should you report a mysterious death?

12. Name the duties of the county board of canvassers.

13. What steps would be necessary and what officer would perform the recording of a deed or mortgage?

14. State the difference between the duties of grand and petit jurors. Give the number in each. Why is the "grand" jury so called?

15. What county officer is denied by the state constitution the privilege of succeeding himself?

16. When is the district attorney a state officer? When is he a county officer?

17. What is meant by the judge's charge to the jury? by verdict?

PART II. GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE

CHAPTER VIII

THE CONSTITUTION IN DEVELOPMENT

Our Birthright. The boys and girls of the Empire State may justly be proud of their birthright. In all the country's history New York State has borne an important part. In the War for Independence it fell to the lot of this state to have the pivotal battle fought upon its soil. Creasy says that the battle of Saratoga was one of the fifteen battles that have changed the destiny of the world. In this war New York State furnished 43,645 1 men, standing second only to Massachusetts in the number furnished; and during the Civil War it sent, for the defense of the Union, 448,850 men, a far larger number than was furnished by any other state an immense army in itself. At Gettysburg, the pivotal battle of the Civil War, "more than one fourth of the Union army marched there under the flag of the state of New York; more than one fourth of those who fell there followed those colors to their graves a record which removes from the field of debate the claims that in the hearts of the people of the state patriotism, love of country, and an unselfish desire to serve it even unto death are the duty of the citizen and the mainspring of all good government. Not only historically,

1 Roberts, J. A., New York in the Revolution, pp. 7–15.

2 New York at Gettysburg, Vol. I, p. 7. Albany, 1902.

MAPS OF NEW YORK STATE, SHOWING (above) THE FIFTY-ONE STATE SENATORIAL DISTRICTS AND (below) THE NUMBER OF ASSEMBLYMEN (150) TO WHICH EACH COUNTY IS ENTITLED

however, is New York State great. Its vast wealth, great natural resources, diversified industries, and dense population (9,773,817 in 1915) make it unquestionably the most important state in the Union. In point of population it outranks The Netherlands, European Turkey, Portugal, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Canada, and a majority of the South American republics. In 1913 it expended upon public education the enormous sum of $63,185,124.10. New York City is the financial, commercial, literary, and art center, and is the largest city, not only of the western hemisphere, but of the world as well.

Before the White Man Came. When, in 1524, Verrazano explored what is now known as New York Bay, he found the islands of the bay and the shores of the mainland occupied by the Algonquin Indians. In 1609, when Henry Hudson sailed up the river which now bears his name, he found its shores also possessed by the Algonquins. The rest of the territory now known as New York State was possessed by the tribes of the Iroquois League, or Five Nations. These powerful Indian tribes, banded together in two organizations, figure largely in the history of the state. Of the two, the Iroquois are of more importance than the Algonquins. The Iroquois, or Five Nations, included the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, and were located about the waters which now bear their names. From this region, fertile in soil, abounding in game, with facilities for rapid transportation by means of natural waterways, they were enabled, with only comparatively short carries, to send their war parties down the Ohio to the Mississippi, down the Susquehanna and Delaware rivers to the bays, into the Great Lakes, through the Mohawk River into the Hudson to lakes George and

Champlain, in short, this powerful league, some 17,000 strong, was able to sweep the country with its war parties north and south, east of the Mississippi. Thus New York State was the empire part of the New World long before white men visited its shores.

New York a Dutch Colony. Henry Hudson, an English navigator, had been employed by the Dutch East India Company to find a short route to the rich trading fields of Asia. In the spring of 1609, Hudson, with a small crew, in the ship called the Half Moon, sailed north of Norway and Sweden, but was soon stopped by the ice. Turning westward, he finally reached the coast of Maine and continued south as far as Chesapeake Bay; then, returning northward, he entered New York Bay and sailed up the Hudson River, hoping that he had found the desired passage to Asia. Finding himself unable to proceed more than a short distance above the present site of Albany, however, he returned, disappointed in his main quest, and sailed for home to report to his employers. Encouraged by Hudson's report, a company of Dutch merchants planned several trading expeditions. In 1614 the New Netherlands Company was formed1 and was granted a charter which gave it commercial control of that region of country lying "between New France and Virginia.' The New Netherlands Company grew into the Dutch West India Company.

Dutch West India Company. This company, besides exclusive trading rights, was given power to plant and govern colonies. Through their agent, known as directorgeneral, the company exercised almost absolute control over the affairs of the settlers. When Peter Minuit came over as governor in 1626, a council of five was created to advise with and assist him. Governor Kieft, however,

1 Wilson, A History of the American People, Vol. I, p. 73.