ful to promote the true interests of the soldiers who served in the Union army during the Civil War, approving measures giving soldiers and sailors preference for employment upon public works, and the provision for completing the records of New York regiments and other military organizations and for their safe keeping.`

The pardoning power, one of the most responsible duties of the Governor, was exercised with care, and at the same time with greater frequency than usual. His legal training and practice had evidently convinced him that the power of trav ersing the sentences of the vast number and vari ety of courts in a State like New York was one which imposed the most serious responsibilities upon the Governor. The constant tendency on the part of a certain class of judges to impose “cruel and unusual punishments" is one of the most serious of the time, and one which constantly needs to be reviewed in order that justice may be tempered with that mercy which is its highest attribute.

Among the more important measures passed was an Act providing for the appointment of a Commission to select and set apart such lands as might be found necessary for the preservation of the scenery at Niagara Falls. All the islands immediately above the falls, and the lands upon the main shore, had early in the century been sold to private citizens. Some of them have been devoted

to manufacturing purposes, the forests upon the mainland have been cut down, and a process of deterioration has begun which, if continued, will soon destroy the charm and interest which Niagara has had as an object of natural beauty and sublimity.

It had been some time in contemplation to preserve Niagara by creating a State reservation, by removing unsightly constructions, and restoring, so far as practicable, the scenery to its original character. The efforts in this direction had been thwarted by the action of Governor Cornell, who had indicated that if the proposed measure was passed he would refuse to sign it. Governor Cleveland, however, showed a generous disposition to the undertaking, and encouraged the passage of the bill. This law has since been carried into complete effect with the most satisfactory results, and the State Reservation at Niagara Falls promises in due time to become one of the most striking of the landscape features of the State. Already many of the serious abuses which formerly. met visitors to that great natural wonder have been removed. The Dominion of Canada has, on its part, carried on the work on the opposite side of the river.*

* Much of the credit for the success of the New York undertaking must be ascribed to the late William Dorsheimer, who was by appointment one of the original, as he was the most active, of the Commissioners having the work in charge.

In brief, every question which engaged the attention or the energies of the people of the great State of New York found in Mr. Cleveland during his "service" as Governor the most intelligent and industrious encouragement. The reform of the State Civil Service system, the protection and preservation of the forests of the Adirondacks, the promotion of education and industry, found in the Governor of the State their most active and intelligent support.

A speech which the Governor made at the Albany High School contains some observations which must have been derived from his own experience. It is here given both as an expression of his opinions upon important subjects, and by reason of its biographical value. He said:

"I accepted the invitation of your principal to visit your school this morning with pleasure, because I expected to see much that would gratify and interest me. In this I have not been disappointed. But I must confess that if I had known that my visit here involved my attempting to ad dress you, I should have hesitated, and quite likely have declined the invitation.

"I hasten to assure you now that there is no the slightest danger of my inflicting a speech upon you, and that I shall do but little more than to express my pleasure in the proof I have of the excellence of the methods and management of the school, and of the opportunities which those who

attend have within their reach of obtaining a superior education.

"I never visit a school in these days without contrasting the advantages of the scholar of today with those of a time not many years in the past. Within my remembrance even, the education which is freely offered you was only secured by those whose parents were able to send them to academies and colleges. And thus, when you entered this school very many of you began where your parents left off.

"The theory of the State in furnishing more and better schools for the children, is that it tends to fit them to better perform their duties as citizens, and that an educated man or woman is apt to be more useful as a member of the community.

"This leads to the thought that those who avail themselves of the means thus tendered them are in duty bound to make such use of their advantages as that the State shall receive in return the educated and intelligent citizens and members of the community which it has the right to expect from its schools. You, who will soon be the men of the day, should consider that you have assumed an obligation to fit yourselves by the education, which you may, if you will, receive in this school, for the proper performance of any duty of citizenship, and to fill any public station to which you be called. And it seems to me to be none

may