the cities of Boston, New-York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New-Orleans, St. Louis, Charleston, Norfolk, Savannah, Galveston and Mobile, and when the proposed service is to be on the Pacific Ocean, then in San Francisco, Tacoma and Portland. Such notice shall describe the route, the time when the contract will be made, its duration, the size of the steamers to be used, the number of trips a year, the times of sailing, and the time when the service shall commence, which shall not be more than three years after the contract shall be let. The details of the mode of advertising and letting such contracts shall be conducted in the manner prescribed in Chapter 8, Title 46, Revised Statutes for letting inland mail contracts, so far as that shall be applicable to the ocean mail service.

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The vessels employed in the mail service under this act shall be American-built steamships, owned and officered by American citizens, in conformity with the existing laws, or so owned and officered and registered according to law, and upon each departure from the U. S. the following proportion of the crew shall be citizens of the U.S.: During the first two years of such contract for carrying the mails, one-fourth; during the next three succeeding years, one-third; and during the remaining time of the continuance of such contract, at least one-half; and shall be constructed after the latest and most approved design. They shall be divided into four classes. The first class shall be iron or steel screw steamships capable of running twenty knots an hour a sea in ordinary weather, and of a gross registered tonnage of not less than 8,000 tons. vessel except of first-class shall be accepted for mail service under přovisions of this act between the U. S. and Great Britain. The second class shall be iron or steel steamships, capable of running sixteen knots an hour at sea in ordinary weather, and of a gross registered tonnage of not less than 5,000 tons; the third class, iron or steel steamships, speed, fourteen knots an hour at sea in ordinary weather, gross registered tonnage, not less than 2,500 tons; fourth class, iron or steel or wooden steamships, speed, twelve knots an hour at sea in ordinary weather, gross registered tonnage, 1,500 tons. It shall be stipulated in the contract or contracts to be entered into for the mail service that the vessels may carry passengers with their baggage in addition to mails and may do all ordinary business done by steamships.

All steamships of the first, second, and third classes employed as above and hereafter built shall be constructed with particular reference to prompt and economical conversion into auxiliary naval cruisers, and according to plans and specifications to be agreed upon between the owners and the Secretary of the Navy, and they shall be of sufficient strength and stability to carry and sustain the working and operation of at least four effective rifled cannon of a calibre of not less than six inches, and shall be of the highest rating known to maritime commerce. All of said three classes heretofore built and so employed shall, before they are accepted for the mail service, be thoroughly inspected by a competent naval officer or constructor detailed by the Secretary of the Navy; and such officer shall report, in writing, to the Secretary of the Navy, who shall transmit report to the Postmaster-General; and no such vessel not approved by the Secretary of the Navy as suitable for the service required shall be employed.

The rate of compensation for such ocean mail service of the first class ships shall not exceed $4 a mile; for the second-class ships $2 a mile, by the shortest practicable route, for each outward voyage; for the third-class ships, $1 a mile, and for the fourthclass ships, two-thirds of $1 a mile for the actual number of miles required by the Postoffice Department to be travelled on each outward bound voyage. In case of failure from any cause to perform the regular voyages stipulated for, a pro rata deduction shall be made from the compensation, and suitable fines and penalties may be imposed for delays or irregularities in the due performance of service according to the contract, to be determined by the Postmaster-General. No steamship so employed and so pa id for carrying the U. S. mails shall receive any other bounty or subsidy from the Treasury of the U. S.

Upon each of said vessels the U. S. shall be entitled to have transported, free of charge, a mail-messenger, whose duty it shall be to receive, sort, take in charge and deliver the mails to and from the U. S., and who shall be provided with suitable accommodation for himself and the mails.

Officers of the United States Navy may volunteer for service on said mail vessels, and when accepted by the contractor or contractors may be assigned to such duty by the Secretary of the Navy whenever, in his opinion, such assignment can be made without detriment to the service, and while in said employment they shall receive furlough pay from the Government, and such other compensation from the contractor or contractors as may be agreed upon by the parties, provided, that they shall only be required to perform such duties as appertain to the merchant service. Such vessels shall take as cadets or apprentices, one American-born boy under 21 years of age for each 1,000 tons gross register, and one for each majority fraction, who shall be educated in the duties of seamanship, rank as petty officers, and receive reasonable pay for their services. Such steamers may be taken and used by the U. S. as transports or cruisers, on payment to the owners of the fair actual value of the same at the time of the taking, and if there shall be a disagreement as to this value, between the U. S. and the owners, then the same shall be determined by two impartial appraisers, one to be appointed by each party, both at the same time selecting a third, who shall act in case the tw shall fail to agree.

PUBLIC LAND LEGISLATION.

The act of March 3, 1891, repeals the timber culture law of June 14, 1878, and its supplements. It amends Section 2,289, Revised Statutes, the homestead section, so as to read that every person who is the head of a family, or who is twenty-one years old, and a citizen, or who has filed his declaration of intention to become such, shall be entitled to enter one-quarter section, or a less quantity, of

unappropriated public lands, to be located in a body in conformity to the legal subdivisions of the public lands; but no person who is the proprietor of more than 160 acres in any State or Territory shall acquire any right under the homestead law. Every person owning and residing on land may, under the provisions of this section, enter other land lying contiguous to his land, which shall not together exceed in the aggregate 100 acres. In Colorado, Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota, Wyoming, and Alaska, and the gold and silver regions of Nevada and Utah in any prosecution or action of the U. S. for a trespass on public timber lands or to recover timber or lumber cut thereon, it shall be a defence if the defendant shows that the timber was so cut or removed for use by a resident for agricultural, mining, manufacturing or domestic purposes under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior and has not been transported out of the State, but this shall not operate to enlarge the rights of any railway company to cut timber on the public domain. The Secretary of the Interior may make suitable regulations to carry out the provisions of this act, and may designate the sections or tracts of land where timber may be cut. This act shall not operate to repeal the act of June 3, 1878, providing for cutting of timber on mineral lands.

Hereafter no public lands of the U. S., except abandoned military or other reservations, isolated and disconnected fractional tracts authorized to be sold by Section 2,455, Revised Statutes, and mineral and other lands, the sale of which at public auction has been authorized by acts of Congress of a special nature having local application, shall be sold at public sale.

The right of way through the public lands and reservations of the U. S. is granted to any canal or ditch company formed for the purpose of irrigation and duly organized under the laws of any State or Territory, which shall have filed with the Secretary of the Interior a copy of its articles of incorporation, and due proofs of organization, to the extent of the ground occupied by the water of the reservoir and of the canal and its laterals, and fifty feet on each side of the marginal limits thereof; also the right to take, from the public lands adjacent to the line of the canal or ditch material, earth and stone necessary for the construction of such canal or ditch. No such right of way shall be so located as to interfere with the proper occupation by the Government of any such reservation, and all maps of location shall be subject to the approval of the Department having jurisdiction, and the privilege granted shall not be construed to interfere with the control of water for irrigation and other purposes under authority of the respective States or Territories.

The President may, from time to time, set apart and reserve land in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, as public reservations, to be declared by proclamation.

RECIPROCITY WITH HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

The Act of March 3, 1891, provides that nothing in the act approved October 1, 1890, entitled "An act to reduce the revenue and equalize duties on imports, and for other purposes," shall be held to repeal or impair the provisions of the convention respecting commercial reciprocity concluded Jan. 30. 1875, with the King of the Hawaiian Islands, and extended by the convention proclaimed Nov. 9, 1887; and the provisions of said convention shall be in full force and effect as if said act had not passed.

SALARIES OF DISTRICT JUDGES, U. S.

The act of Feb. 24, 1891, provides that the salaries of judges of the U. S. District courts shall hereafter be at the rate of $5,000 per annum.

AMERICAN PORK IN EUROPE.

The State Department records do not show that American pork is excluded by law from Belgium, Great Britain, Portugal, or Russia. On Sept. 3, 1891, Germany removed the prohibition existing in that country with regard to all American hogs and hog products officially certified in America to be free from qualities dangerous to health. The duty was placed at 20 marks the 200 pounds. On Sept. 8, 1891, Denmark_removed, under similar conditions as to inspection, the Danish prohibition enforced since March, 1888. On Oct. 19, 1891, Italy took similar action, placing the duty at 25 francs the 100 kilos. On Nov. 16, 1891, the French embargo was finally removed, and the same duty was imposed. Greece abolished the prohibition in March, 1884. In Spain and Sweden, exclusion or non-exclusion appears to depend on the result of inspection. Norway and Switzerland have taken no definite action. Turkey declared against American pork in 1882. There has been much official correspondence with Austria, and removal of the Austrian prohibition was announced in the President's message, Dec. 9, 1891.

The total value of exports of U. S. beef and hog products during October, 1891, and during the twelve donths ended October 31, 1891, compared with similar exports during 1890 as follows:

October, 1891, $8,266,945; 1890, $10,352,148. Twelve months, ended October 31, 1891, $112,303,958; 1890, $118,938,618.

ALABAMA DEMOCRATIC, MAY 31, 1890.*

Opposes Federal Elections bill, favors revenue tariff and anti-trust legislation, and reaffirms allegiance to party principles.

ARKANSAS REPUBLICAN, July 9, 1890.*

Commends President Harrison's Administration and his declaration that rights of all citizens should be protected in all parts of the Union, strongly favors Elections bill, # commends Speaker Reed, indorses Union Labor ticket, and declares that "with the Republicans of Arkansas the questions of tariff and silver and all other questions are held subordinate to that of a free ballot and a fair count."

CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN,

August 13, 1890.* ELECTIONS.-Defends free ballot and indorses ballot declaration of Democratic National platform of 1880, but denounces that party for violating it. LABOR.-Favors arbitration and eight-hour workday.

CHINESE.-Favors most rigid exclusion of Chinese, and urges that the restriction be made permanent.

SILVER.-Indorses the Silver bill and favors a proper increase of the currency. THE ADMINISTRATION.-"We affirm and commend the Administration of President Harrison and the course pursued in the general legislation of the country by the Republican members of Congress. We desire to especially commend and mark with approval the manner in which the Administration of President Harrison, through Secretary Blaine, has managed the Behring Sea difficulty with England, and we have every confidence that the result will be adjusted honorably to this country and in full recognition of its rights."

MISCELLANEOUS.-Indorses Speaker Reed, favors all laws recognizing claims of old soldiers, and stringent laws against "trusts, pools, combines and monopolies." CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC, August 20, 1890.*

THE ADMINISTRATION.-Complains of the tariff, Speaker Reed, "a depleted Treasury, the imposition of unequal and oppressive taxes, the effort to enact coercive legand opposition to free coinage of silver.

islation,

ELECTIONS.-Denounces Lodge bill "as despotic and centralizing in its tendencies, dangerous to the liberty, peace and prosperity of the people, revolutionary in its nature and purpose, and a direct contravention of the principles of free government as bequeathed to us by the framers of our Constitution." CHINESE.-Asks Congress to enact a law for their permanent exclusion.

MISCELLANEOUS.-Favors free coinage, election of U. S. Senators by direct vote, pledges Senators and Representatives to secure appropriations for making California navigable waters froe at all seasons, opposes trusts, all forms of sumptuary legislation, all unjust discrimination against any business or industry, and McKinley tariff.

COLORADO REPUBLICAN, September 29, 1891.

THE ADMINISTRATION,-"While not agreeing with the President upon questions of the coinage of silver, yet we recognize his great ability and heartily indorse the Administration as being pure, upright and honest."

LABOR. "We favor protection against every form of convict or servile labor; prohibition of the employment of young children in factories and mines; protection of railroad employes; protection of employes engaged in factories and mines or other hazardous occupations from every danger that can be removed or diminished; the adjustment of differences between employe and employer by arbitration and such legisla tion as may be needed to facilitate and protect organizations of farmers and wage-workers for the proper and lawful promotion of their mutual interests. We denounce all trusts and combinations tending to hurtfully affect the price of commodities as opposed to the welfare of the people at large, and favor euch State legislation as will supplement the action of a Republican Congress looking to this suppression."

TARIFF AND RECIPROCITY.-"We reaffirm our belief in the Republican doctrine of protection to American industries. Home markets with legions of consumers engaged in varied industries are the best in the world, and for many articles the only ones accessible. American markets should be first for our own citizens, and to this end we favor levying import duties upon products of other nations, often the result of degraded labor, selecting such articles as we can produce profitably, and as will bring revenue to the Government and impose the least burden on our own people. By treatles of reciprocity the Administration is opening the markets of the foreign world to our surplus farm products and manufactures by admitting free of duty such articles as we do not and cannot produce in adequate quantity, and securing in exchange the exemption from duties of such articles as it is profitable for farms and factories to export. The joint operation of such reciprocity and of the protective system and the restoration of the American flag to the ocean-carrying trade promise to develop our foreign commerce on a basis advantageous to all our industries."

Also the People's Party National platform, 1891. *Printed at length in Tribune Almanac for 1891.

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SILVER. "The monetary condition of the world during the last seventeen years has demonstrated that the demonetization of silver by the United States was, if not a crime, a stupendous blunder, and that bimetallism isecessary to the welfare and prosperity of all commercial people. We, therefore, in the interests of the working and producing classes of all countries demand the full recognition of silver as a money metal by the opening of the mints of the United States to the full and unlimited coinage of silver, and we believe that such a step by the Government of the United States would be followed by a considerable number of other tions, and such a course will establish the ratio between silver and gold existing at the time of the demonetization of silver by Germany in 1871 and the United States in 1873. We denounce the pretence now being made in certain sections of the country that the friends of free coinage of silver are the advocates of a debased currency as untrue, but, on the contrary, we assert that there ean be stable currency based upon either gold or silver alone, and this has been demonstrated by the history of the two money metals for the past fifty years. Because we are in favor of a sound and stable currency we demand the use of both gold and silver as money at a ratio fixed by law, and that all paper money shall be redeemable in gold or silver at the option of the Government, and that thus every dollar, whether gold, silver or paper, shall be of equal paying and purchasing power."

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MISCELLANEOUS.-Approves pension legislation of the last Congress, indorses Governor Routt, Republican Legislature, Senators Teller and Wolcott and Congressman Townsend, recommends voting of bonds to complete State Capitol, condemns persecution of Russian Jews, and urges speedy ratification of treaty for removal of Southern Utes.

COLORADO DEMOCRATIC, September 29, 1891.

SILVER.-"We favor the free and unlimited coinage of silver and repeat our condemnation of the act of the Republican party which struck down the currency of the people in the interest and at the dictation of the moneyed aristocracy of this country."

MISCELLANEOUS.-Approves of new election law, favors early completion of State Capitol building and issue of bonds to amount of $300,000; congratulates Governor Campbell, Governor Boies and brother Democrats in Ohio and Iowa on their brave stand in behalf of constitutional money, declares that the judiciary should be removed from partisan influence, congratulates people on good conduct of Democratic officia's, and announces "that the Democratic party is in sympathy with the labor organizations which are striving to uphold the dignity of labor and to protect it against those monopolies which it is the policy of the Republican party to create and foster."

CONNECTICUT REPUBLICAN, September 17, 1890,*

THE ADMINISTRATION.-"We commend most heartily the wise, prudent and successful management of the National affairs by the Administration of Benjamin Harrison." TARIFF.-Demands that duties on foreign imports shall be so levied that labor and capital may have their reward, and congratulates country on the passage of Tariff bill, with reciprocity amendment.

ELECTIONS.-Asserts that it is the constitutional right of Congress to legisiate upon election of its members, and that, as the Democratic party has failed to uphold suffrage, Republicans should legislate to prevent fraud and secure a fair count. CONGRESS.-Congratulates Republican majority on overcoming unparliamentary and unconstitutional obstruction of Democrats.

CONNECTICUT DEMOCRATIC, September 16, 1890.* TARIFF.-Charges decline in Connecticut farm values to Republican tariff policy, and denounces "radically unjust and panic-breeding McKinley bill." MISCELLANEOUS.-Denounces Speaker Reed and Federal Election bill, favors a liberal pension policy, and laws against food adulteration, and commends secret ballot law.

DELAWARE REPUBLICAN, September 9, 1890.*

Declares for protection to American Industries, enlargement of our foreign_trale by reciprocity, indorses recent pension legislation, Senator Higgins, Speaker Reed and Harrison Administration, calls for Stato constitutional convention, and denounces the practice of legislative grants of money for objects of no public utility, needless lengthening of legislative sessions, frequent adjournments and extravagant allowances by levy

courts.

STATE ELECTION LAWS.-"The Democratic party by the enactment of the assessment and collection laws of 1873, its oppressive and fraudulent administration of that system, and its defeat of proper measures to correct the evils of that system, passed by a Republican House in the last Legislature, has wrongfully disfranchised large masses of our people, destroyed uniformity and equality of taxation, repudiated the most cardinal principles of popular self-government, brought reproach and disgrace upon our State, and shown itself to be an organized conspiracy against rule by popular majorities."

*Printed at length in Tribune Almanac for 1891.

MISCELLANEOUS.-Demands division of State into Senatorial and Representative districts, and minority representation in Levy Courts. Favors local option and high license where people favor sale of intoxicating liquors, and advocates revision of tax system so as to render moneyed securities subject to general taxation for public purposes.

DELAWARE DEMOCRATIC, August 12, 1890.*

THE ADMINISTRATION.-"The wasteful, revolutionary and unscrupulous proceedings of the Republican Administration and Congress are justly alarining to all patriots and by reckless and wanton expenditure have converted the Treasury surplus into a deficit so as to threaten new taxation, and under these circumstances it is more than ever our duty to strengthen and maintain our party organization as the best agency to preserve constitutional liberties."

ELECTIONS BILL.-Declares that a measure so atrocious would deprive the several States of self government, and recognizes as its object the perpetuation of sectional and class control over taxpayers of the Union.

TARIFF.-Denounces the McKinley bill, deplores agricultural depression as manifestly a result of unnecessary taxation on raw materials, and considers increased tax on tin plate an especial blow to every grower of fruit or vegetables, adding immensely to the cost of canning, of the roof of every dwelling, of every kitchen utensil, and of the pail in which the humbles: laborer carries his midday meal.

MISCELLANEOUS.-Denounces Speaker Reed and use of money to control voters, and recommends legislation to punish and prevent such practices.

GEORGIA DEMOCRATIC.

(No resolutions were passed.)

ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN, June 24, 1890.*

BALLOT REFORM.-Favors free ballot and fair count, and recommends General Assembly to enact Australian ballot system with improvements.

LABOR.-Favors laws to secure protection of workingman in life or limb, or guarantee to him. reasonable working hours and fair compensation and its prompt collection.

TRUSTS.-"It is the sense of this convention that the demands of the time are imperative that the whole energies of the Government of the United States and of the several States, legislative, judicial and executive, should be applied to overcoming all unnatural and illegal combinations of capital, whereby the prices of any of the necessaries of life are unjustly and wickedly enhanced, and all combinations of common carriers whereby the expense of carrying the products of the farm is placed at such extortionate figures as to amount to confiscation of both farm and labor. We maintain that no corporation or company should be permitted to get more than a reasonable per cent on actual capital invested and reasonable wages for its officers and employes; that dividends on watered stock are robbery. We recognize the wisdom of past Republican Legislatures, as demonstrated ly the fact shown by the recent decision of the courts in the Gas Trust case, that corporations take only such powers as are expressly conferred by law, and that corporations cannot be formed for the purpose of promoting or controlling other corporations; that trusts cannot find a home in our State, and we demand of the General Assembly the same vigilance in the future as in the past on this vital subject."

CURRENCY.-Favors use of both gold and silver as money.

SCHOOLS.-Favors a compulsory education law which will guarantee to all children of State ample opportunity for acquiring such an elementary education as will fit them for the intelligent performance of civic and political duties, without interference with right of parents or guardians to educate their children at private schools; also the repeal of so much of law as provides for public supervision of private schools.

LIQUOR.-"We recognize the importance of the temperance question and favor all proper and practical methods for abating the evils of the liquor traffic."

THE ADMINISTRATION.-Indorses the "wise, conservative and patriotic Adminis. trations of President Harrison and Governor Fifer"; approves the record of the Republican Congress in its efforts to legislate in the interest of the American people. MISCELLANEOUS.-Favors Elections bill, protection, and Disability Pension bill, Civil Service reform and legislation to protect railroad employes and miners.

ILLINOIS DEMOCRATIC, June 4, 1890.*

THE TARIFF.-Insists that revenue required to administer Government should be raised from internal revenue taxes and duties on articles of luxury, condemns the McKinley Tariff bill, as the consummation of an unjust agreement between Repub* Printed at length in Tribune Almanac for 1891.