and most populous, has a goodly territory, and combines land and water jurisdiction, domestic and foreign trade, &c., &c. The constitution of this state was adopted in 1846, and has since then been several times amended (vide votes of the people upon the constitution and its amendments), but it is still considered by many as at this day quite good enough for all purposes. It has served as a model for the constitutions of other states. In terms of the constitution, and of an Act of the legislature, dated March 17, 1886, the question was submitted to the electors at the general elections in 1886, and answered affirmatively, that there should be a convention "to revise the constitution and amend the same." But it does not follow that because there is a convention and a new constitution, or amendments to the old constitution are submitted to the electors, there shall be any change. In 1866 the vote for a convention was 352,854 against 256,364; while in 1869 the vote for the amended constitution was 223,935 against 290,456. It is claimed now by the advocates for a revision that "the development of railroads, the obsolescence of the canals, the growth of cities, and the enormous increase in the power of corporations, have created new needs and changed old conditions to an extent that requires an adjustment of the fundamental law to the present state of affairs. There is scarcely an article of the old constitution that could not be improved by a judicious revision" (New York World').

What is a constitution? This question the reader will be able to answer for himself after reading this work; and the writer merely asks him to keep in mind (1) that the constitution of the state is a declaration of fundamental laws unalterable by the legislature, and only alterable by a majority of the people, citizens and voters

of the state, after certain formalities, and due time for deliberation; and (2) that the Constitution of the United States is also a declaration of fundamental laws unalterable by the Congress, and only alterable in the manner prescribed by Art. V., sec. i, of the United States Constitution; (3) that the several constitutions, federal and state, are the main checks upon the whims of Congress and state legislatures.

What is the work of the state legislature? This question the reader will also in time be able to answer for himself. But the quality of the work is not always good. Mr David Dudley Field, an able and experienced lawyer of the State of New York, in his address before the Bar Association of the State of New York, at Albany, in January 1887, said of the New York legislature of 1886 : "The session began on the 5th of January and lasted until the 20th of May, a period of 136 days. The cost of the session was a little over $500,000: 681 statutes were enacted; so that each statute, one with another, cost $734. The first thing that strikes the reader is, that 274 of these 681 statutes are entitled Acts to amend former statutes, and that 54 took effect without the assent of the Governor. The same general subject is dealt with in different statutes. There are 26 for canal appropriations, 43 for appropriations to other objects, 69 out of 681 being for appropriations of public money, and costing altogether, if we take one statute with another, $50,000—that is to say, it cost the state $50,000 for the legislature to say how the taxes laid upon the people should be expended. To an outsider it does not clearly appear why these appropriations could not have been all included in one Act. Apart from these statutes, there are few of general importance, and some of them could have been grouped into

one, to the relief of the legislator and the convenience of the citizen. Thus there are 20 Acts to amend the Code of Civil Procedure, 12 for the New York City Consolidation Act, 6 for the Code of Criminal Procedure, 6 for the Penal Code, 5 different Acts relate to taxation, 4 to the power of Boards of Supervisors, 239 are classified in the general index as relating to corporations, 143 as relating to the city of New York, and 60 to the city of Brooklyn. Of the last two classes, some are placed also in other classes. There are 93 classed as relating to villages, 101 to cities other than New York and Brooklyn. Some of these relating to cities and villages are enacted as complete charters--for example, that of the city of Jamestown, extending through more than forty pages of the statute-book; that amending the charter of the village

of Oneida, covering eighteen pages; that for consolidating the laws relating to the village of Canton, sixteen pages, the three together being more than half as long as the proposed Civil Code."

According to the census of 1880, the State of New York had 5,082,871 inhabitants, of whom 65,104 were coloured. But the remarks just quoted are more or less applicable to the work of all state legislatures. The State of New Jersey had, according to the census of 1880, a population of 1,131,116, of whom 38,853 were coloured. Its legislature consists of 21 senators, one from each county, elected for three years, and 60 members of the House of Assembly, elected annually. The following table shows that they find work to do in making laws:-

Total Laws Total Joint enacted. Resolutions.

111

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The constitution of each state is the nucleus of the whole system of state government; and this constitution rests upon the Declaration of Independence, as is illustrated in the case of the State of Colorado (the last state admitted into the Union), whose transformation from a territory into a state is described in this work. The Declaration of Independence was embodied as part of the first constitution of the State of New York, and in those of other states. It is omitted in the last constitution of the State of New York, but remains, nevertheless, an essential part of the constitution. The enumeration of the "long train of abuses aud usurpations" may be said to be lying dormant (the word "dormant " describing best the feeling in many parts of the United States at the

present day). The thorough manner in which this Declaration of Independence has been ingrained into the hearts and minds of the citizens, prevents the enumeration of grievances of the thirteen original colonies being forgotten, and makes it a point d'appui in all arguments, &c., against the mother country. The proximity to Canada has, perhaps, in the border states kept alive a continued feeling of irritation or ill-will towards the mother country; and the great number of discontented emigrants from Ireland, or of Irish origin, and their importance as voters, has done more to keep the fire smouldering. should, however, not be forgotten that English is the common language in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and that jealousy is more likely to be shown, with or

It

without reason, towards one who assimilates nearest ourselves than towards one whose language and habits and business customs, &c., are less familiar or little understood, and, in consequence, less feared. Also that a standing grievance is a necessity to some; and to assert a grievance is a convenience, or is of use, to others.

There is nominally little, if any, unwritten law in the United States, or in any state. Everything is to be done by rule and measure. The clause,

section, chapter of the statute law, and the decisions of the law courts, as precedents for the interpretation of the statutes, ought to regulate the so-called inalienable rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The inalienable right of life, however, is not always recognised; or liberty and the pursuit of happiness may be inconsistent with it. The 'Chicago Tribune' compiled the number of murders and homicides in the United States, reported in the newspapers during 1886, to be 1499, classified by causes thus: quarrels, 631; jealousy, 181; liquor, 126; by highwaymen, 89; highwaymen killed, 24; insanity, 64; infanticide, 43; resisting arrest, 52; strikes, 35; riots, 16; self-defence, 19; outrage, 10; duels, 12; unknown, 197. During the same period the number of legal executions reported was 84, distributed thus among the states - viz.: Alabama, 2; Arkansas, 11; California, 2; Colorado, 2; Florida, 3; Georgia, 5; Illinois, 4; Indiana, 5; Kentucky, 1; Louisiana, 10; Maryland, 1; Mississippi, 2; Missouri, 6; Nebraska, 1; New York, 4; North Carolina, 5; Ohio, 1; Oregon, 1; Pennsylvania, 1; South Carolina, 4; Tennessee, 1; Texas, 5; Virginia, 2;-Territories: Arizona, 1; District of Columbia, 3; Indian Territory, 1. Of this number all were males; 42 were whites, 40

The

negroes, and 1 Chinaman. lynchings reported numbered 133, and were thus distributed-States: Alabama, 6; Arkansas, 4; California, 2; Colorado, 3; Connecticut, 1; Florida, 9; Georgia, 6; Illinois, 1; Indiana, 8; Kansas, 5; Kentucky, 8; Louisiana, 6; Maryland, 1; Mississippi, 17; Missouri, 4; Nebraska, 3; New Jersey, 1; North Carolina, 2; Ohio, 2; South Carolina, 3; Tennessee, 8; Texas, 17; Virginia, 2; West Virginia, 3;-Territories : Washington, 1; Indian Territory, 10. Of these 131 were males, 2 females; 62 whites and 71 negroes. To summarise—

Number of murders and homicides,
Number of lynchings,

Total,

Add number of legal executions,

1499 133

1632

83

1715

These figures do not, however, limit the number of murderers; and it has to be remembered that the number engaged in lynchings may be quite numerous, and each lyncher should perhaps be numbered as a murderer. But they show that only a small percentage of those who take life are hanged, hanging being the form of legal execution.

In the 12th Annual Report (1886) of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, a statement is given as compiled from newspaper accounts (pasted in a scrap-book) of youth, 21 years or under, arrested. It is necessarily imperfect. It does not include 4 youths arrested for | prize-fighting, 4 bigamists, 12 girl prostitutes, 7 bands of boy bandits, and 74 girls abducted for criminal purposes. In the 13th Annual Report (1887) the figures added for 1886 do not include 110 runaways, scalphunters, to fight Indians, &c.; 17 for intoxication, 3 gamblers, 48 for assault, 3 for bigamy, 3 for blackmail, and 46 girls for prostitution.

J. N. Whitney, Esq., acting chief of the Bureau of Statistics of Washington, District of Columbia, has kindly drawn the writer's attention to an article translated from 'L'Eco d'Italia,' appearing in Public Opinion' (a paper published in Washington and New York) of 5th February 1887, in which the ratio of suicides in every 1,000,000 of inhabitants in the following countries is stated to be: in Denmark, 280; in Switzerland, 202; in France, 156; in Germany, 148;

† One year.

in the United States, 143; in Australia, 105; in Austria, 96; in Norway and Sweden, 81; in Belgium, 71; in Great Britain, 56; in Italy, 37; in Russia, 25; in Spain, 14.

The defective, dependent, and delinquent classes in the United States, according to the figures of a report made by a special agent of the tenth census, submitted by the Secretary of the Interior to Congress in July 1886, are shortly these: The total number of prisoners contained in jails, workhouses, and penitentiaries, &c., in 1880 was 58,509, of whom 53,604 were males and 5005 females; 45,802 natives and 12,807 foreigners; 41,861 whites and 16,748 coloured. The number of prisoners was 1059 to every 1,000,000 of population; while in 1870 it was 853. The number of insane was, in 1880, 91,959, or 1833 to every 1,000,000 of population. The number of idiots reported as receiving special training was 809; and the idiotic class had increased from 24,527 in 1870 to 76,805 in 1880. The total number of blind in 1880 was 48,928, or 973 to every 1,000,000 of population. The number of blind reported as receiving instruction was 4691.

POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES, COMPILED FROM CENSUS REPORTS OF 1880.