In New York the chairman of a political caucus, held for the purpose of selecting candidates for office or delegates to a convention, may administer an oath to a person offering to vote at such caucus who shall have been challenged, and interrogate such person under oath as to his name, residence, and qualifications as a voter, and the person answering shall be liable to conviction for perjury if he intentionally makes false answers.

Georgia declares incompetent as election managers all persons unable to read and write, and has also passed an act punishing the purchase and sale of votes at elections. Voluntary assignments by insolvent debtors made hereafter in Georgia for the benefit of creditors are void unless accompanied by a sworn inventory and schedule of all the assets of the assignor.

South Carolina and New York have enacted laws in regard to the regulation and management of railroads, and providing for the appointment of railroad commissioners. In Connecticut, a married woman may now be an executrix, administratrix, trustee, or guardian the same as a femme sole.

New Hampshire has passed a law declaring that any town in that state may exempt from taxation materials of wood, copper, iron, and steel used in the construction of ships and vessels. That State also exempts from taxation as personal estate all ships and vessels engaged in the foreign carrying trade, and declares that only their net yearly income shall be taxable. Enactments of this character are worthy of the special consideration of other states, as tending to promote shipbuilding and to increase our merchant marine.

The constitutional right of convicts to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences, has been recognized and protected by law in New Hampshire.

In several states where there has been no regular session of the legislature during the past year, special sessions have been called, and the state redistricted for congressional representation. Such action is in marked contrast with those states in which regular sessions have been held, and adjourned without redistricting the state. Acts for the registration of voters have been passed in Maryland and other states.

In Virginia, punishment by stripes has been abolished, and the right of a prisoner to testify in his own behalf in criminal cases has been extended from assault and battery to felonious and malicious assaults.

In the city of Baltimore, jurors to the number of seven hundred and fifty are hereafter to be annually selected by the five judges of the Supreme bench of that city; and from the jurors so selected, the judges shall select the grand jurors, and the sheriff shall draw the other jurors.

Maryland and New Hampshire have appointed commissioners to examine and report as to the destruction of forests.

In Rhode Island it is provided that the board of persons imprisoned on original writ, mesne process, or execution, shall be paid in advance at the rate of three dollars a week by the party at whose suit such person is imprisoned; and the amount so paid shall become part of the costs of the proceedings. In case of default in such payment, the prisoner is to be discharged. That state has provided for the appointment of a commissioner to inspect dams and reservoirs, with power to order repairs and alterations therein, and to cause the water to be drawn therefrom, and with whom must be filed plans and specifications for all new dams and reservoirs. In that state a general act has been passed in reference to supplying towns with water. An act has also been passed by that state providing for administration on the estates of persons who have been absent from the state and not heard from for seven years.

Wisconsin has repealed the "anti-treat' law," referred to by your President a year ago. In that state, deceptive advertisements by insurance companies are prohibited, under penalty of a revocation of their license to transact business in the state. In Wisconsin it is also provided that the friends or relatives of a person adjudged insane may execute the warrant of commitment and be paid fees therefor in the same manner as if executed by the sheriff.

In Georgia the penalty for taking or reserving usurious interest is the forfeiture of the excess of such interest above legal interest.

In West Virginia a divorce a mensa et thoro may now be had where either party, after marriage, becomes an habitual drunkard. That state also gives statutory forms for indictments for murder and certain other offenses. In that state, damages to the extent of $10,000 may now be recovered by the representatives of a person whose death has been caused by the wrongful act, neglect, or default of another. That state also declares that if a devise be made to two or more persons jointly, and one or more of them die without issue, the part of the estate so devised to him shall not go to the other joint devisees, but shall descend and pass to the heirs-at-law of the testator as if he had died intestate, unless the will otherwise provide.

Ohio has enacted the following law:

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Ohio, That Section 7,014 of the revised statutes of Ohio be amended so as to read as follows:

Section 7,014. Whoever assigns or transfers any claim for debt against a resident of this state for the purpose of having the same collected by proceedings in attachment in courts outside of this state, or wherever, with intent to deprive a resident of this state of a right to have his personal earnings exempt from application to the payments of his debts, sends out of this state any claim for debt against

such person for the purpose aforesaid, where the creditor and debtor and the person or corporation owing the money intended to be reached by such proceedings are within the jurisdiction of the courts of this state, shall be fined not more than fifty or less than twenty dollars; and the person whose personal earnings are so attached shall have a right of action, before any court of this state having jurisdiction, to recover the amount attached and any costs paid by him in such attachment proceedings, either from the person so assigning, transferring, or sending such claim out of this state to be collected as aforesaid, or the person to whom such claim is assigned, transferred, or sent as aforesaid, or both, at the option of the person bringing such suit. The assignment, transfer, or sending of such claim to a person not a resident of this state, and the commencement of such proceedings in attachment, shall be considered primâ facie evidence of a violation of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Passed March 8, 1882.

In that state it has been enacted that whoever publishes any false or malicious libel, imputing unchastity to any female of good repute, shall be punished by fine or imprisonment.

Under the new criminal code of New York, new trials can be granted by an appellate court, even where no objections to evidence were taken. An appeal on the part of a prisoner under sentence of death in New York, while pending, operates as a stay of the execution of the sentence. In New York, justices of sessions, or side judges, no longer form a part of the Court of Oyer and Terminer.

In Ohio the following is now the law:

An Act to Supplement Section 6,934 of the Revised Statutes

of Ohio.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Ohio, That the following be enacted as supplementary

to Section 6,934 of the revised statutes of Ohio, with sectional numbering as follows:

Section 6,934a. That whoever contracts to have or give to himself or another the option to sell or buy, at a future time, any grain or other commodity, stock of any railroad or other company, or forestalls the market by spreading false rumors to influence the price of commodities therein, or corners the market, or attempts to do so in relation to any such commodities, shall be fined not less than $20 nor more than $500, or confined in the county jail not exceeding six months, or both; and all contracts made in violation of this section shall be considered gambling contracts, and shall be void; Provided, That the provisions of this law shall only be held to mean and apply to such contracts where the intent of the parties thereto is that there shall not be a delivery of the commodity sold, but only a payment of the differences by the parties losing upon the rise or fall of the market.

SECTION 2. This act shall be in force from and after its passage.

Passed April 15, 1882.

The character of state legislation is very important. The Constitution of the United States delegates to the Federal Government certain governmental powers essential to the common defense and general welfare of all the people of all the states, and by the same instrument the states are prohibited from exercising certain governmental powers. All other powers of government are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. Therefore, the protection of individual rights and the prosperity of the people of each state depend largely upon state laws and their administration. If the state enacts just and wise laws, has good courts, and enforces honesty and economy in the administration of state and municipal affairs, the people will be contented and prosperous. If this is not done, the mass of the people of the state will suffer. Whatever we, as citizens of our respective states and as members of this Association, can do to aid in making the