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crushing burdens on struggling industry." Showing, in his excellent and late work "The Map of Life" how injudicious and improvident laws defeat the very purpose for which they are framed, he says: "Measures guaranteeing men, and still more, women, from excessive labor, and surrounding them with costly sanitary precautions, may easily, if they are injudiciously framed, so handicap a sex or people in the competition of industry as to drive them out of great fields of industry, restrict their means of livelihood, lower their standard of wages and comfort, and thus seriously diminish the happiness of their lives."

Gentlemen of the American Bar Association, you can do much to bring about a better condition by vigorous effort, inculcating in the public mind the well recognized doctrine that "that government is best, which governs the least."

CALIFORNIA.

Extra session.-January 29th, 1900, to February 10th, 1900. In extra session, called by the Governor, several amendments to the constitution of the state are proposed as follows:

AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION.—1. Provides that any city of more than three thousand five hundred people may elect fifteen of its citizens as a Board, to prepare and submit to the electors a city charter. If a majority favor the charter, it is submitted to the legislature as a whole, to be approved or rejected, without power of amendment or alteration. If approved it becomes the organic law of the municipality, superseding any existing charter and all courts are required to take judicial notice thereof. At intervals of not less than ten years amendments may be submitted to the voters. If this amendment shall be adopted by the people it will inaugurate a most interesting effort at local self-government by municipalities.

2. Provides material changes of the Constitution as it relates to the judiciary. The Supreme Court is reduced from seven judges to five and is to be composed of one chief justice and four justices, who are to hold office for twelve years. All of

the sessions are to be held in San Francisco. The state is divided into three appellate districts, in each of which there is to be a Court of Appeals of three judges, elected for twelve years. Its judgments are final, except where the decision conflicts with a previous decision of the Supreme Court, or of another District Court of Appeals. In both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals oral argument must be made unless waived by the parties, with the consent of the court. Not more than twenty cases shall be under submission for decision at any one time. No judge shall receive any monthly salary unless he shall take and file an oath that no cause remains undecided in his court for more than ninety days.

The Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction direct from the Superior Courts (one of which is to be established in each county with large jurisdiction) in proceedings where is drawn in question the validity of a statute, or of an authority exercised under the United States, or any statute claimed to be repugnant to the constitution or laws of the United States, or the constitutionality of any state statute, the legality of any tax or assessment, or questions of eminent domain or quo warranto, and in criminal cases, on decision of law alone, where the judgment is death or imprisonment for life, or questions involving the validity of city charters, or authority exercised thereunder. HARBORS.-The State Board of Harbor Commissioners is granted increased jurisdiction and power, and the construction of docks and wharves is regulated.

HIGHWAYS. The act regulating the width of wagon tires. is repealed.

PUBLIC WORKS.-The office of Commissioner of Public Works is created. The Commissioner is to be appointed by the Governor.

SENATORS OF THE UNITED STATES.-Their election by direct. vote of the people is favored by both houses.

TELEGRAPHIC cable across the Pacific Ocean is advocated by joint resolution.

GEORGIA.

Annual Session.-October 25th, 1899, to December 16th, 1899.

AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION.-At the next general election the people will vote upon an amendment permitting pensions to be given to ex-Confederate soldiers who by reason of age and poverty, or infirmity and poverty, or blindness and poverty, are unable to provide a living for themselves.

CATTLE are to be protected from all contagious or infectious diseases, and the Commissioner of Agriculture may establish quarantine lines.

COURTS must grant supersedeas in all criminal cases when the defendant has filed motion for a new trial.

CRIMES.--Counterfeiting or forging cards, receipts, certificates, or letters given by any association of railway employes, or uttering the same, is made a misdemeanor.

The burning or attempt to burn a house in a city or town, or an occupied house on a farm, whether owned by the perpetrator or not, is punishable by imprisonment from five to twenty years, and if the arson shall produce the death or maiming of any person, the punishment shall be death.

Prosecutions for seduction may be stopped at any time before arraignment and pleading by the marriage of the parties, or a bona fide and continuing offer of marriage, provided bond is given for the support of the female and her child, and if the defendant cannot give bond, the prosecution shall not be at an end until he has lived with his wife for five years; and the wife is a competent witness against her husband as to the seduction.

Dogs are to be taxed and registered, and if not registered are to be killed.

GAME.-Turkeys, quail, doves, and deer shall not be trapped nor killed for sale, except on one's own land, without a license fee of twenty-five dollars.

GOLD.-Purchasers of gold in any form must keep a record of the purchase, file reports thereof with the Ordinary of the County who shall report to the State Geologist.

HEALTH.-A State Board of embalming is created who shall examine and license embalmers.

Private hospitals may be established for the treatment of victims of alcohol, morphine, cocaine, etc., and they may restrain inmates of their liberty.

LANDLORDS' LIEN for rent or for supplies is a special lien on the crops of the leased land superior to the claim of widow and children for a year's support.

LIENS of laborers and material men are confined in amount to the contract price of the improvement.

LIQUORS.-Places where liquor is sold in violation of law are said in the statute to be called "Blind Tigers," and the plant or animal so designated is declared a nuisance and may be abated and the stock-in trade seized.

MANSLAUGHTER is defined to be killing as the result of sudden, violent impulse of passion, supposed to be irresistible, and the jury are the judges of the sufficiency of the time for the voice of reason and humanity to be heard.

MORTGAGE given to trustee to secure bonds may cover afteracquired property when so expressed.

Mortgage given on crops for supplies, money and other articles of necessity, including live stock, to aid in making and gathering such crop, shall be superior to judgment of older date.

NOTES for rent, mortgage notes and other such evidence of indebtedness, secured by contract lien or out of which a lien springs by operation of law, transferred for value carry with them, as a necesssary incident, the lien and the right to foreclose the same.

OIL. The Commissioner of Agriculture is to appoint an Inspector of Oils, who is to test all illuminating oils.

OYSTERS AND FISH can only be taken from public waters for sale upon payment of a county license fee of twenty-five dollars.

RAILROADS, public or private, may cross other roads when necessary to reach mineral, timber, or other material.

REAL ESTATE.-Owners thereof may create an estate therein by deed to a trustee who takes the title subject to the trust and shall have control of the property. The trust may be for the benefit of the owner and other beneficiaries and shall continue for twenty-five years, only, unless renewed.

The trustee may issue certificates of interest in the trust property which may be transferred as personal property. On death, removal, or resignation of the trustee, title passes to his

successor.

SCHOOLS. The law permitting graduates of schools, colleges, etc., to teach in the public schools without preliminary examination is repealed and they must now be examined like. other applicants.

SLEEPING CAR COMPANIES may assign white and colored passengers to different compartments, and shall not permit the two colors to blend in one compartment.

They shall not be compelled to carry persons of color in sleeping or parlor cars and their conductors and employes and those of the train have police power to eject passengers refusing to take compartments to which they may be assigned.

TAXES.-Occupation tax not to be collected from ex-confederate soldiers who are in business as photographers, physicians or proprietors of parks or race tracks.

WAREHOUSES are authorized to store cotton, grain and other property. They shall give bond and may issue negotiable receipts.

IOWA.

Biennial session.-January 8th, 1900, to April 6th, 1900. AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION.-A proposed change in the constitution will be voted upon whereby general elections will be held biennially in even numbered years.

This will do away with separate elections for the judiciary. ATTORNEYS.-Candidates for admission must study three years instead of two as heretofore. They must have a general

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