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MARYLAND.

Biennial Session.-January 3rd, 1900, to April 2nd, 1900. AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION as follows are to be submitted to vote:

1st. Limiting the compensation to States Attorneys.

2nd. Establishing the basis of legislative representation. 3rd. Dividing Baltimore into legislative districts and fixing representation in state Senate.

ACCOUNTANTS are to be examined and licensed by a State

Board.

ATTORNEYS. Those receiving fees as attorneys not having been admitted are subject to fine. When attorneys are disbarred from any court they shall not practice in the Orphans' Court.

Attorneys must not solicit employment of persons confined in jail, and for doing so shall be suspended from practice.

A most important act regulates the practice of legislative attorneys and agents before the General Assembly, commonly called the Anti-Lobby act. Each attorney or agent employed to promote or oppose legislation shall register with the Secretary of State, giving the purpose of his employment and the party by whom employed. The employer is likewise required to register the names of his attorneys or agents and the subject of legislation to which the employment refers. It also requires the filing with the Secretary of State of an itemized statement of expenditures incurred in the promotion of or opposition to legislation. This act is in great measure modeled after a similar statute of Massachusetts, which is said to have worked well, with an additional provision giving the Governor power, in case he has reason to believe money has been improperly used in connection with any bill, to require a statement of expenditures in connection therewith, before approving such bill.

BICYCLES-A Board of State Sidepath Commissioners is appointed who may appoint county boards and the user of

such paths must be licensed. Bicycles must carry bell and light and not be ridden on sidewalks, and shall not be subject to toll rate charges.

CHILDREN shall not be employed for acrobatic, or similar purposes, or as beggars or street musicians.

Juvenile institutions and societies are given the care and custody of abandoned or incorrigible children and may find them homes.

CORPORATIONS heretofore chartered, but not organized, must commence business within a time limit and pay an annual tax on their capital stock or their franchise becomes void.

CRIMES.-Appropriation to personal or unauthorized use of any trust money by executors and other trustees is made embezzlement.

It is a misdemeanor to shoot a fox while it is being chased by fox hunters.

The divulging of contents of telegrams and telephone messages, or refusal to send one, is made a misdemeanor.

Purchasing property from minors is regulated.

The winning of money at games rejoicing in the name of "thimbles," "little joker," or "craps," is made an offence punishable by fine and imprisonment.

FEED STUFFS, concentrated, must be analyzed, inspected and marked.

FRAUD is presumed, when entire stock, or portion thereof, is sold out of the usual order of business; and the detail of notice of such sales is provided for, to protect creditors.

The Statute of Frauds is modified so that the consideration for the promise to pay the debt of another need not be expressed in writing.

HEALTH.-Milk adulteration is punishable, and skimmed milk when sold must be so marked.

Oleomargarine receives additional adverse legislation and must be marked plainly as such in places where sold or served.

INSANE-Important legislation has been had concerning their commitment.

INSURANCE must be made through resident agents.

JURIES.-Provision for special findings of fact has been

repealed.

LABOR.-Employer must give employes time to vote.

MARRIED WOMEN may contract with husband or any other person for co-partnership in business.

MORTGAGE for purchase money has priority as against previous judgments or decrees.

Growing crops are exempt from mortgage.

POLICE of Baltimore are to be appointed by a Board of Police Examiners selected by the Governor, and are to be retained during good behavior and can only be removed upon written charges and after hearing.

RAILROADS may acquire the stocks and bonds of other roads. ROADS shall not be opened so as to pass through the yards, gardens, buildings, or burial grounds of any person without his consent.

SCHOOL CHILDREN must be vaccinated.

SILVER that is entitled to be marked sterling is defined, and falsely stamping silver as sterling or coin silver is punishable. TAXATION is exempted in certain counties for the encouragement of manufacturing establishments, and it is worthy of note that there is much special legislation concerning localities in the acts of the Maryland legislature.

USURY. A stringent law concerning usury on loans, based upon chattel mortgage, has been enacted with severe penalties.

MASSACHUSETTS.

Annual Session, January 3rd, 1900, to July - 1900. BLIND ADULTS may be instructed at their homes at state

expense.

CHILDREN. The State Board of Charity is given increased power for the care and custody of neglected or abused children.

CIVIL SERVICE is applied to the police and fire departments of Milton and Natick.

CITIES may pension aged and disabled firemen.

COMMON CARRIERS shall not take from employes any bond to indemnify the carrier from loss or damage, caused by any act or neglect of such employe. This does not apply to bonds for accounting for money.

GAME.-Pheasants are protected for five years.

HEALTH.-The manufacture or sale of any fabric, paper, or article of dress, containing arsenic, is made a misdemeanor. ICE. It is made a misdemeanor for a dealer to refuse to sell ice in small quantities.

INSURANCE against theft and burglary is permitted.

LABOR LAWS have been enacted limiting hours of work and prohibiting contracts that employes shall lodge, board or trade at a particular place.

PENSIONS for age and length of service are to be paid Boston firemen.

RAILROADS must equip passenger cars with platform gates. Must run workingmen's trains in morning and evening in and out of Boston. Must transport bicycles as baggage.

SCHOOLS.

Street car companies must carry children to and from school at half fare.

A teacher's retirement fund is created in Boston.

STREET RAILWAYS are authorized to carry mail and baggage subject to the law of common carriers.

Where sold under receivership, the purchaser must incorporate with capital stock limited to the amount of the value of the plant, less mortgage, if any.

TAX. The payment of inheritance tax is enforced under personal liability upon the executor and administrator of estate.

MICHIGAN.

Extra Session. December 18th, 1899, to January 6th, 1900. An extra session of the legislature was called by the Governor of the state, the declared purpose being to pass a general

tax law. The legislative body not being in accord with the executive, the proposed law failed of passage.

Acts were passed providing for the accounts of some of the public institutions and one supplementary to an Act for the relief of sick, needy and disabled soldiers of the SpanishAmerican War. In view of charges of fraud in the purchase of military supplies for the state by the Military Board, the Attorney General was authorized to investigate and bring legal proceedings to protect the interests of the state.

MISSISSIPPI.

Biennial Session.-January 2nd, 1900, to March 12th, 1900. AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION are to be submitted to vote of the people as follows:

1st. Schools shall be maintained by a poll tax to be retained. in the county where collected.

2nd. The amendment heretofore voted upon making the judiciary elective is declared carried and ratified.

3rd. The amendment ceding levee management and control to the United States is declared carried.

CHANCELLORS' powers as to matters testamentary, property of minors and insane persons are enlarged.

CRIMES. It is made a misdemeanor for laborers, renters, or share croppers, who have contracted for not exceeding a year, to make a new contract, without giving notice of the first one. HEALTH.-Compulsory vaccination is provided for.

INSURANCE must be written through duly authorized and licensed resident agents.

LIQUORS, and the vessels and appliances used therewith, kept to be sold in violation of law, it is declared are not property and may be seized and destroyed.

PENSIONS are provided for ex-confederate soldiers who are disabled or indigent and have no property exceeding four hundred dollars in value.

SCHOOLS for teaching the manufacture of cotton fabrics are to be maintained by the state.

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