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"And now see the Nemesis which is threatening to follow the chronic sin of legislators. They and their class, in common with all owners of property, are in danger of suffering from a sweeping application of that general principle practically asserted in each of these confiscating Acts of Congress. For what is the tacit assumption on which such Acts proceed? It is the assumption that no man has any claim to his property, not even to that which he has earned by the sweat of his brow, save by permission of the community; and that the community may cancel the claim to any extent it thinks fit. No defense can be made for the appropriation of A's possessions for the benefit of B, save one which sets out with the postulate that society as a whole has an absolute right over the possessions of each member. And now this doctrine, which has been tacitly assumed, is being openly proclaimed. Mr. George and his friends, Mr. Hyndman and his supporters [Mr. Bellamy and his disciples], are pushing the theory to its logical issue. They have been instructed by examples, yearly increasing in number, that the individual has no rights but what the community may equitably override; and they are now saying-'It shall go hard, but we will better the instruction,' and override individual rights altogether." - Herbert Spencer.

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Devoted to the record of the facts and considerations which show that Individual Liberty is good for the people of the United States:

And that, therefore, Legislative Regulation is injurious for them.

IN MEDIAS RES.,

In Congress.-Pensions; Naval Appropriation; National Farm Mortgage; Metallic Money; Woman Suffrage; Tariff Bill; Census; Postage; International Railway.

SENATE.

In the Senate Pensions have come in for a large share of attention.

One bill has been introduced to give $100 a month to soldiers who lost both eyes in the service, $72 a month to those who, having but one eye when they enlisted, lost that, and a hundred dollars a month to any who, on account of injuries received, have since been obliged to depend upon other people for support. Widows are to receive $50 a month. Another bill gives all who served ninety days or more, one cent a month for each day's service; to their widows $12 a month, and to their children $4 a month, provided in all cases the beneficiary be not worth as much as $8,000. Officers and privates fare alike under this bill.

The Committee has reported the Naval Appropriation bill to the Senate, after adding $500,000 to the amount proposed by the House, making the total about $22,650,000.

A bill, brought in by Mr. Stanford, proposes to create a National Farm Mortgage Co., and also the capital needed to conduct it.

This land-loan bureau, as it is called, is to be a part of the Treasury Department, and the Secretary of the Treasury is directed to prepare a special issue of notes from $5 to $1,000 in value, amount

ing in all to $100,000,000. From this fund, loans on farming lands to the extent of half the assessed value, shall be made to citizens. These loans may run twenty years or less, and bear interest at 2 per cent. They may be paid in whole or in part (not less than one quarter) at any time. In case of default of interest or principal, the United States Circuit Court may order a foreclosure. The notes issued in this connection are to be legal tender for all debts except interest on the public debt, but not for the redemption of the national currency, and they are to be destroyed as fast as they return to the national Treasury in the way of payments.

At the request of the Wageworkers' Alliance, Mr. Ingalls has introduced a bill to abolish Metallic Money, and to make it an offense, punishable with imprisonment for life, for any Government official to coin any more.

The reasons given for this, as stated in the bill, are that the monetization of gold (the result of "English cunning and American ignorance") is class legislation; that money is, in reality, based upon the power of the government issuing it; and that there should be in this country enough money to make interest "fall into silent disuse." Also, at the request of the same organization, a bill was brought in to deprive of half its representation in the House, any State which refuses equal protection to all its citizens.

Mr. Blair has introduced a joint resolution to deprive of representation in either House, any State which denies the right of Suffrage to its citizens on account of sex.

HOUSE.

The Tariff Bill has passed the House by a vote of 164 to 142. All the Democratic members voted in the negative, and were joined by one Republican. With few exceptions the bill is as reported from the Committee of Ways and Means. The most important additions to the existing rates are in the barley, linseed oil, glass, wool, earthenware, hosiery, and cutlery schedules.

In the House a bill was brought in to increase to $50 a month the pension of soldiers who lost a leg or an arm; to $100 a month, that of those who lost both legs or both eyes; and to $125 a month, that of those who lost both hands.

A bill to amend the Census law has been

passed by the House. The object of this amendment is to prevent bribery of census-takers, and a penalty is named for both the giver and receiver of a bribe.

By Mr. Quinn, a bill has been introduced which reduces the Postage on Drop Letters, in cities of 100,000 inhabitants, to one cent an

ounce.

A bill has been introduced by Mr. McCreary to encourage the building of an International Railway to connect North and South America. The idea is, in co-operation with the several governments, to form an International Commission of Engineers to make the surveys, and to decide upon the best route, probable cost, etc. The appropriation for this preliminary work is $65,000.

STATE LEGISLATURES. Massachusetts.-The Senate engrossed the House Nine-hour bill. The vote on the bill stood 21 to 16.

The Gas and Electric Light Consolidation bill was amended so that it requires now the consent of the Gas Commissioners before any consolidation can take place.

In place of the adverse report of the Judiciary Committee on regulating corporations which exercise the right of eminent domain, a substitute bill was nearly unanimously accepted by the House. This substitute measure provides for the regulation of grants of the street franchises to persons, corporations or associations who, or which use "tracks, structures, pipes, wires, or other conduits for the carriage of passengers or goods, or for the distribution of commodities or supplies." It does not apply to railroads, telegraph, or telephone companies.

The Senate passed to be engrossed the House bill authorizing the printing and distribution of ballots for town elections at public expense.

The House passed to be engrossed the bill for compulsory attendance at public schools 30 weeks in the year, instead of 20 weeks, as the present law requires, and instead of the entire school year as provided for by the Senate bill, for which this is a substitute.

The bill to tax incomes of over $2,000 was ordered to a third reading in the Senate.

New Jersey.- In the Assembly, the Werts substitute for the Senate Ballot Reform bill was passed 40 to 6. The Senate passed the bill unanimously. New Jersey is the fourth State to adopt the ballot reform this year, and the fifteenth since 1887.

The House rejected the bill making Good Friday a legal holiday. The Legislature is now adjourned.

The United States Supreme Court has declared the Minnesota Dressed Beef Law unconstitutional. This law practically forbade the sale in Minnesota of the meat of animals slaughtered in other States; as it compelled the inspection within that State of all cattle, sheep, or swine within the twenty-four hours of killing.

The suit brought by the Mormons against the United States, having as its object the setting aside of the Edmunds Law as unconstitutional, has been decided in favor of the United States' This law dissolved the Mormon Church and escheated to the United States all the real estate held by it in excess of $50,000, except that used for worship or burial. The suit was rejected on the grounds that Congress had a right to repeal territorial enactments; that the charter of the church when granted, was contrary to the provisions of the Constitution, and ought to be annulled anyway on account of the abuse of the granted rights. The property amounts to nearly a million, and will be used for the establishment of a school fund for Utah. The opinion was rendered with three Justices dissenting.

IN GENERAL.

In the Supreme Court of the United States the Fiske Will contest has finally been decided. Mrs. Fiske left property valued at $1,000,000, but since greatly enhanced in value, to Cornell University as a library fund mainly. Her husband contested this legacy on the ground that by law $3,000,000 was the limit to the real and personal property that the University could possess, and that amount it already had without this bequest. This view has been sustained, and Cornell loses one of the largest charitable bequests ever made in this country.

The Supreme Court of New York in a late hearing decided that capital punishment could not be called cruel when it involved no torture; and that the use of electricity, though in a way unusual, was yet in the cause of mercy. This decision now compels Judge Wallace to vacate his order of habeas corpus in the case of Kemmler, which was given that a writ of error might be applied for on the ground of this being a "cruel and unusual punishment," and hence contrary to the Constitution.

The United States Circuit Court lately decided an interesting case. A pilot-boat was run down by an ocean steamer during a fog, the steamer not checking her speed upon hearing the signals

of the smaller craft. Suit for $17,500 was brought, and has been decided for the plaintiff in full.

A Chinaman who was naturalized in New York and there admitted to the bar, has been refused the right to practice in California. It is claimed that Federal Courts have decided that Mongolians are not entitled to citizenship, and that Courts have been forbidden to naturalize them.

The State of Pennsylvania, in 1879, passed a law requiring foreign corporations to pay a license fee if they had an office in that State. Later this law was repealed. While it was in force, the Norfolk and Western Railroad Company refused to comply, though ordered so to do by the State Supreme Court. The United States Supreme Court has reversed the State Court's decision; the company while engaging in interstate transportation being protected from State exactions.

The Connecticut Secret-Ballot Law provides that "any person who shall violate any provision of this act" shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000, or by imprisonment for not more than five years. The Superior Court has decided that the "Citizen's Tickets," got up through Governor Bulkeley's instrumentality, when there was no "Citizen's" party, were contrary to this law. The New Haven Register asks blandly for the Public Prosecutor to enforce the law.

As the result of the Fassett Investigating Committee's efforts in New York City, the Grand Jury has found indictments against the three Commissioners of Excise, and against forty-seven liquor sellers for violation of the liquor laws. Many of the latter have been already arrested. The evidence also showed that though every license-holder is required to give a bond of $250 for the good conduct of his saloon, not a single bond had ever been prosecuted. This, too, in the face of the fact that upward of 200 licenses are revoked every year. Failure to prosecute, therefore, causes the city to lose some $50,000 which it was the Board's duty to collect.

STRIKES.

In Lynn, Mass., trouble has arisen among the morocco dressers and colorers, caused by a reduction of two cents per dozen hides. The regular rate for coloring has been twenty-five cents. In Lawrence, Mass., nine hours has been made a day's work for the city laborers.

In Brockton, Mass., the lasters' strike has not yet been settled. The factory is employing

non-union men.

At the end of last week the strike of the Boston carpenters had not been settled. Hitherto the demands have been simply for a reduction in the number of hours, wages being maintained at the same rate per hour as before. Now a movement has begun to demand nine or ten hours' pay for eight hours' work,-a concession that has been granted in other cities.

In Buffalo, N. Y., the mill hands in nearly all the planing mills have struck for nine hours and no reduction of wages.

The 3,500 employees of the National Tube Works at McKeesport, Pa., who struck for an increase of wages, have returned to work. A slight increase was conceded by the company.

In Cincinnati the stone-masons to the number of about four hundred, have struck for an increase in wages from $3.25 a day to forty cents an hour for a nine-hour day. About fifty contractors are involved.

In Peoria, Ill., a general strike has been declared in the mines. The men demand seventyfive cents a ton, while the operators refuse to pay more than sixty-five.

The hotel waiters in St. Louis, Mo., have obtained their demands for an increase of pay. About one hundred lathers have struck for an eight-hour day with the present ten-hour pay.

The carpenters' strike in Chicago, which was apparently settled a while ago, has cropped out in a new form. When the new Builders' Association agreed to receive the strikers on their own terms, the old bosses began to employ non-union men. Certain of the strikers' delegates obtained work among these men, and sowed such fruitful seeds of discontent that another strike is threatened.

In Livingstone, Mon., a number of men were imported to take the places of the striking miners. They were attacked by the strikers, and one of them was severely wounded.

In San Francisco the carpenters were organized and ready for a general strike, but their terms were granted at once by the contractors, and the men are now receiving ten hours' pay for eight hours' work.

We had occasion to congratulate the Illinois Woman's Alliance a few weeks ago on the independent stand it had taken with regard to the suppression of cigarette smoking by youths. At

that time the Alliance forwarded resolutions to the manufacturers of cigarettes, appealing to them to stop selling to retail dealers who persisted in selling to boys. What was especially gratifying to us was the fact that the organization, instead of calling on the legislatures to suppress by law the sale of cigarettes to minors, directed its energies to securing the same end by means of voluntary co-operation between the parties concerned—except the youths. This action is so unusual with any association of American citizens that we are not taken by surprise by new evidence of the originality and independence of the women of the Alliance. About May 12th, the Alliance passed the following resolutions:

WHEREAS, the Illinois Woman's Alliance and the Immediate Aid Society of Chicago report that the system of repeated arrests of unfortunate women by police officers in citizen's clothes is becoming outrageous, especially in the Armory District; and

WHEREAS, a seeming necessity exists among courts of justice to create a revenue, for which these defenceless women are made the point d'appui; and

WHEREAS, the only condition under which the State law permits arrests is by warrant or during disorderly conduct; and

WHEREAS, the arrests of these unfortunates are often made when the woman is not misbehaving; and

WHEREAS, the fact that she may be arrested at sight by order of the chief of police, enables the policeman to repeat the arrest at his own option, irrespective of any offense on her part; therefore

Resolved, That the Illinois Woman's Alliance condemns this system of virtual license; and

Resolved, That the Alliance will sustain any unfortunate woman who resists unconstitutional arrest; and

Resolved, That the Alliance will endeavor to have the laws so modified that the virtue of women and girls be encouraged instead of debauched, and that the honor of our justices and policemen be no longer involved by the nefarious practice of hounding women found on the street to their moral and physical degradation.

Now here is an association which has set before itself a worthy object, and none the less worthy because one that will meet with little sympathy and no assistance from the outside. It is an object eminently worthy, practical, and important. The evil to which reference is made in the resolutions is a real one in all cities. We learn with pleasure that the matter has been taken hold of in Chicago, and trust that we shall have frequent opportunity to chronicle the progress of this movement. Cannot the Alliance inspire the women of New York City with sufficient energy and pluck to resist the outrageous police-ordinance of that city-that any woman on the street alone after eleven (or perhaps the lords of creation allowed them till twelve) may be arrested without warrant?