344 HOBART, GARRET AUGUSTUS. 



HONDURAS. 



well that he received the thanks of the court for his 

 services. 



In April, 1868, Mr. Hobart was given his first 

 political office, that of judge of election in the Fourth 

 Ward of Paterson, and three years later he was 

 made city counsel. In May, 1872, he was elected 

 counsel to the Board of Freeholders of Passaic 

 County, and in the autumn of the same year he was 

 elected an assemblyman by the largest majority 

 that the Third District ever gave to any candidate. 

 A year later he was re-elected, and, though only 

 twenty-seven years old, was chosen Speaker of the 

 House. He strongly supported the General Rail- 

 road Law bill, and urged the passage of measures 

 to reduce the salaries of officials and to diminish 

 local expenses. In 1874 a third nomination was 

 pressed upon him, but he firmly declined the unpre- 

 cedented honor. 



Mr. Hobart was elected to the State Senate in 

 1874, and in 1879 was re-elected by the largest ma- 

 jority as yet given to a candidate in Passaic County. 

 He presided over the Senate in 1881 and 1882, and 



SCHOOLHOUSK IN WHICH MR. HOBART WAS TEACHER IN 1863, NEAR BRICK CHURCH, N. J. 



was a general favorite with Senators of both par- 

 ties. More than any other member he introduced 

 and secured the passage of bills favoring general 

 legislation, the payment of officials by salaries in- 

 stead of fees, and the reduction of the taxes. He 

 secured a law giving more protection to the owners 

 of mortgaged property, and he was instrumental in 

 the appointment of a commission, in 1877, to form 

 plans to encourage the making of woven and orna- 

 mental fabrics in New Jersey. This was the indi- 

 rect cause of the establishment of the Bureau of 

 Labor and Statistics. He urged the arbitration of 

 labor disputes, and favored the founding of technical 

 schools in the cities. 



In 1880 Mr. Hobart was made chairman of the 

 Republican State Committee. He has been offered 

 many offices which he has declined. In 1880, 1888, 

 1890, and 1892 he was offered the nomination for 

 Congressman, but he always refused. The nomina- 

 tion for Governor was urged upon him in 1892 and 

 in 1895, but he again declined, and worked to secure 

 the nomination of John W. Griggs. Having re- 



ceived the chairmanship of the Republican State 

 Committee at his own request, Mr. Hobart worked 

 zealously during the campaign, and Mr. Griggs was 

 elected by a majority twice as great as New Jersey 

 had ever given to any Governor. 



Five times successively Mr. Hobart has been sent 

 as a delegate at large to the Republican National 

 Convention. The first time, which was in 1876, and 

 also in 1880, he urged the nomination of Mr. Elaine, 

 and in 1884, when Mr. Blaine was nominated, he 

 was made a member of the Republican National 

 Committee. 



When, at the St. Louis convention, Mr. Hobart 

 was spoken of in connection with the vice-presi- 

 dency, he was desirous of having some one else se- 

 lected, and told the New Jersey State delegation 

 that he would not ask any delegate to vote for him. 

 HOLLAND. (See NETHERLANDS.) 

 HONDURAS, a republic in Central America. 

 The Congress is a single chamber, containing 46 

 members, who are elected by direct universal suf- 

 frage for four years. Congress meets every second 

 year. The President is 

 elected by the popular 

 vote for four years. Dr. 

 Policarpo Bonilla, who 

 is President for the term 

 ending in 1897, became 

 chief of the state by 

 a revolution, and was 

 elected President by the 

 constituent assembly on 

 Dec. 24, 1893. He was- 

 elected afterward in the 

 regular way for the term 

 beginning Jan. 1, 1895. 

 Area and Popula- 

 tion. The republic has. 

 an estimated area of 45,- 

 250 miles. The popula- 

 tion in 1889 numbered 

 396,048. The great bulk 

 of the population con- 

 sists of the Indian abo- 

 rigines, among whom 

 are scattered compara- 

 tively few white fami- 

 lies, descended from 

 early Spanish settlers. 

 Tegucigalpa, the capital, 

 has 12,600 inhabitants. 



Finances. The rev- 

 enue in 1892, the latest 

 year reported, was $1,- 

 764,137, and the expen- 

 diture $2,603.650. For 1895 the revenue was esti- 

 mated at $1,544,785 and the expenditure at $1,542,- 

 917. Of the estimated receipts, $532,056 represent, 

 the customs revenue and $814,529 internal taxes on 

 spirits, tobacco, stamped paper, etc. 



The foreign debt on Jan. 1, 1895, consisted of 

 loans amounting to 5,398,570, raised between 1867 

 and 1871, with interest in default since 1872, mak- 

 ing the total nominal debt 15,622,450. The do- 

 mestic debt in 1892 amounted to $2,742,574. 



The monetary unit is the dollar, or peso, contain- 

 ing 25 grammes of silver 0'9 fine, the same weight 

 and fineness as the French 5-franc piece. The 

 adoption of a gold standard and a new coinage, the 

 same in quality and value as the gold coinage of 

 the United States, was announced in November, 

 1894, the previously existing gold currency having 

 been demonetized. 



Commerce and Production. The cultivation 

 of tobacco, sugar, corn, coffee, eocoanuts, and ba- 

 nanas is extending. Indigo, rice, and wheat are- 

 also grown, and the cattle - ranges are extensive. 





