420 



KANSAS. 



in a national point of view, as involving the 

 ample discussion and judicial settlement of 

 questions affecting the responsibility of colonial 

 governors, and the application of vital princi- 

 ples of English law to the distant dependencies 

 of the empire. 



JENKS, WILLIAM, D. D., LL.D., an American 

 Congregational clergyman and author, b'orn at 

 Newton, Mass., November 25, 1778; died in 

 Boston, November 13, 1866. "When four years 

 of age he removed with his father's family to 

 Boston, and a few years later was sent to the 

 public Latin school. He graduated at Harvard 

 College in 1797, and soon after devoted himself 

 to the instruction of youth, while pursuing the 

 study of theology. He next accepted the situa- 

 tion of reader, for a few years, in Christ Church, 

 Cambridge, whence he was called to a Con- 

 gregational parish in Bath, Maine, where he 

 preached with great acceptance for twelve 

 years. His people having suffered pecuniarily 

 by the "War of 1812, he accepted the proffered 

 professorship of Oriental and English Literature 

 in Bowdoin College, in addition to his pastoral 

 charge. On returning to Boston in 1818, ho 

 opened a private school, but occasionally 

 preached. Soon, the condition of seamen, with 

 respect to attentions of a religious kind, occu- 

 pied many of his thoughts; and ho became the 

 pioneer in efforts for their religious welfare in 

 that city. Under the auspices of the " Society 

 for the Religious and Moral Instruction of the 

 Poor," he opened the first free chapel for sea- 

 men, in a building on Central Wharf, and in 

 connection with the same society, a chapel, 

 also free, at the West End. These institutions 

 flourished and have resulted in the establish- 

 ment of the Mariners' Church j,nd Sailors' 

 Home, and the City Missionary Society ; also 

 in the building of the church where Dr. Jenks 

 officiated for twenty- five years. It was during 

 his connection with this parish that be under- 

 took the great labor of his life the Compre- 

 hensive Commentary on the Bible which 

 attained such a popularity that over 20,000 

 copies were subscribed for an unprecedented 

 success, before or since and which involved 

 the printing of about 120,000 imperial 8vo. 

 volumes. Besides this, he edited other literary 

 works. With each of these more prominent 

 positions of life, and the conscientious perform- 

 ance of the duties they required, Dr. Jenks 



connected much zeal and effort' in advancing, 

 incidentally, the ends and interests of other 

 institutions for promoting the religious, moral, 

 and intellectual improvement of his fellow-men. 

 He took an active part in the advancement of 

 popular education, and sound learning had in 

 him a hearty advocate. Especially was he 

 interested in the cultivation of the language 

 and literature of the East, and in cooperation 

 with other kindred minds founded the Ameri- 

 can Oriental Society. He was for many years 

 a valuable member of the Massachusetts His- 

 torical Society, and a contributor to its collec- 

 tions. His known interest in the Indians of 

 our country led to his appointment by Massa- 

 chusetts as a commissioner to persuade those in 

 Maine to renounce hunting for husbandry, and 

 thus become permanent and useful cultivators 

 of the soil. The African, too, found in him a 

 friend whose sympathy in his behalf was active 

 and well known. 



JOHNSON, Hon. CAVE, former Postmaster- 

 General of the United States, born in Robertson 

 County, Tennessee, January 11, 1793; died at 

 Clarksville, Tenn., November 23, 1866. He was 

 educated for the law and earned a fair reputation 

 at the bar, holding for several years the office of 

 Circuit Judge. In 1827, he was nominated on the 

 Republican ticket, and by the heavy vote of the 

 negroes of his district, was elected to Congress. 

 He represented his district during the entire 

 term of President Jackson's Administration. 

 In 1838, he was again elected, and by subse- 

 quent reelections remained in Congress until 

 1845, when he was appointed Postmaster-Gen- 

 eral in President Polk s Cabinet. At the close 

 of Polk's administration, Mr. Johnson retired to 

 private life, and accepted the presidency of the 

 Bank of Tennessee, which position he filled till 

 1859. His extreme age prevented him from 

 taking an active part in public affairs during 

 the war ; but when his native State was con- 

 quered from the South and a new Legislature 

 was organized, Mr. Johnson was elected to the 

 State Senate by the Union party. His feeble 

 health, however, would not permit him to as- 

 sume the duties of the position. He therefore 

 resigned, and remained quietly at his home in 

 Clarksville. He was a man of industrious 

 habits, of fair attainments, and possessed con- 

 siderable ability as a statesman. 



K 



KANSAS. The Kansas Legislature assem- 

 bled at Topeka on January llth, and was or- 

 ganized by the choice of Republican officers in 

 both branches. The most important act passed 

 during the session was* one providing for the 

 sale of 500,000 acres received by the State 

 under the act of Congress of 1861, and the 

 appropriation of the proceeds to aid in the con- 

 struction, of the Northern Kansas, the Kansas 



and Neosho Valley, and the southern branch 

 of the Union Pacific Railroads. A protest 

 against the passage of this act was entered by 

 the minority, on the ground that it would take 

 from the school fund of the State, lands that 

 had been set aside for their support, and appro- 

 priate them for other purposes ; and also that a 

 number of members having a direct personal and 

 pecuniary interest in the passage of the act. 



