NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



539 



the aggregate amount paid for losses within 

 the State for the same time is $100,413.64, 

 showing the excess of premiums to be $270,- 

 288.27. 



Concerning the resources of the State, " as 

 presented in her agriculture, manufactures, 

 and forests of wood and timber," the Govern- 

 or complains that "thus far in her history the 

 State has furnished no substantial encourage- 

 ment for their development." Eeferring to 

 the reason set down at length in his previous 

 message, he urges on the Legislature the ear- 

 nest consideration of the subject. Though her 

 agriculture and manufactures are generally in a 

 reasonably prosperous condition, yet, to keep 

 pace with other States, he recommends that 

 she ought to use all the means in her power to 

 push them in their forward progress. He 

 says : " In the department of agriculture, and 

 particularly in that branch of it which includes 

 wheat-growing, we need to redouble our ef- 

 forts ; " stating that the cost of wheat flour an- 

 nually consumed in New Hampshire amounts 

 to six million dollars, and that " nearly all of 

 this vast sum is paid to producers out of the 

 State," when it might be retained within by 

 raising wheat sufficient for home consumption 

 upon her soil. By proper measures taken on 

 the part of the Legislature, he avers that such 

 a result can be easily obtained, there being in 

 the State 30,000 farms of an average extent of 

 123 acres, amounting to 3,690,000 acres; 

 whereas 90,000 acres, or only three acres to 

 each farm, if devoted to wheat-culture, would 

 furnish all the flour consumed in the State, al- 

 lowing the moderate yield of fifteen bushels to 

 the acre. He applies the same considerations 

 to the money sent out of the State for other 

 grain, and especially to supply her people with 

 corn-meal, not one-half of the staple consumed 

 by them being produced within her limits. 



He urges upon the Assembly to encourage, 

 by wise and liberal legislation, the develop- 

 ment of the numerous sites of water-power in 

 New Hampshire, the construction of railway 

 lines wherever needed, and hold out proper in- 

 ducements to invite outside people and capital 

 to settle in the State. 



Good care is taken by the State to multiply 

 the fish in her waters. From the report of the 

 commissioners to whom that interest has been 

 intrusted, it appears that " since the passage 

 of the laws prohibiting the catching of various 

 kinds of fish in their spawning seasons, there 

 has been a marked increase of the species so pro- 

 tected," and that, " since their last report in 

 June, 1867, the work of stocking our waters 

 with sea and other fish has made very satisfac- 

 tory progress. The propagation of fish from 

 their eggs and the introduction of black bass 

 into several of our lakes and ponds are being 

 carried forward under the direction of the 

 commissioners. Fishways are already com- 

 pleted over the dams at Lawrence, Lowell, and 

 Manchester, thus leaving the Merrimack and 

 Pemigewasset free for the salmon to the upper 



waters of the latter river as far as Woodstock. 

 There are assurances that fishways will soon 

 be completed over all the dams on the Winni- 

 pesaukee River. The amount appropriated 

 last year for the general purposes of the enter- 

 prise has been nearly all expended, and a simi- 

 lar appropriation of $1,500 will be needed for 

 the ensuing year." These endeavors of the 

 State are well seconded by her citizens in their 

 private capacity, the commissioners stating 

 that " a decided interest has been awakened in 

 the State, which has led to the creation, by 

 private enterprise, of quite a number of fish- 

 breeding establishments in various parts of 

 New Hampshire." 



With regard to political matters, the Repub- 

 licans in the State outnumber the Democrats 

 largely. The latter affirm, however, that at 

 the election for Governor on March 10, 1868, 

 their own candidate would have been elected, 

 or was really elected, but the result appeared 

 otherwise in consequence of the " gross fraud " 

 practised by the Republicans, whom they charge 

 with having tampered "with the check-lists 

 throughout the State erasing legal voters and 

 substituting illegal ones refusing to inscribe 

 the names of qualified voters, and placing upon 

 the lists the signature of any citizen who would 

 vote for Harriman; " adding that " the amount 

 of money expended to influence men to vote 

 the Republican ticket, or to refrain from vot- 

 ing the Democratic, was immense much more 

 than can be raised for a similar purpose in No- 

 vember." In this point, however, the Repub- 

 licans returned the charge upon the Democrats 

 by publishing in the papers of April 1, 1868, 

 that "to carry the recent election in New 

 Hampshire, money without stint was poured 

 into the State by the Democratic party. The 

 vast influence of official patronage was brought 

 to bear." 



The New Hampshire Democratic State Con- 

 vention met at Concord on January 20, 1869, 

 when they adopted, as a standing protest, the 

 following resolutions : 



Resolved, That the Democratic party of New Hamp- 

 shire, in convention assembled, declare their adhe- 

 sion to certain principles by them hitherto maintained, 

 and which in victory or defeat they will never sur- 

 render : First, the paramount and binding authority 

 of the Constitution over all departments of govern- 

 ment and all States of the Union, to the extent ^of the 

 powers therein granted; second, the exemption of 

 every State from any interference or control not clearly 

 warranted by the Constitution ; third, the right of e very- 

 State to an equal participation in the government, as 

 guaranteed by the Constitution ; fourthj the separation 

 and proper independence of the executive, legislative, 

 and judicial departments, as provided by the Consti- 

 tution ; fifth, no privileged classes and no privileged 

 capital ; sixth, an honest and economical administra- 

 tion of the government for the good of the people, 

 and not in the interest of monopolies and thieves and 

 plunderers of the public Treasury and the national do- 

 main. 



Resolved, That while all existing contracts entered 

 into in good faith should be fully kept in the letter 

 and spirit of the contract, Congress should impose 

 such just and equal taxes upon all Government bonds 

 and United States securities as will compel their hold- 



