554 



NOEL, BAPTIST W. 



1878, a privilege was granted to Messrs, llol- 

 lenbeck and associates for the construction of 

 a railway from Granada to Leon. The privi- 

 lege is to extend over a terra of ninety -nine 

 years. The Government guarantees eight p.-r 

 cent, interest on the cost of construction, with- 

 in the limit of $10,000 per mile, for a term of 

 fifteen yours; the gauge of the line is to be 

 not less than thirty inches ; the work was to 

 be commenced within six months from the 

 date of the concession, subject to a voidonce 

 of the contract in case of delay beyond that 

 period. The work is to be completed in three 

 years and six months from the commencement ; 

 the company, after the completion of the line, 

 is to make the necessary surveys for the ex- 

 tension of the line from Leon to a point on 

 the Pacific coast. 



One of the last acts of Congress was the 

 ratification of a contract with Mr. II. Mi -i rm 

 Keith for the construction of a railway from 

 Leon to a point in the Bay of Oorinto, on tho 

 Pacific coast. This line will serve as a con- 

 tinuation of the Hollenbeck railway. 



General Don Tomas Martinez died in the 

 city of Leon, on March 12, 1873. He was 

 President of the Republic from 1857 to 1867, 

 and figured prominently in most of the im- 

 portant political events during the twelve 

 years immediately preceding his death. His 

 memory, both as a soldier and a statesman, 

 will be long cherished by his countrymen. 



NOEL, Rev. and Hon. BAPTIST WRIOTHW- 

 I.ET, D. IX, an eminent English clergyman and 

 author ; born in England in 1799 ; died in Lon- 

 don, January 20, 1878. He was the youngest 

 son of Sir Gerard Noel-Noel, Bart., and the 

 Baroness Barham, and was educated at Trinity 

 College, Cambridge. Having been ordained to 

 the priesthood in the Church of England, ho 

 was appointed one of the chaplains to the 

 Queen, and became pastor of St. John's 

 Chapel, Bedford Row, London. For many 

 years he was one of the most popular and in- 

 fluential ministers in England ; and his name 

 was identified with almost every Christian 

 movement of the time. About the year 1848 

 Mr. Noel dissented from the views inculcated 

 by the Church of England on baptism, and was 

 so firm in his convictions that he severed his 

 connection with that church; was publicly im- 

 mersed, and joined the ministry of tho Baptist 

 Church. About this time ho published hi> 

 "Essay on the Union of Church and State." 

 and also that on "Christian Baptism," indicat- 

 ing the step which he has taken. In 1> 

 retired from his pastoral duties, bnt, despite 

 liis advanced years, engaged actively in evan- 

 gelistic labors, being one of the founders and 

 promoters of the "Midnight Mission," and his 

 zeal for religion never flagged. As a preacher 

 he was fervent, spiritual, and tender, and, 1- 

 thongh extemporaneous, his flow of thought 

 was dear and consistent. Besides the publi- 

 cations already mentioned, Mr. Noel was tho 

 author of " Notes of a Tour through Ireland," 



NORTH CAROLINA. 



published in 1887; "Sermons on the i 

 Five Centuries of the Church," 183'J; ".Si- 

 mons to the Unconverted," 1840 ; " Christian 

 >as to Heathen Lands," 1M-J ; Si-rmoiis 

 on Regeneration," 1843; "Case of the 

 Church of Scotland," 1844: "Messiah: 

 mons on Isaiah," 1847; " Notes of a Tour in 

 Switzerland, 1847;" "Sermons at St. .la 

 and Whitehall Chapels," "Christian's Faith, 

 Hope and Joy ;" "Gospel of the Grace of God." 

 1849; "Essay on External Act of Baptism." 

 1850 ; " Christianity compared with Unitarian- 

 ism," 1851 ; " Letters to Farant on the Church 

 of Rome," 1852; "Notes of a Tour in the 

 Valleys of Piedmont," 1N.V, : Kssay on Duty 

 of Englishmen toward the Hindoos," 1858; 

 I'r.-.-iloiii and Slavery in the United States of 

 America," and "Rebellion in America," 1863; 

 and " Case of George William Gordon, of 

 Jamaica," 1866. 



NORTH CAROLINA. The Legislature of 

 North Carolina, which met in November, 1*7:.', 

 after adjourning from December I'.ith to Jan- 

 nary 15th, continued its sessions till the 3d of 

 March. The amendments to the constitution 

 were approved, and provision was made for 

 submitting them to a vote of the people on the 

 7th of August. On that date a separate vote 

 was taken on each of the eight amendments, 

 and they were all ratified by a majority of 

 about 25,000 votes. The changes made in the 

 constitution are as follows: Before amend- 

 ment, section 6 of Article I. read as follows: 



SEOTIOX 6. To maintain the honor and good faith 

 of the State untarnished, the public debt, regularly 

 contracted before and since the rebellion, shall bo 

 regarded as inviolable and never be questioned ; but 

 the State fthall never assume or pay, or authorize tho 

 collection of any debt or oblipntio'n, express or im- 

 plied, incurred in aid of insurrection, or rebellion 

 against the United States, or any claim for the loss 

 or emancipation of any slave. 



The first amendment strikes ont the first 

 clause down to and including the word " but." 

 The same amendment strikes out alto^. 

 section 4 of Article V., which was ns follows: 



SBO. 4. Tho General Assembly sluill. by appropri- 

 ate legislation, and by adequate taxation, provide for 

 the prompt nnd ropular payment of the inti : 

 the public debt, and, after the year 1880, it sliull lay 

 a specific annual tax upon the real and personal prop- 

 erty of the State, and the um thus realized slmll l 

 set apart as a sinking fund, to be devoted to the pay- 

 ment of the public debt. 



The second amendment abolishes the office 

 of Superintendent of Public Works, the holder 

 of which was an executive officer elected for 

 a term of four years. 



The third amendment relates to the taking 

 of tho State census which was provided for by 

 section 5 of Article II., as follows: 



Sr.o. 5. An enumeration or tho inhabitants of tho 

 State shall !" t:ik<>ti under the din 

 cral Assembly In the year ono thousand ciirlit hun- 

 dred and seventy-five, and at the end nf every ten 

 years thereafter;" njid tin' said Senate district- 

 bo so altered !>y the (lenerol Assembly, after the first 

 session after the return of overv MntOMntloD taken 

 as aforesaid, or by order of Congress, that each 



