400 



INDIANA. 



the Governor some time after the adjournment 

 of the Legislature. The charges to be investi- 

 gated were made against the superintendent in 

 a communication to the Legislature, signed " "W. 

 Brown," and were: improper intimacy with 

 female pupils, misapplication of funds, and 

 cruelty to the inmates. The report entirely 

 refutes these charges, and the committee de- 

 clared that they had not " discovered anything 

 that should impair the confidence of the peo- 

 ple in the present management of the institu- 

 tion," and pointed to its "present condition 

 and efficiency, and its past record, as an honor 

 and credit to the State." 



Among the other subjects of investigation 

 were the Wabash & Erie Canal, and the project 

 for building a new State-House. A communi- 

 cation had been made by the Governor, inform- 

 ing the Legislature that suit had been brought 

 against the trustees of the canal by a certain 

 stockholder in New York, the purpose of which 

 was to secure the sale of the work for the ben- 

 efit of the creditors and stockholders, on the 

 ground that in its dilapidated condition and 

 with the powers accorded to the trustees the 

 trust could not be properly administered. The 

 subject was examined into by a committee, 

 and a report made in favor of some action for 

 securing the canal to the State, and putting it 

 in a condition to compete successfully with 

 the railroads in the business of transportation. 

 It was admitted that it was in a bad condition 

 and could not be profitably used as it was, and 

 it was feared that it might fall into the hands 

 of the railroad companies. 



The State-House Committee made a report 

 on the need of a new Capitol building, and the 

 several plans that had been presented, and 

 submitted a bill providing for five commission- 

 ers to be appointed by the Governor, to build 

 a new State-House and direct the whole en- 

 terprise. It fixed upon the old State-House 

 grounds as the site, limited the cost to $2,000,- 

 000, and made other provisions regarding the 

 selection of a plan, employing an architect, 

 making contracts, etc. The bill was not passed. 



A Temperance Convention held at India- 

 napolis, on the llth of June, adopted the fol- 

 lowing resolution regarding a memorial to 

 Congress : 



Inasmuch as the traffic in intoxicating liquors is 

 a great national evil, causing annually a fearful de- 

 struction of life and property, and seriously affect- 

 ing the moral, social, and material interests of the 

 whole country, and in the judgment of this conven- 

 tion it is the duty_ of Congress to exercise all its legit- 

 imate power for its suppression : therefore 

 > Buohid, That this convention respectfully memo- 

 rialize the United States Senate, and House of Rep- 

 resentatives, in Congress assembled, to appoint a 

 national commission to investigate and report upon 

 the effects pi the alcoholic liquor traffic upon pau- 

 perism, crime, revenue taxation, and the general 

 welfare of the country. 



2. To prohibit the manufacture and sale of such 

 beverages in the District of Columbia and the Terri- 

 tories of the United States. 



3. To prohibt the importation of alcoholic liquors 

 from foreign countries. 



4. To require total abstinence from all such bever- 

 ages on the part of officials and subordinates in the 

 civil, military, and naval service of the United 

 States. 



5. That the executive committee of the Woman's 

 Temperance Union of Indiana be instructed to pre- 

 pare a petition to the Senate and House of Bepre- 

 sentatives, covering the ground taken by this memo- 

 rial, and to circulate it throughout the State. 



A convention of colored men was held at 

 Indianapolis on the 21st of September, the pur- 

 pose of which is expressed in the following 

 resolutions : 



Whereas, We, the colored men of the State of In- 

 diana in convention assembled, in view of the many 

 outrages perpetrated upon our race in the Southern 

 States, have reasons to believe there is inadequate 

 protection to life and property ; and in view of the 

 recent amendment to the Constitution of the United 

 States whereby we claim that all distinctions be- 

 tween races in the laws or constitution of the sepa- 

 rate States are illegal : therefore, we hold the recent 

 suit brought against colored men for marrying con- 

 trary to the provisions of the " black laws" unwar- 

 ranted, and that these "black laws" should be re- 

 moved from the statute-books of the State. 



Resolved, That we call upon good men of all par- 

 ties to see to it that the next Legislature remove 

 these invidious distinctions from our laws. 



That we commend as worthy the sanction of the 

 nation the resolution of the Congress of the United 

 States, which gives the approval of that body to 

 President Grant's wise course in protecting the gov- 

 ernment of Louisiana from the treasonable mob 

 violence which sought its overthrow; and we con- 

 sider the admission of Hon. P. B. S. Pinchback to 

 his seat in the Senate as necessary to a satisfactory 

 and equitable adjustment of the aft'airs of that un- 

 happy State. 



That we believe it to be the duty of the General 

 Government to interpose its strong arm in protec- 

 tion of the colored people of Mississippi against the 

 mob violence of the White-Leaguers of that State. 



That it is the duty of township trustees in our 

 State to establish schools for the education of our 

 youth, where they have failed to do so, in compli- 

 ance with the law of the State, and demand that we 

 shall suffer no longer from such neglect, and we 

 recommend our people tQ bring suits, if necessary, 

 to compel compliance with the provisions of the 

 law. 



That to the extent of our power we will aid and 

 defend all persons indicted under the existing 

 "black laws." 



A decision was rendered in one of the State 

 courts in June on the question of what consti- 

 tuted a valid marriage contract. The parties 

 had entered into the following agreement: 

 " Whereas the courts of law have decided that 

 marriage is a civil contract, and governed by 

 the same rules as all other contracts ; there- 

 fore, we hereby agree that this contract exist 

 and be in force during our physical lives, pro- 

 vided our mutual love and natures blend as 

 now, but to terminate without prejudice by 

 the wish of either party if love shall ever 

 cease to be mutual, which event we trust and 

 believe never will occur." The prosecution 

 urged that the conditional character of this 

 agreement showed that neither party believed 

 the marriage legal. But the court was of the 

 opinion that it did not show that either party 

 believed the marriage illegal, although it 

 showed ignorance of what courts of law had 



