VINCKE, G. E. F. VON. 



VIRGINIA. 



751 



time, and he was not subject to military law, 

 not belonging to the army. He was subject 

 only to the laws of the State, which were not 

 appealed to, and was unlawfully deprived of 

 his liberty. 



A decision was rendered' in the Supreme 

 Court of the State, early in 1876, regarding the 

 right of school committees to exclude children 

 from the schools for violation of the rules. On 

 the 4th of June, Oorpus-Ohristi day, 150 chil- 

 dren in Brattleboro had staid away from school 

 at the desire of their parents, to attend church. 

 The teachers and committee had refused per- 

 mission for the purpose, and the latter would 

 not allow the children to return, except on a 

 promise that they would not absent themselves 

 in a similar manner or for a similar purpose 

 again. To this the parents would not assent, 

 and a suit was brought against the committee 

 to compel them to admit the children to the 

 schools. The decision in the Windham County 

 Court, sustaining the committee, was confirmed 

 by the Supreme Court. The points regarded 

 as settled by this decision are : 1. That the 

 Catholics have no more right than other de- 

 nominations to interfere with the regulations 

 of schools on account of religious customs. 2. 

 That no constitutional right is violated by en- 

 forcing the rule relating to absentees. 3. That 

 this rule does not interfere in any way with 

 the legal right to worship God according to the 

 dictates of conscience. 4. That the decisions 

 of teachers and school committees are final 

 within the limits of the law. 



VINCKE, GEOBG ERNST FRIEDEIOH, Frei- 

 herr VON, a German statesman, born May 15, 

 1811 ; died June 3, 1875. He studied law, and 

 up to 1848 held various offices in the Prussian 

 courts. In the Westphalian Diet of 1843-'45, 

 and in the United Prussian Diet of 1847, he 

 gained considerable celebrity as a speaker. In 

 1848 he was elected to the German National 

 Assembly, where he became one of the most 

 prominent leaders of the Constitutional party, 

 and in 1849, in the Prussian Second Chamber, 

 he opposed the policy of the ministry as ener- 

 getically as the Democratie Left. When the 

 Chamber, which had been dissolved in April, 

 1849, was called together again in 1849, he was 

 reflected ; he declined to serve, declaring the 

 new electoral law unconstitutional, but was a 

 member of the " Volkshaus " of the Union Par- 

 liament in Erfurt, in 1850jCTrom 1850-'55 he 

 was again a member of the Second Chamber, 

 where he continued to oppose the reactionary 

 tendencies of the ministry. From 1855 to 1858 

 he declined a reelection, on account of private 

 business, but from 1858 to 1867 he was re- 

 elected at every election. He was also a mem- 

 ber of the first and second Keichstag of the 

 North German Confederation. 



VIRGINIA. The Legislature of this State 

 closed its session on the 31st of March, when 

 it adjourned to the first Wednesday of De- 

 cember next ensuing. 



A very large number of acts and joint reso- 



lutions were passed of a general as well as local 

 or private character, most of the latter class 

 relating to internal improvements of all sorts, 

 the protection of useful animals on land or 

 water, and granting or amending charters of 

 cities, towns, corporate bodies and associations 

 of various professions, literary, beneficent, in- 

 dustrial, manufacturing, and others. As to the 

 acts of a general character, numerous provi- 

 sions of the existing statutes have been repealed 

 or modified, and several amendments to the 

 State organic law proposed. 



The colored voters of Virginia met in con- 

 vention at Richmond on the 20th of August, 

 1875, for the purpose of deliberating on the 

 best means to secure protection, and redress 

 of the wrongs which they complain to be their 

 portion at the hands not only of the white citi- 

 zens and local government of Virginia, but 

 also at the hands of the leaders of the Republi- 

 can party within the State and in the Federal 

 capital. The convention was numerously at- 

 tended by delegates from all parts of the State, 

 and continued in session two days. Its pro- 

 ceedings, it is stated, were characterized by 

 great excitement and some confusion. A num- 

 ber of speakers addressed the meeting. 



The grievances of the colored people are set 

 forth in the following resolutions : 



Believing in a republican form of government 

 such as emanated from the reversionary right of all 

 power, that it should not or would not be deemed 

 improper or impertinent for us, who represent nine- 

 tenths of the Republican voters of Virginia, to state 

 candidly and earnestly some of our grievances, which 

 we have borne patiently as a party and a class, and 

 to call the attention of the Administration thereto 

 and ask, respectfully but firmly, that they be noticed, 

 and, as far as is in the power of the Administration, 

 that they he rectified, and the party relieved of un- 

 necessary burdens, harmonized, inspired anew and 

 prepared to run in the next presidential race and 

 gloriously and triumphantly win : and whereas we 

 deem it essential to this end that the party in the 

 State should control its own internal economy with- 

 out the interference in our local politics of political 

 stock-brokers and speculators to dictate Federal ap- 

 pointments over the head of our own State Commit- 

 tee, and to keep them there against our respectful 

 protests and petitions : therefore 



Resolved, That while we reiterate unflinching fidel- 

 ity to the principles of the Republican party and, 

 per consequence, fealty to the Administration, we 

 again respectfully ask and think it right for the Ad- 

 ministration to stretch out its hand. and save us and 

 the organization as it exists, and which we acknowl- 

 edge, by recognizing such organization as the su- 

 preme power of the party, and listen to their behests 

 rather than to those interested individuals, whether 

 they live here, in Massachusetts, or any other por- 

 tion of the land. 



Resolved, That we look with the utmost anxiety 

 and alarm at the condition of disorganization and 

 disaffection existing in the party in the State, caused 

 by the appointment of a number of Federal office- 

 holders all over the State, many instances of which 

 occur to us who are pronounced Democrats, who 

 would blush Judas-like were Republican sentiments 

 imputed to them, and of others who are an incubus 

 to the party and are preparing the way for a precipi- 

 tate desertion into the Democratic lines in case the 

 late lamented Confederacy shall succeed in establish- 

 ing its power and supremacy again in 1876. 



