KANSAS. 



known as " Harris's and Johnson's Reports" 

 (7 \ok, 1820-'27). In 1821 he was elected a 

 Stair S,'ii:itor for four yours, and in 1825 re- 

 flectetl. In 1845 ho was chosen a United 

 St.it os Senator, which office he resigned in 1849 

 m In'ing appointed by President Taylor At- 

 torney-General of the United States. On the 

 succession of Mr. Fillraore, after the death of 

 I'lv-ul.'Mt Taylor, Mr. Johnson resigned that 

 otlire, nnd resumed in Baltimore the practice 

 of the law. In 1861 he was a member of the 

 convention in Washington which tried to pre- 

 vent the outbreak of the civil war. In 1862 

 he was again elected to the United States Sen- 

 ate, and was a member from 1863 to 1868. 

 Throughout the war he supported the national 



cause, and sustained the loading measure* of 

 the Administration. When peace was restored 

 he urged the readrnihsion of the. Southern 

 States without delay. He voted for the first 

 reconstruction bill, and supported that inea- 

 ure when it was vetoed by President Johnson. 

 He voted against the second bill. In June, 

 1868, he was appointed by President Johnson 

 to succeed Mr. Adams as minister to England, 

 where he negotiated the "Johnson-Clarendon" 

 treaty for the settlement of the Alabama 

 claims, which was rejected by the Senate. 

 He was recalled in 1869. In 1872 he sup- 

 ported Horace Greeley for President. Mr. 

 Johnson was considered one of the ablest con* 

 stitutional lawyers of the country. 



K 



KANSAS. The State of Kansas contains 

 18,432,242 acres of land assessed tor taxes, 

 with an aggregate assessed value of $76,666,- 

 855.33, or an average of $4.18 per acre. The 

 most valuable land is that of Wyandotte Coun- 

 ty, assessed at $9.50 per acre. The whole 

 number of town and city lots subject to tax- 

 ation is 291,571, with an assessed value of 

 $17,919,147.86. The assessed value of personal 

 property is $23,048,801.38. The number of 

 miles of railroad is 2,129.41, with a total as- 

 sessed value of $16,197,515. The total value 

 of all property as assessed for taxes is $133,- 

 832,316.35; showing an increase of $19,595,- 

 737.88 in one year. 



The bonded debt of the State on the 1st 

 of December was $1,235,975, having been de- 

 creased $149,800 during the year. There was 

 a sinking-fund of $122,305.67, leaving nnpro- 

 vi.led for $1,113,669.33, of which $610,925 be- 

 longed to the permanent school -fund. The 

 receipts of the State Treasury for the last fis- 

 cal year were $1,346,832.28; disbursements, 

 $1,099,716.24, leaving a surplus on hand of 

 $246,117.04. 



The school property of the State is valued 

 at $4,600,259, and consists of 3,881 school- 

 houses, valued at $4,167,948 ; furniture to the 

 value of $367,552; apparatus worth $55,115, 

 and libraries valued at 9,954. The total amount 

 received from all sources for the support of 

 public schools during the last school year was 

 $1,378,283.08; amount expended, $1,165,688.- 

 80, leaving a balance, July 31st, of $213,592.61. 

 The number of teachers employed was 5,576, 

 of whom 2,402 were males, and 3,174 females. 

 The average wages paid to teachers was $83.- 

 66 per month for males, and $27.03 for females. 

 The average attendance at the public schools 

 was 89,896 ; total number on the rolls, 147,- 

 224; number of children of school age in the 

 State, 212,977. 



The State penitentiary on the 30th of No- 

 vember contained 406 inmates. During the 

 year 250 convicts were let out to contractors 



at 45 cents per day, and fifty at 50 cents per 

 day. The remainder were employed by the 

 State. 



The annual session of the Legislature of the 

 State began at Topeka on the llth of January, 

 and closed on the 4th of March. Very little 

 of the legislation was of general importance or 

 interest. The tax laws were revised and codi- 

 fied into a single act, the principal change in 

 the provisions being a restoration of the fifty 

 per cent, penalty for non-payment by a speci 

 fied date. The school laws were also revised 

 and consolidated into a single act. There were 

 several amendments, the most important of 



FTATE SEAL OP KANSAS. 



which does away with all distinctions based 

 on color. Several acts were passed authorizing 

 different counties, cities, and town*, to fund 

 their indebtedness. An apportionment act was 

 passed designating the 40 senatorial and 1'2:{ 

 representative districts of the State. A bill 

 providing for a reversion and codification of 

 all the statutes was defeated in the Senate. 

 Other measures that failed were one prohib- 

 iting the sale of intoxicating liquors, and one 

 abolishing capital punishment. The total ap- 



