478 



HUNT, WILLIAM M. 



ILLINOIS. 



money by Parliament might lead to unjustifi- 

 able and exaggerated demands. 



In November the Chamber of Deputies 

 adopted a bill declaring that any native of the 

 country who voluntarily resides abroad for an 

 uninterrupted period of ten years shall lose his 

 civil status. The Extreme Left violently op- 

 posed this measure, accusing the Government 

 of leveling it directly at Louis Kossuth, but it 

 was finally carried by 141 votes to 52. 



HUNT, WILLIAM MOBEIS, an artist, born in 

 Brattleboro, Vermont, March 31, 1824, died at 

 Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire, September 8, 

 1879. He entered Harvard College, but with- 

 drew before completing his course and went 

 to Europe. In 1846 he began the study of 

 sculpture at Dusseldorf, but soon went to Paris, 

 and in the studio of Couture began his career 

 as a painter. Such was his skill that for four 

 years from 1852 he was an exhibitor in the 

 Salon of that city. In 1855 he returned to this 

 country, and established a studio in Boston, 

 where he was one of the first to introduce 

 French art. Among his best known paintings 



may be mentioned his u Morning Star," " Bu- 

 gle-Call," " The Lost Kid," " The Choristers," 

 " Girl at Fountain," and " Girl selling Violets," 

 nearly all of which have been engraved. Vis- 

 itors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 

 New York will recall with pleasure his " Mar- 

 guerite " and "Boy chasing a Butterfly." 

 A more splendid monument of the powers of 

 this remarkable man is in the Assembly Cham- 

 ber of the State Capitol at Albany. His mural 

 paintings, " The Flight of Night " and " The 

 Discoverer," far excel anything of the kind 

 ever before attempted in this country. In por- 

 traiture Mr. Hunt also excelled, and some of 

 his portraits are reckoned among the master- 

 pieces of American art. An admirable head, 

 " A Portrait of a Gentleman," in the last ex- 

 hibition of the American Society of Artists, 

 was an excellent likeness of himself. While 

 Mr. Hunt excelled in drawing and modeling, 

 his forte was in color. His touch was firm 

 yet tender, and his hues were at once vivid and 

 deep. Solidity and richness were the most 

 striking characteristics of his work. 



ILLINOIS. The biennial session of the 

 Legislature commenced on Wednesday, January 

 8th, and ended on May 31st. In the Senate 

 Lieutenant-Governor Sherman presided, and 

 Senator Hamilton, Kepublican, was chosen 

 President pro tern, by a vote of 27 to 22 for 

 Senator Archer. In the House the custom 

 prevails of making a temporary organization, 

 which continues until the members have taken 

 the oath of office and have affixed their names 

 to their affidavits. Then the permanent or- 

 ganization is made by the usual election. On 

 the next day, William A. James, Kepublican, 

 was elected Speaker, by a vote of 81 to 60 for 

 James Herrington, Democrat, with 9 scattering 

 and 2 not voting. 



One of the first measures of the Legislature 

 was the election of United States Senator. In 

 the Senate,. John A. Logan received 26 votes, 

 John 0. Black 24, and John McAuliffe 1. In 

 the House, Logan received 80 votes, Black 60, 

 Alexander Campbell 10, and McAuliffe 3. In 

 the House a young miss twelve years of age 

 was appointed as one of the pages. A propo- 

 sition to dispense with the services of a chap- 

 lain, and to call on members who may volun- 

 teer to offer prayers for the House, received 

 29 yeas to 74 nays, after a report by the Com- 

 mittee on Retrenchment recommending its re- 

 jection. 



The sum of $80,000 was appropriated to pay 

 the military for services in suppressing the 

 riots of 1877, and for other expenses connect- 

 ed therewith. 



A Board of Fish Commissioners was estab- 

 lished, to increase the product of fish by arti- 

 ficial propagation and cultivation. 



An act was passed declaring all saloons or 

 places where intoxicating liquors are sold, in 

 which minors are allowed to play with cards, 

 dice, etc., disorderly houses, and prescribing 

 penalties for keeping such places. 



Another act reduced the rate of interest 

 which may be paid or collected on written 

 contracts to eight per cent. 



Another act required the polls to be kept 

 open from 8 A. M. to 7 P. M. in all city, town, 

 or village elections. 



The amount of taxes that might be levied 

 and collected by cities was limited to two per 

 cent, on their assessed valuation. 



Counties were authorized to issue bonds 

 with the amount as low as $25, and interest 

 payable semi-annually. 



Grave-robbery is made a felony, and punish- 

 able by imprisonment in the penitentiary from 

 one to ten years. 



The following resolutions relative to the 

 coinage of silver were adopted in the Senate- 

 yeas 40, nays 7 : 



Whereas, There is a world- wide effort on the part of 

 certain special interests to demonetize silver, and thus 

 destroy as money one half of the coin of the world, 

 thereby causing a shrinkage of values, prolonged 

 through a series of years, deranging business, and 

 paralyzing industry and enterprise ; therefore, 



Resolved, by the Senate, the House concurring, That 

 the silver dollar coming to us from colonial times, as 

 it existed under the republic for nearly a hundred 

 years, should be restored as the unit of value, with 

 unlimited coinage, with the issue of bullion certifi- 

 cates, and all other privileges accorded to gold. 



Resolved, That if experience shall prove that there 

 needs to be a readjustment of weights as between gold 

 and silver coin, gold should be the adjusting coin, as 

 it has been heretofore. 



Resolved, That the Secretary of State is hereby re- 



