LOUISIANA. 



561 



Several valuable works on scientific subjects 

 of a practical hearing have appeared, such as 

 " La Vid Oomun," by Rojas Clemente, re- 

 printed at the expense of the Government, 

 Maftoi's work on mining, and an able treatise 

 on forestry by Don Luis de la Escosura. 



PORTUGAL. Among the few works published 

 in Portugal may be mentioned the studies of 

 Oliveira Martin on the early historical develop- 

 ments in the Iberian Peninsula ; a good satiri- 

 cal poem by a poet of the last century, Anto- 

 nio Diniz da Cruz o Silva, now printed for the 

 first time ; " Os Noivos," an excellent realistic 

 novel, by Teixeira de Queiroz; "O Senhor 

 Ministro," a portrayal of Lisbon society, by 

 the same author ; and a book of travels con- 

 taining acute and brilliant notes on French 

 society, by Ramalho Ortigao. In a series of 

 novels published under the title of "Photo- 

 typias do Minho," Jose Augusto Vieira has 

 discovered in the interesting customs of the 

 Minho a new and fertile subject for fiction. 



In works of philosophy and politics radical 

 and positivistic notions are gaining ground. 



LOUISIANA. The regular session of the 

 Legislature commenced on January 6th and 

 closed on February 1st. The Senate was 

 called to order by Lieutenant-Governor Wiltz. 

 In his brief address reference was made to the 

 pestilence of the previous summer, which visit- 

 ed many localities of the State and destroyed 

 thousands of lives, and the great philanthropy 

 displayed by the people of the North, East, 

 and West to the sufferers. He suggested that 

 the representatives of the people "should re- 

 cord these facts in monumental resolutions 

 upon their statute-books, coupled with a vote 

 of thanks in suitable terms, so that the world 

 may know that we are not ungrateful, and so 

 that our children's children may remember the 

 great calamity that fell upon their ancestors, 

 and the noble generosity with which the wo- 

 men and children of distant lands came to 

 their rescue." 



In the House, J. 0. Moncure was chosen 

 Speaker. He believed that the Legislature 

 should do little else than consider the expedi- 

 ency of holding a Constitutional Convention, 

 and passing the laws necessary for that object. 



One of the earliest measures adopted by the 

 Legislature was the act providing for the ses- 

 sion of a State Constitutional Convention. 

 The election of delegates was directed to take 

 place on March 18th, and the assembling of 

 the Convention on April 21st. 



The following joint resolutions, offered in the 

 Senate, passed both Houses : 



Whereat, During many months of tho past year an 

 epidemic pestilence of the most virulent character 

 prevailed tit the capital and throughout a largo por- 

 tion of the State of Louisiana, carrying sorrow, dis- 

 tress, and death into thousands of homes ; and 



Whereat, In the days of our mourning and sore 

 trouble, magnanimous strangers in all sections of the 

 United States and in many foreign lands voluntarily 

 came to tho relief of our afflicted people, with contri- 

 butions aggregating $1,100,000 ; therefore, be it 

 VOL. six. 36 A 



Resolved by the Senate and Haute of Representative* 

 of the State of Louisiana in General Attembly con- 

 vened, That tho earnest, heartfelt thanks of the ]*.-. plo 

 of this Commonwealth be and are hereby tendered to 

 all those large-hearted philanthropist* who contrib- 

 uted so spontaneously and munificently to the relief 

 of the Louisiana sufferer* by the yellow-fever epidemic 

 of 1878. 



Be it further resolved, etc., That wo, the represen- 

 tatives of the people of Louisiana, deem it right and 

 proper thus to acknowledge and commend this unsur- 

 passed philanthropy, ana to place upon our statute- 

 books this testimonial of gratitude, so that, in all time 

 to come, those who follow us, while remembering tho 

 calamity that fell upon their ancestors, may be re- 

 minded of the noble generosity of the men, women, 

 and children of other States of the Union, and of dis- 

 tant lands^ who came to their relief in the days of 

 their affliction. 



In the Senate the following joint resolution 

 was offered: 



Resolved by the Senate and House of Representative* 

 of the State of Louisiana in General Assembly con- 

 vened } That tne State Government is fully equal W 

 the discharge of the duties for which governments aiO 

 organized, the protection of life, liberty, and property. 

 That the interference of tho General Government in 

 our internal uii'uirs is a reflection upon our civilization, 

 a reproach to republican governments, and calculated 

 to engender bitterness and strife by intermeddling 

 with domestic affairs which can well bo adjusted bj 

 tho people interested, before the constituted authori- 

 ties of the State. 



On its second reading tho following amend- 

 ment was offered and accepted : 



Whereas, The Constitution of tho United States has 

 not conferred tho right of suffrage upon any one, and 

 the United States have no voters of their own creation 

 in the States, but tho matter of suffrage is left entirely 

 with the States themselves, with the reservation of 

 the provisions of tho fifteenth amendment, which has 

 invested the citizens of the United States with a new 

 constitutional right, to wit, the exemption from dis- 

 crimination in the exercise of the elective franchise on 

 account of race or color or previous condition ; 



Whereas, The functions of Congress under this 

 constitutional amendment are limited to prevent, by 

 proper legislation, the denial or abridgment by a Stato 

 of the right of a citizen to vote, on account of race, 

 color, or previous condition of servitude of the voter : 



Resolved, That sections 5506, 5607, 5508, and 5509 

 of the Revised Statutes of the United States are in 

 derogation of the Constitution of tho United States 

 and of the amendments thereof, in this, that tho Fed- 

 eral Government, by these sections, assumes plenary 

 jurisdiction of the matter of suffrage, without refer- 

 ence to the action of the States as such, and without 

 interference on their part to deny or abridge the right 

 of suffrage as indicated in the said constitutional 

 amendment. 



Resolved, That the proceedings in the United States 

 Circuit Court at New Orleans against citizens of va- 

 rious parts of the State of Louisiana, and tho subject- 

 ing of numerous citizens thereof to tho hardships of 

 arrest from distant homes, and their removal to JNew 

 Orleans to bo tried for alleged offenses against tho 

 above-stated sections of the Revised Statutes, are preg- 

 nant with the gravest consequences ; and tne peoplo 

 of this Stato can not but protest energetically against 

 such harsh and unwarrantable prosecutions. 



Resolved. That this protest oftho State of Louisiana, 

 which, by her laws and in her courts, does make no 

 discrimination between her citizens on account of race, 

 color, or previous condition of servitude, be respect- 

 fully laid before the President of these United States 

 and tho Senate and House of Representatives of these 

 United States. 



