NIHILISTS. 



NORTH CAROLINA. 



060 



ing himself on tho blood -stained throne of his 

 Into father, it said, the Emperor Alexander II. 

 had |>K"U'-d himself to beneficial reforms, and 

 I great expectations; but the only result 

 h:id been bitter disappointment. There was 

 11. >i ji section of the Russian world which did 

 not revolt at the prevailing system of adminis- 

 trativo corruption and grinding tyranny. Tho 

 peasantry suffered more than ever, were dis- 

 tressed for arrears of taxes, had been robbed 

 of the lands which they had cultivated for 

 themselves as serfs, were plundered by those 

 who had the management of affairs, were re- 

 duced to absolute wretchedness, suffered from 

 chronic famine, were drafted in larger numbers 

 into the army, and now found consolation only 

 in drink. In place of free institutions, which 

 Russian society had been led to expect at the 

 beginning of the present reign, there was no- 

 thing but administrative tyranny and outra- 

 geous injustice. All individual rights and tho 

 rights of humanity were denied or trampled 

 down with pitiless cruelty. The courts of 

 justice were a mockery, while the press sub- 

 served an odious system of government. Edu- 

 cation was reduced to an absurdity ; the ele- 

 mentary schools had been diminished in num- 

 ber, and learning had become almost impossi- 

 ble, while Russia had been drained of all her 

 money and resources, her population had de- 

 clined, thousands of men had been put into 

 bonds, and generals conspicuously incapable, 

 from the Commander-in-Chief downward, had 

 led the Russian army to the shambles. 



A few weeks later the Revolutionary Com- 

 mittee issued a new address to the Russian 

 people. It began with the assertion that the 

 object of the party was to effect a radical 

 change in the social and political conditions 

 of Russia, and to awaken in the nation a con- 

 sciousness of ita rights. To attain this end, it 

 continued, the people must be instructed as to 

 the " criminal intentions" of the ruling classes. 

 When Russians recognize the true cause of 

 their melancholy position, they will soon find 

 the means of fighting for their liberation ; they 

 will also learn that their business is not to 

 "drive the Turks from Europe and to uphold 

 the Slavs because they are of the same race 

 and faith," but to improve their own circum- 

 stances, and to cease " placing their blood and 

 possessions at the service of a clique which 

 thinks of nothing but its personal advantage." 

 " We have lost many brothers," it concluded; 

 u over their beloved graves let us clasp hands 

 in fraternal union, and let us appeal to the peo- 

 ple when the destined hour shall have struck." 

 A pamphlet containing Nihilist poetry was 

 published about the same time, and a posthu- 

 mous poem by tho Nihilist Nekrassoff was an- 

 nounced. 



By the aid of minute and severe police reg- 

 ulations instituted in all the large towns, the 

 Government succeeded in suppressing seditions 

 publications for several months, and there 

 seemed to be an intermission in the attacks 



upon public officers. Almost the only signs 

 that the conspiracy continued to live were ob- 

 served in the conflagrations, and even these 

 were less numerous than they had been. The 

 revolutionists, however, still nursed their plans, 

 but prosecuted them in such a manner as should 

 not for the time afford any clew to their move- 

 ments. The first number of a new revolution- 

 ary paper, entitled " The Will of the People," 

 appeared in the latter part of October. It was 

 very violent in its tone. The attempt at Mos- 

 cow on the 2d of December to blow up the 

 train on which the Czar was traveling was fol- 

 lowed by the appearance of a manifesto from 

 the Revolutionary Committee, in which atten- 

 tion was directed to Alexander II. as the per- 

 sonification of a despicable despotism. 



NORTH CAROLINA. The Legislature of 

 North Carolina commenced its biennial session 

 at Raleigh on January 8th. In the Senate 

 Lieutenant-Governor Jarvis presided ; and in 

 the House John M. Moring was chosen Speaker 

 by 68 votes to 27 for R. M. Norment. The 

 Speaker is a native of Chatham County, and 

 represented it in the Legislature at three pre- 

 vious sessions. 



Among the measures of the session was an 

 act to abolish private seals and to prescribe a 

 short form of deed for the conveyance of real 

 estate, which is important, as follows : 



Whereas, The necessity for the use of the word 

 " heirs" to carry a fee-simple estate is a relic of feu- 

 dalism and an unnecessary technicality ; and, 



Whereas, The reason for using private seals has long 

 since ceased, and the present forms of deeds is [are] 

 complex and lengthy, thereby unduly increasing the 

 cost of registration ; therefore, 

 The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact : 



SECTION 1. That all instruments hitherto requiring 

 a private seal shall be as good and available in law for 

 all purposes as if sealed. And all instruments not re- 

 quiring an official seal shall be as valid to all intents 

 and purposes in law as if the same had been sealed. 



SEO. 2. That in every conveyance of real property, 

 a fee simple shall be presumed to be transferred, un- 

 less the instrument snail expressly confer in terms a 

 less estate. 



SEC. 8. That the following form shall bo sufficient as 

 a deed for real property within the meaning of this act . 



Received (or the buyer) $ , in full foi 



(describe the property). 



(Dated.) 



(Signed by seller.) 



SEO. 4. That such deed shall, without express words, 

 import a general warranty, but any other covenants 

 may be inscribed by the parties, or it may operate as 

 a quitclaim if it shall be so expressed. 



SEC. 5. That the fee of the clerk for acknowledg- 

 ment and probate of deeds, including the privy exami- 

 nation of wife (if any), shall be ten cents ; ana the feo 

 of the Register of Deeds shall be for registering tho 

 same, twenty cents. 



By another act it was provided that when 

 real estate shall be conveyed to any person, 

 the same shall be held and construed to be a 

 conveyance in fee, whether the word " heirs " 

 shall be used or not, unless such conveyance 

 shall, in plain and express words, show, or it 

 shall be plainly intended by the conveyance, or 

 some part thereof, that the grantor meant to 

 convey an estate of less dignity. 



