586 



NEBRASKA. 



of 1881, providing for the organization of a 

 State Reform School at Kearney, George W. 

 Collins was appointed superintendent. The 

 school was formally opened in June, 1881, and 

 has been successfully operated since that time. 



The discipline in the State-Prison has been 

 all that could be desired and the health of the 

 convicts under the supervision of the prison 

 physician has been exceptionally good, only 

 one death having occurred in the last two 

 years. The number of prisoners reported by 

 the warden on the 30th of November, 1882, 

 was 261. Of these, 3 were United States pris- 

 oners, 7 were from New Mexico, and 39 from 

 Wyoming leaving 212 that were State convicts 

 an increase of only 6 over the number re- 

 ported two years previously. 



The Legislature of 1881 provided for the 

 erection of a Home for the Friendless, and made 

 an appropriation for that purpose, which has 

 been successfully used. 



FISH COMMISSION. In March the Board of 

 Fish Commissioners purchased a hatchery in 

 Sarpy County. This property embraces fifty- 

 two acres of land, upon which is situated a 

 water-supply which is considered the finest in 

 the State for a hatchery. In October, 1881, 

 the commissioners received from the United 

 States Commissioner of Fisheries, 500,000 

 salmon-eggs, which were immediately hatched, 

 and the young fish distributed in the streams 

 of the State. In November of that year the 

 commissioners obtained a supply of German 

 carp, a very valuable fish which may be readily 

 propagated for food by every farmer who will 

 provide himself with the proper facilities. The 

 commissioners have also obtained and distrib- 

 uted a considerable number of brook and Cali- 

 fornia trout. 



EXECUTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS. The Gov- 

 ernor recommends legislation for the purpose 

 of increasing the number of judges and judicial 

 districts, and also " that a small appropriation 

 be made for the purpose of preparing and pub- 

 lishing immigration documents under the im- 

 mediate supervision of the State officers, giv- 

 ing full and reliable information concerning 

 our varied resources." 



The Secretary of State recommends the re- 

 peal of the act of 1869, providing for an annual 

 State census, as the law is inoperative in some 

 counties, the returns, therefore, being of little 

 value. Instead of an annual census, it is rec- 

 ommended that a State census be taken in the 

 year 1885, and every ten years thereafter, thus 

 alternating with the United States census. 



CAPITOL-BUILDING. The west wing of the 

 new Capitol-building, which was commenced in 

 1879, was completed and occupied by the close 

 of 1881. The eastern extension was substan- 

 tially completed by the 1st of November, 1882, 

 and was formally accepted by the Board of 

 Public Lands and Buildings on the first day of 

 December, 1882. The total cost of the two 

 wings \vas a little less than $175,000. 



LEGISLATURE, SPECIAL SESSION. On the 10th 



of May the Legislature convened in special ses- 

 sion, at the call of the Governor, for the fol- 

 lowing purposes : 



1. To apportion the State into three congressional 

 districts, and to provide for the election of representa- 

 tives therein. 



2. To amend an act approved March 1, 1881, en- 

 titled " An act to incorporate cities of the first class, 

 and regulating their duties, powers, and govern- 

 ment," by conferring additional power upon cities 

 of the first class, for the purpose of paving or macad- 

 amizing streets and alleys, and also providing for the 

 creation and appointment of a Board of Public Works 

 therein. 



3. To assign the county of Custer to some judicial 

 district in the State. 



4. To amend section 69, chapter 14, of the compiled 

 statutes of Nebraska, entitled " Cities of the second 

 class and villages." 



5. To provide for the payment of expenses incurred 

 in suppressing the recent riots at Omaha and protect- 

 ing citizens of the State from domestic violence. 



6. To give the assent of the State to the provisions 

 of an act of Congress to extend the northern boundary 

 of the State of Nebraska. 



7. To provide for the payment of the ordinary and 

 contingent expenses of the Legislature, incurred dur- 

 ing the special session hereby convened. 



With respect to the boundary extension, the 

 Governor says : 



By an act of Congress approved March 28, 1882, 

 the northern boundary of the State of Nebraska was 

 extended so as to include all that portion of the Terri- 

 tory of Dakota lying south of the forty-third parallel 

 of north latitude, and east of the Keya-paha Eiver 

 and west of the main channel of the Missouri Eiver } 

 subject to the provision that the act aforesaid shal 

 not' take effect so far as jurisdiction is concerned unt : 

 the Indian title has been extinguished and the Ste' 

 of Nebraska shall have assented to the provisions 

 said act. This subject is submitted for your conside 

 ation, in order that you may determine what actu 

 shall be taken by the State for the purpose of givii 

 final force and effect to said act of Congress. 



The session was closed on the 2oth of Mi 



TEMPERANCE. A temperance convention 



the ministers of the State was held in Linc( 



on the 9th and 10th of May, which adopt 



the following among other resolutions : 



Resolved. That the people hold the only power thi 

 can settle the question, and to the people the questio 

 must finally be submitted, and we therefore appeal 1 

 our next Legislature, and ask them to submit the que 

 tion to the people of the State in the form of a cor- 1 

 tutional amendment prohibiting the manufacture 

 sale of alcoholic liquors as a beverage. 



Resolved, That while we labor earnestly for the 

 adoption of such constitutional amendment, and for 

 the enactment of suitable laws to carry it into effect, 

 we appreciate the fact that intemperance is a vice, 

 and that against its influence we must labor and pray 

 until human nature has become subject to the grace 

 of God through our Lord Jesus Christ ; and that the 

 hope of the enforcement of laws relating to intemper- 

 ance lies in an awakened public conscience and a 

 right public sentiment. 



Resolved, That the fact that the American saloon is 

 a licensed institution makes it none the less an evil, 

 and that the paying of a large sum of money for thi 

 privilege of committing a crime, abates none of ft 

 heinousness of the crime, but tends to connect those 

 who take the money with the sin. 



Resolved, That speedy prohibition by constitutional 

 amendment for the State and nation is desirable, pos- 

 sible, and highly probable in the near future. 



