766 



UNITED STATES, 



different churches in social co-operation in a 

 common interest. The following resolutions 

 were adopted on the subject of the use of in- 

 toxicating liquors : 



" Resolved, that, under all the conditions of 

 modern society, we believe that nothing short 

 of a total disuse of intoxicating beverages can 

 serve as a sure means of abolishing and pre- 

 venting the miseries and evils of intemperance ; 

 that since it is agreed on all sides that such 

 beverages form no part of a necessary diet for 

 men and women in health, we affectionately 

 call on all who may regard their moderate use 

 as innocent to give up such use, out of compas- 

 sion for their weaker brethren. 



" That the magnitude of the aforesaid evils, 

 and the fact that they affect injuriously all 

 social and public as well as private interests, 

 make it imperative that society should step to 

 the verge of its effective power in the employ- 

 ment of well-considered legislation for the 

 suppression of the traffic in such beverages. 



u That in the interests of humanity and for 

 the honor of religion, we hold it incumbent 

 upon our ministers and churches to bear a posi- 

 tive and unequivocal testimony against the use 

 and sale of intoxicating drinks. 



" That since the complete triumph of tem- 

 perance principles must rest on sound reason 

 and improved education, we heartily rejoice in 

 the passage by the Legislatures of New York, 

 Michigan, and other States, of laws requiring 

 that the physiological effects of alcohol shall be 

 made a part of common-school instruction." 



It was decided that a special meeting of the 

 Conference be held, in conjunction with the 

 American Unitarian Association, during the 

 yenr 1885, on the occasion of the completion 

 of the new Unitarian Building erected by the 

 Association in Boston. 



The Hon. Samuel F. Miller, of Washington, 

 D. 0., was elected President of the Conference 

 for the ensuing year. 



UNITED STATES. Official Changes. Few im- 

 portant official changes took place in the Unit- 

 ed States Government during the year. On 

 the death of Secretary Charles J. Folger, of 

 the Treasury Department, Postmaster-Gen- 

 eral Gresham was appointed to the place, Sep- 

 tember 25, the Assistant Postmaster-General, 

 Frank Hatton, being afterward, October 14, 

 advanced to the head of the Post-Office De- 

 partment. Mr. Gresham retained the Treas- 

 ury portfolio only until October 28, when he 

 was appointed Circuit Judge for the Seventh 

 Circuit, to succeed Judge Drummond, who 

 had resigned. Hugh McCulloch was then ap- 

 pointed Secretary of the Treasury. George W. 

 McCrary, Judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, 

 resigned early in the year, and was succeeded 

 by David J. Brewer, of Kansas. John J. Knox, 

 Comptroller of the Currency, resigned, and 

 was succeeded by H. W. Cannon, of Minnesota, 

 on the 30th of April. The relations of the 

 American minister at Berlin, Mr. A. A. Sar- 

 gent, became somewhat strained in conse- 



quence of the publication of -a dispatch from 

 him declaring that the German restriction upon 

 the importation of American pork products 

 was not due to their diseased condition, but 

 was in the interest of protection to German 

 hogs. This was followed by the return, through 

 Prince Bismarck, of the resolutions passed by 

 the House of Representatives in regard to the 

 death of Dr. Edward Lasker, in which it was 

 declared that " his fair and constant exposition 

 of free and liberal ideas have materially ad- 

 vanced the social, political, and economic con- 

 dition of those people." Bismarck, in a dis- 

 patch to the German minister at Washington, 

 in explanation of his course, said : 



From my knowledge of the course the political and 

 economic development of the German people has taken, 

 I can not regard this opinion as one in accordance with 

 the facts I have witnessed. I would not venture to op- 

 pose my judgment to that of an illustrious assembly 

 like the House of Eepresentatives of the United States 

 if I had not gained, during an active participation in 

 German internal politics of more than thirty years, an 

 experience which encourages me to attach also to my 

 opinion a certain competency within these limits. 1 

 can not make up my mind to ask his Majesty the Em- 

 peror for the necessary authorization to communicate 

 the resolution of the House of Eepresentatives of the 

 United States to the German Beichstag, because I 

 should therewith have to officially indorse myself, and 

 also to indorse with his Majesty the Emperor, an opin- 

 ion which I am unable to recognize as just. 



In a reply transmitted to Minister Sargent, 

 under date of February 9, Secretary Freling- 

 huysen explained the circumstances of the 

 adoption of the resolution, and said : 



My duty of courtesy to the House of Eepresenta- 

 tives ended with forwarding the resolution through 

 the proper channel to the hands of the officer charged 

 with the administration of the foreign affairs of Ger- 

 many. This Government is not disposed to inquire 

 into the relations existing between different branch- 

 es of another. The sentiments of the resolution are 

 now generally known, their merits or demerits can be 

 j'udged, and its non-transmission officially, as it was 

 intended and claimed on its face to be of friendly in- 

 tent, while a matter of regret, is not one of concern 

 to either branch of the Government of the United 

 States. 



Shortly after this Mr. Sargent resigned, and 

 was appointed, March 26, to the vacant mis- 

 sion at St. Petersburg, which he declined. Al- 

 phonso Taft, minister at Vienna, was subse- 

 quently transferred to St. Petersburg, and 

 succeeded at Vienna by John M. Francis, of 

 New York. Later in the year, Mr. John A. 

 Kasson, of Iowa, was appointed to the Berlin 

 mission. 



New Bnreans and Commissions. By an act of 

 Congress approved July 5, a Bureau of Naviga- 

 tion in the Treasury Department was created to 

 have charge of interests connected with Ameri- 

 can shipping. Mr. Jarvis Patten, of Maine, was 

 appointed Commissioner of Navigation under 

 this act, with a salary of $4,000 a year. A 

 Bureau of Labor Statistics was established by 

 Congress, to be attached to the Department of 

 the Interior. There was a long delay in the 

 appointment of a commissioner to take charge 

 of this, but near the beginning of 1885 Mr. 



