DELAWARE. 



DENMARK. 



283 



the State appropriation, and $2,511.06 from 

 the school-tax fund. 



Insane Asylnm. After referring to arrange- 

 ments in existence for the reception and care 

 of indigent insane in Pennsylvania asylums, 

 and the failure of those arrangements to give 

 satisfaction, the Governor recommends that 

 buildings be constructed or purchased suitable 

 for a State insane asylum. 



State-Prison. The construction and arrange- 

 ment of a substantial prison are recommended, 

 wherein convicts can be compelled to labor at 

 regular systematic work from the proceeds of 

 which the expenses of their confinement might 

 be met in whole or in part. 



Temperance. The Governor, in his message, 

 refers to this subject at some length, and urges 

 the enforcement and improvement of existing 

 laws. 



Constitutional Revision. On this subject the 

 Governor says : 



For some time past public attention has been called 

 to the subject of revision of the Constitution of our 

 State by means of a convention. 

 v Amendments by the Legislature have great advan- 

 tages, securing careful deliberation before changing 

 an established law in its separate wants, and without 

 log-rolling. The difficulty is, to devise a plan so that 

 reforms by means of legislative enactments may he 

 more easily attainable. Article IX of the Constitution 

 of the State provides that "the General Assembly, 

 whenever two thirds of each house shall deem it ne- 

 cessary, may, with the approbation of the Governor, 

 propose amendments to this Constitution, and at least 

 three and not more than six months before the next 

 general election of representatives, duly publish them 

 in print for the consideration of the people^ and if 

 three fourths of each branch of the Legislature shall, 

 after such an election and before another, ratify the 

 said amendments, they shall be valid to all intents 

 and purposes as parta of this Constitution." I would 

 suggest that if the rate required for ratification was 

 changed to two thirds instead of " three fourths" of 

 each branch of the Legislature, it would enable re- 

 forms to be more easily attained, and you would still 

 preserve the wholesome checks on ill-advised and 

 nasty changes. 



The same demand exists now as in the past, and I 

 am satisfied is increasing, for a change in the present 

 system of representation. Delay in this matter can 

 not be long deferred. The reform in the judiciarv 

 system of the State should be thoroughly considered. 



Political. The Democratic State Convention 

 met at Dover on Aug. 17, and nominated Ben- 

 jamin T. Biggs for Governor and John B. Pen- 

 nington for Congressman. The following plat- 

 form was adopted : 



The Democracy of Delaware, through their dele- 

 gates in convention assembled, declare their adherence 

 to the principles enunciated by the National Demo- 

 cratic Convention held in Chicago in 1884, and insist 

 that their faithful observance in the management of 

 public affairs is essential to proper government and 

 the prosperity and happiness of the American people. 



Federal taxation can only be rightfully imposed to 

 provide for the necessary expenditures of the General 

 Government, including' the payment of pensions to 

 persons entitled thereto, the maintenance of the pub- 

 lic credit, and the gradual reduction of the public 

 debt. We therefore favor such revision and modifi- 

 cation of our tariff laws as will relieve the people of 

 the country from unnecessary burdens while provid- 

 ing the necessary revenue to'meet legitimate demands 

 upon the Federal treasury. 



The Democracy of Delaware, in common with the 

 people of the whole country, recognize in President 

 Cleveland an honest and patriotic Chief Magistrate, 

 anxious to secure a proper administration of public 

 affairs, and entitled to the confidence and support of 

 the American people. 



The Democratic party of Delaware points with pride 

 to its management of the affairs of the State for the 

 last thirty years as the strongest possible claim to the 

 continued confidence and support of the people of the 

 State. 



The Republicans held no State Convention, 

 and nominated no ticket. 



James R. Hoffecker was the candidate of the 

 Temperance Reformers for Governor, and Rich- 

 ard M. Cooper for Congressman. The vote for 

 Governor was 18,943 Democratic and 7,782 

 Temperance. The Legislature is wholly Demo- 

 cratic. 



DENMARK, a monarchy in Northern Europe. 

 The executive power is exercised by the King, 

 with the advice of his ministers; the legislative 

 power by the Rigsdag, or Diet, in conjunction 

 with the King. The King must be a member 

 of the state church, which is the Lutheran 

 Evangelical. The Rigsdag is composed of two 

 houses. The Landsthing, or upper house, has 

 66 members, of whom 12 are nominated by 

 the Crown, and 54 elected indirectly. The 

 Folkething, or popular body, consists of 102 

 members, elected directly by all citizens over 

 thirty years of age, except paupers and house- 

 hold servants. The members of both houses 

 receive pay. The Landsthing selects from 

 among its members the associate judges, who, 

 with the ordinary justices of the Supreme 

 Court, form the Rigsret, which is the highest 

 tribunal, and is alone competent to try im- 

 peachments. All money bills must, in the first 

 instance, be submitted to the Folkething. 



The reigning King is Christian IX, born 

 April 8, 1818, who was appointed to the suc- 

 cession by the Treaty of London, of May 8, 

 1852, and succeeded Frederick VII, the last 

 of the direct male line of the house of Olden- 

 burg, on Nov. 15, 1863. The Crown-Prince is 

 Frederick, his son, born June 3, 1 843. 



The Ministry. The Council of Stnte consists 

 of the following members: President, Jacob 

 Brcennum Scavenius Estrup, appointed June 

 11, 1875; Minister of the Interior, II. G. In- 

 gerslev, appointed Aug. 7, 1885 ; Minister of 

 Justice and for Iceland, J. M. V. Nellemann; 

 Minister of Foreign Affairs, Otto Ditlev Baron 

 Rosen orn-Lehn ; Minister of War, Col. J. J. 

 Bahnsen ; Minister of Marine, Commander N. 

 F. Ravn; Minister of Public Education and 

 Ecclesiastical Affairs, J. F. Scavenius. 



Area and Population. The area of the king- 

 dom is 14,124 square miles. The population 

 of the city of Copenhagen, on Feb. 1, 1880, 

 was, exclusive of suburbs, 234,850; of the 

 Peninsula of Jutland, 865,678; of the islands 

 in the Baltic, 868,511 ; of the Faroe Isles, 

 11,220; making the total population 1,980,- 

 259, which was divided into 962,832 males, 

 and 1.017,427 females. There were, in 1883, 

 15,642 marriages, 66 394 births, and 39,323 



