NEVADA. 



609 



the seat of intense pain. Hundreds of Invalids 

 are taken back to Java on every Government 

 steamer, and a large proportion die. The civil 

 and military Governor of Acheen, Gen. Dem- 

 meni, succumbed to the climate in November, 

 1886, and was succeeded by Col. Teyen in the 

 military command. Maj. de Kroes, a distin- 

 guished officer of the staff, committed suicide 

 while demented during an attack of jungle- 

 fever. In July an Acheenese robber, named 

 Tuku Omar, captured a steamship in the port 

 of Riga, and killed the Europeans on board, 

 except the captain's wife and the engineer, 

 whom he carried away as prisoners and held 

 for a ransom, encouraged by the example of 

 the Rajah of Tenom, who receive^, the ran- 

 som demanded for the captive English sail- 

 ors. Two expeditions were sent after the 

 robber, one of which brought back as host- 

 ages some of his wives and a score of other 

 prisoners. The British Government sent sev- 

 eral notes with regard to the engineer, who 

 was an Englishman. The Dutch authorities 

 finally secured the delivery of the two prison- 

 ers by paying the pirate $25,000. The Dutch 

 fleet, consisting of old, dilapidated gunboats, 

 is unable to keep the passage between the 

 north point of Sumatra and the adjacent small 

 islands free from Acheenese pirates. This is a 

 part of the most direct route to Europe, but 

 mail-steamers and other vessels have been 

 warned to take the outside course. The Achee- 

 nese rebels have become very bold since the 

 Dutch troops were withdrawn from all the 

 outposts to the settlement of Kotta Raja at the 

 northern end of Sumatra, where they have 

 constructed new forts. The patrols are con- 

 stantly fired on, and no attempts are made to 

 pursue the foe into the jungle. An abundant 

 supply of arms and ammunition is smuggled 

 in from the English colony, and even cannon 

 have been furnished to the rebels, who laid 

 siege to Fort Segli, on the coast. The little 

 garrison, subjected to a regular bombardment, 

 endeavored in vain to protect themselves with 

 breastworks made with baga of sand. The 

 Netherlands Government attempted in 1886 to 

 enlist a new European force of several thou- 

 sands, but the liberal bounty offered attracted 

 only a few volunteers. 



NEVADA. State Government The following 

 were the State officers during the year: Gov- 

 ernor, Jewett W. Adams, Democrat; Lieuten- 

 ant-Governor, 0. E. Laughlin; Secretary of 

 State, J. M. Dormer ; Treasurer, George Tufly ; 

 Comptroller, J. F. Hallock ; Attorney-General, 

 W. H. Davenport; Superintendent of Public 

 Instruction, C. S. Young; Surveyor-General, 

 C. S. Preble. Supreme Court : Chief-Justice, 

 0. H. Belknap ; Associate Justices, O. R. 

 Leonard and Thomas P. Hawley. 



Constitntional Amendments. Three constitution- 

 al amendments were voted upon at the Novem- 

 ber election. The first amendment changed the 

 manner of amending the Constitution. The Con- 

 stitution, as it existed before such amendment, 

 VOL. xxvi. 39 A 



required the concurrence of two Legislatures be- 

 fore an amendment could be submitted to the 

 people. The amendment in question authorizes 

 the submission to the people at the next gen- 

 eral election after the amendment has been 

 passed by a majority of the two houses of one 

 Legislature. The second amendment has refer- 

 ence to the qualifications of electors. The Con- 

 stitution, as it existed before such amendment, 

 required only six months 1 residence in the State 

 and thirty days in a district to entitle a citizen 

 of the United States to vote. The amendment 

 in question requires a year's residence in the 

 State and ninety days in a district. The third 

 amendment provides for the investment of the 

 school fund. The Constitution, as it existed 

 before such amendment, permitted the school 

 fund to be invested in State and United States 

 bonds only. The United States bonds have so 

 advanced in price that an investment in them 

 furnishes very little revenue for schools. The 

 State has no outstanding bonds in which to 

 make investments, and on this account there 

 is now on hand $142,584 of the school fund 

 drawing no interest. 



The Constitution requires that proposed 

 amendments shall be passed by a majority 

 vote of each house of the Legislature at two 

 successive sessions, and be entered upon the 

 journals of the respective houses. The amend- 

 ments in question were first passed at the ses- 

 sion of the Legislature in 1883, but were not 

 then entered upon the journals of either house. 

 This has been held in some of the States to be 

 a fatal defect. These amendments were again 

 passed at the session in 1885, and were at that 

 session properly entered upon the journals of 

 the respective houses. The Constitution fur- 

 ther provides that, after amendments have been 

 passed by two successive sessions of the Legis- 

 lature, u it shall be the duty of the Legislature 

 to submit them to the people in such manner 

 and at such time as the Legislature shall pre- 

 scribe." The Legislature made no provision 

 for submitting these amendments to the people, 

 but the county commissioners of the several 

 counties issued proclamations for their submis- 

 sion in the usual way, and they were adopted 

 by a majority vote of from 5,745 to 8,995. There 

 is great doubt as to the validity of these amend- 

 ments, and the Governor advises that they be 

 again passed by the Legislature and properly 

 entered upon the journals of the two houses. 

 This will make the legislative action complete. 

 u If this could be done immediately," he says, 

 " these amendments could again be submitted 

 under a special act to a vote of the people dur- 

 ing the present session of the Legislature, and 

 in time to give this Legislature an opportunity 

 to act under them." 



Irrigation. On this subject the Governor, in 

 his message to the Legislature of 1887, says: 

 " A speedy enactment of laws by this Legisla- 

 ture, or by Congress, which will aid our people 

 in the introduction of some system of irrigation, 

 is very important. The future prosperity of 



