ASSOCIATIONS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



31 



To provide for the donation of forfeited lands. 



To compel railroad companies to build and main- 

 tain depots, and to stop their trains within certain 

 limits of cities and incorporated towns. 



To amend the law relative to Sabbath-breaking, al- 

 lowing u Seventh-day Adventists," and other sects 

 observing as the Sabbath another day than Sunday to 

 labor, but not to keep open shop on that day. 



To protect employe's and other persons against rail- 

 road companies giving such employes a lien lor serv- 

 ices and material furnished. 



There were 73 Democrats in the lower house, 

 14 Republicans, 4 members of a semi-political 

 organization, known as the Agricultural Wheel, 

 1 Independent, and 1 Green backer ; the Senate 

 was composed of 29 Democrats and 2 Repub- 

 licans. 



Education. For the year ending June 30, 1885, 

 $1,199,005.82 were received from all sources 

 for school purposes, and of this sum $729,168,- 

 31 were expended in maintaining the free 

 schools of the State. For the year ending June 

 30, 1886, $1,327,710 were received, and $866,- 

 892.45 paid out for school purposes. A large 

 number of school-houses have been built in 

 the State within the past two years, and many 

 of them cost from $3,000 to $20,000 each. 



Finances. The annual expenses of the State 

 government, including charitable institutions, 

 ara about $300,000, this being about one third 

 of the total amount raised by State taxation. 

 In 1887 the sum of $315,403 was apportioned 

 from the State treasury among the counties for 

 the use of the common schools. As the whole 

 school population numbers 358,000 the amount 

 per capita would be $0.88. A poll-tax of $1 

 is also applied to school purposes, besides the 

 tax of about 5 mills levied by each school dis- 

 trict for its own purposes of education. 



In the case of the State vs. ex-State Treas- 

 urer Churchill, the Supreme Court on appeal 

 sustained the decision of Chancellor Carroll 

 rendered at the beginning of last year, by which 

 the sureties of the treasurer's first and third 

 bonds were discharged, but found their liability 

 on the second bond to be $26,000 instead of 

 $3,000, and the entire liability of Churchill to 

 the State was adjudged to be $115,000. As 

 the expenses of litigation will equal the amount 

 of judgment rendered against the sureties, the 

 State will practically lose the whole sum origi- 

 nally misapplied. 



ASSOCIATIONS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF 

 SCIENCE. American. The thirty-sixth annual 

 meeting of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science was held in the build- 

 ings of Columbia College, New York, begin- 

 ning Aug. 10, and adjourning Aug. 16, 1887. 

 The following were the officers of the meeting : 

 President, Samuel P. Langley, of Washington. 

 Vice-Presidents : Section A, Mathematics and 

 Astronomy, John R. Eastman, U. S. Navy, 

 elected in place of Prof. William Ferrel, of 

 Washington, who was unable to be present. 

 Section B, Physics, William B. Anthony, of 

 Ithaca, N. Y. Section 0, Chemistry, Albert B. 

 Prescott, of Ann Arbor, Mich. Section D, 

 Mechanical Science, Eckley B. Coxe, of Drifton, 



Pa. Section E, Geology and Geography, Grove 

 K. Gilbert, of Washington, D. C. Section F, 

 Biology, William G. Farlow, of Cambridge, 

 Mass. Section H, Anthropology, Daniel G. 

 Brinton, of Media, Pa. Section I, Economic 

 Science and Statistics, Henry E. Alvord, of 

 Amherst, Mass. Permanent Secretary, Fred- 

 erick W. Putnam, of Salem, Mass. General 

 Secretary, W. H. Pettee, Ann Arbor, Mich. 

 Assistant General Secretary, J. C. Arthur, 

 Geneva, N. Y. Treasurer, William Lilly, of 

 Maueh Chunk, Pa. The meeting derived ad- 

 ditional importance from the fact that it was 

 held in the metropolis. The Buffalo meeting 

 of 1886 had been attended by a comparatively 

 small number, and it was felt that something 

 should be done to increase the attendance. 

 The selection of New York had the desired 

 effect, and 711 members registered as being 

 present. The high character of the officers oi 

 the meeting guaranteed an important series of 

 papers, and this promise was well carried out. 



Opening Proceedings. On August 9, the 

 Standing Committee met for the transaction 

 of routine business, and during its sessions 

 three hundred and fifteen new members were 

 elected, including many well-known names. 



The meeting formally opened on Wednes- 

 day, August 10, at 10 A. M. The meeting in gen- 

 era! session in Library Hall organized, and was 

 called to order by the retiring president, Prof. 

 Edward S. Morse, of Salem. The public had 

 been invited to attend the meeting, and had re- 

 sponded so that the large room was crowded 

 with auditors. On the stage with Prof. Morse 

 sat President F. A. P. Barnard, of Columbia 

 College; Prof. Langley, the new president of 

 the Association ; Prof. Pettee, the general sec- 

 retary ; and Bishop Potter. Pres. Barnard 

 addressed the meeting, reviewing the list of 

 distinguished deceased members of the Asso- 

 ciation who had done good work in the scien- 

 tific field. Bache, Henry, Agassiz, Torrey, 

 Pierce, Mitchell, Hare, and other illustrious 

 names were cited. He ended his address by 

 welcoming the Association as representative 

 of the trustees of the college. 



Prof. Langley gave a short address in reply. 

 In it he described the mission of the society, 

 and while saying that too much indulgence 

 should not be exercised in admitting every one 

 to membership and a hearing, yet pleaded for 

 liberality in these regards. Truth sometimes 

 comes to us in an unfamiliar dress, and a large 

 tolerance of errors of speculation should be in- 

 dulged in, where accompanied by a faithful 

 original study of facts. As a short exposition 

 of the true scope of the society the address 

 was as timely as eloquent, and it met with 

 much appreciation. 



The members then left the Library Hall, and 

 at half-past two assembled in the different sec- 

 tion-rooms to hear the addresses of the vice- 

 presidents of the sections. 



Vice -Presidents' Addresses. Owing to the 

 change of vice-president there was no address 



