MISSOURI, 



615 



the sale of public lands of the United States, 

 situated in the State. The accumulation of 

 this fund was something over $40,000. This 

 sum was withheld by the General Government, 

 and it was claimed that it should be applied as 

 a credit on what is known as " the war tax of 

 1861," the apportionment to Mississippi being 

 $413,084. The court refused to permit this 

 set-off. 



Political. At an election held November 8, 

 members of the Legislature of 1888 and the vari- 

 ous county officers were chosen. A light vote 

 was cast, there being generally no opposition to 

 the Democratic ticket. The Legislature will be 

 almost solidly Democratic. 



MISSOURI. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Gov- 

 ernor, John S. Marmaduke, Democrat, who 

 died December 28, and was succeeded by the 

 Lieutenant-Governor, Albert G. Morehouse; 

 Secretary of State, Michael K. McGrath ; Treas- 

 urer, James M. Siebert ; Auditor, John Walker ; 

 Attorney-General, D. G. Boone ; Superintend- 

 ent of Public Schools, William E. Coleman; 

 Eailroad Commissioners, John B. Breathitt, 

 James Harding, and William G. Downing; 

 Chief-Justice of the Supreme Court, Elijah H. 

 Norton; Associate Justices, Thomas A. Sher- 

 wood, Robert D. Kay, Francis M. Black, and 

 Theodore Brace. 



Legislative Session. The regular biennial ses- 

 sion of the Legislature began on January 5 and 

 adjourned on March 21. United States Sena- 

 tor Francis M. Cockrell was re-elected for a 

 third term over William Warner, the Republi- 

 can candidate. The vote in the Senate was: 

 Cockrell, 25 ; Warner, 8 in the House : Cock- 

 rell, 86 ; Warner, 50 ; Nicholas Ford (Labor), 

 2. Two predominant topics of discussion dur- 

 ing the session were the railroads and the liquor- 

 traffic. Numerous bills upon these subjects 

 were introduced, but the legislation secured 

 was meager. On the question of regulating 

 the railroads no agreement whatever was 

 reached. The debate on the liquor question 

 resulted in the adoption of a " local option " 

 act, after a proposition to submit to the people 

 a prohibitory constitutional amendment, passed 

 by the House, had been defeated in the Senate. 

 The " local option " act provides that an elec- 

 tion to determine whether licenses shall be 

 granted shall be held, on petition of one tenth 

 of the voters of any incorporated town or city 

 or of any county, outside of such town or city, 

 provided such town, city, or county contains 

 2,500 voters. A second election shall not be 

 held in less than four years thereafter. An- 

 other act repeals the law permitting the sale 

 of wine and beer in St. Louis saloons on Sun- 

 day, and a third provides a penalty for physi- 

 cians who write prescriptions of intoxicating 

 liquors for other than strictly medicinal pur- 

 poses. The road-and-highway act of 1883 was 

 repealed, and a new one, revising and perfect- 

 ing the former act, was adopted. Another im- 

 portant measure authorizes the incorporation 



of mntual savings societies for the accumula- 

 tion and investment of money, but without 

 general trading or banking powers. The sum 

 of $40,000 was appropriated for the construc- 

 tion and equipment of a State industrial home 

 for girls, and $47,000 for the establishment of 

 a State reform school for boys. The expendi- 

 ture of $250,000 upon the State capitol was 

 authorized. Provision was made for the pay- 

 ment of $2,500,000 of the State debt, by ap- 

 propriating that sum out of the sinking fund. 

 Other acts of the session were as follow : 



To prevent the keeping of " opium-joints." 



To prevent the granting or accepting of free passes 

 or discount tickets by any State, judicial, county, or 

 municipal officer, or by numbers of the Legislature. 



Providing that all actions for recovery of dower 

 shall be begun within ten years after the death of the 

 husband. 



To provide for the incorporation and regulation of 

 associations, societies, or companies doing a life or 

 casualty insurance business on the assessment plan. 



Providing for the organization of levee districts by 

 the owners of any contiguous body of land bordering 

 on or situate near and subject to overflow by the riv- 

 ers of the State. 



For the promotion of medical science by the distri- 

 bution of unclaimed human bodies for scientific use 

 through a board created for that purpose. 



Enacting a new mining law. 



Repealing an act to establish a new State Peniten- 

 tiary, enacted in 1885. 



Authorizing county collectors to pay into the county 

 treasury, pending litigation, moneys in their hands 

 claimed by both the State and county or municipal 

 townships. 



Imposing a penalty on bridge, telegraph, and ex- 

 press companies for failure to make an annual state- 

 ment of their property. 



To provide for the collection of personal taxes. 



To establish an academic department in connection 

 with Lincoln Institute for the higher education of the 

 negro race. 



To prevent diseased stock of any kind from running 

 at large. 



To punish false pretenses in obtaining registration 

 of cattle and other animals, and to punish giving false 

 pedigrees. 



Defining the duties of circuit and prosecuting attor- 

 neys and their assistants in courts having jurisdiction 

 of criminal matters in cities of over 100,000 inhabit- 

 ants, forbidding their employment in business other 

 than that of the State, and forbidding their accepting, 

 contracting, or bargaining for any fee or gift other 

 than their salary, tor any services rendered during 

 their term of office. 



Enacting a new law relative to the ^appointment of 

 a State veterinary surgeon. 



To provide for the consolidation of adjoining cities. 



Eestricting the power of incorporated cities and 

 towns to grant franchises for using streets and alleys 

 for elevated, underground, or other street-railways. 



Creating a board of police commissioners, and au- 

 thorizing the appointment of a permanent police force 

 in cities of the second class. 



Enacting a new law for the government of cities of 

 the third class. 



Providing for police judges in cities of the fourth 

 class. 



Declaring all contracts limiting the time in which 

 suit may be brought null and void. 



Making railroads responsible for damages caused by 

 fires communicated from locomotives. 



Prohibiting the officers and directors of railroads 

 from furnishing supplies thereto. 



Prohibiting the leasing or consolidation of parallel 

 or competing lines of railroad. 



