256 



DELAWARE. 



borough, Marcus Hook, to which it formerly be- 

 longed. The export is mainly crude and refined 

 petroleum in bulk and barrels, large cargoes of 

 which are carried away by British, Italian, Ger- 

 man, and Spanish vessels. 



Quarantine Station. A commission was 

 appointed in Pennsylvania to select the best 

 available quarantine site, and the Governor of 

 Delaware appointed a committee to confer with 

 it. It was proposed to remove to the site selected 

 the Pennsylvania Lazaretto from its location 

 above Chester and provide a place for quarantin- 

 ing vessels liable to bring infectious diseases to 

 the cities and towns upon the Delaware river and 

 bay. Several possible sites were examined, and 

 Reedy Island was finally chosen, and a disinfect- 

 ing plant was placed there in the summer, on a 

 wharf built out about 1,500 feet from the island. 



Legislative. The biennial session of the 

 Legislature began Jan. 3 and ended May 5. Hon. 

 George Gray was re-elected to the United States 

 Senate. The most important work, perhaps, was 

 the ratification of the constitutional amendment 

 with respect to taking the sense of the people on 

 the question of calling a constitutional conven- 

 tion. It is now in the power of the people to 

 call a convention by their votes at any general 

 election, and there is no doubt that at the elec- 

 tion of 1804 a convention will be ordered. 



A measure changing the method of appoint- 

 ment of the police commission of Wilmington 

 met with great opposition from Republicans. It 

 was designed to take from the mayor all partici- 

 pation in the appointments, and give them to 

 persons selected by the Governor. The change 

 was justified by reference to a scandal in which 

 tthe chief, a captain, and a sergeant of police were 

 involved, and which was secretly investigated by 

 the mayor and a police commissioner with the 

 result of acquittal of the chief. The bill passed 

 in spite of the opposition, which was not entirely 

 from Republicans, others opposing it on the 

 ground that it interfered with the city's right 

 to self-government. It named a new board of 

 three, who are to hold office for two, four, and 

 six years respectively. Their successors are to 

 be appointed by the Governor for six-year terms, 

 but the board 'may fill vacancies for unexpired 

 terms. The comniissioners must swear, among 

 other things, that in every appointment or re- 

 moval they will be guided by no cause other than 

 fitness or unfitness, qualification or disqualifica- 

 tion. 



The inheritance- tax law, which was repealed 

 by a former Legislature, was revived, including 

 the-collateral-inheritance-tax clauses. 



The State registration law was amended in 

 reference to the oath required of a man appointed 

 an alternate registrar that he will not be a can- 

 didate at the election, although he is appointed 

 six months before it. This oath is done away 

 with, and the alternate registrar may resign his 

 appointment to become a candidate. 



A bill was passed in regard to Roman Catho- 

 lic congregations, having for its object to relieve 

 the bishop of personal responsibility in the man- 

 agement and control of church property, and to 

 avoid the trouble and expense of administering 

 upon such property in the event of the death of 

 the bishop. At present such church property as 

 .comes under the control of a new bishop is forth- 



with devised by him, by will, to be held by a 

 third party in trust for his successor, in the event 

 of his decease. This provision for an interregnum 

 is obviated by the new law, which creates a cor- 

 poration for each parish, the corporation being a 

 continuing body. 



The first step was taken toward an amend- 

 ment to the Constitution vesting in the courts 

 exclusive power of granting divorces, but for the 

 causes and conditions prescribed by the Legisla- 

 ture. If all divorce cases were thus turned over 

 to the courts the work of the Legislature would 

 be materially lightened and the sessions might 

 be shorter. No fewer than 50 divorces were 

 granted at this session. 



The Delaware Pneumatic Tube and Delivery 

 Company was incorporated. Its capital stock is 

 to be $100,000, divided into 4,000 shares of $25 

 each. This concern will carry parcels, liquids, 

 etc., and, it is said, will ship peaches from Sus- 

 sex County to Philadelphia at the rate of 5 cents 

 a basket. 



The liquor law was so amended as to allow re- 

 tailers to sell liquor in quantities from one quart 

 to one gallon to be drunk off the premises, and 

 to sell in quantities less than one quart to be 

 drunk on the premises. 



New Castle County was authorized to issue 

 bonds, $100,000 to build a bridge at Washing- 

 ton Street, Wilmington, and $60,000 to redeem 

 outstanding county indebtedness. 



A reapportionment of the school fund of the 

 same county was provided for, which will give 

 Wilmington about $80,000 per annum for 

 schools, instead of $13,000, as at present. 



The Wilmington municipal elections were 

 transferred to the control of the State Board of 

 Elections. This is to regulate the time and 

 manner of city elections, and will allow each 

 city council to select the clerk, bailiff, and other 

 officials who are to serve under it. 



Among other acts were the following : 



Permitting persons accused of crime to testify in 

 their own behalf. 



Making it unlawful to use barbed wire in a division 

 fence except by mutual consent of the owners of the 

 property divided. 



Incorporating the Humane Society of Delaware. 



Appropriating $6,000 for the support of Delaware 

 College, and $1,000 for the colored college. 



Repealing all statutes relating to planting, propa- 

 gating, dredging, tonging, or taking oysters from the 

 natural beds in Delaware Bay. 



Declaring Labor Day a legal holiday. 



Making Saturday, from June to September inclu- 

 sive, a legal half holiday for banking and trust com- 

 pany purposes. 



Incorporating the Delaware Industrial School for 

 Girls. 



Providing protection for associations and unions of 

 workingmen and persons in their labels, trade-marks, 

 and forms of advertising. 



Kepealing the law authorizing the levy courts to 

 appropriate $5 a year to every Sunday school. 



Providing for more fully effecting the endowment 

 and support of colleges for the benefit of agriculture 

 and the mechanic arts. 



To prevent the accomplishment of frauds upon the 

 General Assembly by means of deception and tricky 

 amendments or additions to acts. 



Delaware at the World's Fair. Consid- 

 erable criticism was indulged in by people of 

 the State during the summer on the building 



