504 



NEBRASKA. 



2 being of the same political party, who shall hold 

 office for three years, and should assist the court 

 in the performance of its duties. It was made 

 unlawful for any person, association, or corpora- 

 tion to bring into the State any person or persons 

 or association of persons for the purpose of dis- 

 charging the duties devolving upon police offi- 

 cers, sheriffs, or constables in the protection of 

 private property, and such officers were prohib- 

 ited from appointing nonresidents as deputies. 



All companies, firms, or individuals issuing re- 

 bate vouchers or certificates or making promises, 

 verbal or written, to allow a reduction of price 

 charged upon the condition of sale, were re- 

 quired to deposit, in such institutions as the 

 State Auditor should designate, sums of money 

 equal to such rebate vouchers or certificates is- 

 sued or promises made. All such vouchers, 

 certificates, and written promises shall be trans- 

 ferable by endorsement and shall be a legal lien 

 upon such deposits. 



A further sum of $35,000 was appropriated 

 for the benefit of the State exhibit at the 

 World's Columbian Exposition, and $10,000 

 was set apart to be used by the Governor in se- 

 curing attorneys to aid in prosecuting criminal 

 proceedings against officials or employees who 

 may have defrauded the State, and in conduct- 

 ing civil actions against such persons and their 

 bondsmen. 



Congress was memorialized to call a conven- 

 tion of the several States for the purpose of 

 proposing a constitutional amendment, secur- 

 ing the election of United States Senators by 

 direct vote of the people, and the legislatures 

 of sister States were requested to co-operate in 

 this movement. 



Other acts of the session were as follow : 



To provide for the appointment of police matrons 

 in cities. 



Declaring all persons entitled to full and equal en- 

 joyment of the accommodations, facilities, and privi- 

 leges of inns, restaurants, public conveyances, barber 

 shops, theaters, and other places of amusement. 



To provide for the parole of prisoners, to place the 

 power therefor in the Governor. 



To provide for ditching and draining wet or swamp 

 land, and to protect them by levees. 



To promote the development of water power for 

 manufacturing and other industrial purposes. 



To prohibit lumber dealers, coal dealers, and other 

 persons or companies from entering into any contract 

 to pool or fix the price at which lumber or coal shall 

 be sold. 



Providing for a recount, on or before May 1, 1893, 

 of the votes cast for constitutional amendments in 

 the November election. [The result was not changed 

 by this recount, both amendments failing to secure a 

 majority of the votes cast.] 



Education. For the year 1892-'93 the en- 

 rollment of students at the State University 

 was as follows : Graduate students, 21 ; academic 

 and industrial college, 532 ; college of law, 53 ; 

 school of art and music, 141 ; special students, 

 82 ; preparatory course, 343 ; total in all depart- 

 ments, 1,086. This institution is one of the most 

 successful of its class in the United States. 



Penitentiary. On Oct. 26 the State suffered 

 a loss of nearly $100,000 by the burning of one 

 of the large workshops on the Penitentiary 

 grounds. There was no insurance, and no funds 

 of the State are now available for rebuilding. 



Militia. The National Guard of the State 

 consists of 1,087 men, organized into two regi- 

 ments of infantry, 1 troop of cavalry, and 1 

 battery. 



Settlement of the Sand Hills. The tide 

 of immigration that between 1880 and 1890 

 poured into the vacant lands of Nebraska has 

 materially diminished. Reports of land of- 

 ficers in the various districts where nearly 10,- 

 000,000 acres of Government lands lie vacant 

 indicate that for several years past the bulk of 

 the business of the land officers has been in the 

 line of perfecting titles. By far the greater por- 

 tion of the government lands suitable for crop- 

 ping without irrigation is now gone. Most of 

 the valleys and draws in what has been the 

 " semiarid " region of the State are occupied by 

 farmers and small stock raisers. The remainder, 

 which is estimated approximately at 10,000,000 

 acres, lies chiefly in the northwestern part of the 

 State, occupying an area 180 miles by 100. 



From the time of Prof. Aughey's first report 

 on the geology of Nebraska this section has been 

 known as the " sand-hill country." The greater 

 portion lies north of the Platte and west of the 

 ninety-ninth parallel, continuing northward into 

 South Dakota. 



Impeachment of State Officers. Investi- 

 gations into the conduct of State institutions 

 made this year by legislative committees de- 

 veloped the existence of various abuses and 

 frauds in the furnishing of supplies to the State, 

 and in March the Lower House selected a com- 

 mittee to examine the evidence taken at these 

 investigations. A majority of this committee, 

 toward the end of March, reported a recommen- 

 dation that measures be taken to impeach the 

 members of the State Board of Public Lands 

 and Buildings. Articles of impeachment were 

 accordingly drawn and submitted to the joint 

 Assembly early in April. Charges were made in 

 these articles against Secretary of State Allen, 

 Ex-Treasurer J. E. Hill, Ex-Auditor Benton, 

 Ex-Attorney-General Leese, Attorney-General 

 Hastings, and Commissioner A. R. Humphrey. 

 Several of the charges related to the construction 

 of a new cell house at the State Penitentiary, 

 wherein one W. H. Dorgan, agent of the board, 

 was alleged to have defrauded the State 

 through the failure of the board to perform its 

 proper duties. Charges were also made that the 

 board had fraudulently audited and paid the 

 extravagant bills contracted by this agent. An- 

 other article charged the board with failure to 

 exercise proper care in auditing the accounts 

 and expenses of the insane asylum, whereby 

 large sums were lost to the State. There were 

 other allegations of minor importance. The 

 Legislature adopted the report of the committee, 

 and a few days later the State Supreme Court 

 convened as a court of impeachment to try the 

 charges. The trial of the case was postponed 

 till May 1 ; the taking of testimony and argu- 

 ments of counsel occupied several weeks, and a 

 decision was not rendered tillJune 5. Although 

 the defendants Hastings, Allen, and Humphrey 

 were then acquitted of misdemeanors sufficiently 

 grave to justify their removal from office, the 

 court found that the action of the Board of Public 

 Lands and Buildings in selecting Dorgan as its 

 agent was highly censurable and wanting in an 



