ALABAMA. 



at the Khyber pass. Tbe spirit of discontent 

 began to pervade the great Ghilzai nation, up- 

 on whose loyalty the power of the Ainir main- 

 ly rests. These warning signs impelled Abdur- 

 rahman not to strain his authority, and he ac- 

 cordingly withdrew the military and yielded 

 to the demands of the Shinwarris. 



The British, seeing the power of the Amir 

 broken in the north and threatened in the 

 south, and knowing that the treasure which 

 they had given him three years before, with. 

 which he had established his position,- was 

 exhausted, thought they could strengthen his 

 hands to maintain his power and at the same 

 time secure his wavering and uncertain attach- 

 ment by coming to him in the hour of his need 

 with the promise of a stated annual allowance 

 sufficient to support his power and state. Pe- 

 cuniary gifts and subsidies have been a feature 

 of British policy in Afghanistan from the be- 

 ginning. Dost Mohammed received, by the 

 treaty of 1856, twelve lacs of rupees per an- 

 num during the war with Persia, besides large 

 occasional presents of money and arms. Shere 

 Ali was the recipient of lavish gifts of money 

 and munitions of war, and a treaty to bestow 

 on him a subsidy of twelve lacs a year was 

 in negotiation when his secret understanding 

 with Russia was discovered, and was declared. 

 Sir Louis Oavaguari, whose murder created a 

 fresh rupture, was the bearer of an offer to 

 Yakub Khan of half that amount per annum. 

 When the British set Abdurrahman on the 

 throne, they supplied him with treasure to the 

 amount of over thirty lacs of rupees, or nearly 

 a million and a half of dollars. The offer now 

 made to Abdurrahman by the Indian Govern- 

 ment, and accepted by him, was twelve lacs 

 of rupees per annum. The payment of this 

 large subsidy is conditional on his conforming 

 his external policy to the wishes and interests 

 of the British Empire. 



ALABAMA. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year: Gov- 

 ernor, Edward A. O'Neal, Democrat ; Secre- 

 tary of State, Ellis Phelan ; Treasurer, Fred- 

 erick II. Smith ; Auditor, Jesse M. Carmichael ; 

 Attorney-General, Henry 0. Tompkins ; Su- 

 perintendent of Public Instruction, Henry C. 

 Armstrong. Judiciary, Supreme Court Chief- 

 Justice, Robert C. Brickell; Associate Justices, 

 George W. Stone and II. M. Somerville. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature, which 

 w:n in session at the beginning of the year, 

 adjourned near the close of February. Perhaps 

 the most important act of the session was one 

 "to provide for the assessment and collec- 

 tion of taxes for the use of this State and the 

 counties thereof, and to define the duties of 

 officers engaged about the said assessment and 

 collection of taxes." 



It provides a complete system, and contains 

 stringent provisions requiring individuals and 



Another systematic act fixes the rate of poll 

 and other taxes, the amount and kind of license 

 fees, and defines the classes of taxable property. 

 By an act "to establish a Department of Ag- 

 riculture for the State of Alabama," a depart- 

 ment of agriculture is created and established 

 " which shall be under the management and 

 control of the Commissioner of Agriculture, 

 who shall be a practical and experienced agri- 

 culturist. Said commissioner shall be appointed 

 by the Governor, and shall hold his office for 

 the term of two years, and until his successor 

 is appointed and qualified." 



An act u to assist the University of Alabama, 

 and the State Agricultural and Mechanical Col- 

 lege, in furnishing additional room for students 

 and facilities for instruction," appropriates the 

 sum of $90,000. It was further enacted that 

 " landlords of storehouses, dwelling-houses, and 

 other buildings shall have a lien for rent, upon 

 such goods, furniture, and effects as may belong 

 to the tenant, and that this lien shall be a supe- 

 rior lien to all other liens on said goods, except 

 for taxes." 



An act " to prevent monopolies in the trans- 

 portation of freight, and to secure free and fair 

 competition in the same," provides that " it 

 shall be unlawful for two or more railroad com- 

 panies or persons operating railroads in this 

 State to enter into any agreement among them- 

 selves, directly or indirectly, for the division 

 among themselves of the freight-carrying busi- 

 ness at any station, town, or city in this State, 

 or into any pool arrangement among themselves 

 of the nature and character aforesaid, the ob- 

 ject, purpose, and effect of which in either event 

 shall be to prevent free and fair competition 

 among said railroad companies or persons oper- 

 ating said railroads, for said freight-carrying 

 business, and to establish extortionate rates in 

 favor of said companies or persons in doing 

 said business, and which shall have the effect 

 of being in undue restraint of the trade and 

 business at any such station, town, or city of 

 this State " ; that u it is the true intent and mean- 

 ing of this act that any such agreement rates 

 or pool agreement made by any convention or 

 association of freight agents, or commissioner 

 of freight rates or rate-making committee out- 

 side of this State, but to be performed in whole 

 or in part in this State, shall as to such part of 

 the same as is to be performed within this 

 State, come within the provisions of this act." 



Other acts were entitled as follows: 



To regulate the hiring and treatment of State and 

 county convicts. 



To regulate the business of co-operative and mu- 

 tual aid and relief associations, societies, and cor- 

 porations. 



To amend an act to revive and complete the Geo- 

 logical and Agricultural Survey of the State of Ala- 

 bama. 



To provide for the introduction of the study of the 

 laws of health in the public schools of this State. 



To authorize railroad companies organized under 

 the general incorporation laws to extend their lines 

 and build branch roads. 



To vacate and annul the charter and dissolve the 



