MORRILL. LOT M. 



NEBRASKA. 



553 



filling the highest offices in public life. In the 

 critical period of our civil war, during which 

 he was Governor of New York, his services 

 were as important as those of any other Gov- 

 ernor, and contributed largely to the final suc- 

 cess of the national cause. He was tendered 

 by President Lincoln the appointment of ma- 

 jor-general of volunteers, and accepted the 

 rank, but declined any compensation for ser- 

 vices. A memorial volume, with a fine por- 

 trait, was printed privately by his widow, who, 

 with an only grandchild, survives him. 



MORRILL, Lot M., an American lawyer, born 

 in Belgrade, Maine, May 3, 1813; died in Au- 

 gusta, Maine, Jan. 10, 1883. He entered Water- 

 ville College (now Colby University) in 1835, 

 but did not remain through the year. He then 

 studied law, and in due time was admitted to 

 the bar. One of his fellow-attorneys was Tim- 

 othy O. Howe, with whom he was later asso- 

 ciated in the United States Senate. He removed 

 to Augusta, established himself in practice, and 

 took the lead in the Democratic party in Maine. 

 In 1854 he was elected to the Legislature, where 

 he gained much reputation ; and on his re-elec- 

 tion in 1856, he was chosen President of the 

 Senate. In 1855 Mr. Morrill denounced the 

 course of his party on the question of slavery 

 in Kansas, and severed his connection with 

 his former associates. He was nominated in 

 1857 by the Republicans for Governor, and was 

 elected by over 15,000 majority. His admin- 

 istration was very successful, and he was twice 

 re-elected; and he served his native State in 

 that offiae during the years 1858-'60. 



In 1860 Senator Hamlin was elected Vice- 

 President of the United States, whereupon 

 Gov. Morrill was chosen by the Legislature to 

 serve during the remainder of Hamlin's term. 

 He entered the Senate Jan. 17, 1861, and was 

 placed on important committees. He attended 

 the " Peace Conference," from which much 

 was hoped, but which led to no beneficial re- 

 sult. During the two years that followed, 

 Morrill took an active part in public affairs, 

 and in 1883 he was elected Senator for the 

 term ending in 1869. He was chairman of 

 the Committees on Expenses, on the District 

 of Columbia, on Appropriations, and on In- 

 dian Affairs. In the Republican caucus for a 

 successor, Mr. Morrill was defeated by a single 

 vote; but, as Senator Fessenden died in 1869, 

 Merrill was appointed to serve out the remain- 

 der of Fessenden's term. In 1 871 he was again 

 elected Senator, and in the discharge of his du- 

 ties devoted much attention to financial ques- 

 tions. He was what was called a " hard-money" 

 man, and voted against the bill for inflating the 



currency, which was vetoed by the President, 

 and voted in favor of the resumption act of 

 1875. He was noted as being a steady, hard 

 worker in committee-rooms, and was espe- 

 cially familiar with naval and Indian affairs. 



On Secretary Belknap's resignation, Presi- 

 dent Grant asked Senator Morrill to take a 

 seat in the Cabinet, but he preferred to re- 

 main where he was.. In June, 1876, his name 

 was sent in by the President for the Treas- 

 ury Department, and he was immediately con- 

 firmed. During the few weeks before enter- 

 ing upon his new and important duties, he was 

 busily engaged in looking after the appropri- 

 ation bills. He was chairman of the Senate 

 Committee on Appropriations, and strained 

 every nerve to carry these important measures. 

 He bade farewell to the Senate on July 6th. 



As Secretary of the Treasury Mr. Morrill 

 was able and energetic, and gave very general 

 satisfaction. He was familiar with all govern- 

 ment business, was inflexible and resolute in en- 

 forcing the laws, and showed that clear com- 

 mon sense which is always popular in a min- 

 ister of finance. In November, 1876, while in 

 New York, he made an address to the moneyed 

 men of the metropolis, from the steps of the 

 Sub-Treasury Department, which proved ef- 

 fective and well-timed. His annual budget, in 

 December of the same year, was very straight- 

 forward, and gave a clear presentation of the 

 financial condition of the nation. He urged 

 immediate and yet gradual contraction of the 

 currency, and declared that specie payments 

 could be resumed in 1875. His recommenda- 

 tions had the merit of simplicity and direct- 

 ness. He asked Congress to give him author- 

 ity to fund greenbacks at his discretion, in 4J- 

 per cent, thirty-year bonds, and to compel the 

 national banks to accumulate coin. 



When Mr. Hayes became President, in 1877, 

 he offered Mr. Morrill a foreign mission ; but 

 it was declined. He was appointed, in March, 

 Collector of Customs for Portland and Fal- 

 mouth district, Maine, which post he held at 

 the time of his death. On getting back to 

 his native State, he took but little active in- 

 terest in politics. His health became infirm, 

 and he suffered greatly from inflammation of 

 the stomach. In his last illness, attended by 

 his wife and family, he sank quietly and peace- 

 fully to rest. Although not to be called elo- 

 quent in speech, or brilliant in debate, he was 

 always earnest, clear, and sensible. With a 

 fine head and an impressive air and manner, 

 Mr. Morrill rarely failed to convince his hear- 

 ers that the measures he advocated were judi- 

 cious and sound in principle. 



N 



NEBRASKA. State GoTernment. The follow- 

 ing were the State officers during the year : 

 Governor, James W. Dawes, Republican ; 

 Lieutenant-Governor, Alfred W. Agee ; Secre- 

 tary of State, Edward P. Roggen ; Treasurer, 



P. D. Sturdevant ; Auditor of Public Accounts, 

 John Wallichs; Attorney- General, Isaac Pow- 

 ers, Jr. ; Superintendent of Public Instruction, 

 W. W. W. Jones; Commissioner of Public 

 Lands, A. G. Kendall. Supreme Court : Chief- 



