MARYLAND. 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



481 



of the Federal Constitution, and is therefore 

 Inoperative and void. But the court held that 

 they were bound by two decisions of the Su- 

 preme Court of the United States, which were 

 against the construction contended for by the 

 applicant. In the " Slaughter-house cases " (16 

 Wall, 36) the latter court held that the four- 

 teenth amendment had reference only to the 

 rights and immunities of citizens of the Unit- 

 ed States as such, as contradistinguished from 

 those belonging to them as citizens of a State. 

 The Supreme Court was again called upon 

 to construe the fourteenth amendment in the 

 case of Mrs. Brad well (16 Wall, 130) who had 

 applied for admission as an attorney in the 

 Supreme Court of Illinois, claiming that the 

 right of admission was a privilege or immunity 

 belonging to her as a citizen of the United 

 States, that it was guaranteed by the Federal 

 Constitution, and that the State could not 

 abridge it. The court held that the right to 

 be admitted to practice law in the courts of a 

 State was not one belonging to the citizens of 

 the United States as such, and hence was not 

 within the protection of the fourteenth amend- 

 ment, but depended on the laws and regula- 

 tions of the State. The Court based its deci- 

 sion on the principles affirmed in the "Slaugh- 

 ter-house cases," and said : 



The right to control and regulate the granting of 

 license to practice law in the courts of a State is one 

 of those powers which are not transferred for its pro- 

 tection to the Federal Government, and its exercise 

 is in no manner governed or controlled by citizen- 

 ship of the United States in the party seeking such 

 license. 



The Court of Appeals held that "these de- 

 cisions are conclusive of the present case." 



They determine that the fourteenth amendment 

 has no application. It follows that the provisions 

 of the code are left in full force and operation, and 

 must control our action. We cannot set aside or dis- 

 regard the provisions of the statute. The Legisla- 

 ture alone can change the law. The privilege of 

 admission to the office of an attorney cannot be said 

 to be a right or immunity belonging to the citizen, 

 but is governed and regulated by the Legislature, 

 who may prescribe the qualifications required } ana 

 designate the class of persons who may bo admitted. 

 The power of regulating the admission of attorneys 

 In the courts of a State is one belonging to the State 

 and not to the Federal Government. As said by 

 Mr. Justice Bradley in Bradwell's case : " In the 

 nature of things, it is not every citizen, of every 

 age, sex, and condition, that is qualified for every 

 calling and position. It is the prerogative of the 

 legislator to prescribe regulations, founded on Na- 

 ture, reason, and experience, for the due admission 

 of qualified persons to professions and callings de- 

 manding special skill and confidence. This fairly 

 belongs to the police force of the State." (16 Wall, 

 142.) Application refused. 



The increased trade of the city of Baltimore 

 has been a source of pride to the people of 

 Maryland. The total value of the exports from 

 this port has increased from $24,683,083 in 

 1875 to $39,815,286 in 1877. The increase 

 in the receipts of grain for ten months of 1877, 

 as compared with the four preceding years, is 

 shown by the following figures : 

 VOL. xvii. 31 A 



Total.. 



28,897,081 29,551,S49: 15,026,654 17,060,128 12,496,957 



The following shows the receipts of grain at 

 Baltimore, both by water and rail, since 1870: 



The shipments of petroleum have increased 

 from 3,470,995 gallons in 1873 to 40,812,598 

 in 1876. All this would indicate a great pros- 

 perity, in spite of the depressed condition of 

 business for the past four years. 



MASSACHUSETTS. The annual session of 

 the Massachusetts Legislature began on the 3d 

 of January, and came to a close on the 17th of 

 May, having occupied 185 days. There were 

 252 acts and 69 resolves passed. Of the acts, 

 217 were of a public character, and 55 related 

 to private property, persons, or corporations. 

 An election of United States Senator, for the 

 term of six years from March 4, 1877, to suc- 

 ceed the Hon. George S. Boutwell, was effected 

 on the 19th of January, after seven ballots in 

 joint convention, occupying several days. On 

 the preliminary vote in the two Houses, George 

 S. Boutwell received 17 votes in the Senate, 

 and 78 in the House; George F. Hoar, 12 in 

 the Senate, and 76 in the House; Josiah G. 

 Abbott, 7 in the Senate, and 55 in the House ; 

 Alexander H. Rice, 4 in the Senate, and 15 in 

 the House ; A. H. Bullock and Julius H. Seel- 

 ye, each 4 in the House ; and Charles Devens, 

 John E. Sanford, and Henry L. Pierce, each 1 

 in the House. On the first joint ballot, Bout- 

 well received 95, Hoar 88, Abbot 62, Rice 19, 

 and other candidates 11. On the last ballot, 

 Mr. Hoar received 146 out of 278, Mr. Bout- 

 well having 47, Judge Abbott 62, Governor 

 Rice 19, Bullock 2, Seelye 1, and Paul A. Ched- 

 bourne 1. 



The amendment of the Constitution, proposed 

 by the preceding Legislature, making officers 

 and instructors of Harvard College eligible to 

 the Senate and House of Representatives, was 

 approved, and submitted to the people for rati- 

 fication. A new amendment was proposed, 

 giving the " General Court" power " to divide 

 any town into election districts, and prescribe 

 the manner of calling and holding public meet- 

 ings of the legal voters of such town, in such 

 districts, for the election of officers under the 



Tea months. 



