tion as may legitimately, safely, and securely be done, and thereby greatly afford the employment and relief necessary for the great mass of laborers.

YOUNGSTOWN, Оmо, January 1, 1875.

The above firms and companies represent 7 rolling-mills, 17 blast furnaces, 42 coal-banks, 2 ore-companies, nut and bolt works, foundery and machine works, boiler-shop, &c., employing, when working, over 12,000 men. Fully two-thirds are out of employment at the present time.

Bill to amend forty-first section of the act of February 21,

1871.

FEBRUARY 8, 1875.-Referred to the Committee on the District of Columbia and ordered to be printed.

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Washington, D. C., February 1, 1875. DEAR SIR: We earnestly recommend to your attention and support the inclosed bill to amend the forty-first section of the act (organic) entitled "An act to provide a government for the District of Columbia," approved February 21, 1871. Its passage at the present session will facilitate the administration of the affairs of the District.

A few words in explanation of each addition made to the present law by this bill will not be out of place.

1st. Existing statutes do not explicitly designate any successor to the various trusts devolved by law upon the mayor of each of the late corporations of Washington and Georgetown. This omission may lead to much litigation. Two controversies are now pending, one involving the issue whether the present commissioners are the legal successors of the mayor of Washington, under the paving-commission act of July 8, 1870; the other, the issue whether the late governor of the District succeeded to the duties imposed upon the mayor of Washington by the charter of the Washington Market Company. The inclosed bill supplies the omission.

2d. While there are several statutes from which the intention of Congress to vest in the District the title to all school-property may be inferred, there is no express provision for that purpose. It is of no little importance that all doubt touching the title to real estate of such large value should be promptly removed by explicit legislation.

3d. We recommend the extension of the jurisdiction of the police court to the enforcement of the building regulations. Violations of these often endanger life or limb or property, and the only efficient redress is in a court of summary jurisdiction, both for abatement of nuisances and collection of penalties.

4th. Though the act organizing the police court provides, in favor of

the United States attorney, a docket-fee of ten dollars ($10) for each conviction, it makes no provision for a similar compensation to the attorney who prosecutes in behalf of the District, and whose duties are not less laborious and require no less professional skill. Under the present laws we have no power to make proper remuneration to this officer such as will secure, permanently, to the District competent professional talent for the important duty of enforcing the local laws and ordinances. We have, therefore, provided in this amending bill for the very moderate docket-fee of one dollar in each case prosecuted to conviction, and we trust that the necessity for this clause will be apparent to Congress.

5th. As a matter of convenience to the auditing officers, the bill for the transportation of convicts should be paid from the police-court fund.

The above, with an additional check provided for the payment of moneys collected, are the new provisions of the inclosed bill. We trust they will have your approval, and that the bill may become a law at the present session.

Very respectfully,

Hon. N. P. CHIPMAN,

W. DENNISON,
S. L. PHELPS,

Commissioners District of Columbia.

House of Representatives United States.

LOUISIANA AFFAIRS.

JOINT RESOLUTION

OF

THE LEGISLATURE OF WEST VIRGINIA,

PROTESTING AGAINST

Federal interference in the civil affairs of the State of Louisiana.

FEBRUARY 8, 1875.-Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and ordered to be printed.

Resolved by the legislature of West Virginia:

1. That we have heard with surprise and alarm of the recent invasion of the house of representatives of our sister State of Louisiana by an armed force of Federal soldiers, and the forcible expulsion therefrom of a portion of its members, while in the peaceable and legitimate discharge of their appropriate duties, at the request of a corrupt and usurp ing official calling himself governor of the State, and we denounce and condemn such interference in the affairs and business of such legitimate assembly as a gross violation of the Constitution and laws of the United States, and an act of usurpation and tyranny unparalleled in the history of any free government, and we most emphatically denounce and condemn all and every person or persons, regardless of their official position, who are in any way responsible for this, the last and greatest outrage upon liberty and free government on this continent.

2. That while we recognize the right as well as the duty of the Government of the United States, under the Constitution, to guarantee to each State of this Union a republican form of government, we deny the right of any officer or department of the Government, civil or military, to interfere in the organization of the legislature of any State, by de claring who are or who are not the legally-elected members thereof, or otherwise; and that each house of such legislature is the exclusive judge of the election, qualification, and return of its own members.

3. That we tender to the people of Louisiana and to their legallyelected representatives our warmest sympathy in this their hour of peril, and we heartily congratulate them upon the firm yet peaceful manner in which they have met this tyrannical invasion of their rights. 4. That the great outrage of which we complain is not confined in its consequences to Louisiana, but it is a deadly and insidious blow at free government in this country, and if permitted to stand as a precedent may be repeated as the exigencies of parties may require in any State of this Union, and even in the Congress of the United States.

5. That the State of West Virginia, through her representatives now assembled, solemnly protests against the executive department of the General Government interfering, as it has done, with the legislative action and authority of the State of Louisiana; that if such interference is tolerated and allowed to prevail it will subvert and overthrow the sovereignty of the States as established by our fathers, and will substitute in its stead a grand consolidated national government, ruled and regulated by the power of the sword-of all tyrannies the most absolute and detestable-destroying the rights and liberties of the people, and subjecting them to the rule and control of the worst of despotisms.

6. That a copy of the foregoing resolutions be by the governor transmitted to each of the governors of the States of this Union, and to each Senator and member of the House of Representatives from this State in the Congress of the United States, and that our Senators be instructed and our Representatives requested to lay the same before their respective bodies as the solemn protest of West Virginia against the unconstitutional and tyrannical action of the Federal Executive in regard to the civil affairs of one of the sovereign States of this Union.

7. That our Senators and Representatives use their best efforts to have the troops of the United States withdrawn from the State of Louisiana.

Adopted January 22, 1875.

A copy-Teste:

J. B. PEYTON,

Clerk of the House of Delegates and Keeper of the Rolls.