by the immense war debt and the heavy expenditures of government. They were demanding reform in the civil service and purity in the administration of public affairs. The people of the Pacific States were clamoring for a national law to prevent the immigration of Chinese into the country. The opportunity for Congress to distinguish itself in passing measures of great public benefit was never more plainly presented. The session lasted for nearly eight months, and when at last it adjourned the country took one long breath of relief. What had been done? The subject of revision of the tariff was referred to a commission, to sit during the recess of Congress and receive testimony. The internal revenue tax was removed from perfumery and proprietary medicines. Appropriation bills, exceeding the amounts of similar bills passed by the previous Congress to the sum of $76,000,000, had been passed. The anti-Chinese immigration bill demanded by the Pacific States was passed and vetoed by the President, and then another bill, in modified form, passed. "A River and Harbor Bill," appropriating the immense sum of $19,000,000 for internal improvements, was passed and vetoed, and then passed' over the President's veto. The great interest of ship-building, which had been entirely prostrate since the war, received, some attention. And with this record they had adjourned and gone before the people for their verdict.

The celebrated trial of the "Star Route conspirators" was pushed with. great vigor in the United States Supreme Court. This grew out of excessive and fraudulent contracts for the postal service, in which a number of prominent men were implicated. The first trial resulted in the conviction of two of the minor offenders, the acquittal of two, one of whom was dead, and a disagreement of the jury in regard to the principals in the alleged conspiracy to defraud the Government.

Congress, we should have said, granted a special pension to the widow of President Abraham Lincoln of fifteen thousand dollars March 15th, 1881, but that sadly unfortunate lady died a few months after. She had never recovered from the severe shock caused by the sudden blow of her honored husband's assassination.

General U. S. Grant, the hero of the Civil War and the President for two terms, had retired from public life after receiving many tokens of esteem from his fellow-countrymen. Ex-President Hayes at the end of his official term had retired to quiet life, from which he emerged at the funeral of President Garfield, only to return again to the retirement of domestic life.

The political outlook of the country was somewhat disturbed, and the canvass in most of the States waged bitterly. In the great States of Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio there was much dissatisfaction in the ranks of the Republican party. In the State of Maine, the home of James G. Blaine, the ex-Secretary of State, the contest waged fiercely. All the Congressmen in this State who had been suspected of being friendly in any way to the River and Harbor Bill were defeated. In Vermont the majority was in favor of the Republican party. In Georgia, Alexander H. Stevens, formerly "Vice President of the Confederate States," was elected governor, and the

Democratic nominees for Congress were also elected by heavy majorities. In Ohio the election was a most disastrous defeat to the friends and apologists of the "River and Harbor Bill." A large number of the States held their election for members of Congress on the 7th of November, which resulted in a most sweeping defeat for the Administration in all parts of the country. In the States of New York and Pennsylvania, where the most strenuous efforts were made on the part of the Government to elect its candidates, the opposition had immense majorities. The complexion of the National House of Representatives was changed to Democratic, while all who voted in favor of the Harbor and River Bill were either defeated or returned with meager majorities. Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and a majority of the States elected Democratic governors. The rebuke to the stalwart wing of the Republican party was most decisive.

The XLVII. Congress opened its final session on the first Monday in December, and the annual message of the President was read in both Houses. The President first alluded to the pleasant relations with all the foreign governments, and expressed the hope that the differences between the United States and Spain in regard to naturalization may be speedily settled. Negotiations had also been opened with the Swiss Government upon the same matter. He also announced that the Ottoman Porte had not yet assented to the construction which the United States had put upon the treaty of 1860 in regard to jurisdictional rights in Turkey. The recommendation of the United States to Chili in regard to her difficulties with Peru have been declined, and any steps toward the formation of a Protectorate is in opposition to the avowed policy of our Government. The President recommended that especial attention be paid to the interests of ship-building, which had declined since the war.

FINANCIAL EXHIBIT FOR 1882.

The ordinary revenues of the Government from all sources for the year ending June 30, 1882, amounted to $403,525,250.28, and the ordinary expenditures were $258,981,439.58. The surplus revenue was $145,513,810.71, which, with an amount drawn for the cash balance in the Treasury of $27,737,694.84, makes $166,281,505.55.

Of this there was applied to the redemption of bonds to

The foreign commerce of the United States during the last fiscal year, including imports and exports of merchandise and specie, was as follows:

This excess is less than it has been before for any of the previous six

years.

The Congress set at work in earnest to transact the business of the session, and at once several important measures were introduced and put upon their passage. A bill favoring civil service reform, one in regard to American shipping, for a reduction of postage, and many other reforms.

The difficulties between the United States and Mexico, growing out of the unsettled condition of the border, were referred to a commission. Romero, the Mexican minister at Washington, was one of the commissioners to negotiate a new treaty between Mexico and the United States.

The Duke of Newcastle, a member of the English Government, made a visit to Washington in December, 1882. He dined with the British minister, and visited the Senate Monday, December 11th, to observe its methods.

The United States vessel Feannette had been sent upon an expedition to the Arctic regions by co-operation of the Government and a private citizen, James G. Bennett, proprietor of the New York Herald. No tidings had been received from them for more than two years, when the world was electrified by a telegram from the coast of Siberia that survivors of the party were being aided by the friendly Russians. Captain James H. Long and his men had been obliged to leave their ship in a sinking condition, and with three small boats traverse the immense ice fields to the open sea. Two boat loads landed upon the barren and uninhabited coast of Siberia. One boat load had been swamped in a gale, and the party with Captain Long were frozen after landing. One boat's crew and two men of the other finally returned to the United States in 1882 and were the recipients of many honors.

The two hundredth anniversary of the landing of William Fenn, in

Pennsylvania, was celebrated in Philadelphia in a becoming manner by the city government and various organizations of citizens October 25th and 26th 1882. It was the occasion for fine military and civic display, the delivery of historical and patriotic addresses, and unusual festivities of great interest.

PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT SINCE THE
CIVIL WAR.

HE war had been practically ended with the surrender of Generals Lee and Johnston in April, 1865, and both sections of the country rejoiced at the return of peace. The South had suffered most heavily and lost her all. The wealthy families were reduced to the verge of necessity. Their slaves were free, their plantations uncultivated, and their prospects for the future were dark indeed. Where the land remained in possession of its former owners they had not the means to cultivate it, nor the money to buy seed. The worthless Confederate bonds and currency in which they had invested or which had been forced upon them was of no use to them now. Their towns and villages were filled with brave men who were shattered in life and limb, and had no government to care for them. Their industries were paralyzed and their commerce destroyed, and their political status was as yet uncertain. The first thought was for personal preservation, and all classes bent their energies to the raising of the first crop of cotton, for which the manufacturers of the world were waiting. The demand for cotton and their ability to supply this demand was the only line of hope. Bravely and grandly did they seize upon it. Could it be produced without slave labor? This was a problem as yet unsolved. It must be done. The freedman was given an interest in the growing crop, and he labored with more zest than he had ever shown for the kindest master. He was dependent upon his own resources now, and with no owner to care for him his first experience in the new condition of things was at best a hard Even with the kindest disposition the whites were unable to aid the blacks. The bounty of the Government was extended to all alike. The United States issued rations of food and clothing to both blacks and whites in many places, and thus the first season after the return of peace was passed. The cotton crop brought a good market. The deserted factories in the North sprang into action, and the production of cotton goods, which had been suspended for years, was resumed once more.

one.

In the North the industries had been somewhat disarranged, but not to the extent they had been in the South. The manufacturing of all manner of army supplies had been pushed to its utmost limit. Iron factories had been running day and night. The demand of the army for clothing and