The entries at the various ports of the republic in 1877-78 comprised 342 steamers, with an aggregate tonnage of 437,044; and 847 sailing vessels, with an aggregate of 42,756 tons.

Coffee culture in the State of Panamá, particularly in the district of Chiriquí, bids fair to prove most satisfactory. The first regular shipment, made in December, 1879, was of 7,140 lbs., being the first crop of an estate the yield of which was expected to reach 300 quintals (of 100 lbs. each). The coffee was represented as of excellent quality, fine color, and delicious aroma, and evidencing careful preparation for market. Indeed, the superior quality and regular fullness of the bean afforded proof of the entire adaptability of the soil and climate of Chiriquí for the production of a class of coffee second to none on the American Continent."

The article COLOMBIA in the "Annual Cyclopædia" for 1878 contains (page 104) some interesting particulars concerning the export trade of the republic.

Referring to railway matters, President Trujillo, in his message already alluded to, expressed a doubt that Mr. Ross, the contractor of the line which is to place the three northern States of the Union in communication with the Atlantic seaboard, would be able to carry his project into effect. The time fixed upon in the contract for the commencement of the work had expired, and the Executive recommended the raising of a loan of $2,500,000 for the prosecution of the work. Several railways and other enterprises, for which a Mr. F. T. Cisneros is contractor, were spoken of in commendatory terms. The progress in each was satisfactory. Steamers for the navigation of the upper Magdalena were being built at New York, and would be ready for service within a few months. The benefits of cheap and rapid transport thus secured would be shared by an extensive section of country containing, among other natural sources of wealth, important copper and coal mines. The Antioquia and Cauca Railways were progressing satisfactorily, and the intention was announced

of sparing no efforts to push on the work to completion at an early day.*

The Legislature of the State of Bolívar passed a law tending to encourage the navigation of the Dique and Magdalena Rivers, and offering a subvention and a guarantee of 7 per cent. interest on a capital of $200,000 to any company willing to embark in the enterprise.

The President's message contained some brief remarks on new mining interests of considerable promise. Satisfactory reports had been made of a survey of the coal mines of the valley of Dupar and of the Goajira Peninsula. The San Andrés coal mines in the State of Bolívar were represented as of great value, and the assurance given that their development would prove most profitable to the country. A company had been organized for the working of the Samacá iron mines in Boyacá, on which American engineers had reported favorably. General Trujillo suggested the expediency of giving Government aid to the enterprise, either by purchasing stocks or by granting a subvention to the company. The Torrá gold mines were spoken of, on the authority of a competent engineer, as being as rich as any that ever excited the cupidity of the conquistadores. Measures were being adopted for their development.

But more than even the building of new railways or the organization of companies for the working of her mines, the navigation of her rivers, and the extension of her commercial relations abroad, Colombia needs the establishment of peace and order at home and the permanent conciliation of State and Federal interests. The revolutionary era, reopened a few years ago after a lull hitherto unexampled for its duration in the annals of Spanish America, has since been perpetuated by party strife and rebellions aimed, now at one or other of the local governments, now at the Central Government, and causing in some instances considerable effusion of blood. An atrocious episode of one of these outbreaks was reported as follows from Ocaña on September 11, 1879:

Horrible butchery in Bucaramanga! The day before yesterday the Commune was proclaimed in that city, and, headed by the Alcalde, Pedro Collazos, took full possession. The German Consul, Schrader, and Messrs. Obdulio Estevez and Eduardo Mutiz, were asSeveral stores were destroyed. The greatest constersassinated. Another German was seriously wounded. nation prevails among people possessing any means. The Communists are intrenched and hold two cuarteles (military barracks). General Wilches will attack them to-day. Families are fleeing to the mountains for safety. Stores and dwellings are completely sacked and destroyed. It is not known in Barranquilla whether the movement is purely communist, or the beginning of a revolution against the State government. In either case it will no doubt be promptly suppressed and vigorously punished.

The occurrence of election riots in Cundinamarca, the capital of which State is Bogotá, elicited from President Trujillo remarks in his

*For railways and telegraph lines already in operation in Colombia, see Annual Cyclopædia" for 1577.

message on the absurd position of a Government which, according to the Constitution, is bound to preserve peace, secure its servants in the exercise of their functions, render effective the guarantees for the safety and well-being of its citizens, and the immunities and prerogatives of diplomatic agents resident in the capital, and yet is not permitted to call the sectional government to account for the failure or otherwise of its efforts to restore and maintain order. This anomalous state of affairs has received the attention of each President who has at any time been opposed by the government of Cundinamarca, and various States have petitioned to set apart a section of territory for the use of the national Government; but the evil still continues. Colombia has no capital. Its Federal head is located in a city where the municipality has more absolute authority than the Executive of the nation. A very important paragraph is that relating to the means of conciliation adopted by the Government toward those who were lately in rebellion against its authority. Amnesty is declared, and the banished may return to resume the occupations, associations, and, in many cases, the properties which their own acts destroyed or placed in peril. Sales of confiscated properties have been stopped, and they have, as far as possible, been returned to their owners, who are guaranteed protection under the laws.

"The triumph of the Independent party," writes a Colombian journalist in November, 1879, "in almost all the States of the Union -a party (the Liberal) whose platform is respect for all rights, strict and honest administration of all departments, and individual guarantees to citizens of all political parties-is an evidence that the country is about to enter upon a course which will lead to days more happy and bright with promise for the future than those through which the republic has so lately passed. Peace is necessary to prosperity and progress, and the great natural wealth of the country but awaits a period of prolonged tranquillity for an amazing development. A large proportion of the public men of all parties are disposed to rally around the government of Dr. Núñez, the President-elect, and lend their assistance in the great work of the regeneration of the country. Every friend of Colombia will hope sincerely that such happy auguries may be fully realized."

The candidates for the Presidency were four: Dr. Rafael Núñez, above mentioned, Sr. Tomás Renjifo, Sr. Camargo, and Sr. J. R. Carsola. The last two appear to have obtained but one vote each, so that Núñez (10,059 votes) and Renjifo (559), the respective representatives of the two recent divisions of the Liberal party, proved the real contestants. (See INTEROCEANIC CANAL.)

COLORADO. The session of the second Legislature of Colorado cominenced on January 1st, and closed on Sunday morning, February 9th. In the Senate, James P. Maxwell

14,240

11,752

2,703

....

13,972 11.9:4 2,604

E. K. Stinson, Republican...
John H. Harrison, Democrat..
G. W. King, National..

FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.

J. C. Shattuck, Republican.... O. J. Goldrick, Democrat.. A. J. Chittenden, National.. On January 14th, which was the second Tuesday after the meeting and organization of the Legislature, an election for Senator in Congress was held. In the Senate the vote was as follows: Nathaniel P. Hill, 19; W. A. H. Loveland, 7. In the House the vote was as follows: Hill, 34; Loveland, 12; Richard G. Buckingham, 1. Nathaniel P. Hill was elected.

The following memorial to Congress passed the House without reference to a committee: To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled:

Your memorialists, the Senate and House of Repre sentatives of Colorado, most respectfully represent:

That the present Ute reservation, extending along the western boundary of this State, includes an area three times as great as that of the State of Massachusetts, and embraces more than twelve million acres of land, and is occupied and possessed by three thousand Indians, who cultivate no land, pursue no useful occupation, and are supported by the Federal Govern

ment.

That said reservation is watered and enriched by large and fertile valleys and plains. many streams and great rivers, and contains many

That it embraces a great area of the best grazing lands within the State of Colorado, and contains nearly one third of the arable land within the entire State. silver and other precious metals. That it comprises several districts rich in gold and

That the territory embraced within said reservation: will support a population of many thousands, and is destined to become one of the most prosperous divisions of our State.

That the only approach by wagon-roads to five extensive and productive mining districts is across said reservation.

That the Indians view with distrust and jealousy all supposed encroachments now necessarily made in communicating with the mining districts aforesaid, and that the transportation of machinery and supplies to said districts, and communication with them, is attended by great risk and danger to life and property. That by reason of the vast extent of said reservation, the people of the State of Colorado are deprived of the use of a great area of fertile and productive lands, the development of several districts rich in all the precious metals is prevented or impeded, and the growth of the State is hindered by the absence of thousands who will be attracted to the State as soon

as the said reservation is opened to exploration and

settlement.

Within the limits of the above-mentioned tract of land are large mountains, from most of which explorers have been excluded by the Indians. Prospectors, however, have explored some portions of the country and found valuable lode and placer claims, and there is reason to believe that it contains great mineral wealth. The number of Indians who occupy this reservation is about three thousand. If the land was divided up between the individual members of the tribe, it would give every man, woman, and child between three and four thousand acres. It has been claimed that the entire tribe have had in cultivation about fifty acres of land. These Indians are fed by the Government, are allowed ponies without number, and, except when engaged in an occasional hunt, their most serious employment is horse-racing. If this reservation could be extinguished and the land thrown open to settlers, it would furnish homes to thousands of the people of the State who desire homes, would furnish grazing for immense herds of cattle, horses, and sheep, and might prove to be exceedingly rich in minerals. It has been necessary already to construct toll-roads over portions of the reservation in order to transport supplies to the population at Ouray, Mount Sheffles, San Miguel, and other prosperous mining camps in that vicinity, for the shipment of ores and the transportation of the mails. The Indians look with jealousy upon any supposed encroachments upon their rights. An accidental quarrel between them and a party of whites would immediately stop all travel across the reservation, would cut off the supplies in these frontier settlements, and involve that whole country in great trouble.

An act was passed to prevent the defacement of natural scenery by advertisements. During its discussion Mr. Walcott of Clear Creek said that in his county "every available rock was already plastered and painted over." Mr. John opposed the bill in its present form, for the reason that "it provides for the deface

ment of all advertisements by the county commissioners, which would bankrupt every county in the State."

In the Senate, an act was introduced to repeal the code, and extensive debate ensued on the merits of the code system and the commonlaw practice. One of the speakers asserted that Judge Dillon had said in Denver, when deciding a demurrer in the United States Court (a motion having been made to strike out cersubstance as follows: "There is no use of tain parts of the pleadings demurred to), in that. You are just passing through the experience of other States that have adopted a code. Its adoption has always been followed by a large crop of demurrers and motions and violent opposition. Treat the code fairly. It is the correct system; there is no doubt in my mind about that. Get your cases to issue on the merits. You have adopted and are to have the code. No State has gone back to the common-law practice after adopting the code. You will soon be at work all right under it, and will be surprised after a while that it was the occasion of so much trouble." The code was sustained by a vote of 14 to 10. The question arose in the Senate whether Sunday was included among the legislative days of the session. It was decided that it was, and should be so counted.

An act provides for the appointment of sheep inspectors, and the inspection of every flock brought into the State and its subsequent periodical inspection.

A temperance bill was reported in the House, which provided that " every wife shall have a right of action against the man who makes her husband drunk." A person who rents a building to a saloon-keeper shall be responsible jointly with him for the damages; but the lessor may dispossess the saloon-keeper if he unlawfully sells liquor. There was six majority against the bill, and it was laid aside.

The subject of irrigation received careful consideration, owing to its great importance to the State. The bill provides that the county commissioners of each county shall, at their regular January session, hear all applications from parties desiring the use of the water, with all such details as may be necessary, and proceed to fix the price to be charged for the water from the particular ditch in question. This shall not be changed within two years. Limitations are prescribed to this general grant of authority, and also upon the use of the purchaser. "If at any time any ditch or reservoir from which water is or shall be drawn for irrigation, shall not be entitled to a full supply of water from the natural stream which supplies the same, the water actually received into and carried by such ditch, or held in such reservoir, shall be divided among all the consumers of water from such ditch or reservoir, as well the owners, shareholders, or stockholders thereof, as the parties purchasing water therefrom, and parties taking water partly under

absolute political equality, without any distinctions which would form classes. He said you could provide equally as well that no man should own property until he can read and write. This is an entering wedge, and a step in the direction of an aristocratic and monarchical government. Mr. Webster recognized the right of suffrage as a privilege and not as an inherent right, and that this privilege can be conferred only upon those that the government pleases. Mr. Rhodes said that the question of suffrage was one of inherent right, and quoted from the Constitution of the United States to prove his position. Mr. De France read from the Constitution to prove that the right to acquire property is not considered an inherent right, but one of privilege. There is no more sacred right to the people of this nation than the right of suffrage, and none which could not be touched with less danger to the nation. Mr. John maintained that such a bill would not avoid political corruption. In Ohio, Illinois, or Kansas such a bill as this would be hooted at and ridiculed, and ought not to be received here. The States occupying the most advanced grounds on educational questions have no such laws as this, and do not want them. The bill was referred to the Committee on Elections.

An unsuccessful effort was made in the Senate to repeal the act establishing a school of mines. The objections to the institution were, that it had been organized nine years and has nine pupils in attendance. No part of the mining sections of the State ask for the support of this school, and the State is deriving no benefit from its continuance. The same studies taught in the institution are taught in the State University at Boulder, and the State can not afford to support two institutions of the same nature. Nowhere has such an institution as the School of Mines been a success. In many places they have been tried, and always been abandoned. In reply to these assertions it was urged that the institution was founded in 1870 by an appropriation of about $3,000. In 1872 another appropriation was made to the school, but the Governor pocketed the bill. In 1874 and 1876 appropriations were made, aggregating, with what had before been given, over $12,300. The mill tax has raised the total to $14,572.45. The building and apparatus have cost about $8,000. This shows that the school has been run for about nine years for about $6,500. This accounts for the little that the school has accomplished. The object of the school was to promote and encourage the mining industry. Can any man think that a school can accomplish much on less than $1,000 per annum ?

A bill to establish impartial suffrage was introduced in the Senate. When under consideration, one of the Senators (Mr. Haynes) said: "The State Constitution provided that the question of female suffrage should be submitted to a vote at the first general election, and

it was so submitted, and one third of the votes were cast in its favor. Now it is asked, three years later, that the question may again be submitted to vote, and we ought not to be opposed to giving them a chance to convince us that we are wrong in refusing the women an equal chance to vote. How will it appear to the world if we few men here arrogate to ourselves the right to decide that what thousands of the most intelligent and respectable people in the State ask shall not be granted? Common fairness and respect call upon us to give them the chance to educate us as they think they can. The question of the propriety and right of women's suffrage is not what we are now called upon to consider; we are called upon only to give a large class of people a chance that they ought to have, and by right are entitled to." The bill passed the Senate and came up for a second reading in the House, when a motion to indefinitely postpone was made and lost, and it was referred to a special committee appointed to confer with the Senate Committee on the bill.

A bill was passed creating the new county of Carbonate, in which Leadville was situated. On the second day after, a new bill was passed changing the name to Lake, which was the name of the entire district before the division.

Persons practicing confidence games are made liable to indictment, and on conviction are punishable by confinement in the penitentiary from one to ten years.

Any animal injured or killed not having any mark or brand upon it, or having marks or brands unknown, by the trains of any railroad company, said company shall, within thirty days next after such injury or killing, pay the value thereof, according to the schedule of prices as now fixed by law, to the treasurer of the district association of cattle-growers, within the district where such animal is thus injured or killed. All neat stock found running at large in the State without a mother and upon which there is neither ear-mark nor brand, shall be deemed a maverick, and may be taken in charge by the captain or foreman of a legal round-up and sold at such time and place and in such manner as shall be determined by the executive committee of the district association of cattle-growers of the district wherein such maverick shall be taken up. The proceeds arising from such sales shall be paid to the treasurer of such district association; and if any stock so sold shall within the period of six months immediately following such sale be claimed, identified, and proven by the rightful owner, it shall be the duty of such treasurer to forthwith pay the money received for such maverick to such owner. If no owner appears, the money goes to the fund of the association.

A bill for the preservation of fish was passed, which provides that it shall not be lawful to kill, take, or have in possession any trout or other food-fish, taken or killed in any of the