which it must likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by twothirds of that House, it becomes a law. But in all such cases the votes of both Houses are determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill are entered on the journal of each House. Each of the two Houses of Congress is made by the constitution the 'judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members;' and each of the Houses may, 'with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a member.' The Congress of the United States has the power to propose alterations in the Constitution, by the 5th article of the same. The article orders that the Congress, whenever two-thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to the Constitution, or on the application of the Legislatures of two-thirds of all the States, shall call a convention for proposing the amendments which in either case shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the Legislatures of threefourths of the several States, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or other mode of ratification may be proposed by Congress. Under an Act of Congress, approved Jan. 20, 1874, the salary of a senator, representative, or delegate in Congress is 5,000 dollars, or 1,000l., per annum, with travelling expenses. These expenses are calculated by the most direct route of usual travel, and similar return, once for each session of Congress. The salary of the Speaker of the House of Representatives is, under the same Act of Congress, 8,000 dollars, or 1,6007., per annum. The times, places, and manner of holding elections for senators and representatives are by the Constitution allowed to be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but Congress may at any time by law alter such regulations, or make new ones, except as to the places of choosing senators. Under this provision a law has been passed prescribing a method of choosing senators. No senator or representative can, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under authority of the United States which shall have been created or the emoluments of which shall have been increased during such time; and no person holding any office under the United States can be a member of either House during his continuance in office. No religious test is required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. The period usually termed 'a Congress,' in legislative language, continues for two years; as, for example, from noon March 4, 1885, until noon March 4, 1887, at which latter time the term of the representatives to the Forty-ninth Congress expires, and the term of the new House of Representatives commences. Congresses always commence and expire in years terminating with odd digits. The powers to enact municipal laws, that is, all laws which concern only the States directly and immediately, are among the reserved rights of the States, and as such vested in the State Legislatures. The constitutions of the several States all agree in their main features, and the modes of administration are virtually alike. In all there is the same form, and the same principles lie at the foundation. The executive in every State is vested in a governor. The duties of the governors are in general analogous to those of the President, as far as the several State governments are analogous to that of the Union. In some States the governors have the nomination, and, in conjunction with the Senate, the appointment of many important officers; but in most States appointments in the power of the governors are comparatively unimportant; in New York, for example, nearly all officers and all judges are elected by the people. Like the President, they make recommendations to the Legislature, and take care that the laws are executed. Like the President, they may be impeached and removed for treason, bribery, or other crimes. Slavery was abolished throughout the whole of the United States by the thirteenth Amendment of the Constitution, passed Dec. 18, 1865. The vast change in the political and social organisation of the republic made by this new fundamental law was completed by the fourteenth and fifteenth Amendments of the Constitution, passed in 1868 and 1870, which gave to the former slaves all the rights and privileges of citizenship. Church and Education. The Constitution of the United States grants perfect equality to all creeds and religions. Nearly all the sects and religious denominations existing in Europe are represented in the United States. At the census of 1880 there were 86,132 Protestant and 5,975 Roman Catholic churches; 70,864 Protestant ministers, and 6,366 Roman Catholic clergy. The Protestants returned 8,976,260 'members,' or communicants; adding to this an estimate of the families of members, and of adherents, the total attached to Protestantism would probably be about 30,000,000. The Roman Catholics claim a total of 6,832,954 adherents in 1883. In 1870 there were in all 63,082 churches, of which 3,806 were Roman Catholic; and in the same year the number of sittings' returned was 21,665,052, of which 1,990,514 were in Roman Catholic churches. There were in all 45 separate religious bodies returned in 1880. The most numerous Protestant bodies are the various Methodist sects, with 3,686,114 (1880-82) members; next the Baptists of all kinds, with 2,424,878 members; Presbyterians, 937,610 (1880-83); Lutherans, 950,868 (1881); Disciples of Christ, 591,821 (1881); Congregationalists, 381,697 (1882); Episcopal, 347,781; United Brethren, 157,835 (1881); Reformed Church, 236,024 (1881-82); Mormons, 157,835 (1881); Friends, 67,643. Education is general in the United States, every effort being made to aid in its progress. Nevertheless, owing partly to the former existence of slavery, and partly to the constant influx of numbers of uneducated immigrants, there exists a large mass still totally ignorant of the first elements of education. According to the census of 1880 in the whole country, out of a total population above ten years of age of 36,761,607, 4,923,431 were returned as unable to read and 6,239,958 as unable to write. The former is 134 per cent., the latter 17 per cent., which, contrasted with 16 and 20 per cent. (the proportions of the corresponding classes in 1870), shows a very decided gain in the direction of rudimentary education. Of the whites above ten years of age, the 'cannot writes' formed 9.4 per cent. The native whites, however, show a proportion of but 8.7 per cent., while foreign whites show 12 per cent. A very large proportion of the illiteracy of the country, and especially of the South, is seen to be among the coloured population, where the 'cannot writes' form 70 per cent. of all above ten years of age. Most of the illiteracy of the country exists south of Mason and Dixon's line, the Ohio, and the south boundary of Missouri. North of it are New Jersey, with 4.5 per cent.; Pennsylvania, 4·6; Ohio, 3-6; Indiana, 48; Illinois, 43; Missouri, 8-9; and Kansas, 3.6. South of it are Delaware, 15.8; Maryland, 16; Virginia, 34; West Virginia, 12.1; Kentucky, 22.2; and Arkansas, 28.8. Further south the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, range between 40 and 50 per cent. In Iowa, out of the total population there are but 2.4 per cent. of illiterates; Nebraska, 2-5 per cent. ; and Wyoming, 2.6. The NorthEastern States, on the whole, fall behind the Northern Central States, probably because of the large manufacturing interests, which have drawn to them the Irish, French Canadian, and similar classes of immigrants, while the German and Scandinavian elements have gone to the Northern Central section. The greatest proportion of illiterates is found in South Carolina, where nearly one-half the population over ten years of age (48.2 per cent.) cannot read. Louisiana follows with 45.8 per cent.; Alabama, with 43·5; and Georgia, with 42.8 per cent. In the Western States and Territories the proportion of illiterates is comparatively low; California, with 7.1, and Nevada, with 7.3 per cent., having, with two exceptions, the highest. Arizona has 16.7 per cent., and New Mexico, 60-2. In these Territories, and especially the latter, a large proportion of the population is of Mexican descent, and a large number of Pueblo and Moquis Indians are included in the population. During the school year of 1884-85 the population of school age (which age varies from 4 to 21 to 8 to 16) was reported to be 17,169,391, of whom 11,169,923 were enrolled, and 6,520,300 were in daily attendance on the common schools. In the United States the general government makes no direct appropriation of moneys for the support of the common schools, all it does being to set aside for each state, upon its admission into the Union, a certain part of the public domain, of which the price, according to the constitutions of most of the States, forms a part of the permanent school fund, the income from which is used for the support of the common schools This income is supplemented by the amounts derived from direct taxation by each State. In 1884-85 the total amount reported for common school purposes was 22,704,3791., the amount expended being 22,076,9311. The private middle-class schools (or, as they are usually called in the United States, seminaries and academies) are very fully reported; in 1884-85 they numbered 1,617, with an enrolment of 160,137 students under 8,186 instructors. The number of institutions classed as universities and colleges, but in many of which courses of study are pursued which would hardly entitle them to so high a rank, is reported as 365, with 4,836 instructors, an enrolment of 65,728 students, and an income of 783,1091. from productive funds, and of 454,1047. from tuition fees. Revenue and Expenditure. The revenue of the United States is mainly derived from two sources-namely, duties on imports, and internal revenue taxes upon distilled spirits, fermented liquors, tobacco, banks and bankers. The national expenditure is mainly on account of the war and navy departments, pensions, payment of interest of the public debt, incurred by the civil war of 1861-66, and the civil service. Pensions form the largest item of expenditure. Next to pensions, the cost of the general administration, including the expenses of the executive and legislature, provided for under the head of Civil Expenses,' is comparatively small. The following table exhibits the total net revenue and the total ordinary expenditure of the United States in each of the ten fiscal years, ending June 30, from 1877 to 1886: 241,334,474 1882 236,964,327 1883 403,525,250 257,981,440 398,287,581 265,408,138 266,947,883 1884 348,519,869 244,126,244 267,642,958 1885 323,690,706 260,316,935 260,712,887 1886 336,439,727 242,483,138 These figures are exclusive of loans in the revenue and expenditure, other than interest, and premiums in connection with the public debt. The following tables give the actual sources of revenue and branches of expenditure for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1886, and the estimated revenue and expenditure for 1887 :— |