New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-30
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
TUE STATE OF NETWORK.


PAL A. CulDBoUKNR, d. D., LID, Edito!-inChie Chief
WALTER BURRIrT Moohh ~ s M 8ton James
II. Osgood q Co.
II suited the convenience of tho publishers OF thls
notable work to issue the second and third volumes
in advance Of the present andcOncluding one which
although appearing last is volume first. The other
two we're devoted respectively to the Legislative
and Judicial departments of the State Government
and have been reviewed in these columns Inc
Executive Department remained TO be presented
The most important of the governmental branches
il naturally is given the place of honor; me greater
mart of this first volume is taken up with it. The
account in all its divisions is clear and accurate ana
is so thorough as to leave nothing TO be desired by
the general reader The book opens with succinct
history of The Commonwealth III twenty-elght
CHARTERS This was contributed by Ex-Governor
Alonzo b. Cornell, who fills the chair of history
as efficiently as he filed the chair OF State. Inc
rise and progress of New-YOrk from its first small
beginnings to the present day, is skifully traced
He pictures the colonial life; glances at the en-
croachments of the royal pTerogatiye; explains
how republican government was organized ana
advanced exhibits the record made by New-l"
in the Revolution and the Civil War; recalls the po-
litical parties and leaders that have come and
gone notes the changes wrought by the revision Oh
the Constitution; and, calling goodly array Of
of the Commonwealth from many OF the more m
portant points of view. This admirable historical
outline is supplemented by ex-Lieutcnant- Governor
Alvord who writes of The Executive" The Gov
ernor of the Province of New-York, he points out'
was invested with supreme power by james as
Duke of York and King of England. lhis despot-
ism. however did not last long. In due course OF
time the Legislature was organized and laws could
not be passed nor taxes imposed without the con-
sent of the people through their representatives III
the General Assembly. Mr.. Alvord shows what
were the powers and duties of the Colonial Gov
emors. contrasts the Executive department under
Dutch and English rule and recounts the changes
that were wrought upon it by changes i'll the Con
ttitution This chapter concludes with list of the
Directors General of the Province, the Colonial
Governors the Presidents of the Congresses, and
the Governors and Lieutenant Governors.
number of the succeeding pages are filed with
concise biographical sketches of the Governor, the
members of his staff and the Lieutenant Governor
The next paper is of special interest 10 military
men. Its subject is The Militia and it was pre-
pared by that accomplished veteran in arms MAJOR
General Frederick Townsend. eX-Adjutant-General.
Before going into details in regard 10 the National
Guard he discourses in regard to the origin of the
militia, the militia during the Revolution, and mat
tiers of related interest. The General places the
number of men furnished by this State to the
army that put down the Rebellion at 4GI0i7.
Commenting ON these figures he says: For mill
tia serving thirty days the General Government
gave the State credit. This class of troops
amounted to 1928 men. A large number Of citi-
gems of the State appointed to positions in the
regular army and in the volunteer stafi corps for
most of whom the State also received no credit.
The aggregate of these two classes added TO the
number credited to the State would make the
tl,o tla
Rebellion in round numbers, $4,000. " As fitting
pendant to this paper sketches are gfen Of the
commanders of the four divisions and eight bTigades
of the National Guard. The next chapter in the
book has for its title The Arms and Seal of the
State" the writer being Henry 4. Homes the state
Librarian. He describes the various early devices
for the arms and seals; states the conclusions ar
rived at by the Commission appointed by the Legs-
latue in $50 to report an exact description of the
original arms and unfolds the significance of the
various symbols embodied in the arms of the State.
The next five chapters relate to the five leading
State offices subordinate to the highest ones. a
brief sketch of each is given from the pen of its
present incumbcnt-Geneul Carr writing of the
Secretary OF State; Mr.. Davenport of the Control
Ter: Mr. Maxwell of the Treasurer; Mr.. Russell of
the Attorney General and Mr. Seymour of the state
Engineer and Surveyor TO these sketches are APP
pended brief biographical notices Of these gentle
men and their immediate predecessors and their
spectivc deputies; also list Of the State officers
since the foundation of the Government. The Canal,
Public Instruction, Banking, Insurance and As
sesSinent and Taxation Departments. the State PrlS
ons and State Charitable and Benevolent Mstitu-
tons follow in the order named and are similarly
treated, the heads superintendent sketchiu2
their respective departments OF Institutions and in
turn being sketched along with THEN Deputies. This
portion of the work is rendered additionally yaua-
bic by thoughtful and wcll-c0usidclcd chapter on
Assessment and Taxation and an admirable PIE
sentatiou Of the subject of State Charities nv
Stephen e. Hutchns whose paper had the benefit
of the supervision of William =. Lctchworth, pres-
dent Of the state Board Of Charities. The power,
and duteS OF this Board and Of the state Commits
sioner in Lunacy are fully explained and there are
sketches of the members OF the Board and the Com
mssioners. The remaining contents Of the volume
are chapters on the soldiers and Sailors Home; the
Port of New-York, by Chester s Cole, Captain Of
the Port; the Quarantine. by Dr.Wiiiam ~ Smith,
Health Officer of the Port immigration, by Horny
l. jackson; the Canals, by HOratiO Seymour, ir..
with letter on the same subject by UoratO Sey-
mour; Railroads and Transportation, 10y stephen
G.. Hntchins; Banking and Currency by Daniel /
Manning; and Insurance, By Henry f. II ONES. II /
will b. that these several topics assigned
to competent hands, in fact to experts The papers
are all interesting and the names of their authors
may be regarded a guarantee that they Is
trustworthy they are readable.
The value of the volume is sensibly increased by |
the illustrations. fine picture of the Capitol
rs il Will meet the eye when finished serves a. /
frOntSpicce. Other pictures well calculated 10 ar |
rest the attention are those of the Executive Man
sion. the old Arms and Seals of the State, the /
State House the leading State institutions, the /
New York Custom House, and new and most eX-
cellent railroad map of the State. There forty
two of these views. In addition, there portraits
of all the Governors of the State of the public Off
Gals TO whom reference has been made, and of the /
leading railroad. steamboat, bank, insurance and .
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