Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-18

Governments.
| Mr.. " Webster's comment was that he
thought it fortunate that Jefferson's ideas
prevailed. They WERE undoubtedly, more
in accordance with the spirit of our insti-
tutions. He said that In carrying out his
idea of republican simplicity, Jefferson
had to contend with ideas and precedents
derived from the mother country, from
which we inherited so many of our laws.
habits and customs. Jefferson, however,
stamped his individuality, his peculiarities
of character upon the institutions and gov
eminent of the country more strongly than
any other statesman of the republics in
fancy"
| JOHN BRIGHT.
| The full text of Gladstone's address
on the death of Mr.. Bright shows that the
partial report did it great injustice. 1t
towers far above Saulsbury's, and In pathos,
generosity of sentiment and yigor, will
rank among the best of his early efforts.
Its magnanimity is scarcely equaled in
forgiving the great statesman's desertion of
Home Rule, and still more in conceding
| that in our American civil war, Bright
was by far more clear-sighted than
himself, especially in seeing that the out
come was destined to advance the whole
Anglo-Saxon race. Mr. Gladstones serv-
Ices to English-speaking peoples out
tongue his mistakes, and now that he him.
self recalls, in spirit of conjunction. his
misconception of our struggle for the
Union, it would be puerility for us to be SO
| ungracious as to remember it. | am glad
that he referred to the separation of
old comrades, for his reticence would have
been misconstrued Not only did Mr..
Gladstone mention his friends detection,
but he pronounced it an event happy for
Brights fame, seeing that it conciliated
the privilee ed classes, of which he had
been lifelong assailant, while it had not
alienated-because nothing could ALLEVIATE
the grateful masses of the English PEG.
pie from the man to whom, much more
than to any other, they owed enfranchise-
ment. There has never, said Mr. Glad
stone, been word of disparagement of
John Bright on the part of any Liberal
He died, as Burke died, lamented and
honored at once by the Tory benefciaries
of his latter conservatism, and by the
Wing companions of his youth and
prime.
employees OF THE LEGISLATURE.
The unofficial summary of the total
number of attaches of the Senate and AS
sembly of California is put at 2l0. Reli-
able authority places the figure nearer 800.
The total two years ago reached ITO. Ac-
cepting 2l0 as the correct number, the
clerks and other employees are 80 in ex-
cess of the members constituting the two
houses. When William NJ. Tweed con-
trolled the last Legislature of New York
which convened in the old Capitol, the
employees of the Assembly alone ran up to
1913, but to-day, occupying the immense
new building, they only number 20. In
Tweeds time QS71) the expenses of the
Legislature for employees only, was Sl22,-
900; to-day it is less than $4,000. In 1879
the number of committee clerks was re-
duced to seven-one each to the Commit
tee on Ways and Means, Judiciary, Cities
and Railroads, leaving the remaining
three clerks to be divided up between the
remaining thirty-four committees. Three
general messengers were to do all the
| work of the previous ten. Here is an in
teresting comparison: Under Democratic
| administration in 1871, there were 1923 at
taches to the Assembly, 1875 in excess of
the number of members constituting that
body; in 1889, under Republican admin
istration, there are, all told, only 10. 1t
is noticeable that the thirty-five commit
| tees of the Assembly of 1871 had Al clerks,
| while thirty-eight committees of the As
sembly of 1889 have but nine clerks.
There were l26 pages then, to % this year.
| Probably the two members of the Assem-
bly, in 1871, who did not have page each
| to wait upon them, were Republicans who
were determined to reduce the force At
all events when the Republican party
came into power the next year and elected
| Henry Smith, the eminent lawyer of AL
bany, Speaker, the force was cut down one
half
THE SIXTH VOLUME
Brings to a close the Encyclopaedia of
American Biography" which has already
taken rank as one of the most creditable
contributions to literature. The New
| York Sunday Sun has been publishing a
series of articles on this work, expressing
the opinion that the monographs pertain
ing to important subjects surpass in con-
prepared The London Telegraph regards
it more valuable than the similar CYCLIC
pedia now being published in England,
which, / judge, at the present rate will
| take sixty volumes to make it complete.
The latter, like the Encyclopedias Britain
nica," does not include living persons,
whereas the former includes the names of
more than $1,000 native or adopted citi-
zens of the United States, taking into the
list living persons, and going back to the
earliest settlements of the country. Be-
sides this, it includes the names of several
thousand emigrant citizens of Canada,
Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Peru and all other
countries of North and South America.
| The aim seems to be to embrace all note
worthy persons of the New World, and to
give sketch or biography that may con-
tain the results of the latest research and
give the facts about living persons up to the
most recent date. The list of contributors
include an extraordinary number of the
eminent men and women of the country.
But l intended simply to refer to the in
dex, which to me is perhaps the most
valuable part of the work. 1t includes
about one hundred pages and is subject
and topical index of the important matter
that Is packed away out of sight in the
dictionary. Nearly half n column is de-
voted, e. g., to Virginia" It's lead
ing persons are mentioned and in connec-
ton with them the historical facts which
are alluded to. Washington has nearly
an eighth of a column devoted to himself.
In many cases it enables the reader to
find additional information about the sub
ject of an article which is given incident
ally in some other article.
| have no doubt that these volumes will
prove indispensable to every American
scholar, and become part of every sub
stantial and well-maintained library.
They have won the praise of President
Gilman, George Bancroft, Gladstone,
Phillips Brooks, Chief Justice Waite,
Robert c. Winthrop, Noah Porter and
many thoughtful and discriminating men,
and mere casual perusal of the pages by
any reader will attest their great value
and intrinsic merit. E. DF.
The Most Costly Leather.
The most costly leather in the world,
so far as / know" said dealer in fine
skins and leather, is known to the trade
as piano leather. American tanners years
ago discovered the secret of making Russia