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REVENUE LAWS OF ILLINOIS.

The Revenue Reform League of this City, of which Francis B. Peabody is President, appointed a Committee on Measures, which, at the Annual Meeting of the League, held January 16, 1889, made a report, recommending "a limitation of the percentage of taxation allowed the different taxing bodies to about one-fourth the amount now allowed by law, with an additional limitation covering the total amount of taxes that can be levied for all purposes; also a limitation on the amount of corporate indebtedness, to 2 per cent. on the assessed value.

"This limitation of taxing power will necessitate raising the assessment rate, and will result in breaking up the present iniquitous system of assessing at a percentage ununiform and varying with the varying judgment and conscience of the different assessors, and will secure an assessment at a fair cash value as provided by law and as honesty requires.

"At the same time the assessment is increased it becomes necessary to correspondingly decrease the limit of power to create indebtedness."

The committee recommend, also, a reduction in the present exorbitant percentage allowed on tax sales.

The League passed a resolution, urging upon the General Assembly the calling of a convention for the revision of the Constitution of the State.

At an adjourned meeting of the League, on January 30, bills prepared by the Committee were adopted, making important changes in the revenue laws, especially in reference to tax liens, which, if the bills pass, are to be foreclosed in chancery.

Editorial Department.

WHERE WOMEN VOTE.

Hamilton Willcox of New York has recently published a pamphlet, showing the extent of woman suffrage at the present time. From this it appears that some form of suffrage for women prevails in 110 States, territories and provinces, with an extent of over 15,000,000 square miles and a population of nearly 300,000,000.

In the province of Ontario, women vote (unless married) for all elective officers save two. In the adjoining province of Quebec, women are voters in the cities of Quebec and Montreal, and in various other cities, by provincial law. In British Columbia, women vote for all elective officers but member of Parliament. In England, Scotland and Wales, women (unless married) vote for all elective officers but members of Parliament. In Ireland, women vote every-where for poor-law guardians; in Dundalk and other seaports, for harbor boards; and in Belfast, for all municipal officers. In Sweden, their suffrage is about the same as in Britain, and they vote, too, indirectly for members of the House of Lords. In Russia, women, heads of households, vote for all elective officers and on all local questions.

In Austria-Hungary, they vote (by proxy) at all elections, including members of provincial and imperial parliaments. In Croatia and Dalmatia, they vote at local elections in person. In Italy, widows vote for members of Parliament. In Finland,

women vote for all elective officers. In Africa, in the colony of Good Hope, the women have municipal suffrage. In British Burma, women tax payers vote in the rural districts. In Madras Presidency, Hindostan, they can do so in all municipalities. In Bombay Presidency they likewise can. In all the countries of Russian Asia they can do so wherever a Russian colony settles. The Russians are colonizing the whole of their vast Asian possessions, and carry with them every-where the "mir," or self-governing village, wherein women, heads of households, vote. In New Zealand, municipal suffrage exists and the Legislature has resolved that women shall vote for members of Parliament. It also exists in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. In a large number of islands also, some form of woman suffrage prevails.

In our own country we have municipal suffrage in Kansas, and in Wyoming Territory women vote for every office on the same terms with men. Indeed, some form of woman suffrage has been introduced in twenty-four of the forty-five States and Territories.

From every quarter comes the same report that women's partaking in elections brings purer politics, better government and fairer play for women. But this is under great disadvantages; for in large regions woman's political freedom is still limited to school or village elections; in many it is confined to mere municipal elections; only in Wyoming is it equal in extent to masculine suffrage. In many of these communities the mass of men are still disfranchised, as are the mass of women. In America alone has the grand idea of universal suffrage been put in full practice for men. But the idea that womanhood necessitates life-long, exceptionless disfranchisement has been abandoned. The day cannot be far distant when women will vote to the same extent as men.

GIRARD'S WILL

AND THE GIRARD COLLEGE.

On the 16th of February, 1830, Stephen Girard, of Philadelphia, made in his will a munificent provision for the foundation of a college for the education of qrphan children.

The college building was commenced in 1833, and completed in 1847, at an expense of about two millions. Besides the main college hall there are now some fifteen or twenty other buildings connected with the institution. The cost of the college grounds and buildings has been over three millions of dollars, while the present value of the same is estimated at about ten millions, and the entire Girard College estate at twenty milllons.

The City of Philadelphia was made trustee for carrying out the purposes of the founder, and in return for such a splendid bequest, one would suppose the City would be not only willing but eager to carry out, completely, and even punctiliously, the views and wishes of the benevolent testator, especially after that provision of the will which was considered the most objectionable, had been sustained as legal and valid by the Supreme Court of the United States.

But what are the facts? Mr. Girard in his will thus states the reasons and motives which influenced him in making the bequest:

"XX. And, whereas, I have been for a long time impressed with the importance of educating the poor, and of placing them, by the early cultivation of their minds and the development of their moral principles, above the many temptations to which, through poverty and ignorance they are exposed; and I am particularly desirous to provide for such a number of poor male white orphan children as can be trained in one institution, a better education, as well as a more comfortable maintenance, than they usually receive from the application of the public funds; and whereas, together with the object just adverted to, I have sincerely at heart the welfare of the City of Philadelphia, and as a part of it, am desirous to improve the neighborhood of the river Delaware, so that the health of the citizens may be promoted and preserved, and that the eastern part of the City may be made to correspond with the interior:

"Now I do give, devise and bequeath all the residue and remainder of my real and personal estate of every sort and kind wheresoever situate, unto" the Mayor, Aldermen and citizens of Philadelphia, "their successors and assigns, in trust, to and for the several uses, intents and purposes hereinafter mentioned and declared of and concerning the same, that is to say: (Here follow certain directions in reference to certain portions of his estate.)

"XXI. And so far as regards the residue of my personal estate, in trust, as to two millions of dollars, part thereof, to apply and expend so much of that sum as may be necessary, in erecting, as soon as practicably may be, in the center of my square of ground between High and Chestnut streets, and Eleventh and Twelfth streets, in the City of Philadelphia, (which square of ground I hereby devote for the purposes hereinafter stated, and for no other forever), a permanent college, with suitable out-buildings, sufficiently spacious for the residence and accommodation of at least three hundred scholars, and the requisite teachers and other persons necessary in such an institution as I direct to be established, and in supplying the said college and out-buildings with decent and suitable furniture, as well as books and all things needful to carry into effect my general design.

(Here follow specific details for the construction of the college building, for supplying the college with books, apparatus, etc., for organizing the institution, supplying it with teachers, etc., for admission of students, etc.)

"Due regard shall be paid to their health, and to this end their persons and clothes shall be kept clean, and they shall have suitable and rational exercise and recreation. They shall be instructed in the various branches of a sound education, comprehending reading, writing, grammar, arithme

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