that would tend to paralyze the enemy and break the continuity of his ideas." To thus amend the Constitution required that the proposed amendment be ratified by three-fourths of the States. When that question came to be considered, the administration found that, of the States it could rely upon, it was one short of the necessary number. The genius of President Lincoln solved the problem. He would create a State out of the Territory of Nevada for the purpose, and rely on the patriotism of her people to ratify the amendment. In March, 1864, the question of allowing Nevada to form a State Government came up in the House of Representatives. There was strong opposition to it, but Mr. Lincoln threw into the breach the potent force of the administration and the measure was carried. Mr. Dana, then Assistant Secretary of War and one of the President's confidential advisers, quotes Mr. Lincoln as saying, shortly before the vote was taken: "Here is the alternative that we carry this vote, or be compelled to raise another million, and I don't know just how many more, men, and fight, no one knows how long." When great political questions are in the balance, sometimes events follow each other with remarkable rapidity. On the 21st day of March, 1864, the enabling Act for Nevada 1 passed Congress and was approved by President Lincoln. The Act provided for an election to be held on the first Monday of June following, for delegates to a constitutional convention to be held just one month later. The convention met on the 4th day of July, 1864, adopted a proposed constitution, which by the terms of the enabling Act, was voted upon and approved by the people on the first Wednesday of the following September. As soon as the vote could be canvassed, a copy of the Constitution was transmitted to the President by telegraph, at a cost of more than thirty-four hundred dollars for the one dispatch. (We may observe here in passing that there has been material progress in the reduction of telegraph tariffs since that time.) By the terms of the enabling Act, the approval of the Constitution was placed exclusively with the President. On the 31st day of October, President Lincoln issued his proclamation declaring Nevada admitted to the Union on an equal footing with the original States. Eight days later an election for state and county officers was held and the newly elected officials assumed their duties on the first Monday in December. On the 1st day of February, 1865, Congress submitted to the several States the Thirteenth Amendment, and two weeks later it was ratified by the Legislature of the new State of Nevada. Well may Nevada be called the Battle-Born State! *** PROCLAMATION ANNOUNCING THE ADMISSION OF NEVADA—1864 By the President of the United States of America A PROCLAMATION 430. Whereas the Congress of the United States passed an act, which was approved on the 21st day of March last, entitled "An act to enable the people of Nevada to form a constitution and state government, and for the admission of such state into the Union on an equal footing with the original states"; 1 Secs. 209-219. 2 Sec. 430, post. & Stats. 1864-5, p. 457. And whereas the said constitution and state government have been formed, pursuant to the conditions prescribed by the fifth section of the act of Congress aforesaid, and the certificate required by the said act, and also a copy of the constitution and ordinances, have been submitted to the President of the United States: Now, therefore, be it known, that I, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States, in accordance with the duty imposed upon me by the act of Congress aforesaid, do hereby declare and proclaim that the said State of Nevada is admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and of the Independence of the United States, the eighty-ninth. [L. S.] By the President: WILLIAM H. SEWARD. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Secretary of State. Cited, Armstrong v. Paul, 1 Nev. 138. REVISED LAWS OF NEVADA This volume contains all of the existing laws of a general nature comprised in the following volumes: Laws of Nevada Territory, First Session (1861), Second Session (1862), Third Session 1864); Laws of the State of Nevada, First Session (1864-65), Second Session (1866), Third Session (1867), Special Session of 1867, and each regular biennial session thereafter from the Fourth Session (1869) to and including the Twenty-fifth Session (1911), including, also, the Special Session of 1908. All references are to sections of this work unless otherwise indicated. 1. Lawful age. AGE OF MAJORITY An Act fixing the age of majority. Approved November 21, 1861, 40 SECTION 1. All male persons of the age of twenty-one years, and all females of the age of eighteen years, and who are under no legal disability, shall be capable of entering into any contract, and shall be, to all intents and purposes, held and considered to be of lawful age. Resident, Selling Own Products, Exempt from License 445. Resident pays no license-Applies to certain counties only. Horticultural Commissioner 46. Horticultural commissioner appointed. *. Notice to abate nuisance. Extermination of Field Mice, 454 Inspectors, how appointed-Bond. Agricultural 46. Experiment station recognized. Acceptance of grant and agreement. 450. Compensation of commissioners. Experiment Station 461. Adams act. 462. Federal appropriation-Disposition of funds. 463. Publication of report. 464. Acceptance of national aid. An Act to form agricultural districts, to provide for the organization of agricultural associations therein, and for the management and control of the same by the state. 432. Districts established. Approved March 7, 1885, 79 SECTION 1. The counties of Ormsby, Douglas and Storey shall constitute Agricultural District No. 1; the county of Esmeralda shall constitute Agricultural District No. 2; the county of Humboldt shall constitute Agricultural District No. 3; The county of Elko shall constitute Agricultural District No. 4: the counties of Lyon and Churchill shall constitute Agricultural District No. 5; the counties of Lander and Nye shall constitute Agricultural District No. 6; and the counties of Eureka, Lincoln and White Pine shall constitute Agricultural District No. 7. The exhibitions in Agricultural District No. 6 shall be held in Lander County, and the exhibitions in Agricultural District No. 7 shall be held in White Pine County. As amended, Stats. 1889, 48. 433. Associations may be formed. SEC. 2. Any twenty or more persons, citizens within any of the districts above constituted, may form an association for the improvement of the material industries within such district, and when so formed the association shall be known and designated by the name of Agricultural Association, and by such name and style shall have perpetual succession, and shall have power and authority to contract and be contracted with, to sue and be sued, to have and use a common seal, to purchase and hold and lease real estate, with such buildings and improvements as may be erected thereon, and may sell and lease and dispose of the same at pleasure. The said real estate shall be used by such association for the purpose of holding exhibitions of horses, cattle and other stock, of the agricultural, horticultural, viticultural, mechanical, manufacturing and domestic products of such district, with a view to the improvement of all the industries in the same. amended, Stats. 1889, 48. 434. Officers. As SEC. 3. The officers of such association shall consist of eight directors, who shall constitute a district board of agriculture for District Number..... a president, who shall be one of their number, and a secretary and treasurer not of their number. 435. Governor to appoint directors. SEC. 4. Within ten days after the formation of an agricultural association within any of the districts above constituted, in accordance with the provisions of this act, and notice of such formation to the governor, the governor shall appoint eight resident citizens of such districts as members of a district board of agriculture for said district, whose term of office shall be four years, except as hereinafter provided. 436. Directors, how organized." SEC. 5. Within ten days after their appointment, the persons so appointed shall meet at a place within the district and organize by the election of one of their number as president of the board and association, who shall hold said office of president one year and until his successor is elected; they shall also elect a secretary and treasurer. 437. Classification of fiscal year. SEC. 6. At the same meeting the members of the board shall, by lot or otherwise, classify themselves into four classes of two members each. The terms of office of the first class shall expire at the end of the first fiscal year; of the second class, of the second fiscal year; of the third class, of the third fiscal year; and of the fourth class, at the end of the full term of four years. The fiscal year shall be from December first to December first. 438. Recognized as a state institution-Fairs not to conflict with state fairs. SEC. 7. Each association so formed and organized is hereby declared and shall be recognized a state institution, and the board so appointed and qualified shall have the exclusive control and management of such institution for and in the name of the state, and shall have the possession and care of all the property of the association, and shall fix the terms of office and the bonds of the secretary and treasurer, and determine their salaries and duties. They shall have power to make all necessary by-laws, rules and regulations for the government of the association and the management of its prudential and financial affairs. They shall provide for an annual fair or exhibition by the association of all the industries and industrial products in the district, at such time and place as they may deem advisable; provided, that no district fair shall be held in any of the districts at the same time of the state fair; and provided further, that the state shall in no event be liable for any premium offered, or award, or for any debt contracted by any district board of agriculture or agricultural association. 439. Secretary to report to governor. SEC. 8. When any district board of agriculture shall have been classified and organized as herein provided, the secretary of the board shall report such classification and organization to the state board of agriculture; he shall also report the same to the governor, and shall report any vacancy that may occur in the board to the governor, who shall fill the same by appointment for the unexpired term. AID TO DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS An Act authorizing the boards of county commissioners of the several counties of this state to grant aid to any district agricultural association within their respective counties, or within any agricultural district of which said county or counties may be a part. SECTION 1. For the purpose of aiding each or any district agricultural association within any county or counties of this state, now formed under the laws of this state, which shall hereafter annually hold, within any county or counties comprising said agricultural district, a fair for exhibition in successfully carrying out the purposes for which it has been organized, the boards of county commissioners of the several counties of this state are hereby authorized to appropriate any money or moneys out of the general fund of their respective counties to aid any such district agricultural association, composing any agricultural district of which said county or counties may be a part. 441. No funds used for racing. SEC. 2. Any moneys hereby appropriated by said board of county com |