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other　appointments　with　the　same　limitation；　and　the　Senate；　I　believe；　is　not　slow　to　interfere；　but　with　reference　to　the　ministers　it　is　understood　that　the　names　sent　in　by　the　President　shall　stand。　　Of　the　Secretary　of　State；　Controller；　etc。；　belonging　to　the　different　States；　and　who　are　elected　by　the　people；　in　a　general　way；　one　never　hears。　　No　doubt　they　attend　their　offices　and　take　their　pay；　but　they　are　not　political　personages。　The　next　article；　No。　VI。；　refers　to　the　judiciary；　and　is　very　complicated。　　As　I　cannot　understand　it；　I　will　not　attempt　to　explain　it。　　Moreover；　it　is　not　within　the　scope　of　my　ambition　to　convey　here　all　the　details　of　the　State　constitution。　　In　Sec。　20　of　this　article　it　is　provided　that　no　judicial　officer；　except　justices　of　the　peace；　shall　receive　to　his　own　use　any　fees　or　perquisites　of　office。〃　　How　pleasantly　this　enactment　must　sound　in　the　ears　of　the　justices　of　the　peace！　Article　VII。　refers　to　fiscal　matters；　and　is　more　especially　interesting　as　showing　how　greatly　the　State　of　New　York　has　depended　on　its　canals　for　its　wealth。　　These　canals　are　the　property　of　the　State；　and　by　this　article　it　seems　to　be　provided　that　they　shall　not　only　maintain　themselves；　but　maintain　to　a　considerable　extent　the　State　expenditure　also；　and　stand　in　lieu　of　taxation。　　It　is　provided；　Section　6　that　the　〃legislature　shall　not　sell；　lease；　or　otherwise　dispose　of　any　of　the　canals　of　the　State；　but　that　they　shall　remain　the　property　of　the　State；　and　under　its　management　forever。〃　　But　in　spite　of　its　canals　the　State　does　not　seem　to　be　doing　very　well；　for　I　see　that；　in　1860；　its　income　was　4；780；000　dollars；　and　its　expenditure　5；100；000；　whereas　its　debt　was　32；500；000　dollars。　　Of　all　the　States；　Pennsylvania　is　the　most　indebted；　Virginia　the　second；　and　New　York　the　third。　　New　Hampshire；　Connecticut；　Vermont；　Delaware；　and　Texas　owe　no　State　debts。　　All　the　other　State　ships　have　taken　in　ballast。　The　militia　is　supposed　to　consist　of　all　men　capable　of　bearing　arms；　under　forty…five　years　of　age。　　But　no　one　need　be　enrolled；　who　from　scruples　of　conscience　is　averse　to　bearing　arms。　　At　the　present　moment　such　scruples　do　not　seem　to　be　very　general。　　Then　follows；　in　Article　XI。；　a　detailed　enactment　as　to　the　choosing　of　militia　officers。　　It　may　be　perhaps　sufficient　to　say　that　the　privates　are　to　choose　the　captains　and　the　subalterns；　the　captains　and　subalterns　are　to　choose　the　field　officers；　and　the　field　officers　the　brigadier…generals　and　inspectors　of　brigade。　The　Governor；　however；　with　the　consent　of　the　Senate；　shall　nominate　all　major…generals。　　Now　that　real　soldiers　have　unfortunately　become　necessary；　the　above　plan　has　not　been　found　to　work　well。　Such　is　the　constitution　of　the　State　of　New　York；　which　has　been　intended　to　work　and　does　work　quite　separately　from　that　of　the　United　States。　　It　will　be　seen　that　the　purport　has　been　to　make　it　as　widely　democratic　as　possibleto　provide　that　all　power　of　all　description　shall　come　directly　from　the　people；　and　that　such　power　shall　return　to　the　people　at　short　intervals。　　The　Senate　and　the　Governor　each　remain　for　two　years；　but　not　for　the　same　two　years。　　If　a　new　Senate　commence　its　work　in　1861；　a　new　Governor　will　come　in　in　1862。　　But；　nevertheless；　there　is　in　the　form　of　government　as　thus　established　an　absence　of　that　close　and　immediate　responsibility　which　attends　our　ministers。　　When　a　man　has　been　voted　in；　it　seems　that　responsibility　is　over　for　the　period　of　the　required　service。　　He　has　been　chosen；　and　the　country　which　has　chosen　him　is　to　trust　that　he　will　do　his　best。　I　do　not　know　that　this　matters　much　with　reference　to　the　legislature　or　governments　of　the　different　States；　for　their　State　legislatures　and　governments　are　but　puny　powers；　but　in　the　legislature　and　government　at　Washington　it　does　matter　very　much。　But　I　shall　have　another　opportunity　of　speaking　on　that　subject。　Nothing　has　struck　me　so　much　in　America　as　the　fact　that　these　State　legislatures　are　puny　powers。　　The　absence　of　any　tidings　whatever　of　their　doings　across　the　water　is　a　proof　of　this。　　Who　has　heard　of　the　legislature　of　New　York　or　of　Massachusetts？　　It　is　boasted　here　that　their　insignificance　is　a　sign　of　the　well…　being　of　the　people；　that　the　smallness　of　the　power　necessary　for　carrying　on　the　machine　shows　how　beautifully　the　machine　is　organized；　and　how　well　it　works。　　〃It　is　better　to　have　little　governors　than　great　governors；〃　an　American　said　to　me　once。　　〃It　is　our　glory　that　we　know　how　to　live　without　having　great　men　over　us　to　rule　us。〃　　That　glory；　if　ever　it　were　a　glory；　has　come　to　an　end。　　It　seems　to　me　that　all　these　troubles　have　come　upon　the　States　because　they　have　not　placed　high　men　in　high　places。　　The　less　of　laws　and　the　less　of　control　the　better；　providing　a　people　can　go　right　with　few　laws　and　little　control。　　One　may　say　that　no　laws　and　no　control　would　be　best　of　allprovided　that　none　were　needed。　　But　this　is　not　exactly　the　position　of　the　American　people。　The　two　professions　of　law…making　and　of　governing　have　become　unfashionable；　low　in　estimation；　and　of　no　repute　in　the　States。　The　municipal　powers　of　the　cities　have　not　fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　leading　men。　　The　word　politician　has　come　to　bear　the　meaning　of　political　adventurer　and　almost　of　political　blackleg。　If　A　calls　B　a　politician；　A　intends　to　vilify　B　by　so　calling　him。　Whether　or　no　the　best　citizens　of　a　State　will　ever　be　induced　to　serve　in　the　State　legislature　by　a　nobler　consideration　than　that　of　pay；　or　by　a　higher　tone　of　political　morals　than　that　now　existing；　I　cannot　say。　　It　seems　to　me　that　some　great　decrease　in　the　numbers　of　the　State　legislators　should　be　a　first　step　toward　such　a　consummation。　　There　are　not　many　men　in　each　State　who　can　afford　to　give　up　two　or　three　months　of　the　year　to　the　State　service　for　nothing；　but　it　may　be　presumed　that　in　each　State　there　are　a　few。　　Those　who　are　induced　to　devote　their　time　by　the　payment　of　60l。　can　hardly　be　the　men　most　fitted　for　the　purpose　of　legislation。　　It　certainly　has　seemed　to　me　that　the　members　of　the　State　legislatures　and　of　the　State　governments　are　not　held　in　that　respect　and　treated　with　that　confidence　to　which；　in　the　eyes　of　an　Englishman；　such　functionaries　should　be　held　as　entitled。

CHAPTER　XVI。　BOSTON。

From　New　York　we　returned　to　Boston　by　Hartford；　the　capital　or　one　of　the　capitals　of　Connecticut。　　This　proud　little　State　is　composed　of　two　old　provinces；　of　which　Hartford　and　New　Haven　were　the　two　metropolitan　towns。　　Indeed；　there　was　a　third　colony；　called　Saybrook；　which　was　joined　to　Hartford。　　As　neither　of　the　two　could；　of　course；　give　way；　when　Hartford　and　New　Haven　were　made　into　one；　the　houses　of　legislature　and　the　seat　of　government　are　changed　about　year　by　year。　　Connecticut　is　a　very　proud　little　State；　and　has　a　pleasant　legend　of　its　own　stanchness　in　the　old　colonial　days。　　In　1662　the　colonies　were　united；　and　a　charter　was　given　to　them　by　Charles　II。　　But　some　years　later；　in　1686；　when　the　bad　days　of　James　II。　had　come；　this　charter　was　considered　to　be　too　liberal；　and　order　was　given　that　it　should　be　suspended。　One　Sir　Edmund　Andross　had　been　appointed　governor　of　all　New　England；　and　sent　word　from　Boston　to　Connecticut　that　the　charter　itself　should　be　given　up　to　him。　　This　the　men　of　Connecticut　refused　to　do。　　Whereupon　Sir　Edmund　with　a　military　following　presented　himself　at　their　Assembly；　declared　their　governing　powers　to　be　dissolved；　and；　after　much　palaver；　caused　the　charter　itself　to　be　laid　upon　the　table　before　him。　　The　discussion　had　been　long；　having　lasted　through　the　day　into　the　night；　and　the　room　had　been　lighted　with　candles。　　On　a　sudden　each　light　disappeared；　and　Sir　Edmund　with　his　followers　were　in　the　dark。　As　a　matter　of　course；　when　the　light　was　restored　the　charter　was　gone；　and　Sir　Edmund；　the　governor…general；　was　baffled；　as　all　governors…general　and　all　Sir　Edmunds　always　are　in　such　cases。　The　charter　was　gone；　a　gallant　Captain　Wadsworth　having　carried　it　off　and　hidden　it　in　an　oak…tree。　　The　charter　was　renewed　when　William　III。　came　to　the　throne；　and　now　hangs　triumphantly　in　the　State　House　at　Hartford。　　The　charter　oak　has；　alas！　succumbed　to　the　weather；　but　was　standing　a　few　years　since。　　The　men　of　Hartford　are　very　proud　of　their　charter；　and　regard　it　as　the　parent　of　their　existing　liberties　quite　as　much　as　though　no　national　revolution　of　their　own　had　intervened。　And；　indeed；　the　Northern　States　of　the　Unionespecially　those　of　New　Englandrefer　all　their　liberties　to　the　old　charters　which　they　held　from　the　mother　country。　　They　rebelled；　as　they　themselves　would　seem　to　say；　and　set　themselves　up　as　a　separate　people；　not　because　the　mother　country　had　refused　to　them　by　law　sufficient　liberty　and　sufficient　self…control；　but　because　the　mother　country　infringed　the　liberties　and　powers　of　self…control　which　she　herself　had　given。　　The　mother　country；　so　these　States　declare；　had　acted　the　part　of　Sir　Edmund　Androsshad　endeavored　to　take　away　their　charters。　　So　they　also　put　out　the　lights；　a