commit murder. 2. Piracy. 3. Arson. 4. Robbery. 5. Forgery, or the uttering of forged papers, or the making or circulating counterfeit money, either paper or coin. 6. Rape. 7. Embezzlement, and 8. Burglary.

4. It should be observed that a mere demand for an alleged offender is not sufficient. Proof enough to convince the judge before whom the case is brought, must accompany the demand. He must be satisfied that the party demanded has committed the alleged offence; when this is done, the judge reports his finding to the Secretary of State, whose duty then is, under his hand and seal of office, to issue the final writ of extradition; after which the criminal may be taken out of the United States (by force if necessary), and back to the country where he committed the crime, there to be dealt with according to the laws which he violated.

5. In some of our extradition treaties it is expressly stipulated, that neither party (government) shall be bound to surrender its own citizens, or any person for merely a political offence. In others it is agreed that the provisions in the treaty shall not apply to cases where the crime was perpetrated before the treaty was made. This plea, we think, would be held to be a good defence in all cases, whether so stipulated in the treaty

or not.

6. The treaties between different nations for the surrender of criminals, are so analagous to one of the provisions contained in our Constitution, that to insert it here will give the reader a clear comprehension of its mean

ing. If is found in the second section of article 4, and reads thus:

"A person charged in any State, with treason, felony, or other crime, who shall flee from justice, and be found in another State, shall on demand of the executive authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having jurisdiction of the crime.

CHAPTER XLI.

Letters of Marque and Reprisal.

1. THE Constitution (Art. 1, Sec. 8), gives Congress power to declare war, and to grant letters of marque and reprisal. This is an act never to be done, but in time of war. Congress itself does not issue the letters, but authorizes the President to do so. An act was passed in 1863, expressly giving him this authority. A letter of marque and reprisal may be thus defined:

2. It is a written commission signed and sealed by a competent authority of our nation, giving to the commander of a private armed vessel, called a privateer, authority to capture the ships and goods belonging to the subjects of another nation, between which nations there is an existing war. This is a general definition. But when such letters are issued by the United States, they are signed by the President, and sealed with the seal of the United States. Without such commission, thus signed and sealed, any capture made by the commander of a private vessel, would be piracy. If a capture is made, it must be made according to the laws of war, as recognized by civilized nations, and according to the instructions given by the President. Any conduct on the part of a privateer, contrary to these rules, would vitiate his proceedings, and he would not be entitled to the property he had captured.

3. The captured vessel is called a prize, and must be taken into some port of the United States, or into some port of a country in amity with the United States,

where legal proceedings are taken before some court of competent jurisdiction; and the capture and all the the circumstances of it enquired into; and if all is found to have been done according to the laws of civilized nations, the captured vessel and cargo is condemned as a prize. But if not condemned, the captors lose her. When adjudged to be a lawful prize, the ship and cargo are sold and the money divided between the officers and men, according to rank, and according to the laws of Congress on this subject. These laws give the whole to the captors, when the ship taken is of equal or superior force to the ship making the capture; but if of inferior force, then the United States takes one half.

4. Privateering, as this business is called, was once considered a lawful and honorable mode of warfare. It was generally practiced between belligerent nations; but in later days its propriety and morality have been questioned. It is beginning to be looked upon as a kind of robbery not very distantly related to piracy. That it is robbery no one can deny, and, query, "Can it be justified, on the ground that the robber and the robbed are the subjects of nations at war with each other?"

5. In Europe an effort has been made to do away with this species of warfare. We hope it will yet succeed, and that all nations will agree to abolish this system of plunder. Innocent parties are generally the sufferers, while but small injury is done to the power of the hostile nation.

CHAPTER XLII.

Suffrage.

1. THE right of suffrage, in its political sense means the right to vote for such officers as are elected by the people; including officers of the general government, as well as those of the State government, for when the right of suffrage is conferred upon a man, it gives him the right of voting for every elective officer, from the President of the United States down to the lowest State or municipal officer.

In the Constitution, or laws of Congress, we find but little said on the suffrage question; because Congress has never claimed the right or power to legislate on this subject. It has been conceded that this matter is one which belongs to the States; whatever qualifications the respective States required of their citizens to vote for their own State officers, have been accepted by the general government as the qualifications necessary to authorize them to vote for President, Vice President and Congressmen, the only officers of the United States government for which the people, under the provisions of the Constitution as it now stands, can vote.

2. From this statement we see that persons who, in one State may vote for President, Vice-President and Congressmen, cannot do so in another State; because the qualifications of voters in some States differ from those of voters in others. For example, some States. require a residence in the State of one year, before a man can enjoy this franchise, other States but six months. In most of the States, it is required of for