foreground two muskets crossed, with the cap of liberty lying upon them at the point of crossing. In the centre is a shield bearing the inscription June 20, 1863 (the date of the admission of the State). The shield is supported on the right, by a miner with his pick on his shoulder indicative of the mineral wealth of the State, and on the left by an agriculturist, who is a woodsman as well; he has his axe resting on one arm, while the other hand grasps the plow. A stalk of maize, and a grape-vine, indicate the staple productions of the State, and on

the right a blacksmith's anvil and hammer, and some hogsheads and bales, show its devotion to the mechanic arts and to commerce. A circlet surrounding the seal bears the legend, "STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA," and between two stars is the motto, Montani sempor liberi, Mountaineers are always freemen.

National Securities.

1. The "Seven-thirties" represent a Currency Loan having three years to run, and then convertible into a gold interest 6 per cent. stock having twenty years to run, but with the right reserved to the government of paying off the loan, in gold, at any time after five years. The term "Seven-thirties" is derived from the rate of interest which these three-years convertible notes bear, to wit: wo cents per day on each $100, or for 365 days, seven dollars and thirty cents on each $100.

2. The term "Five-twenties" is applied to the 6 per cent. gold bearing bonds of the United States, to which twenty years halfyearly coupons are attached, but which may be paid off, in gold, by the government, on due notice to the holders, at any time after five years.

3. The term "Ten-forties" is applied to the 5 per cent. goldbearing bonds of the United States, to which half-yearly coupons are attached for forty years, but which may be paid off in gold on notice to the holders, at any time after ten years.

4. The long or unconditional 6 per cent. gold-bearing loan, known as the 6 per cent. of 1881, can not be redeemed by the government at all, except by purchase.

Quick Method of Calculating Interest for Days.

Multiply the principal by the number of days and divide the product (if for 5 per cent.) by 7200; (if for 6 per cent.) by 6000; (if for 7 per cent.) by 5143; (if for 8 per cent.) by 4500; (if for 9 per cent.) by 4000; (if for 10 per cent.) by 3600.

Example.-What is the interest on $120 for 20 days at 10 per cent!

Multiplied by

120.00 dollars,
20 days.

Divided by 3600)2400-00 (66-6 cents interest.

RECONSTRUCTION.

The only laws and measures bearing on this subject, which are appropriate for this work, or necessary to a clear understanding of the existing condition of affairs are the following:

I.—THE ORIGINAL RECONSTRUCTION ACT OF MARCH 2d, 1867. Being chapter CLIII. of the Acts of the XXXIX. Congress, entitled: An Act to provide efficient government for the insurrectionary States.

Whereas, No legal State governments or adequate protection for life or property now exist in the Rebel States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, and Arkansas; and whereas, it is necessary that peace and good order should be enforced in said States until loyal and republican State governments can be legally established; therefore

Be it enacted, &c., That said Rebel States shall be divided into military districts and made subject to the military authority of the United States, as hereinafter mentioned; and for that purpose Virginia shall constitute the First District, North Carolina and South Carolina the Second District, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida the Third District, Mississippi and Arkansas the Fourth District, and Louisiana and Texas the Fifth District.

SEC. 2. That it shall be the duty of the President to assign to the command of each of said districts an officer of the army not below the rank of Brigadier-General, and to detail a sufficient military force to enable such officer to perform his duties and enforce his authority within the district to which he is assigned.

SEC. 3. That it shall be the duty of each officer assigned as aforesaid to protect all persons in their rights of person and property, to suppress insurrection, disorder, and violence, and to punish or cause to be punished all disturbers of the public peace and criminals; and to this end he may allow local civil tribunals to take jurisdiction of and try offenders, or, when in his judgment it may be necessary for the trial of offenders, he shall have power to organize military committees or tribunals for that purpose; and all interference under color of State authority with the exercise of military authority under this act shall be null and void.

SEC. 4. That all persons put under military arrest by virtue of this act shall be tried without unnecessary delay, and no cruel or unusual punishment shall be inflicted, and no sentence of any military commission or tribunal hereby authorized affecting the life or liberty of any person shall be executed until it is approved by the

officer in command of the district; and the laws and regulations of the government of the army shall not be affected by this act, except in so far as they may conflict with its provisions. Provided, That no sentence of death under this act shall be carried into exe cution without the approval of the President.

SEC. 5. When the people of any one of said Rebel States shall have formed a constitution and government in conformity with the Constitution of the United States in all respects, framed by a convention of delegates elected by the male citizens of said State, 21 years old and upward, of whatever race, color, or previous condition, who have been resident in said State for one year previous to the day of such election, except such as may be disfranchised for participation in the Rebellion or for felony at common law, and when such constitution shall provide that the elective franchiso shall be enjoyed by all such persons as have the qualifications herein stated for electors of delegates, and when such constitution shall be ratified by a majority of the persons voting on the question of ratification who are qualified as electors for delegates, and when such constitution shall have been submitted to Congress for examination and approval, and Congress shall have approved the same, and when said State by a vote of its Legislature elected under said constitution shall have adopted the amendment to the Constitution of the United States proposed by the XXXIXth Congress, and known as Article 14, and when said article shall have become part of the Constitution of the United States, said State shall be declared entitled to representation in Congress, and Senators and Representatives shall be admitted therefrom on their taking the oath prescribed by law, and then and thereafter the preceding sections of this act shall be inoperative in said State. Provided, That no person excluded from the privilege of holding office by said proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States shall be eligible to election as a member of the convention to frame a constitution for any of said Rebel States nor shall any such person vote for members of such convention.

SEC. 6. Until the people of said Rebel States shall by law be admitted to representation to the Congress of the United States, all civil governments that may exist therein shall be deemed provis ional only, and shall be in all respects subject to the paramount authority of the United States, at any time to abolish, modify, control, and supersede the same, and in all elections to any office under such provisional governments all persons shall be entitled to vote under the provisions of the fifth section of this act. And no person shall be eligible to any office under such provisional governments who would be disqualified from holding office under the provisions of the third article of said Constitutional Amendment. [This bill was passed over the President's veto, on March 2, 1867.]

II-THE 1ST SUPPLEMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION ACT,

Passed March 23, 1867, by the XL. Congress.

The following are the main provisions of this act :

months

or

Before Sept. 1, 1867, the commanding general in each district, de fined by an act entitled "An act to provide for the more efficient government of the Rebel States," passed March 3, 1867, shall cause a registration to be made of the male citizens of the United States, 21 years of age and upwards, resident in each county or parish in the State or States included in his district, which registration shall include only those persons who are qualified to vote for delegates by the act aforesaid, and who shall have taken and subscribed the following oath or affirmation: "I -, do solemnly swear (or affirm), in the presence of Almighty God, that I am a citizen of the State of ; that I have resided in said State for next preceding this day, and now reside in the county of the parish of in said State (as the case may be); that I am twenty-one years old; that I have not been disfranchised for participation in any rebellion or civil war against the United States, nor for felony committed against the laws of any State or of the United States; that I have never been a member of any State Legislature nor held any executive or judicial office in any State and afterward. engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof; that I have never taken an oath as a member of Congress of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial of ficer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, and afterwards engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof; that I will faithfully support the Constitution and obey the laws of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, encourage others to do so, so help me God;" which oath or affirmation may be administered by any registering officer.

SEC. 2. After the completion of the registration hereby provided for in any State, at such time and places therein as the commanding general shall appoint and direct, of which at least thirty days' public notice shall be given, an election shall be held of delegates to a convention for the purpose of establishing a constitution and civil government for such State loyal to the Union, said convention in each State, except Virginia, to consist of the same number of members as the most numerous branch of the State legislature of such State in the year 1860, to be apportioned among the several districts, counties, or parishes of such State by the commanding general, giving to each representation in the ratio of voters registered as aforesaid, as nearly as may be. The convention in Virginia shall consist of the same number of members as represented the territory now constituting Virginia in the most numerous branch