USA > Kentucky > Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I > Part 7
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Feb. 1-Prices of country produce at Maysville : Bacon 3@312 cents per pound; butter 9@12c .; feathers 20@25c .; tallow 6@7c .; corn 14@16c. per bushel ; corn meal 17@20c .; potatoes 25@30c .; flour $3@3 60 per barrel ; hemp $6 50@7 00 per ton ; whisky, new, 16@18c .; old 27@ 30c. per gallon ; coffee 19@20c. per pound ; sugar 8@9c. for maple, and 10@12c. for New Orleans.
Great excitement in Mason, Bracken and Lewis counties, caused by the Ka- nawha salt monopoly of Armstrongs, Grant & Co .- a company of Maysville merchants, Wm. Armstrong, Johnston Armstrong, James Armstrong, Peter Grant, (uncle of President U. S. Grant,) James Hewitt, and Gilbert Adams, who contract for all the salt made at the Kanawha works, and advance the price (then 30 cents) to 50 cents per bushel. John Armstrong, an- other merchant, is included in the indigna- tion felt, because he aided in furnishing capital and otherwise assisted the monop- oly. Large public meetings, at Augusta, Maysville, Washington, Mayslick, Ger- mantown and other points, pass denuncia-
tory resolutions, decline to buy or use Ka- nawha salt, and begin arrangements for supplies of Conemaugh, Onondaga, and Turks' Island salt.
Feb. 24-Geo. McDuffie, of South Car- olina, challenges Gen. Thos. Metcalfe, of Ky., both members of congress, and at Washington city, to fight a duel, for of- fensive language used in a newspaper ar- ticle. Metcalfe accepts, naming rifles as the weapons, at 90 feet. McDuffie refuses to fight with rifles, and proposes pistols. Met- calfe will not yield his right as the chal- lenged party to name the terms, and Mc- Duffie drops the matter. James Clark, - also a representative in congress, was Metcalfe's second ; Metcalfe was elected governor of Kentucky in 1828, and Clark in 1836.
The census of Cincinnati, taken late in 1826, shows a population of 16,230; in 1824, 12,016; in 1819, 10,283; in 1813, 4,000 ; and in 1810, 2,320.
May-Grand jury of Simpson county finds a true bill against C. M. Smith, of Tennessee, for murder, in killing Mr. Brank, of Tennessee, in a duel in that county, March 23, 1827. Also onc against Gen. Sam. Houston, of Tennessee, for shooting with intent to kill Gen. White, in a duel, in that county. Gov. Desha is- sues a requisition for them, to the gov- ernor of Tennessee.
May 7-Death of Rev. Samuel K. Nel- son, of Danville, at Tallahassee, Florida, whither he had gone to locate the lands donated by congress to the Kentucky deaf and dumb asylum at Danville.
May 17-Three corona, haloes, or cir- cles around the sun, visible for several hours, remarkable for their size, prismatic colors, and brilliancy.
June 1-Steamboat Tecumseh arrives at Louisville in eight days, two hours and ten minutes from New Orleans ; the quickest trip yet made, and bringing newspapers 14 days later than received by mail.
June 9-Steamboat Lexington (owned in Georgetown, Ky.,) arrives at Louisville from New Orleans in eight days and twen- ty-one hours-the third quickest trip yet made.
July 5-Two slight shocks of earth- quake, about 6 A. M.
July 16-Public dinner, to Henry Clay, at Paris, attended by 8,000 persons ; and, July 18, one at Maysville, attended by 2,500 persons.
Dec. 1-Rain falls nearly every day for over three months, up to March, 1828. In 40 days prior to January 9, there were but four days of sun. High water in the Ohio river, about five fect lower than the highest known.
1828, Jan .- Henry Clay issues an " ad- dress to the public, containing certain tes- timonials in refutation of the charges against him, made by Gen. Andrew Jack- son, touching the late Presidential elec- tion." 8vo., pp. 60.
Feb. 9-Rutio of representation for en- suing four years fixed at 834 votes. Bour- bon, Fayette, Jefferson, Madison, Mercer,
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ANNALS OF KENTUCKY.
1830.
Shelby, and Washington have each three representatives ......... 11-Legislature offers $500 reward for the discovery of the cause of, and a specific eure for, milk sickness .12-$20,000 appropriated to com- plete the new capitol. ... 13-Louisville incorporated as a city.
March 3-$400,000 of Commonwealth bank notes burned. 9-Three shocks of an earthquake felt at Maysville ; at 1012, between 11 and 12, and between 12 and 1 o'clock, at night; the second the severest in that region since 1812.
April 4-In northern Kentucky snow fell over two inches deep ......... 6-Another fall of snow 112 inches.
May-Rev. Frederick A. Ross and Rev. James Gallagher travel all over Kentucky and southern Ohio, as evangelists or re- vival preachers (Presbyterians) ; great re- ligious excitement wherever they labor.
Five hundred additions, within one month, to the two Presbyterian churches in Lexington.
Aug. 4-Vote for governor, Gen. Thos. Metcalfe 38,940, Maj. Wm. T. Barry 38,- 231; for lieutenant governor, Joseph R. Underwood 36,454, John Breathitt 37,541 ; Metcalfe and Breathitt elected. Metcalfe and Underwood were the administration or Adams candidates, Barry and Breathitt the Jackson candidates.
Sept-Geo. Robertson appointed secre- tary of state.
Nov. 5-Official vote of Kentucky for president : Andrew Jackson 39,394, John Quincy Adams 31,460 ; Jackson's majority 7,934.
Dec. 5-Wm. Owsley and Benj. Mills resign their seats as judges of the court of appeals ; they had forwarded their resig- nations several months previously, which were withheld from the governor, and they were persuaded to act on until the meeting of the legislature. Dec. 8, Gov. Metcalfe re-appoints them, but the senate rejects the nominations, by ayes 18, noes 20 19-George Robertson and Joseph R. Un- derwood appointed judges of the court of appeals, and confirmed by the senate, by a vote of 21 to 17 for the former, and 30 to 8 for the latter .. .. 23-George M. Bibb elected U. S. senator for six years from March 4, 1829, when Richard M. Johnson's term expires ; Bibb 80, Burr Harrison 53.
1829, Jan. 2-President Adams nomi- nates John J. Crittenden an associate just- ice of the U. S. supreme court, vice Robert Trimble, deceased; but the senate, Feb. 18, rejects the nomination.
Jan. 14-George Robertson nominated as chief justice of the court of appeals ; but rejected by the senate, 18 to 19 19- Richard A. Buckner nominated to the same office ; also rejected by the senate, 18 to 19
... .. 23-John J. Marshall nominated as chief justice, but rejected by the senate, 16 to 21 ......... 28-Joseph R. Underwood nominated chief justice ; rejected, 16 to 21. [These objections were upon political grounds only.]
ated to finish the capitol .... .Companies chartered to build bridges over the Ohio river at Louisville, and between Covington or Newport and Cincinnati.
Jan. 29-Senators and representatives in congress requested to procure the pass- age of a law appropriating publie lands to Kentucky, to be disposed of for establish- ing a system of public schools ......... Tar assessors required to ascertain the number of children over four and under fifteen years, and the number at school, with a view to adopt some plan for general edu- eation ........ Rev. Alva Woods and Rev. Benjamin O. Peers, two distinguished ed- ucators, requested to communicate any in- formation which would aid the legislature in selecting and adopting the best system of common schools for the state of Ken- tucky.
Feb. 11 -$300,000 of Commonwealth bank notes burnt at Frankfort, by order of the legislature.
March 9-Chas. Wickliffe is refused the author's name of a communication in the Kentucky Gazette, at Lexington, when an altercation ensues and he shoots the editor, Mr. Benning, with a pistol, causing his death next day.
March 14-Public dinner to Henry Clay, late U. S. secretary of state, at Washington city, previous to his departure for his res- idence in Kentucky.
May 10-Destruction by fire of the prin- cipal building or "college proper" of Transylvania university, at Lexington, with the law library, libraries of the two societies, part of the philosophical appa- ratus, &c. Loss $40,000, with $10,000 in- surance.
June 10-U. S. government contracts for removing the obstructions in the Ohio river, at the Grand Chain, 400 feet long.
Sept. 17-Louisville branch of the Com- monwealth bank robbed of $25,000 ; $2,500 reward offered, but no clue ever discovered to robber or money.
Oct. 9-The court of appeals, in the case of the trustees of Maysville vs. Boone, de- cide, that the exclusive ferry right across the Ohio river at Maysville is vested in the trustees of that town.
George James Trotter, editor of the Ken- tucky Gazette, at Lexington. kills Chas. Wickliffe in a duel, near the Scott county line ; parties fight at eight feet distance.
Dec. 15-Company chartered for manu- facturing queensware and china at Louis- ville.
Dec. 16-George Robertson again nomi- nated as chief justice of the court of ap- peals ; confirined by the senate, 22 to 15 Richard A. Buckner nominated and confirmed judge of court of appeals, 22 to 13.
1830, Jan. 19-Steamboat Phœbus, Davis Einbree master, establishes a tri-weekly packet trade between Maysville and Cin- cinnati.
Jan. 27-Company chartered to erect & bridge across the Licking river, between
Jan. 29-$20,000 additional appropri- | Newport and Covington ......... Company
1550954
36
ANNALS OF KENTUCKY.
1831.
chartered to build a railroad from Lexing- ton to one or more points on the Ohio river ; capital $1,000,000.
Jan. 29-Louisville allowed a separate representation in the house of representa- tives. . Common school law enacted ; allows county eourts to divide their coun- ties into school districts ; three commis- sioners to be elected in each district, who may call meetings of the people of the dis- trict to designate a site for a school house, and levy and collect a school tax of not over 614 cents on the $100, and a poll tax on voters of not over 50 cents.
Feb. 1-Thermometer. 46º above zero at noon ; falls by sunrise next morning 4212°, to 312º above zero, and Ohio river freezes over, remaining closed five days. .... 17-Temperance society formed at Augusta, "to use all prudent means against the use of ardent spirits and wine, except for medicine or wine on sacramental occasions, and refuses to support candi- dates for office who use ardent spirits for electioneering purposes, or are theinselves addicted to their intemperate use.
March-A model of a railway, locomo- tive steam engine, and car, constructed by Joseph Bruen of Lexington, is exhibited in Frankfort, and the belief created that carriages and heavy loads could be drawn as easily and certainly by steam power as boats could be propelled by the same power.
April-Great enthusiasm in favor of the Maysville, Washington, Paris and Lexing- ton turnpike road company ; $30,500 stock subscribed at Paris, $13,000 at Lexington, $5,200 at Millersburg, $8,000 in Nicholas county, and $10,300 at Maysville beside what the latter had already done in build- ing the road as far as Washington.
Louisville Daily Journal established, by Geo. D. Prentice & Buxton.
Surveys for the proposed railroad from Lexington to Louisville show that the streets of Frankfort are 430 feet lower than Lexington, about 200 feet of this eleva- tion occurring within two miles of Frank- fort.
May 15-The bill authorizing a sub- scription of $150,000 stock in the Mays- ville and Lexington turnpike road com- pany passes the U. S. senate, by 24 to 18 ; senators John Rowan, Daniel Webster, and Josiah Stoddard Johnston, speaking and voting for it, and Geo. M. Bibb against it. It had passed the U. S. house of rep- resentatives, April 29, by ayes 102, noes 84. The south, outside of Kentucky, ex- cept one senator, votes against it.
May 27-Gen. Jackson vetoes the Mays- ville and Lexington turnpike road bill, mainly on the ground of expediency. Great feeling, and several public meetings, in northern Ky. in consequence.
June 4-155 steamboat arrivals at Mays- ville since May 1.
Population of Kentucky 687,917 - an increase of 22 per cent in 10 years ; whites 517,787, free colored 4,917, and slaves 165,- 213-an increase of slaves of 3013 per cent.
Aug. 2-John Reizer, a native of Hol- land, and a soldier in Wayne's army in 1794, dies in Mason county, aged 115 years. He refused to eat, in his last days, and lived between 30 and 40 days without eating one ounce of victuals, retaining his . senses and strength remarkably until his last moments.
Aug. 3-The mechanics give a public dinner to Henry Clay, at the Appollonian garden, in Cincinnati.
1831, Jan. 4, 5, 6-Fifteen ballots, on three days, for U. S. senator, when the election is postponed to next session. The highest votes respectively were, for John J. Crittenden 68, Richard M. Johnson 64, Charles A. Wickliffe 49, John Breathitt 66.
Jan. 15-State subscription of $50,000 to the Maysville and Lexington turnpike company.
May 10-Severe hail-storm, through parts of Mason, Bourbon and other coun- ties ; some hailstones two to three inches in circumference.
May 14-Lexington Observer newspa- per established, by Edwin Bryant and N. L. Finnell.
July 22- Tremendous rainstorm in northern Ky. ; great damage to towns, farms, mills, tanneries, and roads.
Aug .- Lewis V. Wernwag, of Harper's Ferry, Va., contracts to build the bridges of the Maysville and Lexington turnpike road, with one arch each ; those over John- son and Elkhorn creeks, 78 and 60 feet spans, with single passway, @ $14 per foot lineal, and those over North Fork and Hinkston, 80 and 120 feet spans, @ $21 and $29.
Sept. 8-Gov. Metcalfe issues his proc- lamation, convening the legislature Nov. 7, one month earlier than usual, to elect a UT. S. senator in place of Judge Rowan, whose term expired March 4, 1831.
Sept. 16-Curators of the Louisville Ly- ceum send to Gov. Metcalfe $100, to be paid as a premium for " the best theory of education, to be illustrated by the exami- nation of two or more pupils who have been instructed in accordance with its principles."
Oct. 22-First rail stone of the Lexing- ton and Ohio railroad laid at Lexington, with great ceremony, in the presence of & large concourse of citizens and strangers.
Nov. 8-Steam ferry-boat explosion at Louisville ; four persons killed.
Nov. 10-Henry Clay elected U. S. sen- ator, receiving 73 votes, to 64 for Rich- ard M. Johnson.
Dee. 2-Three-district system abolished, and electors for U. S. president and vice- president hereafter to be elected by gen- eral ticket .. .7 - Lexington incorpor- ated as a city .. .. 22-Lien law passed, for benefit of mechanics of Louisville. Ratio of representation in the house, for next four years, fixed at, 954 voters 23-Legislature, to encours ,, the publi- cation of Pirtle's Digest of the decisions of the court of appeals, subscribes for 500
1833
ANNALS OF KENTUCKY.
37
copies @ $8 75 each ($4,380 in all)-to be paid for upon delivery to the secretary of state.
Dec. 11-Ohio river frozen over, and re- mains so until Jan. 8, 1832 ; 9 steamboats, 3 at Cincinnati and 6 above, destroyed or greatly injured by the breaking up of the ice ; loss estimated at $500,000.
Dec. 19-Cineinnati water works burnt; great distress for want of water.
Dec. 31-406 steamboats and 421 flat and keel boats, 76,323 tons, passed through the Louisville and Portland canal, sinee Jan. 1, 1831, paying $12,750 toll.
1832, Jan. - James Guthrie, Samuel Gwathmey and Dan. McAlister, from Lou- isville, visit Indianapolis, and secure the incorporation, by the Indiana legislature. of a company to eonstruet a permanent bridge across the Ohio, at the falls ; a similar charter had recently passed the Ky. legislature.
Feb. 9-Greatest flood ever known in the Ohio river ; many of the towns entirely, and large portions of all of them partially, submerged, driving the inhabitants from their homes, and drowning some; many dwelling houses, stables, barns, onthouses and grainstaeks carried off, and immense loss of fencing, saw logs, plank, horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, eorn, hay, ete. Feb. 17, the river reached its greatest height at Maysville, but not until the 21st at Louis- ville.
Feb. 22 - Centennial anniversary of Washington's birth celebrated with great interest, all over Ky.
April - Consolidation of two leading newspapers at Lexington, as the "Lexing- ton Observer and Kentucky Reporter." .. .9-Burning of the steamboat Bran-
dywine, 25 miles above Memphis, bound for Louisville ; 61 lives, a number of them Kentuckians, known to be lost.
June 2-Steamboat Hornet capsized, in a gale of wind, in the Ohio river near Vaneeburg ; 16 persons drowned.
July 23-Steamboat Phoebus, the Mays- ville and Cineinnati packet, set fire to and | established ; Albert G. Hodges publisher. destroyed at the Cincinnati wharf ; 4 lives April -Great fire at Maysville. lost.
Ang. 8- Vote for governor: John Breathitt 40,715, Richard A. Buekner 39,- 473-maj. 1,242 ; for lieutenant governor, James T. Morehead 40,073, Benj. Taylor 37,491-maj. 2,582. Breathitt and Taylor were the "Jackson," and Buckner and Morehead the " Clay " candidates.
Aug. 18-Observed, by Gov. Metcalfe's proclamation, as a day of humiliation and prayer, in view of the approach of the cholera.
Oet .- Asiatic cholera visits Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, Maysville and other towns, generally very lightly in the num- ber of its victims.
Nov. 7-Vote for president and vicc- president in Ky. : Henry Clay and John Sergeant 43,0.9, Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren 36,290-majority 7,159; to which add 165, Clay's majority in Jes- samine county, not reported.
Dec. 31-453 steamboats and 179 flat and keel boats, 70,109 tons, passed through the Louisville and Portland canal sinee Jan. 1, 1832, paying $25,756 tolls.
1833, Jan. 31-Maysville incorporated as a city.
Feb. 2-Louisville Bank of Kentucky chartered . ....... $50,000 additional sub- scribed by the state in the Maysville and Lexington turnpike road company ........ The importation of slaves prohibited, ex- cept by bona fide cmigrants, or where they are willed to or inherited by residents ... .. The legislature adopts resolutions in favor of the Union, and condemning the nullifi- eation aets of South Carolina .... ... Severe
law against gambling Legislature hereafter meets on the last day of Deeem- ber, instead of the first Monday.
Pirtle's Digest of the decisions of the court of appeals issued.
Benefits of the " Education farmi," es- tablished in connection with Centre Col- lege, (to assist candidates for the minis- try through their college course, two hours labor per day reducing the cost to $60 per annum) extended to other stu- dents.
March-The bill offered by Henry Clay, to graduate the price of the publie lands, passes both houses of Congress, but is ve- toed by President Jackson ......... 3-Mr. Clay's compromise tariff bill passes the U. S. senate by 29 to 16 and the house of rep- resentatives by 149 to 48.
March 22-$1,150,000 stock in the Lou- isville bank subscribed in four days, two- thirds of it by eastern capitalists ........ Ken- tucky colonization society sends from Louisville to Liberia 102 manumitted slaves, from Logan, Adair, Bourbon, Fay- ette, Mercer, and other counties ; paying $2,300 for their passage in the brig Ajax from New Orleans, April 20.
April-Steam paper mill established at Maysville. Eight paper mills upon Elk- horn. within 10 miles of Frankfort .. ..... 9- Frankfort Commonwealth newspaper
April 13-The celebrated Indian chief Black Hawk (67 years of age), the prophet Neopope, Black Hawk's son, a young Fox chief, and a Sac chief, pass up the Ohio river, on the steamer Lady Byron, bound for Fortress Monroe-where they are de- tained until June, hostages for the good faith and peace of their people, defeated in the Indian war in Iowa, last year.
May 16 - Benjamin B. Prichard, of Montgomery county, leaves home in search of a physician who ean relieve him of su- perabundant flesh. He is 42 years old, 6 fcet one ineh high, and weighs 483 pounds ; his health is good ; he is quite communi- eative and intelligent.
May 30 to Ang. 1-The Asiatic cholera breaks out at Maysville, and spreads rap- idly through the state ; consternation and mourning everywhere. In Maysville 67 deaths, and about 60 in Mason county. In Flemingsburg 66, (47 whites, 19 blacks),
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38
ANNALS OF KENTUCKY.
1834.
Elizaville and vicinity 21; in Fleming county whole families (12 in one, 10 in another) were cut off within 48 hours, and consigned to one common grave with- out winding sheet or coffin. In Paris 73 deaths ( 40 whites, 33 blacks ), Millers - burg 78, Centerville 16, and many more in Bourbon county, 19 in one family. In Lex- ington, from June 1 to Aug. 1, 502 deaths (272 whites, 232 blacks), of which twenty- five were at the Lunatic Asylum. In Frank- fort 54. In Georgetown 48, and in Scott county 16 in one family. In Cynthi- ana and vicinity 47. In Mountsterling and Montgomery county 36. In Lancas- ter and neighborhood 120. In Lawrence- burgh and Anderson county 89. In Spring- field 80. In Greensburg 41. In Salem, Livingston county, 17. In Bardstown and Nelson county 40. In Danville 20, in one week. In Harrodsburg 18. Other places were similarly scourged ; Lou- isville so lightly that the people " hard- ly knew of its presence." Many points were devastated that were spared in 1832. Over 1500 persons were prostrated with it in Lexington, in nine days after its appearance ; some days, as many as fifty deaths. 76 letters of administration were granted at the Sept. term of the Bourbon county court, and more in Mason county than in the previous 12 months.
June 21-Steamboats Rambler, Sentinel, and Delphine burnt at the Louisville wharf.
Aug. 21-Robert P. Letcher receives 44 majority for congress, in the Danville dis- trict, over Thos. P. Moore; but Alfred Hocker, the sheriff of Lincoln county, car- ries off the poff books of that county, which gave 149 majority for Letcher ; and the re- maining sheriffs give the certificate of elec- tion to Moore.
Aug. 23-Personal rencontre, with pis- tols, in Louisville, between Geo. D. Pren- tice, editor of the Journal and Focus, and Geo. James Trotter, editor of the Ken- tucky Gazette, Lexington; neither ma- terially injured.
Sept. 16-Kentucky Association show of fine stock, at Lexington ; the judges, Hen- ry Clay, Jacob Hughes, Wm. P. Hume, James Renick, and Isaac Vanmeter, award 16 premiums.
Oct. 5-Rev. Benj. O. Peers, president of Transylvania University, travels over part of the state, delivering addresses at Danville, Lancaster Harrodsburg, Nichol- asville, and other places, on popular educa- tion, and stirring up an interest in the cause.
Nov. 6-51 teachers, from 18 counties, attend the Teachers' Convention at Lex- ington, organize " the Kentucky Associa- tion of professional teachers " with Mann Butler (the historian) as president, and appoint one to three influential gentlemen in each county " to promote the interests of education " therein. The next day, a general education convention was held in Lexington, 145 delegates present, among them many of the most able and influen- tial men in the state. A great impetus was given to the cause.
Nov. 13-Showers of shooting stars or small meteors, from 11 o'clock on Tuesday night, 12th, to broad daylight. Many fell directly to the earth, others obliquely or aslant, still others shot in a parallel direc- tion until their explosion without noise ; some made long streaks of light like nee- dles. Many persons described the scene as a storm of fire, others as snowflakes or trains of fire-the whole grand, sublime, and terrible.
Dec. 1-Medical college established at Louisville, under the charter granted to Centre College, at Danville ... .. Snow falls for two days, to the depth of 12 inches, in northern Ky., and still deeper towards Virginia; in Staunton, Va., it was 3 feet deep, the weight of snow break- ing down many barns and sheds ......... 31 -875 steamboats and 710 flat and keel boats, 169,885 tons, pay $60,737 toll for passing through the Louisville and Port- land canal since Jan. 1, 1833.
1834, Jan. 1-On the 16th ballot, Col. Richard B. New is elected speaker of the house of representatives over Col. Leslie Combs, 56 38. Gov. Breathitt's message recommends the establishment of a state bank, with four or five branches, and specie capital of $4,000,000, of which the state to take two-thirds. He says, about another matter :
"In looking into the archives of the state, I regret that many important docu- ments in relation to the political history of the Commonwealth are not to be found. It is believed that many have never been furnished ; indeed some of them have never been printed ; and that others were lost in the conflagration of the Secretary's office, some twenty years ago. Do we not owe it to ourselves and to posterity, to rescue from the oblivious hand of time important pa- pers, in which all should feel an interest ? It is a fact not generally known, that the people inhabiting the district of Kentucky had many meetings. Convention followed convention, for several years anterior to the final separation from the state of Vir- ginia. The journals of those conventions have never been printed, and perhaps but a single copy remains in the hands of a private gentleman. The journal of the convention of 1799, which formed our con- stitution, I find, also, in manuscript. We are proud of the name of Kentuckians. There is a laudable solicitude to know every thing in respect to our history. Those " pioneers of the west " werc a bold, patriotic, enterprising, and liberal people. Let us, at least. perpetuate their public acts in some durable manner, and be able to furnish a complete history of the pro- ceedings of the various public assemblies in connection with our government. I would, therefore, suggest the propriety of the appointment of a committee to make inquiries into the matter ; and that you direct the printing of such documents as may be regarded necessary to a perpetua- tion of our political history as a state."
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