to time admitted citizens to their councils. This caucus, containing only members of the Legislature, did not, of course, represent those parts of the State in which the opposite party had been successful, and in 1817 these unrepresented parts in New York sent delegates to the caucus. Here was laid the foundation of the present system, but it was not fairly adopted even in New York until 1824, and by 1830 it was well established in most of the States. By 1835 the system, including the national conventions, was completely established. The first adoption of the system was by the Democratic party. Its opponents were slower in making use of it, and it was not until 1844 that the Whig party had a complete organization on this basis. The voters of a party in a town or election district hold a primary convention, as it is called, and this primary is the unit which is compounded into the county, State and national conventions of the party, each of these nominating the officers for its respective domain. The national conventions of both the Democratic and the Republican parties admit from each State two delegates for every electoral vote, but while the Republicans give a vote to two delegates from every territory, the Democrats do not. In Democratic national conventions every State votes as a unit, the will of the majority determining the choice of the State delegation, the vote of twothirds of the delegates being required to nominate. (It has never been determined whether two-thirds of all the delegates to the convention, or two-thirds of those present, is requisite.) In the convention of 1884 the opposition to Cleveland made strong efforts to break the "unit rule." In Republican national conventions every delegate votes as an individual merely, and a majority vote is sufficient to nominate. The only real attempt to introduce the "unit rule," or vote by States, was made in 1880, in the interest of Grant's nomination for a third term (his second term expired in 1877), but it failed. These rules have been adopted by convention. after convention, although their adoption by any subsequent convention is in no way assured.

The Territorial delegates, who are admitted in the Republican Convention but not in the Democratic, are chosen in the same way as a Congressional delegate.

Non-Importation.-An act of Congress prohibiting the importation of certain merchandise, or merchandise from specified countries, is known as a non-importation law. The chief one in our history was passed in April, 1806, forbidding the importation of certain articles produced by England or her colonies. It went into effect in November, but was soon suspended, and afterward the Embargo and Non-Intercourse Acts took its place. Non-Intercourse.- Congressional prohibition of commerce with a particular nation, or with particular nations, is called a non-intercourse law. On March 1, 1809, a Non-Intercourse Act was passed to take the place of the Embargo Act. It prohibited commerce with England and France, and forbade the entrance of vessels. of those nations or goods produced by them or their colonies. With several modifications it remained in force against Great Britain till the War of 1812.

Non-Interference, Doctrine of.-A name applied to the doctrine of Calhoun, that Congress had no right to interfere with slavery in the States and Territories. It is best explained by the following resolution, introduced in the national Democratic Convention of 1848, by William L. Yancey, of Alabama: "Resolved, That the doctrine of non-interference with the rights of property of any portion of the people of this confederacy, be it in the States or Territories thereof, by any other than the parties interested in them, is the true Republican doctrine recognized by this body." At that time it was rejected. The Kansas-Nebraska Bill, passed in 1854, is the first law countenancing this principle, notwithstanding the fact that this bill refers to the Compromise of 1850 as having recognized it.

North Carolina was one of the original States of the Union. A State convention passed an ordinance of secession on May 21, 1861, and by Act of June 25, 1868, the state was re-admitted. The capital is Raleigh. The population in 1880 was 1,399,750, and in the last

census (1890) 1,617,947. North Carolina has nine representatives in Congress and eleven electoral votes. It is a Democratic State in national politics. The two Carolinas were named after Charles II., of England (in Latin, Carolus). Popularly it is called the Old North State, the Tar State and the Turpentine State. (See Governors; Legislatures.)

Northeast Boundary.-The Treaty of 1783, between Great Britain and the United States, defined the northern boundary of the latter between the St. Lawrence and the Atlantic. For nearly sixty years, however, the meaning of the language used was in dispute, especially as to the "highlands" and the true source of the Connecticut River. Commissioners appointed under Jay's Treaty of 1794 helped to settle some of the boundary marks, but the question remained unsettled, as a whole, despite efforts made in 1803, in 1814 by the Treaty of Ghent, in 1827 and in other years. By the convention of 1827, the matter was referred for arbitration to the king of the Netherlands, but his award, rendered in 1831, was accepted by neither nation. In 1838 and 1839 there were some hostilities on the border (called the Aroostook disturbance), Maine sent armed men thither and erected forts, and Congress authorized the President to resist encroachments of British subjects. General Scott, however, arranged for a truce and a joint occupation. Great Britain finally appointed Lord Ashburton to settle the matter with our government, and he concluded a treaty (see Ashburton Treaty) with Daniel Webster, then Secretary of State, on August 9, 1842. This treaty fixed the boundary line favorably to British claims on the whole, though New York and New Hampshire gained some territory. Maine and Massachusetts were to be compensated by the United States for territory given up, grants of land in the disputed region were confirmed and the navigation of the St. John River was made free for people of both nations. Much popular indignation was felt in this country at the yielding of any portion of our claims.

Northwest Boundary.-Russia, Spain, Great Brit

ain and the United States have each at one time or another laid claim to part or all of the territory lying west of the Rocky Mountains and between latitude forty-two degrees north, the present northern boundary of California, and fifty-four degrees, forty minutes north. This whole region was known as Oregon. Russia withdrew her claims to the territory south of fifty-four degrees, forty minutes (the present southern limit of Alaska) by a treaty with the United States of 1824 (ratified by our government January 11, 1825), and by a treaty with Great Britain of February, 1825. The claim of Spain passed to France by treaty, along with the region known as Louisiana in 1800, and was transferred to the United States in 1803 by the purchase of Louisiana. (See Annexations I.) Spain still held what is now a part of our Pacific coast, but by the treaty of 1819 (ratified by Spain in 1821) she named the latitude of fortytwo degrees as the northern limit of her territory. (See Annexations II.) Great Britain and the United States were now the only claimants to Oregon. Both based their claims on discovery, exploration and occupation. Great Britain, however, showed a willingness to compromise on the Columbia River as the boundary, while the United States would not entertain the thought of compromise short of the forty-ninth degree. At the same time our government claimed as far north as the headwaters of the Columbia, in about latitude fifty-two degrees, and a strong popular opinion prevailed that the territory up to fifty-four degrees forty minutes belonged to us. This was probably caused by the terms of the treaty with Russia, which of course had no force as between this country and Great Britain. The Treaty of Peace of 1783, which closed the Revolution, settled our northern boundary as far west as the Mississippi, which was at that time the western limit of our territory. After the purchase of Louisiana, the convention of 1818 between England and the United States carried the boundary as far west as the Rocky Mountains, along the forty-ninth parallel of latitude, leaving the region west of those mountains open to joint

occupation for ten years. A convention, ratified by the United States in April, 1828, continued this joint occupation indefinitely, providing, however, that either nation might terminate the arrangement by a year's notice. The yielding to British claims as to the Northeast Boundary (which see) by the Treaty of 1842, led to a popular desire, especially marked in the Democratic party, to enforce our extreme claims in the northwest, and gave rise to the political cry of "fifty-four forty or fight." In the latter part of Tyler's administration (1844-45) Calhoun, then Secretary of State, had made an offer to accept the forty-ninth degree as the boundary, which a calm view of the facts seems to show was the utmost the United States could rightfully claim. England, however, insisted on the Columbia River from the forty-ninth parallel to the Pacific. On Calhoun's refusal an arbitration was proposed, which was also declined. A strong war feeling was now aroused in Great Britain, to avoid the consequences of which Polk's Secretary of State, Buchanan, in July, 1845, again offered to accept the forty-ninth parallel. This was refused by England and also withdrawn by Buchanan, because of the indignation aroused in this country at the thought of yielding. Congress debated the matter and advised giving the notice necessary to terminate the joint occupancy, which was done. Great Britain was avowedly making war preparations. Finally, however, in June, 1846, the British ambassador made an offer to accept as the boundary the forty-ninth parallel, as far as the channel between Vancouver's Island and the mainland, and from that point a line through the middle of that channel and the Strait of Fuca to the Pacific. Both nations were to have free navigation of the channel and the Columbia River. By the advice of the Senate ratifications were exchanged to a convention on this basis on July 17, 1846. The Treaty of Washington, 1871, provided for the decision by the Emperor of Germany of a dispute which had arisen under the settlement of 1846. The United States claimed the Canal de Haro as the channel through which the boundary was to run, while