Pictures of, 4769, 7458. Port of entry in, establishment of, recommended, 5484. Privileges of hunting, trading, and Report of governor of, 4975. Seal islands in, sale of, recommended, Survey of coast of, urged, 8019. Territorial Government recommended for, 7911. Alaska Salmon Commission, mentioned, 6934. Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. - For the purpose of exploiting the resources and potentialities of the Alaska and Yukon territories and to demonstrate the progress of the western parts of the United States and Canada, as well as to foster the trade of the countries bordering on the Pacific, an international exposition was held at Seattle, Wash., from June 1, to Oct. 15, 1909. Eleven exhibition palaces were built on the Campus of the University of Washington (a tract of 225 acres). The ex penses preliminary to opening were $10,000,000. The funds were raised by appropriations by the federal government, the State of Washington and the City of Seattle. Albania.-An extensive tract of the western littoral of the Balkan Peninsula, from the southern frontier of Montenegro to the northern frontier of Greece. Within these limits are included an area of close 22,000 square miles, with a population of three to three and a half million persons. Of this area about 12,000 square miles have been absorbed by Servia, Greece, and Montenegro, leaving the area of the autonomous portion at about 10,000 square miles, with a population of 2,000,000, of whom about 1,200,000 are Albanians and the remainder principally Serbs, Bulgars and Greeks. on History.-Albania was governed by native rulers until the close of the thirteenth century, when the Kingdom of Albania was formed by the Sicilian House of Anjou. This kingdom was perpetually at war with Servia, and for many years with Venice, until the advance of the Mohammedan forces extinguished the independence of the kingdom in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. From 1571 to 1913 Albania was under Turkish rule, forming the vilayets of Scutari and Jannina and the western portions of the vilayets of Kossovo and Monastir. The Balkan Wars of 1912-13 were nominally caused by the desire of the Allied States (Bulgaria, Servia, Montenegro and Greece) to free the Albanians from Turkish misrule, and one of the pretexts of the first war was the inability of Turkey to cope with the Albanian risings. By the Treaty of London (May 30, 1913), the Ambassadors of the assembled Powers agreed upon the principle of an autonomous ers Albany Convention.-One of the important predecessors of the Continental Congress and among the first definite steps taken toward national union. Upon a call issued by the Lords of Trade, commissionfrom the Colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, met at Albany, N. Y., on June 19, 1754, to arrange a treaty with the Six Nations of Indians. Benjamin Franklin proposed and the convention adopted a plan for colonial union. It provided for à president-general of all the Colonies, with veto power, and a grand council to be composed of from two to seven delegates from each Colony, chosen by assembly for a term of three years each. This grand council was to be authorized to equip forces for the common defense of the Colonies and to levy taxes for their maintenance and have control of all Indian affairs. The plan was rejected by the Crown because it gave too much power to the Colonies. Albany Regency.-A combination of politicians of the Democratic party. Prominent among these were Martin Van Buren, William L. Marcy, John A. Dix, and Silas Wright. This combination was, it was charged, organized to manage and control that party in New York State from about 1820 to 1855, Their organization was quite thorough and complete, and its success was mainly due to this fact. A majority of those in the combination resided in Albany or operated from that city. The name arose from this circumstance. Albemarle, The.-A Confederate iron-clad ram built on the Roanoke River, below Weldon, N. C., in 1863. She was destroyed with a torpedo by Lieut. W. B. Cushing on the night of Oct. 27, 1864 (3457). Before her destruction she did much damage to vessels of the United States. In 1867, she was raised, towed to Norfolk, and sold. Albemarle, The: Destruction of, 3457. Referred to, 6306. Engagement of, with the Sassacus referred to, 3411. Albion, The, seizure of, referred to, 2636. to render the currency of the United States more elastic by placing it within the power of the national banks to transform all suitable available assets into money in response to any financial emergency. The purpose of the law was to prevent panics, and was the direct result of the financial stringency of 1907. The law provided that the Comptroller of the Currency, who has governmental supervision over the national banks, shall cause to be printed and kept on hand at all times a special issue of currency amounting to 50 per cent. of the combined capital stock of all the national banks. To secure a portion of this emer gency bank note issue a bank must be a member of a currency association formed by at least ten banks having a combined capital of not less than $5,000,000. State, county or municipal bonds, commercial paper or other valuable and readily convertible assets may be used as security, provided it first secures the approval of the association and the government. If the securities are acceptable the currency is immediately forwarded to the bank. It was superseded by the Glass-Owen currency law of 1913 (q. v.). Aleutian Islands.-A chain of about 150 islands extending from the western extremity of Alaska near the continent of Asia. The area is about 6,000 square miles. The inhabitants, a half-civilized and declining race, about 2,000 in number, are variously regarded as of Asiatic or American origin. Their trade is chiefly in fish and furs. The islands belong to the United States by reason of the acquisition of Alaska. They were discovered by the Russians about the middle of the eighteenth century. Alert, The, convention, between Nicaragua and Costa Rica signed on, 6325. (See also Greely, A. W.) Alexander Archipelago Forest Reserve, proclaimed, 6697. Alexandria, Va.: Act incorporating church in, vetoed, 474. Blockade of port of, removed by proclamation, 3371. British retreat from, 582. Court-house in, unsafe and new one Retrocession of, to Virginia by proc- Alfalfa.-A leguminous fodder plant, native to the valleys of Central Asia. It has been cultivated in Europe for more than 2,000 years, and was introduced into Mexico and South America at the time of the Spanish conquest. In 1854 it was brought from Chile to California, whence it spread rapidly over the Pacific and Rocky Mountain states, where it is now more extensively grown than any other forage crop. The word alfalfa is derived from the Arabian and comes to us through the Spanish language. It is interpreted to mean "the best feed." It is also known as lucerne. The plant is an upright branching perennial, one to three feet high, with triple parted leaves and irregular purple flowers, which grow in loose clusters like pea flowers. On loose, permeable soils the roots frequently descend to ten or twelve feet. It grows best on rich, sandy, well-drained loams of a calcareous nature, and does not succeed on damp soil or tenacious clay. Two years are required thoroughly to establish a field, but when once established the plant endures many years. The crop is cut when the plants are com ing into bloom, and again from two to six times, according to the length of the season. The ordinary annual yield varies from three to eight tons of dry hay per acre. Green or cured hay is relished by all farm animals, and is used both for fattening and milk production. Statistics of production gathered by the Census Bureau show that in 1909 there were 4,702,202 acres devoted to alfalfa in the United States, from which 11,849,998 tons of hay was cut and 259,586 bushels of seed gathered. Algeciras Convention.-At a conference of the Powers at Algeciras, Spain, Jan. 16 to April 7, 1906, France and Spain were commissioned to maintain order on the Moroccan coast. The town lies on the west side of the Bay of Gibraltar, seven miles from Europa Point. The convention was called in response to many complaints by Europeans and Americans that treaty rights were not respected by the Moors, and that life and property of foreigners were unsafe in Morocco. It was participated in by United States, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Spain, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia and Sweden. The treaty was published Jan. 22, 1907. (See Treaties.) Before the end of the year French troops were landed at Ujda and Casablanca. Jan. 11, 1908, the religous authorities of Morocco deposed Abdel Aziz and proclaimed his brother Mulai Hafid Sultan. His embassy to Berlin was refused recognition without consent of the Powers. (See Morocco.) Algeciras Convention, ratification urged, 7062. on the Its It Algeria.-A French possession north coast of Africa, about 343,500 miles in area and containing a population of about 5,600,000. This includes the acquisition since 1901 of some 250,000 square miles of territory on the south. The chief native people are Berbers and Arabs. capital and principal city is Algiers. comprises the ancient country of Numidia and a portion of Mauritania. For many centuries it harbored a band of corsairs, who haunted the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean as far as the North Sea, preying upon the commerce of all nations which refused to pay them tribute. To pay this tribute deemed wiser by many European powers Followthan to wage war against them. ing the examples of other nations, the United States signed a treaty in 1795, agreeing to pay the Dey $1,000,000 for the ransom of American captives and promising an annual tribute (see pages 115, 174). was Algeria made war against the United States in 1815. Commodore Decatur, with ten vessels, sailed against the Dey and met with such success that he was enabled to exact indemnity from the Dey himself, and also a treaty renouncing all claim to tribute, presents, or ransoms, and a promise not to reduce prisoners of war to slavery (see page 547). France has since reduced Algeria to the dominion of her Government, organizing it as a colonial possession in 1834, of which it is now the most important. The chief resource of the country is agriculture. Since 1870 there have been a number of extended revolts; and in recent years the country has suffered from serious anti-Jewish agitations. (See also Africa.) Algeria: Consuls of United States in, 169, 380, 506. Banished, 503. Change in pay of, 1318. Powers of, should be increased, 238. Declaration of war against, recom- Hostile attitude of. toward United in, 80, 90, 115, 140, 169, 192, 197, Referred to, 144, 145, 202. Annulled by Algeria, with alterna- Tribute to be paid by United States War with United States. (See Alger- Algerine War.-The countries on the Mediterranean coast of Africa, from Egypt to the Atlantic, namely, Morocco, Algeria, Tunis and Tripoli (which are known collectively as the Barbary Powers) had been in the habit of preying on the commerce of nations that refused to pay a tribute to them. Shortly after the Revolution the operations of these pirates were directed against our commerce, to protect which treaties purchasing immunity by the payment of yearly tribute were negotiated with the Barbary States-in 1786-1787 with Morocco, in 1795 with Algiers, in 1796 with Tripoli, and in 1799 with Tunis. In 1812 Algiers declared war against the United States. As soon as the war then commencing against England had been brought to an end, our government turned its attention to Algiers. The Algerian war was short and decisive. In the spring of 1815 Commodore Decatur was sent with nine or ten vessels to chastise the pirates. In June he captured the largest of their frigates, and soon after took another vessel. He then dictated a treaty to the Dey of Algiers, which was signed June 30, 1815, relinquishing all claims to tribute in the future. Algerine War (see also Algeria): Declaration of war by Congress rec- Dey of Algiers begins war against Information of amicable settlement, Termination of, 547. Threatened by Algiers, 560. Treaty of peace concluded, 554, 679. Algonquin Indians. (See Indian Tribes.) Alien and Sedition Laws.-Two important acts of Congress passed by the Federalists in 1798. Their importance consists not so much in their essential character and the fact that they largely caused the downfall of the Federalist party as in their position in American history as a landmark beyond which it is unsafe for the law-making power to go. During the French Revolution American feeling was high and bitter. Many public speakers and writers openly advocated Intervention by the United States in favor of the one side or the other,_denounced the neutral attitude of the Government as cowardly and ungrateful, and heaped invectives upon the Administration. The fact that many of the newspapers in which the Government was so bitterly assailed were in the hands of foreigners, had much to do with the passage of the alien act. This law authorized the President to order out of this country all such aliens as he might judge to be dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States or engaged in plotting against them. The sedition act provided heavy fines and imprisonment for any person who should conspire to oppose the United States Government or laws, or who should print or publish any false, scandalous or malicious writings against the Government, Congress, or the President intended to bring disrepute or hatred upon them or to stir up sedition. These laws were regarded by the Republican party of that day as unconstitutional and were denounced by the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions as subversive of the liberty of speech and the press. They expired in 1800 and 1801 respectively. (See also Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions.) Alien Contract Law, amendment of, recommended, 6348, 6455. Alien Laborers discussed, 6065. Abduction of foreigners claiming protection of United States should be made a crime, 2550. Allegiance of, to Government dis cussed and orders regarding, 3318. Claims of, court to try, recommended, 4191, 4243, 4297, 4360. Liability of, to perform military dutyDiscussed, 3381. Proclaimed, 3369. Number of, employed in Executive Departments, report on, transmitted, 6102. Offenses against treaty rights of, should be cognizable in Federal courts, 5618. Allatoona (Ga.), Battle of.-In the hope of drawing Gen. Sherman's army out of Georgia, the Confederates, 36,000 strong, under Gen. Hood, threatened his railroad communications with Nashville. Oct. 5, 1864, a division of Hood's infantry appeared before Allatoona Pass, where were stored about 1,500,000 rations. The post was held by Col. Tourtelotte, who was re-enforced by Gen. Corse, thus increasing the Union force to 1,944 men. The attack was made on the 6th. The conflict lasted from 8:30 A. M. until night, when the Confederates withdrew, leaving 231 dead and 411 prisoners. Corse lost 707 men and was himself wounded. Hood crossed the Coosa Allegiance.-According to Blackstone, al- Allegiance, Oath of, army officers di- Almirante Oquendo, The, mentioned, Alsop Case.-The Alsop case, which was Alta Vela Island (Santo Domingo), claim of citizens of United States to Altamaha River, canal from Tennessee Amazon River. (See also Brazil. Physi- Explorations of, by officers of Navy, Free navigation of, desired, 2744. Opened to commerce, 3776. Ambassador.-This term was long errone- Elevation of missions of- Great Britain, France, Italy, and Official residences for, recommended, Ambuscade.-1.-Ambush. 2.-A guarded Ambush.-A hiding place. (See Ambus- Amelia Island.-A small island off the of Florida, between St. Mary's and Colonial governments not responsible for unlawful conduct of persons in, 601. Governor Mitchell ordered to restore, to the Spanish, 493. Possession of Inquired into, 620. Taken by Gen. Matthews, 492. Unlawful expeditions to, discussed, 582, 590, 592, 601, 609, 620. Amendments.-One of the chief defects of the original Articles of Confederation was that they could only be amended by the unanimous consent of the thirteen States. Three needful changes having failed of ratification, a convention was called in 1787 to consider amendments. The result of the deliberations of this convention is the present Constitution, which provides for amendments in the following words: "The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several States, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which in either case shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided," etc. (Art. V. 25.) (1) Many amendments to the Constitution have been proposed, but only seventeen have been ratified. They relate to freedom of speech, the press, and religion; (2) right to establish State militia; (3) quartering of troops in private houses; (4) security against unreasonable search and seizure; (5) capital crime; (6) criminal prosecutions; (7) trial by jury under common law; (8) forbidding excessive ball or fines and cruel and unusual punishment; (9) relation of constitutional to natural rights; (10) powers reserved to the States; (11) suits of non-residents against States In Federal courts; (12) election of President and Vice-President; (13) slavery; (14 and 15) abridgment of the franchise, etc., by States; (16) taxes on incomes; (17) election of senator by direct vote. The first ten of these amendments were submitted to the several State legislatures by a resolution of Congress which passed on Sept. 25, 1789, at the first session of the First Congress, and were ratified by a sufficient number of States on or before Dec. 15, 1791. The eleventh amendment was declared adopted Jan. 8, 1798; the twelfth Sept. 25, 1804: the thirteenth Dec. 18, 1865; the fourteenth July 28, 1868; the fifteenth March 30, 1870: the sixteenth, Feb. 25, 1913; the seventeenth, May 31, 1913. The sixteenth amendment is as follows: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration. The seventeenth amendment is as follows: 1. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State Legislatures. 2. When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the Legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointment until the people fill the vacancies by election as the Legislature may direct. 3. This amendment shall not be so construed as to effect the election or term of any Senator chosen before it becomes valid as part of the Constitution. Amendment, Constitutional: Proposed by Johnson, 3840, 3889. America. The entire Western Continent or grand division of the world, including North, Central, and South America and the adjacent islands. It was named in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, an early explorer, whose accounts of the country received wide publicity. It was visited by Norse navigators as early as about 1000 A. D.. and there are myths of Chinese and Irish discoveries, but it was not until after its discovery by Columbus in 1492 that it became generally known to Europeans. In a treatise on the new country published in 1507, called Cosmographie Introductio, by Waldseemüller, a teacher of geography in the college of St. Die in the Vosges, the name of American was proposed. (See North America and South America.) America, Four Hundredth Anniversary of Discovery of: Celebration of. (See Madrid, Spain; World's Columbian Exposition.) Observance of, enjoined by proclamation, 5724. American Committee on War Finance. (See Peace Societies.) American Continentals.-Uniformed patriotic corps composed of descendants of officers and soldiers of the War of the Revolution. The staff headquarters and offices of the Adjutant are Drexel Building, Wall and Broad Streets, New York. American Cross of Honor.-This life-savIng order was organized A. D. 1898, and is composed of persons upon whom the United States Government has conferred the lifesaving medal of honor. May 1, 1906, Congress incorporated the order, and the following officers were elected: Thomas H. Herndon, President; John J. Delaney, VicePresident; Harry A. George, Secretary, and Richard Stockton, Treasurer. All persons who have received the life-saving medal of honor under any act of Congress are eligible to membership in the order. No membership fees or annual dues are collected from any member of this order, only voluntary contributions being received to assist in paying the current expenses. The cross of the order will be conferred annually upon the person who has rendered the most heroic service in saving life and who, also, has received the medal of honor of the United States Government. American Federation of Labor. (See Trade Unions.) American Flag Association.—Organized Feb. 17, 1898, its motto being, "One Flag, One Country, God over all." Its object is to secure National and State legislation for the protection of the flag from degrading and desecrating uses, and to secure a general observance of June 14 as "Flag |