TRANSPORTATION. The eastern part of :Ne braska enjoys adequate railroad facilities, and three lines. the Burlington and Missouri River, the l Ilion Pacific, and the Fremont. Elkhorn and Missouri Valley, cross the State from east to west. The western part of the State has no north and -011111 lines. The principal era of eonstrue lion was in the decade 1ss0-90, during which the mileage increased from 1953 miles to 5407 miles.
There were in 19410 miles in operatiffil. is a State nrard of Railroad Commission ers. The :Missouri River is not used for purposes of navigation.
11A Nt< s. The first session of the Territorial Legislature in 1S55 pronounced currency bank ing a crime. and no banks were chartered. The necessity for currency. however, was such that insurance companies issued a disguised form of paper money. In 1850. under special charters, certain did a banking business. in spite of the laws to the contrary. The general panic of I157 swept all such institutions out of existence. For almost a decade all the haoldng business was performed by private banks; then national bank- began to he organized.
A considerable increase in the number of banks came about in ISsti, when the era of railroad building commenced. The number of State banks almost doubled in one year. and in the following decade (155)(-(1)1 increased in all 53 to 513. but diminished somewhat after the pallid. of 1593. The national banks during the same period in creased from 10 to 120. An act regulating banks was passed in 1859, establishing a State Banking Board. and providing for report, and examinations. In there were eight savings banks in Omaha, but only one existed in 1900. The following tilde ss compiled from the official reports of 1902: The Constitution forbids any bonded debts of over ::i50.0110 except in ease of war, but when the disbursements have exceeded the receipts. Slate tVa Prallk have been issued which drew interest. In 1s91 an act was passed the Legislature relating to registration of unpaid warrants. which practivally made them a bonded debt. Beside,, special relief bonds were authorized and so a funded State debt created which in 1594 amounted to more than $500,000. This honied debt, was paid out by 159:;, (lit December 1. 1902. the floating indebtedness of the State was hut the trust funds held so that the net 1111101f t•ilfiess was income for the pre ceding twenty•four no.nths was and
the expenditure- :0,925,315. The educational ex penditures eonstituted :11Inost two-thirds of the li..10..
4 :m URN itr NT. The present ('oast stn t ion was adopted in If three fifths of the members of each ]louse approve a proposed amendment, it is submitted to a vote of the people, and if ap proved by a majority of the electors voting, it liVelinies a part of the Constitution. Every male person of the age of twenty-one years and up ward who is a citizen of the United States, or has Ileelared his intention thirty days previous to an election to 11WC11111(' a citizen. and who is neither insane. an idiot. nor an unpardoned felon. shall be entitled to vote, provided he has resided in the State six months and in the minor dis tricts a term prescribed by law. Registration of is required by law in cities of over 3500 inhabitants. The State elections are held bien nially on the Tuesday after the first _Monday in November.
I,masi.Artve. The Constitution places a maxi mum limit on the Legislature of 33 Senators a ml MO Representatives. It meets biennially in odd numbered years on the first Tuesday in January. Eaeh member is elected for two years and re eeives $5 a day and mileage. but salary is al lowed for only sixty days at any one sitting. Unless at the request of the Governor. bills can not be introduced after the fortieth day of the session. The power of impeaclmient rests with the Senate and House in joint convention; the trial of impeachment, with the judges of the State district (quirts.
ExEctrivE. The Governor, Lieutenant-Gov ernor. See rotary of State. auditor, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction. Attorney General. and Commissioner of Public Lands and Buildings: each hold olliee for two years. The d;overnor's veto eNteM, to any item or items of appropriation bills. Ile has the usual pardoning, power. subjeet to legislative regulation.
The judicial power is vested in a Supreme Court, district courts, county courts, justices of the peace. police magistrates, and inferior courts created by la W fur cities and in corporated towns. The three Supreme Court judges are eleeted V the State at large for six years. The State is divided into six distriets, in each of which a district judge is elected for four Sears. The county judges are elected for two years.