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 penitentiary, referred to them by the Governor, the warden, or physician. To this board all application for pardon shall be referred. The members of the board are sworn before entering upon the duties of their office, and can recommend the pardon of any convict without petition. They hold their office at the pleasure of the Governor.

LOUISIANA.

I am informed by my honored friend of the General Council from Louisiana, that no session of the legislature of that state has been held during the past year.

MAINE.

A session of the Legislature of Maine was held during the past year, but my brother from Maine on the General Council writes:

"I am happy to say, that for once the legislature of this state refrained from making any great changes in the statutes. Perhaps the explanation is, that a careful revision of the entire body of the statute law had been made the session before."

One or two enactments I think should be referred to.

One act provides, that persons obtaining a discharge in insolvency are exempt from arrest, or imprisonment, on the suit of creditors residing without the State, whose demands were in existence at the date of the commencement of the proceedings in insolvency.

Another: In criminal cases courts may, on application of defendants, issue commissions for taking the deposition of a material witness.

An act relating to the appointment of administrators in cases where wills have been lost, or destroyed, in estates interested in the French spoilation claims, authorizes the judge of probate, having jurisdiction, on petition to appoint a special administrator to prosecute the claim of such estate in the