Blount, James H

born in 1837, of Georgia, was elected a Democratic Representative in Congre from 1873 to 1893. In March, 1893, he was appointed Special Commi ioner to investigate affairs in Hawaii and the conduct of American officials there in connection with the then recent revolution in that government. In May he was appointed Minister to the Hawaiian Islands, but returned in the autumn. - ‘‘Bine Laws.’’ At the second stated meeting of the newly-formed General Court of New Haven, held in that town in April, 1644, it was ordered that ‘‘ the judicial laws of God, as they were delivered by Moses,’’ should be considered binding on all offenders and should be a rule to all the courts of the jurisdiction, ‘‘ till they be branched out into particulars hereafter.”” These provisions have developed the current notions of New Haven’s Criminal Code, and these notions have been greatly aided by the absurd code of ‘‘ Blue Laws,’’ published in a history of Connecticut by the Rev. Samuel Peters, an ingenious and highly unreliable writer. Here are specimens of the Blue Laws sometimes quoted: ‘“No one shall run on the Sabbath day, or walk in his garden, or elsewhere, except reverently to and from meetixg.’’, ‘* No woman shall ki her child on the Sabbath or fasting day.” “« No one shall read Common-prayer, keep Christmas or saints’ days, make minced pies, dance, play cards, or play on any instrument of music except the drum, trumpet and jews-harp.”” Blue Lights. During the second war with England, Decatur made several attempts on dark nights to escape from the blockaded port of New London (1813). He declared that his failure was due to signals of blue lights flashed from the shore to warn the British. This led to the opponents of the war being stigmatized as ‘‘ Blue-light Federalists,” Blue Lodges, a secret pro-slavery order in Western Mi ouri, formed about 1854 to aid the Southern mi ion work of establishing slavery in Kansas. In March, 1855, they cro ed the Mi ouri and forcibly deposited their ballots for the pro-slavery candidates, Board of Admiralty, organized by the Continental Congre , October 28, 1779, from the earlier and more numerous Marine Committee. It consisted of two members of Congre and five others and had charge of all naval and marine affairs, It was abolished February 7, 1781, upon the creation of the Secretary of Marine. 85