Questions
Chapter I.
§1. What is the natural state of mankind?
§2. What renders them mutually dependent? By what means are they enabled to supply their wants?
§3. Why should every man labor for himself?
§4. What comes from this arrangement?
§5. How are the rights of men secured to them?
§6. What is law?
§7. For what else than society are mankind fitted by nature? Define moral.
§8. What is implied in man's having a moral nature?
§9. What qualities or faculties in mankind fit them for government and law?
§10. What is a state or nation?
§11. What is the object of forming state associations? What is meant by civil government?
Chapter II.
§2. Define the word right. May we do whatever we please?
§3. Why are rights called natural? Why inalienable? How may they be lost?
§4. What are personal rights? Define rights of person and right of property. State the distinction between personal rights and the rights of person.
§5. Define political rights. What particular rights are political?
§6. What are civil rights?
§7. Religious rights? What else are they called?
§8. Under what general term are the different rights embraced?
§9. What is liberty? Political, civil, and religious liberty?
§10. What is the difference between right and liberty?
§11. What does this example further explain?
Chapter III.
§1. Define law. By what names are laws distinguished?
§2. Define the law of nature.
§3. From what does the law of nature arise?
§4. What is meant by the moral law?
§5. Define political law.
§6. Define municipal. How are municipal or civil laws distinguished from political?
§7. Ought the divine law in all cases to be obeyed?
§8. Why then are human laws necessary?
§9. Can you give any other reason?
§10. What measure of love is due to the Creator and our fellow men respectively?
§11. What are the characteristics of this law of love?
Chapter IV.
§1. What were the earliest governments? Define patriarch.
§2. What was the government of the Hebrews called? Define theocracy.
§3. What is sovereign or supreme power?
§4. What is a monarchy? An absolute monarchy? A limited monarchy?
§5. A hereditary monarchy? An elective monarchy?
§6. A despotism? Define despot and tyrant.
§7. What is an aristocracy? Define the word
§8. What is a democracy? Define the word.
§9. What is a republic? Wherein do a democracy and a republic differ?
§10. What is a commonwealth?
Chapter V.
§1. What is the object of civil government? How is this object best secured?
§2. What is a constitution? By what name is it called?
§3. What is it's nature?
§4. By what authority is a constitution made?
§5. By whom is a constitution formed? What is the assembly called?
§6. How is a constitution adopted?
§7. How are the rights of the people secured by a constitution?
§8. What is the condition of the people in an absolute monarchy?
§9. Describe briefly the government of Great Britain. What political rights have the people?
§10. Of what does the constitution of Great Britain consist?
Chapter VI.
§1. By what are the qualifications of voters prescribed?
§2. Who are freemen?
§3. Why should none but freemen vote?
§4. Why is a term of residence required?
§5. Why are not aliens immediately allowed to vote?
§6. In what state do colored men vote?
§7. How are electors sometimes disfranchised? What is an infamous crime?
§8. What is said of property as a qualification?
Chapter VII.
§1. For what purpose is the territory of a state divided?
§2. What are the territorial divisions of a state called?
§3. When are state elections generally held?
§4. By whom are elections conducted? Define poll.
§5. Describe the manner of voting. Define ballot.
§6. Who may challenge voters?
§7. How and why are voters registered? Are they registered in this state?
§8. How is it determined what persons are elected?
§10. What is viva voce voting?
§11. What is an election by plurality? By majority?
§12. What objections are there to either of these models?
Chapter VIII.
§1, 2. What division of power is first mentioned? Give the distinction between the political and civil powers.
§3. What is said of political power in absolute and mixed governments?
§4. How is the civil power divided? What is the business of the legislature? How is a legislature constituted?
§5. What is the executive department? In whom is the power vested?
§6. What is the business of the judicial department? Of what does it consist?
§7. Can you give any reasons for this division of the civil power?
§8. How is the legislative power divided?
Chapter IX.
§1. Of what branches is a legislature composed?
§2. Why is only one called house of representatives?
§3. For how long terms are senators chosen? How long in this state?
§4. Why is the senate called upper house?
§5. How are senators apportioned? How in this state?
§6. How are representatives apportioned? For what terms elected? How apportioned, and for what term elected in this state?
§7. What is the general object of apportionment?
§8. How in an equal representation provided for?
§9. How often are enumerations made? How often in this state? Define census?
§10. What are the qualifications of senators and representatives in this state?
§11. How are vacancies filled in the senate?
Chapter X.
§1. How often do legislatures meet? How often in this state? What is meant by session?
§2. Where do legislatures meet? What is the place called?
§3. To what are members bound by their oath of office?
§4. How are the houses organized? What are the presiding officers called?
§5. What are their general duties?
§6. What other officers are chosen? and what are their duties?
§7. Define quorum. What number is a quorum in this state?
§8. Are the proceedings ever secret?
§9. What provision is made to prevent interruption?
Chapter XI.
§1. When is the governor's message communicated? What does it contain?
§2. In what other way are measures introduced?
§3. What is done to expedite business? How are committees appointed? and what do they do?
§5. Name some of the committees.
§6. What are standing committees? Select committees?
§7. How do committees discharge their duties?
§8. Wherein does the utility of committees appear?
§9. What is a bill?
§10. By whom, and how, are bills introduced?
§11. How often must a bill be read? When is it amended?
§12. After the second reading and amendment, what follows?
§13. Describe the proceedings on the final passage of a bill.
§14. How is it acted on in the other house?
§15. Why is a legislature divided into two branches?
§16. Why are bills submitted to the governor for his approval? Define veto.
§17. What if a governor refuses to sign a bill? Are bills presented to the governor in this state? If so, and he disapproves them, by what majorities must they be again passed? Within how many days is he to return bills in this state?
Chapter XII.
§1. For what terms are governors chosen? For what term in this state?
§2. What are the qualifications for governor in this state?
§3. What are his general powers and duties?
§4. In what cases has he power to grant reprieves and pardons? Define these words. What is commute?
§5. Are any officers in this state appointed by the governor? Is there a council?
§6. What are the duties of a lieutenant-governor? Is there one in this state?
§7. When he acts as governor, who takes the chair of the senate?
Chapter XIII.
§1. What assistant executive officers are there in this state? Are they appointed or elected?
§2. What are the duties of the secretary of state?
§3. Of an auditor or controller?
§4. Of a treasurer?
§5. Of what officers are sureties required?
§6. What are the duties of an attorney-general? Is there one in this state?
§7. The duties of surveyor-general? Is there one in this state?
§8. A superintendent of schools?
§9. What is the business of state printer?
§10. What other state officers are there?
Chapter XIV.
§1. For what reasons is a state divided into counties and townships?
§2. How large are townships?
§3. From what comes the name of county? Of shire, and sheriff?
§4. Define corporation. What powers have town and county corporations?
§5. In what officers are these powers vested? In whom in this state?
§6. What are the duties of a county treasurer?
§7. Of a register or recorder? Where are deeds, &c., recorded in this state?
§8. What are a sheriff's duties?
§9. What is the business of a coroner?
§10. Are there state's attorneys in the counties of this state?
§11. Is there a county surveyor?
§12. Are county officers elected by the people in this state?
Chapter XV.
§1. Into what are counties divided?
§2. What is done at the annual town meetings?
§3. What officers are elected? Are all there elected in the towns of this state?
§4. What are those officers called who direct town affairs? What in this state?
§5. What are the duties of a town clerk?
§6. What officers in this state have the care of highways? What is a poll-tax?
§7. By whom are the poor provided for? Are there county poor-houses in this state?
§8. The duties of constables?
§9. Of treasurer? Are there town treasurers in this state?
§10. The duties of fence-viewers?
§11. Of town-sealer?
Chapter XVI.
§1. Why is the incorporation of cities, &c., necessary?
§2. How are city charters obtained? Define charter?
§3. What are the principal city officers called? What inferior officers are elected?
§4. Are the citizens governed wholly by their own laws?
§5. What criminal court is peculiar to cities?
§6. What are village officers usually called?
§7. Illustrate, by example, the necessity of a village incorporation?
§8. Are corporations always formed by special laws?
§9. What is said of incorporated companies?
§10. What is peculiar in the nature of corporations?
§11. In what does a state differ from other government corporations?
§12. Wherein do all government corporations differ from incorporated business companies?
Chapter XVII.
§2. What is the business of the judicial department?
§3. If there were no courts of justice, what would be the result?
§4. What are the lowest courts called? Why? Define jurisdiction?
§5. To what extent has a justice jurisdiction?
§6. What are civil causes? Criminal? Misdemeanors?
§7. How is a suit in a justice's court commenced?
§8. How is a summon served?
§9. Describe the manner of joining issue.
§10. How are witnesses procured? and how is the issue tried?
§11. What if a defendant or plaintiff does not appear?
§12. How is judgment confessed?
Chapter XVIII.
§1. Why are juries instituted?
§2. What is a jury? A verdict?
§3. A venire?
§4. How are jurors kept during their deliberations?
§5. What is done if they agree? If they disagree?
§6. What is an execution? What if it is not satisfied?
§7. Is all personal property liable to be sold on execution?
§8. What is an attachment? In what cases is it used?
§9. How is it served?
§10. What if a party is dissatisfied with a judgment?
§11. What power have justices in cases of crime?
§12. How are offenders arrested and examined?
§13. How is the prisoner disposed of if the justice can not try him?
§14. Define recognizance and bail?
Chapter XIX.
§1. How are county courts constituted? How in this state?
§2. What causes are tried in them? What is appellate and what original jurisdiction?
§3. Name the courts of this state. What jurisdiction has a circuit court?
§4. What juries have county and circuit courts? What is an issue of fact? An issue of law?
§5. How are the jurors selected?
§6. What is the business of a grand jury? Of what number does it consist in this state?
§7. Describe the proceedings of a grand jury. What is an indictment?
§8. Why are grand juries instituted?
§9. By what instrument are grand juries required?
§10. What is the opinion of some on this subject?
§11. Is there a supreme court in this state? Describe it. Is there a higher court?
§12. How are suits commenced in county and other higher courts?
Chapter XX.
§1. What is the object of a court of chancery?
§2. Mention some of its powers.
§3. Are there separate and distinct chancery courts in this state?
§4. How are suits commenced and tried in these courts?
§5. What is the business of a probate court?
§6. What is a court of impeachment? Its business? What is an impeachment? By whom made?
§7. How is it done?
§8. Describe the mode of trial. What follows conviction?
§9. By what other modes are judicial officers removed?
Chapter XXI.
§1. How is money raised for government purposes? What is a poll-tax?
§2. What property is exempt from taxation? What is real, and what personal property?
§3. By whom, and how, is property valued? How in this state?
§5. Of what three items does the tax consist?
§6. How is it ascertained?
§7. Who in this state cause the tax-list to be made out, and order the taxes to be collected?
§8. To whom is the money paid when collected?
Chapter XXII.
§1. What is the proper object of government? How is it to be done?
§2. What is the effect of education upon a people? Of ignorance?
§3. Why should government provide the means of education?
§4. To what extent is this done? By what means?
§5. How is the deficiency in the income of the school fund supplied?
§6. How, and to what extent, are school funds provided in the new states?
§7. In what way, and to what extent, were the school funds increased in 1837?
§8. How are school moneys from the state treasury apportioned? How is the deficiency in the public moneys to pay teachers made up?
§9. Why are schools called district schools, and common schools? What officers are elected in districts?
§10. What is the state superintendent in this state called?
Chapter XXIII.
§1. What other duty does the government owe to the citizens?
§2. What portion of the people of a state are most favored?
§3. By whom are canals made? Is there such a public work in this state?
§4. Why should not the money to make them be raised by a general tax?
§5. How are funds sometimes provided for this purpose?
§6. For the want of such funds, how is the money obtained? How is it to be repaid?
§7. How is the business of borrowing done? What are state stocks?
§8. What renders the purchase of state stocks a safe transaction?
§9. By whom are canal affairs managed?
§10. What states are most noted for their canals?
§11. By whom are rail-roads usually constructed? Why is an act of incorporation necessary?
§12. What does the act provide?
§13. How is the capital, or stock, raised? What officers are chosen, and by whom?
§14. What is the nature of these certificates of stock?
§15. How do stockholders expect to be refunded? What are dividends? When are stocks at par? When above or below par?
Chapter XXIV.
§1. Where were the first banks? and whence is the name derived?
§2. By what authority are our banks established? How is the capital stock raised?
§3. How do business men deposit and draw out their money?
§4. What is a certificate of deposit? How is it made transferable? and convertible into money?
§5. Describe the manner of transmitting money through banks.
§6. How are banks repaid? What is saved to business men by this mode of remittance?
§7. Describe the operation of lending money by a bank.
§8. Describe a bank bill. What if a bank is unable to redeem its bills? How are bill-holders secured against loss?
§9. What is the nature of the free banking system?
§10. How does this law provide for the security of bill-holders?
§11. What is the business of insurance companies? What do they insure? Define policy-premium.
§12. Of what consist the profits of stock insurance companies? Show this by an example.
§13. How are companies enabled to fix proper rates of insurance? Is all property insured at the same rate? Why not?
§14. Describe the character of mutual insurance companies. How is money raised for paying losses?
Chapter XXV.
§1. What preparation is made for the public defense? What does the word militia include?
§2. For what other purpose may portions of the militia be wanted? Define insurrection and rebellion.
§3. Who are liable to do military service? Who are exempt by the laws of the states generally?
§4. Who by the laws of the United States?
§5. What military authority have the governors and the president? Why have they this power?
§6. How are persons dealt with for non-attendance and delinquency at parades?
§7. What are the duties of the adjutant-general?
§8. What is the business of a commissary-general? Is there one in this state? Define arsenal.
§9. What is done in the case of persons averse to bearing arms? Are any exempt in this state without commuting?
§10. What regulations exist in New York and Ohio?
§11. For what reasons is the drilling of the whole militia deemed unnecessary?
§12. What is your opinion of war? What is a better way of settling disputes between nations?
Chapter XXVI.
§2. What is there in our government that renders a knowledge of it important to the people?
§3. To what country were the American colonies subject? What is a colony?
§4. Whence did the people derive their rights and privileges? What was the form of the colonial governments?
§5. From whom did the officers derive their power? Were any elected? On whose approval did the laws finally depend?
§6. What was the effect of this upon the colonists? What was the object of the laws of parliament relating to the colonies?
§6, 7. What did some of these laws require?
§8. By what particular means did that government secure the colonial trade? Define duty.
§9. Explain the nature and effect of these duties.
§10. What right did parliament claim? What act was accordingly passed? What did the colonists do? What was the final result?
Chapter XXVII.
§1. When did the first continental congress meet? How were its members chosen? What great act did it do in 1776?
§2. What did it in November, 1777? When did the confederation go into effect?
§3. How did the union formed by it prove? What was the probable cause of its imperfections?
§4. What was its leading defect? Mention some instances of its weakness?
§5. What probably aided in inducng compliance with the ordinances of congress?
§6. What new difficulties arose after peace? What difficulty attended the laying of duties by the states?
§7. For what other purpose did congress need the power to lay duties? How had Great Britain secured the carrying trade?
§8. What other trouble arose from this imperfect union?
§9. How was this difficulty sought to be remedied?
§10. What was the result of the meeting at Annapolis?
§11. In what did the recommending of a convention result? How was the constitution ratified in the states?
§12. To give it effect, how many states must ratify? When were ratifications received from Rhode Island and North Carolina?
Chapter XXVIII.
§2. What is a confederacy? Was the confederation a union of people? or a union of states? From what does this appear?
§3. What is the union under the constitution? Where is this declared?
§4. What is said of the former independence of the states? What power has the general government acquired by the constitution?
§5. How did the equality of the states in the old congress appear? To how many delegates were they entitled? How did they vote?
§6. How are the states now represented? How do representatives vote?
§7. State the difference between the bodies that framed and ratified the two instruments respectively.
§8. Was the government under the confederation properly national? How does it appear that it was not? What change did the constitution effect?
§9. What early act of the constitutional convention shows the present government to be national?
§10. What departments of power were wanting under the confederation?
§11. Is the present government wholly national? Why not?
Chapter XXIX.
§1. Of what does congress consist? For what terms were members of the old congress appointed? Why has the term of a representative been extended to two years?
§2. What qualifications are required for voting for representatives? What reasons were there for this rule?
§3. What are the qualifications of a representative? Give the reasons for these qualifications.
§4. Give the rule of apportioning representatives and direct taxes.
§5. What made it difficult to agree upon a rule of apportionment? In what states did slavery then exist? Name the present slaveholding states.
§7. Upon what terms was the question of apportionment settled?
§8. Illustrate the rule by an example.
§9. How are the slave states benefited by this arrangement as to taxes?
§10. What do they gain as to representation?
§11. How is the number of representatives limited? How often is the ratio of representation fixed?
§12. Why has the ratio been from time to time increased? How is a representation secured to the smallest states?
§13. State the ratio and the number of representatives after each census.
§14. How is a state districted for choosing representatives? When are they chosen?
§15. How are territories represented?
Chapter XXX.
§1. How is the senate constituted? Upon what points did the convention differ? How was the matter settled?
§2. In what provision does the federative principle appear?
§3. In what is there a difference between the old congress and the senate?
§4. What reasons are offered in favor of a short term of office? What in favor of a long term?
§6. What is said in favor of the present term?
§7. Why were not the terms of all the senators made to expire at once?
§8. How are vacancies in the office of senator filled?
§9. Can an appointment be made before a vacancy actually happens? State a case.
§10. What reasons are there for the required qualifications of senators as to age, citizenship, and residence in the state?
§11. How do bills become laws after they have been vetoed by the president?