Returning, in the early days of the war, from a belligerent Germany, through a mobilized Switzerland and a partly mobilized Italy, to an America that was still unperturbed and unprepared, I revisited the famous Museum of Naples. In one of the central corridors, I noticed an ancient mural inscription, which I had doubtless seen before without appreciating its significance—an inscription of the time of Augustus: “To perpetual peace.” Thus even in warlike Rome, and more than nineteen centuries ago, after a series of wars that had shaken the then civilized world from the Alps to the African deserts and from the Pillars of Hercules to the Nile, as after every great war that has since devastated Europe, men's minds were turning with inextinguishable hope to the vision of a warless future.

In previous issues of this Review Professor Wambaugh and the late Judge McClain have summarized the decisions of the Supreme Court on constitutional questions from 1909 to 1914. It is the purpose of this and a succeeding paper to deal in like manner with the decisions of the last three years. Owing to the number of cases decided during the triennium, the writer must content himself with the rôle of annalist and refrain from assuming that of analyst. For the benefit of those who desire fuller comment or criticism, references are given to articles and notes in various legal periodicals discussing the more important cases.

Since the expiration of the October term of 1913, three changes have occurred in the personnel of the bench. Mr. Justice Lurton died July 12, 1914, and his successor, Mr. Justice McReynolds, took his seat October 12, 1914. Illness prevented Mr. Justice Lamar from participating in any of the decisions of the October term of 1915. He died on January 2, 1916. The commission of Mr. Justice Brandeis, who succeeded him, was not recorded until June 5, 1916, so that during the 1915 term only eight justices participated in the work of the court. Mr. Justice Hughes resigned June 10, 1916, to accept the Republican nomination for the presidency, and his successor, Mr. Justice Clarke, took his seat on October 9, 1916. The bench as at present constituted consists of Chief Justice White, appointed associate justice by President Cleveland and chief justice by President Taft; Mr. Justice McKenna, appointed by President McKinley; Justices Holmes and Day, appointed by President Roosevelt; Justices Van Devanter and Pitney, appointed by President Taft; and the three new justices appointed by President Wilson.

The Institute for Government Research is an institution incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia and wholly supported by voluntary private donations. It received its charter on March 13, 1916, and began active operations on October 1 of the same year. Its purpose as set forth in its charter is:

“To conduct scientific investigations into the theory and practice of governmental administration, including inquiries into the form of organization and the manner of operation of federal, state and local governmental bodies and offices in the United States of America; the powers, duties, limitations and qualifications of officers; the methods of administration employed; the character and cost of results obtained and the conditions affecting the efficiency and welfare of governmental officers and employees; to carry on such inquiries, directly or with the coöperation of governments, learned societies, institutions of learning or other agencies and individuals and to make public the results of its investigations; to maintain a library for the use of the society or its members and officers and those affiliated with its work; and to prosecute such other inquiries and perform such other services as may tend to the development and application of the principles of efficiency in governmental administration.”

The labor member of the Belgian ministry, M. van der Velde, has drawn a parallel between the Assyrian methods of deportation and those practiced by the Germans. An orientalist has developed this theme with chapter and verse citation. Whatever our sympathies in this present world catastrophe and however close we find the analogy, the episode has undoubtedly excited a certain amount of curiosity as to the methods used by the Assyrians in the government of their dependencies. To the more scientific student there must be great interest in a system which furnished the model to the Persians, to the Hellenistic rulers, to the Romans, and so to the modern systems of provincial government.

As in so many other phases of their civilization, the Assyrians built upon Babylonian foundations, and, as in so many other cases, the Assyrians profoundly modified what they took over. In truth, the Babylonian foundation was comparatively slight. At the beginning of Babylonian history we have the completely independent city state. As one conquered the other, there was no attempt at incorporation, and the patesi, who as vice regent of god on earth ruled the dependent state, was permitted complete autonomy, subject only to the payment of a small tribute and to certain acts which acknowledged foreign suzerainty.

In 1913 a Fusion committee of Republicans and independent Democrats nominated and secured the election of the recent New York City administration. Mr. Mitchel, the mayor, was elected by a large majority partly because of the death of one of his opponents, Mr. Gaynor, just before the election took place. It is probable that Mitchel would have been beaten but for this event. On November 6 last, the city voted to substitute for this Fusion administration one made up wholly of Democrats, and almost wholly of the nominees of Tammany Hall. Hylan, the Democratic candidate, received 297,000 votes; Mitchel, 149,000; Hillquit, Socialist, 142,000; and Bennett, organization Republican, 53,000. The ballot used was of the office group type, with party emblems. Twenty-two other offices, in addition to that of the mayor, were filled at the same election, and the voting for other offices seems to have been fairly consistent with the support of the candidates for the post of mayor. The form of the ballot does not seem to have had any appreciable effect on the result; and it is doubtful whether preferential voting in this case would have changed the result in a single case.

In the Boston mayoralty election on December 18, the reform element won, ex-Congressman Andrew J. Peters, formerly assistant secretary of the treasury, being elected mayor by a plurality of about 10,000 voters over Mayor Curley, his nearest opponent in a bitter three-cornered fight. The victory of Mr. Peters, regarded as a representative of the Back Bay and business elements of the city, was due in large measure to the strong run made by Congressman James A. Gallivan, who by his vigorous “anti-gang” campaign against Mayor Curley drew from the latter many votes which doubtless could not have been attracted to any candidate regarded as “high-brow;” he ran only 10,000 votes behind Mayor Curley.

At the November election in Baltimore, a charter commission was elected to revise the city charter, under the “home-rule” amendment to the constitution. The vote for a commission carried by about 30,000 to 16,000. The commission has six months in which to prepare a charter which must be then advertised and submitted to the voters at the November election this year.

Municipal ownership has made substantial progress in Texas during 1917. Among newer municipal undertakings which were initiated during the year are municipal slaughter-houses, municipal farms and municipal piers.

The twenty-fifth National Conference for Good Government, held at Detroit, Mich., from November 19 to 23, 1917, embraced a series of meetings and conferences of the National Municipal League, the City Managers' Association, governmental research agencies, civic secretaries and secretaries of state municipal leagues.