ers at the town library,
April 17 and May 1, 1874, at 1 o'clock P. M.

DELIA A. CURTIS,
JOHN NICHOLS,
_S. S. Com. of Searsport._

Teachers will be expected to discountenance the use of tobacco
and intoxicating liquors, and to use their best endeavors to
impress on the minds of the children and youth committed to their
care and instruction a proper understanding of the evil tendency
of such habits; and no teacher need apply for a certificate to
teach in this town, the ensuing year, who uses either.

DELIA A. CURTIS.

DEAR JOURNAL: Aroostook, though occupying the extreme
northeastern portion of our good State of Maine, and still in the
blush of youth, is not behind her sister counties in recognition
of woman's fitness for office. The returns of town elections, so
far as I have yet seen, give three towns in the county which have
elected ladies[183] to serve as members of the school committee.

L. J. Y. W.
_Houlton, Maine._

In the autumn of 1874 the governor and council requested the
opinion of the Supreme Judicial Court on the following questions:

_First_--Under the constitution and laws of this State, can a
woman, if duly appointed and qualified as a justice of the peace,
legally perform all acts pertaining to that office?

_Second_--Would it be competent for the legislature to authorize
the appointment of a married woman to the office of justice of
the peace; or to administer oaths, take acknowledgment of deeds
or solemnize marriages, so that the same may be legal and valid?

The following responses to these inquiries were received by the
governor: the opinion of the court, drawn by Chief-justice
Appleton, and concurred in by Justices Cutting, Peters, Danforth
and Virgin; a dissenting opinion from Justices Walton and Barrows
and one from Justice Dickerson. The opinion of the court is given
below:

To the questions proposed we have the honor to answer as follows:

Whether it is expedient that women should hold the office of
justice of the peace is not an inquiry proposed for our
consideration. It is whether, under the existing constitution,
they can be appointed to