force Mayor Wood contended that the act that established it was unconstitutional, and refused to obey the law. Matsell supported the mayor, and the force divided itself into two factions. Matsell, with his municipal police, intrenched himself in the city hall, and on 16 June, 1857, he and his men repelled an attack of the metropolitans. A riot was prevented only by calling out the militia. An armistice followed, both sides agreeing to await the verdict of the court of appeals, which decided that the act was constitutional. On the reorgani- zation of the board of police in 1873 he was ap- pointed superintendent, also police commissioner, and was elected president of the board of police.
MATTA, Manuel Antonio (mat-tah), Chilian
statesman, b. in Copiapo in 1826, received his pre-
paratory education in the college of his native city,
and finished his studies in the German universities,
after which he travelled extensively through Eu-
rope and America. After his return to his native
country he began his public career in 1858 as
deputy for Copiapo to the National congress, and
in 1863 founded the daily paper " La Voz de Chili,"
of which he still (1888) continues chief editor. In
1865 he was appointed envoy to Columbia. Till
1874 he was steadily returned to congress from
Copiapo, where he was the acknowledged leader of
the Radical party, and considered one of the most
powerful orators of Chili. In 1874 he was elected
by congress councillor of state, and in 1876 he was
returned as senator from Copiapo for the term of
six years and elected president of that body. He
has also been twice a candidate for the presidency
of the nation. He has published several pamphlets
on Latin-American politics and some translations
of German poetry. — His brother, Guillermo,
Chilian poet, b. in Copiapo in 1829, received an ex-
cellent education, and in early life began a jour-
nalist's career. In 1859 he took an active part in
the political struggle that agitated the republic,
and was banished to Europe, where he remained
for two years. He was an editor of the '• Voz de
Chile " in 1863, and also became professor of phi-
lology in the University of Chili, and a member of
many literary and political societies. He was
deputy to congress for Copiapo in 1870 and 1873,
and in 1874 president of the chamber of deputies.
In 1882 he was appointed minister to Germany
and the pope. On his return to Chili he was
elected in 1886 senator for the province of Copiapo,
and in August, 1887. he was appointed minister
to the Argentine Republic. His works include
" Cuento endemoniado " and •' La Mujer misteri-
osa " (Santiago, 1853) ; legends, and a collection
of his other poems (2 vols., Madrid, 1858). Since
that time numerous compositions of his have ap-
peared in literary magazines, and a collection is in
preparation for publication (1888).
MATTACKS, John, governor of Vermont, b. in
Hartford, Conn.. 4 March, 1777: d. in Peacham,
Vt., 14 Aug.. 1847. His father was treasurer of
Vermont in 1776-1801. The son began the prac-
tice of law in Danville in 1797, but removed to
Peacham in 1798. He became eminent at the bar,
and served several years in the state legislature and
in the militia, of which he was brigadier-general
in the war of 1812-'15. He was elected to congress
as a Whig in 1820, served in 1821-'3, was defeated
at the next election, and returned in 1824, serving
in 1825-'7. He was judge of the superior court of
Vermont in 1833-'4. a member of the Constitu-
tional convention of 1835, and in 1841-'3 was for
the third time in congress, declining a re-election
to accept the office of governor, which he held in
1843-'4.
MATTESON, Joel Aldrich, governor of Illi-
nois, b. in Watertown, Jefferson co., N. Y., 2 Aug.,
1808 ; d. in Chicago, 111., 31 Jan., 1883. He received
a common-school education, engaged in business in
Canada, taught in Brownsville, N. Y., and in 1831
went to South Carolina, where he was foreman in
the construction of the first railroad in that state.
He settled in Illinois in 1834, served three terms in
the state senate, and became governor in 1852.
During his administration he did much to restore the
credit of the state and to liquidate its debt. While
in office he was an unsuccessful Democratic candi-
date for the U. S. senate. He took heavy contracts
for the construction of the Illinois and Michigan
canal, and. on the failure of the state to pay the
amount that was due him, he bought all the iron
that Illinois had on hand for public improvements,
and sold it again with such a profit that it enabled
him to pay all his debts. He was active in railroad
construction, was for several years president of the
Chicago and Alton railroad, and owned a control-
ling interest in banks in Joliet, Peoria, Quincy, and
Shawneetown, Ill.
MATTESON, Tompkins Harrison, artist, b. in
Peterborough, N. Y., 9 May, 1813 : d. in Sherbourne,
N. Y., 2 Feb., 1884. He was an enthusiastic stu-
dent of art from his boyhood, followed his profes-
sion under many difficulties, and learned its rudi-
ments from an Indian, who was famous for his
carvings and drawings. He began to paint por-
traits with some success in 1839, and was brought
into favorable notice by his " Spirit of '76," which
the American art union purchased. He then re-
moved to New York city and studied in the Na-
tional academy, of which he became an associate
in 1847. From 1851 until his death he resided in
Sherbourne. He was president of the Chenango
agricultural society in 1855, and a member of the
legislature. His works include " The First Sabbath
of the Pilgrims," " Examination of a Witch,"
" Perils of the Early Colonists," " Eliot preaching
to the Indians," " First Prayer in Congress," and
" Rip Van Winkle's Return from the Mountains."
He .exhibited " At the Stile " and " Foddering Cattle" at the National academy of design in 1869.
MATTHEWS, Brander, author, b. in New Orleans, La., 21 Feb., 1852. He was graduated at Columbia in 1871, at the law-school in 1873, and was admitted to the bar in the same year, but engaged in literature, at first turning his attention to the drama. He has contributed freely to periodicals, and has at times used the pseudonym " Arthur Penn." He was one of the founders of the New York authors club, and also took a conspicuous part in organizing the American copyright league and the Dunlap society. He has published "The Theatres of Paris " (New" York, 1880) ; " French Dramatists of the Nineteenth Century " (1881) ; " The Home Library," by Arthur Penn (1883) ; " In Partnership," with H. C.'Bunner (1884) ; " The Last Meeting " (1885) : " A Secret of the Sea " (1886) ; and " Pen and Ink : Essays on Subjects of More or Less Importance" (1888). His plays include "Margery's Lovers," a comedy, played at the London court theatre in 1884, and in New York, 1887; "A Gold Mine," a comedy, with George H. Jessop (Memphis, 1887) ; and '• This Picture and That," a comedy (New York, 1887). He has edited "Comedies for Amateur Acting " (New York, 1879) ; " The Rhymester," by Arthur Penn, and " Poems of American Patriotism " (1882) ; " Sheridan's Comedies," with a life of their author (1884) ; " Ballads of Books " (1886) : and " Actors and Actresses of Great Britain and the United States," with Laurence Ilutton (5 vols., 1886) ; and John Bernard's
