KENTUCKY. 



4M 



Tho school revenue of the State amounts to 

 $770,289.50, and the number of children en- 

 benefits is 300,118. This allows 

 iilxiut $2 per year for each child. 



Legislature which met on the 6th of 

 December, 1809, at Frankfort, continued in 

 session until the 22d of March, 1870, and then 

 u<ljourned to the 4th of the following January. 

 This was the regular biennial session of the 

 nil Assembly, which is limited by law 

 to sixty days, unless extended by a two-thirds 

 of both Houses. Such extension was 

 voted, and the actual number of days of the 

 session was upward of eighty. During this time 

 nearly 900 bills and resolutions were passed, 

 but very few of them were measures of im- 

 portance. Although the Legislature at a for- 

 mer session had refused to ratify the fifteenth 

 amendment of the Federal Constitution, the 

 (jiiostion was brought up again and referred to 

 the Committee on Federal Relations, who re- 

 ported adversely upon it. Their report M r as 

 approved by a large majority. 



The bill for imposing an additional tax of 

 15 cents on every $100 of taxable property in 

 the State for the benefit of the Common School 

 Fund, which had been before the Legislature 

 at the previous session, was now passed. It 

 contains the following provisions : 



Tho additional tax imposed by this act, and the 

 taxes and assessments for common-school purposes 

 imposed by acts heretofore passed, shall be levied 

 and collected of the property of white persons only. 

 The revenue arising from the Common School Fund 

 heretofore created, and that arising from the taxation 

 imposed by this and all previous acts, shall bo 

 expended for the education of white children ex- 

 clu*ively. 



The act entitled "An act for the benefit of the 

 negroes and muluttoes of this Commonwealth," ap- 

 proved March 9, 1867, and the amendments thereto, 

 subsequently passed, are not intended by this act to 

 be altered, amended, or in any way affected, but the 

 Bame are hereby left in full force for the purposes of 

 their passage. 



A bill was also passed "to amend and reduce 

 into one the several acts in relation to common 

 schools." This does not materially change the 

 system of education of the State. There is a 

 State Superintendent of Public Instruction, a 

 board of commissioners of public schools in 

 each county, and local trustees in the districts, 

 all of whom are elected by a vote of the people 

 whose interests they represent. The trustees 

 are required annually to make a census of the 

 white children of their several districts between 

 the ages of 6 and 20 years, and the result is to 

 be reported to the State Superintendent by the 

 county commissioners. The school year begins 

 on the 1st of July, and there must be in each 

 district a common school for at least five months 

 of 22 school-days each. The wages of teachers 

 are fixed by law, and range from $20 to $40 

 per month. 



Perhaps the most important legislation of 

 the session was that relating to corporations. 

 A general law was passed for the incorporation 

 and regulation of insurance companies, and a 



Bureau of Insurance was established in con- 

 ii.rtinii with the office of the Auditor of Ac- 

 counts. Any persons intending to form an 

 insurance company are required to file a dec- 

 laration of Mich intent i<m \\iih the Commis- 

 sioner of Insurance, who is the head of the 

 Bureau, and the charter of the company, when 

 formed, mast he filed with the same officer, 

 and certain security deposited in his office as 

 a guarantee of a legal and regular transaction 

 of business. Agents of the companies are re- 

 quired to take out licenses, and a sworn state- 

 ment of the business of each company must bo 

 made annually, and lodged with the commis- 

 sioner. This officer is appointed by the State 

 Auditor, and continues in office during the term 

 for which the Auditor is elected, and until a 

 successor is named. His salary, which is $4,000 

 a year, and those of his clerks and subordinates, 

 are paid from a fund formed by certain fees 

 and allowances paid by insurance companies in 

 their transactions with the Bureau. The com- 

 missioner is required to visit and inquire into 

 the affairs of any insurance company doing 

 business in the State, on the requisition of five 

 or more persons, each of whom is a stockholder 

 or creditor of the company, or in any way pe- 

 cuniarily interested therein, provided such re- 

 quisition shall contain a sworn statement that 

 the persons making the same believe the com- 

 pany to be in on unsound condition. He may 

 also make such an examination if he suspects 

 the correctness of the annual statement of the 

 company, or if that statement indicates any 

 unsoundness in the condition of its affairs. At 

 such times he shall have access to its books and 

 papers, and shall thoroughly inspect and ex- 

 amine all its affairs, and make such inquiries 

 as are necessary to ascertain its condition and 

 ability to fulfil its engagements, and whether 

 it has complied with all the provisions of law 

 applicable to its transactions. 



In case of companies not organized under 

 the laws of the State he has a similar power to 

 examine into their affairs, and, if they refuse to 

 permit this, the Auditor shall, at the request of 

 the commissioner, revoke all certificates grant- 

 ed to such companies, and require their agents 

 to discontinue issuing or renewing policies un- 

 der a penalty of $500 for each offence. The 

 commissioner is authorized to summon and 

 examine, under oath, the directors, officers, 

 and agents of any insurance company, and 

 such other person as he may think proper, in 

 relation to the affairs, transactions, and condi- 

 tion of said company. Whoever, without justi- 

 fiable cause, refuses to appear and testify when 

 so required, or obstructs the commissioner in 

 the discharge of his duty, shall, for each offence, 

 be punished by a fine not exceeding one thou- 

 sand dollars, or by imprisonment not exceeding 

 one year; and if the directors, officers, or 

 agents of any insurance company not incorpo- 

 rated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, but 

 transacting business therein, shall refuse to ap- 

 pear and testify when so required, the Auditor 



