Mississirri. 



515 



it is recommended tlmt a contract l>o 

 mado for tlu- i-diiriitii.il of this claM in tin- 

 asylum at Baton Kongo, or that of gome m-i^h- 

 liorin^r State, at a rate per annum not cxc 



hundred dollars per pupil. The accom- 

 modations for the insane of the State are en- 

 tirely Inadequate to meet tlu- \\ants of t!,::t 

 . The number of insane cared for by the 

 Stiiti- was about 150; it is now estimated that 

 tin- number receiving treatment does not fnll 

 short of 400. Tliis large estimated increase is 

 explained by the fact that the proportion of 

 the insane hold under private care has greatly 

 diminislu-d within the past few years, nnd by 

 tho belief that the freedom of the slaves will 

 add to the number of the insane, for the reason 

 that while statistics show 70 lunatics in each 

 00,000 of white population, and 71 in each 

 100,000 among tho free colored, the proportion 

 of insane among the slaves was only 10 for 

 each 100,000. The Governor recommends the 

 separation of the white and the black in tho 

 treatment of the insane. "If a mixture of 

 races," ho says, "bo made tho condition of 

 participation in our public charities, no matter 

 now you may regard the wisdom of the objec- 

 tion, that condition will act among tho whites, 

 to a very groat extent, as a virtual exclusion. 

 "We must deal with this fact as we find it. 

 While unwilling to recognize it to tho extent 

 of an absolute prohibition, in law, of a mixture 

 of tho two classes of pupils in the Institution 

 for the Blind, or in the establishment for the 

 Deaf and Dumb, I recommend, in considera- 

 tion of the acute sensitiveness of those afflicted 

 people, and on the general ground that an en- 

 forced violation of their opinions will but serve 

 as a denial of their rights under the State char- 

 ities, that the superintendents of those char- 

 ities shall receive ample authority, in law, to 

 exercise a wise discretion in the classification 

 and keeping of the pupils of the two races." 



The subject of railroad facilities occupied 

 considerable attention among the people of 

 the State, and also in the Legislature. Per- 

 haps tho most important railroad line proposed 

 was one running north and south through 

 tho State, from the Gulf to the Tennessee line. 

 A bill was early introduced into the Legisla- 

 ture to incorporate a company to build a road 

 over this route under tho name of the Ship 

 Island, Kosciusko, and Tennessee Railroad 

 Company. On the 2d of April, while this bill 

 was under consideration, a meeting of tho 

 citixens of Leake County was held to discuss 

 the matter. The following resolutions passed 

 by this meeting may be taken as expros-in- 

 the sentiments of the people along the pro- 

 posed route upon the subject : 



Rtsolted, 1. That said line of railroad meets our 

 most hearty approbation. 



:.'. Ir is for tne best interests of the State of 51 

 sippi that a great seaport city shall be built at Ship 

 I-land Harbor, and the commerce of tlio State bo 

 thus made independent of the cities of Mobile and 

 New Orleans. 



8. Tho line of the railroad from Ship Island Harbor 



nhould traverse the centre of the State, and thua be- 

 come * great public Stole railroad. 



4. Tin- tcniiinutipu of aald railroad at Canton, or 

 Brandon, or Jackiton. would dwarf it down to a imrc 

 local rood, and doprh- it .f the great pub! 

 character it should possess; and such termination 

 should bo deprecated by every publio-apiritod citizen 

 of the State. 



6. If the said bill I* pooled, we do hereby pledge 

 Lt-uke County in the sum of $50,000 in aid of the build- 

 ing of said road. 



The company was finally incorporated under 

 tho name of the Ship Island, Mississippi City, 

 and Paducah Railroad Company. 



A railroad is in process of construction, from 

 Chattanooga, Tenn., to Meridian, in this 

 State, under the name of the Alabama and 

 Chattanooga Railroad. This road receives aid 

 from the State of Alabama, but is built mainly 

 hy New-England capital. The Elyton and 

 Aberdeen Railroad Company was chartered 

 hy the Legislature this year. The Vicksbarg 

 and Meridian Railroad Company were author- 

 ized " to locate, construct, and operate a hranch 

 road, or an extension of their railroad from 

 some suitable point on tho same to the bonk 

 of the Mississippi River." The terminus has 

 been fixed at Vicksburg. The following rail- 

 road companies were also chartered : Natchez 

 and Jackson ; Canton and Vicksburg ; Mobile 

 and Northwestern ; Greenville, Deer-creek, and 

 Rolling Fork Railroad Companies. The sub- 

 ject of a road from Vicksburg to Grenada via 

 Yazoo City was also much discussed, and citi- 

 zens of Yazoo City subscribed $65,000 toward 

 the project, and were ready to vote $100,000 

 more, while it was believed that the plant- 

 ers of Yazoo County would also contribute 

 largely. 



The subject of immigration has been promi- 

 nent in the minds of the people. To secure 

 immigrants to develop the resources of tho 

 State, and supply laborers to the planters, im- 

 migration societies have been organized in va- 

 rious counties, and also a "Central Immi- 

 gration Society," holding monthly meetings at 

 Jackson, the capital of the State. The follow- 

 ing sections of tho constitution of this society 

 show its object and purposes : 



SECTION 6. It shall bo tho duty of the correspond- 

 ing secretaries to correspond with all persons who 

 may wish for information regarding the plans and 

 purposes of this society ; and to reply to all inquiries 

 touching the climate, soils, and productions of our 

 country, and other advantages of our community ; 

 and, as they may decin proper, to reproduce the same 

 through tho press, and to further the objects of this 

 society to tlio best of their ability. 



SKO. 8. It shall be the duty of directory to inspect 

 and report on all applications made to the society for 

 Uboren or tenants, and to guard scrupulously against 

 ull that come i'rom unreliable applicants, ana to look 

 especially after the interests of the immigrants, and 

 see thnt they are protected in their rights ; to pro- 

 vide temporary lodging and refreshments for the 

 immigrants on arrival; the expenses of the suinc to 

 be refunded by the applicant procuring the services 

 of the immigrant, ana to adopt such a form of appli- 

 cation as to bind tho applicant for all expenses 

 caused by his failure to promptly comply \\ith his 

 contract. 



