KENTUCKY. 



473 



* Decrease. 



Finances. According to the report of the 

 Auditor, the total balance in all the funds of the 

 State treasury on June 30, 1889, was only $72,- 

 926.24, while the general fund at that date 

 showed a deficit of $227,655.22. In spite of 

 these facts, and against the strenuous objection 

 of the Governor, the Legislature this year re- 

 duced the tax rate for the general fund from 20 

 to 15 cents on each $100 of property. This 

 reduction in the regular revenue for 1890 came 

 at a time when large extraordinary expenses 

 caused by the Constitutional Convention must be 

 incurred, and the result has been a large increase 

 in the deficit during the year. A report of the 

 special commissioners appointed by the Legis- 

 lature of 1888 to realize upon the funds and 

 property of defaulting Treasurer Tate was made 

 to the Legislature in April, showing that the 

 loss to the State had been reduced to about 

 $46,000, with a probability that $10,000 more 

 would be realized before their labors were com- 

 pleted. 



Valuations. For 1889 the total value of 

 property assessed for taxation was $498,423,606, 

 of which $131,533.729 was the value of person- 

 alty and $366,889,877 of realty. Included in the 

 assessment were 25,477,063 acres of land, valued 

 at $228,568,596 : town lots, valued at $138,321,- 

 281 ; 579.424 cattle, valued at $5.870,502 ; 545.- 

 936 sheep, valued at $1,045,812; 1,003,680 swine, 

 valued at $8,892,438 ; and 377,352 horses of com- 



mon stock, valued at $19,774,600. The total as- 

 sessment was increased by the State Board of 

 Equalization to $501,676,267. For 1888 the total 

 county assessment was $491,554,189, which was 

 raised by the State board to $492,653,132. The 

 total rate of State taxation for 1890 was 42-5 

 cents on each $100. 



Legislative Session The Legislature, which 

 began its regular biennial session on Dec. 30, 

 1889. concluded its work on May 27. On Jan. 3, 

 in joint session, it unanimously re-elected United 

 States Senator Joseph C. S. Blackburn. On May 

 3 United States Senator James B. Beck died, and 

 it became the duty of the Legislature to choose 

 a successor for the unexpired term. There were 

 numerous Democratic candidates, the most 

 prominent of whom was. Congressman John G. 

 Carlisle. On the first ballot in the Democratic 

 caucus he received 34 votes ; William Lindsay, 

 26 votes ; J. Proctor Knott, 27 ; Laban T. Moore, 

 12; James B. McCreary, 10; Evan E. Settle, 5. 

 On the ninth ballot Carlisle received 73 votes, 

 and Lindsay 43. On May 17. in joint conven- 

 tion,^ Carlisle was elected by a vote of 107 to 7 

 for Silas Adams, the Republican nominee. 



The legislation of the session includes about 

 1.900 laws, of which hardly 100 are of a general 

 nature. The most important act provides for 

 the meeting on the second Tuesday of September 

 of a convention to frame a new Constitution for 

 the State. It is provided that an election for 

 members to this convention shall be held at the 

 time of the regular August election. A bill was 

 passed over the Governor's veto, reducing the 

 annual State tax rate for the general fund from 

 20 to 15 cents on each $100, and making the 

 total rate for all State purposes 42^ cents, in- 

 stead of 47^ cents, as heretofore. The geological 

 survey of the State was continued for two years 

 and the su'm of $15,000 appropriated for its use 

 during that time. The law authorizing the issue 

 of lottery licenses by the State Auditor was re- 

 pealed and the charters of six lottery companies 

 heretofore specially granted by the Legislature 

 were revoked. Another anti-lottery act prohibits 

 the advertisement of lotteries in any paper sold 

 in the State. An act was passed re-arrang- 

 ing the congressional districts of the State so as 

 to make all but one surely Democratic. The 

 Sinking Fund Commissioners were not, as here- 

 tofore, limited in their power of paroling pris- 

 oners to 5 per cent, of their number. The 

 sum of $10,000 was appropriated for the relief 

 of the inhabitants of Clinton and vicinity, who 

 were visited by a tornado on Jan. 12, and a 

 similar appropriation of $30,000 was made for 

 the people of Louisville, who were similarly 

 afflicted on March 28. Improvements were 

 authorized at the Frankfort Penitentiary, and 

 the Feeble-Minded and Deaf and Dumb Insti- 

 tutes each received appropriations. The Ken- 

 tucky Soldiers' Home was incorporated, to pro- 

 vide a retreat for needy national or Mexican 

 veterans, and was authorized to receive the 

 moneys provided by Congress for aid to such 

 homes. No financial aid was given by the State. 

 The ex-Confederates of the State long since took 

 steps to care for their needy comrades, but no 

 provision has heretofore been made for soldiers 

 who were in the national service. 



Other acts of the session were as follow : 



