558 



MISSISSIPPI. 



Education. The following official statistics 

 of the public schools covering the school years 

 ending in 1888 and 1889 are presented in the 

 last biennial report of the Superintendent of 

 Public Education : 



During the two years, 826 new school-houses 

 were erected, at a cost of about $332,000. 



Legislative Session. The regular biennial 

 session of the Legislature began on Jan. 7 and 

 adjourned on Feb. 24. The following were elected 

 railroad commissioners for two years : J. F. Ses- 

 sions, Walter McLaurin, and J. H. Askew. A bill 

 for a constitutional convention was the subject 

 of protracted discussion. As finally passed and 

 approved by the Governor on Feb. 5, the act fixed 

 the meeting of the convention at Jackson on Aug. 

 12, 1890. Provision was made for 134 members 

 to be chosen at a special election on July 29 120 

 by districts and 14 at large. The compensation 

 of delegates was fixed at $4 a day and mileage, 

 and the sum of $30,000 was appropriated to meet 

 the expenses. 



The State Treasurer was directed to issue and 

 sell the whole or any part of the $500,000 of 

 bonds authorized by the act of 1888, either for 

 the special purposes mentioned in that act or for 

 general purposes, whenever in the opinion of the 

 Governor the public interest so required,' and he 

 was empowered to accept any bids therefor at 

 not less than 95 cents on the dollar. The State 

 tax for 1890 was fixed at 3$ mills, and for 1891 at 

 3 mills, in addition to the annual |-mill tax for 

 the payment of interest on the bonds of 1886. 

 Numerous amendments were made to the revenue 

 law. The license tax on banks was abolished, and 

 property of these institutions was made liable to 

 the general ad valorem tax levied in the various 

 counties. Express companies were relieved from 

 the annual license tax of $3,000, and, in lieu 

 thereof, an annual tax of $1.000 and $1 for each 

 mile of railroad in the State over which each 

 company does business was imposed on all com- 

 panies doing any business between points wholly 

 within the State. But it was provided that if the 

 United States Express Company and the Pacific 

 Express Company should, under certain condi- 

 tions, consent to dismiss their suits against the 



State, then they and all other express companies 

 should be liable to pay only $500 annually and $1 

 a mile, as above provided. 



The sum of $60,000 was appropriated for a new 

 building, to accommodate 400 patients, at the 

 State Lunatic Asylum at Jackson, to which the 

 colored patients in the East Mississippi Asylum 

 at Meridian and in the various county jails should 

 be removed upon its completion. An act for the 

 suppression of " trusts " defines the offense of 

 conspiracy against trade, and provides heavy 

 penalties therefor. Domestic corporations enter- 

 ing any " trust " shall forfeit their charter, and 

 foreign corporations shall be prohibited from do- 

 ing business in the State. But it is provided that 

 the act shall not " apply to any individual or as- 

 sociation engaged in the growth of agricultural 

 or horticultural products or live stock, while re- 

 taining in their possession or in the possession of 

 their agents any unsold products of their own 

 growth : nor to any association or corporation 

 within the State, nor to any of their business 

 agencies or arrangements for the promotion of 

 agriculture, horticulture, or stock raising, or the 

 purchase and sale of any and all articles, imple- 

 ments, and things for the use and protection of 

 such industries ; nor to any other person holding 

 in their own hands as owners thereof, or in the 

 hands of agents of such owners, any and all raw 

 materials of every character which are the growth, 

 result, or product of the property of the labor, 

 skill, or industry of any other such persons." 

 Other acts of the session were as follow : 



Creating the office of revenue agent, to be filled 

 by the Governor with the consent of the Senate every 

 two years. Such agent is authorized to investigate 

 the books and accounts of all fiscal officers State, 

 county, levee board, and municipal and, in behalf of 

 the proper parties, to sue for and recover suras due 

 or forfeited on account of any delinquencies of such 

 officers either in collecting or paying over funds, and 

 to sue upon their bonds. Said agent may also collect 

 and sue for all delinquent debts or revenues, whether 

 due to the State, county, levee board, or municipality. 

 His only compensation shall be 25 per cent, of the 

 amounts collected by him. 



Giving to holders of "swamp and overflowed" 

 lands, whose title is void by reason of wrong scrip 

 being used in the purchase, the opportunity within 

 two years to obtain new patents therefor by paying 

 the State 12i cents an acre. 



Fixing the price of all State lands (except lands 

 forfeited for taxes, school lands, and Lowry Island 

 lands), at $1.25 an acre, and giving any bona fide citi- 

 zen of the State resident two years therein the right 

 to purchase not more than 240 acres thereof in a con- 

 tinuous body at such price. 



Rearranging the judicial districts of the State. 

 Adding the Governor and Attorney-General to the 

 Board of Control of the State Penitentiary, and abol- 

 ishing the office of Superintendent of the Penitentiary. 



To'punish any person who shall willfully interfere 

 with, entice away, knowingly employ, or induce any 

 laborer or renter who has contracted' with another for 

 a specified time to leave his employer or the leased 

 premises before the CxXpiration of the contract. 



To abolish the office of State Printer, and to provide 

 for letting the State printing to the lowest bidder. 



Providing that each county school board shall, in 

 1890 and every fifth year thereafter, appoint a com- 

 mittee of teachers in the county, which shall select 

 and adopt a uniform series of text-books to be exclu- 

 sively used in the public schools of the county. 



Creating the county of Pearl River, which shall in- 

 clude the former county of Pearl and parts of Han- 

 cock and Marion counties. 



