MISSOURI. 



553 



State revenue, and for all military and commu- 

 tation tax, provided for under said act of March, 

 1863, up to and including the year 1804. 



There has been paid into the treasury and 

 cancelled and destroyed, up to the 1st of Decem- 

 ber, 1864, defence warrants amounting to the 

 sum of one million one hundred and thirteen 

 thousand three hundred and sixty-five dollars. 

 There has been redeemed and paid into the 

 treasury for taxes, etc., up to the first day of 

 December, 1864, Union military bonds, amount- 

 ing to the sum of one million two hundred and 

 twenty-eight thousand nine hundred and seven- 

 ty dollars and interest allowed thereon amount- 

 ing to three thousand four hundred and seventy 

 dollars and seven cents. 



During the years 1861 and 1862 the disturb- 

 ances in all portions of the State utterly sus- 

 pended and prostrated the common schools in 

 nearly every county. In 1863 many school- 

 house doors were thrown open and children 

 gathered in the schools in all parts of the State. 

 In 1864 nearly all the counties north of the 

 Missouri Eiver had their common schools in 

 full operation, and in many counties south of 

 the river schools were opened. The change 

 about to take place in the condition of the 

 slaves, has already turned attention to their 

 education and to the relations which they shall 

 hold to the institutions of the State. 



It was estimated that nearly one-third of the 

 population of 1860 had been lost to the State 

 in consequence of the war. Even at that period 

 the population was hardly sufficient to develop 

 the resources and gather the harvests. Immi- 

 gration is therefore greatly needed. 



The nevly-elected State officers were inaugu- 

 rated on Jan. 6th, 1865. Gov. Fletcher in his 

 address says : 



In point of physical advantage, in the combination 

 of all the elements of wealth, in the invitations that 

 are held out to enterprise, and in the magnificent and 

 swift rewards that wait on industry, no area on the 

 Western Continent containing an equal number of 

 square miles, can compare with our own State. While 

 embracing a greater number of acres of good agri- 

 cultural land than any other State in the tinion, Mis- 

 souri has more iron than all the other States com- 

 bined ; lead in quantities greater than elsewhere dis- 

 covered in the world; mines of cobalt and zinc, and 

 lodes of copper ; whole districts of country underlaid 

 with strata of coal ; almost illimitable forests of the 

 most useful timber, including the giant resiniferous 

 pine, inviting the hand of unshackled industry and 

 liberal enterprise to gather its wealth ; prairie and 

 forest diversified everywhere by streams affording 

 unequalled water-power ; one of the largest rivers of 

 the world flowing through her centre, and another 

 washing the whole length of her border. 



The military policy adopted at the present 

 time hi Arkansas and Missouri, it is expected, 

 will prevent the return of the Confederate 

 armies to the soil of either State. 



That part of the State north of the Missouri 

 River is mostly an agricultural country. Good 

 timber is found hi abundance along the streams, 

 and out from one-fourth to half a mile usually, 

 the prairie begins. The land is rich, and the 

 sub-soil is of a loamy clay, making it a very 



lasting soil. Coal (fa good quality for fires 

 and blacksmiths' use, is found in most of the 

 counties. Fine building-stone is found in near 

 ly every county. 



South of the Missouri River minerals are 

 found, with but little farming land except 

 along the Kansas border and Missouri River, 

 and a small section of the southwest corner of 

 the State. The surface of the country is 

 broken and hilly, the Ozark Mountain range 

 crossing the entire breadth of the southern part 

 of the State. Several rivers, that are at times 

 navigable quite a distance, and numerous moun- 

 tain streams and great springs, will furnish, 

 when unproved, immense power for manufac- 

 turing purposes. 



The minerals are in great abundance ; the 

 coal and wood in close proximity, rendering 

 the cost of working the ore very little. Often 

 iron ore, coal, wood, and water power may be 

 had from the same hillside. 



On Jan. 6th the Constitutional Convention 

 assembled in St. Louis. It was organized by 

 the election of Arnold Krekel, of St. Charles, 

 as President. On the llth, a committee re- 

 ported the following ordinance of emanci- 

 pation : 



Be it ordained by the People of tTie State of Missouri 

 in Convention tutembled, Tnat hereafter in this State 

 there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servi- 

 tude, except in punishment of crime, whereof the 

 party shall haye been duly conyicted ; and all per- 

 sons held to service or labor as slaves, are hereby 

 declared free. 



The subsequent proceedings of the Conven- 

 tion are thus reported : 



The ordinance having passed to a second reading, 

 Mr. Drake proposed the following amendment : 



Sec. 2. That no person can. on account of color, be disquali- 

 fied as a witness, or be disabled to contract, or be prevented 

 from acquiring, holding, or transmitting property, or be liable 

 to any other punishment for any offence than that imposed 

 on others for a like offence, or be restricted in the exercise 

 of religions worship, or be hindered in receiving education, 

 or be subject in law to any restraints or disqualifications in 

 regard to any personal rights than such as are held upon 

 others under "like circumstances. 



Mr. Switzler. I desire to offer an amendment to 

 the amendment. I desire to amend the amendment 

 by adding an additional section as follows : 



Sec. 4. It shall be the duty of the Legislature to provide by 

 law for apprenticing all slaves emancipated by this ordinance, 

 between the ages of twelve and twenty-one years. 



Mr. Drake. That is introducing a new proposition 

 under the name of an amendment, which is in direct 

 contrayention to the rules. 



The President. I shall rule that proposition out 

 of order under the rules. 



A lengthy discussion ensued, in which the subject 

 of negro suffrage was wariously handled by members, 

 to cut off which Mr. Budd moved the previous 

 question. 



Mr. Drake. What is it ? 



Mr. Budd. If the question is sustained by a major- 

 ity of this house, it brings the subject to a vote, first 

 on the first amendment, and second on the second 

 amendment, and third on the original proposition. 



The President. The question now before the con- 

 vention is, on the rejection of the amendment of the 

 gentleman from Franklin ; the previous question 

 affects that alone. 



Mr. Budd. I withdraw it. 



Mr. Drake. The question is on the motion I made 



