354 



GEORGIA. 



GEEMAN-ITALIAN WAR. 



At this session the Legislature reiinacted the 

 stay law of the former session. It was again 

 vetoed by the Governor for the same reasons as 

 were given on the former occasion. Both 

 houses then passed the hill by the constitution- 

 al majority. The committee on public schools 

 reported a plan the leading features of which 

 were that a superintendent of public education 

 and schools should be appointed by the Gov- 

 ernor, whose duty should be to report annually 

 to the Legislature consolidated returns from 

 school districts, and expenditures of educational 

 funds. He is to submit estimates for two years 

 in advance, and also plans for the management, 

 improvement, and better organization of 

 Georgia schools. He is, as often as possible, 

 to deliver public returns on education, and 

 perform other duties assigned him by the act. 

 The Georgia schools embraced in this act are 

 to be open to all white children of the district 

 between six and twenty-one years of age, 

 etc. The plan after some amendments was 

 adopted with a provision that it should not go 

 into operation prior to January 1, 1868. 



On November" 30th the following preamble 

 and resolution were unanimously adopted in 

 each house of the Legislature: 



The General Assembly would do injustice to the 

 great heart of Georgia, not to give some formal ex- 

 pression of their respect for the character, and sor- 

 row for the condition of the illustrious prisoner of 

 state, Jefferson Davis. All the generous pulsations 

 of that heart are in full unison and sympathy with. 

 his sufferings and misfortunes. Its warm affections 

 cluster round the fallen chief of a once dear but now 

 abandoned cause. There they will cluster and cen- 

 tre while men admire all that is chivalries in nature ; 

 while they regard all that is constant in purpose ; 

 while they lore all that is noble in virtue; while 

 they revere all that is sublime in faith, and respect 

 unfailing greatness of soul. Therefore, 



The General Assembly of Georgia do resolve, That 

 their sincerest condolence and warmest sympathy 

 are tendered to Mr. Jefferson Davis in his confine- 

 ment; and they look forward with anxious solicitude 

 to the day when a magnanimous and patriotic presi- 

 dent shall put a term to his confinement, and by the 

 interposition of executive clemency restore him to a 

 people for whom he so faithfully struggled, and on 

 account of whom he endures with Christian fortitude 

 the hardships of a long and rigorous imprisonment. 



Bills appropriating State aid to railroads 

 were vetoed by the Governor, chiefly on the 

 ground that the State was not in a condition to 

 make a large expansion of her credit. After 

 the passage of many local measures the Legis- 

 lature on December 14th adjourned. 



The corn crop of the State was in many 

 places disastrously affected by drought. A great 

 deficiency in the supply ensued. Large dona- 

 tions were made in other States for the use of 

 the destitute poor, as a hundred thousand bush- 

 els by citizens of Kentucky, etc. 



The State Lunatic Asylum has continued in 

 successful operation. Blacks are entitled to 

 admission as well as whites, but the accommo- 

 dations are too limited for the reception of all 

 patients. The Academy for the Blind has like- 

 wise been in successful operation ; but that for 

 the deaf and dumb has not been reopened since 



the close of the war. The State Penitentiary, 

 although destroyed during the war, has been 

 partially restored, and preparations are making 

 to place it on a permanent and successful foot- 

 ing. Manufacturing has received a new im- 

 pulse, and promises to become one of the prin- 

 cipal branches of future industry in the State. 



GERMAN-ITALIAN WAR. The disagree- 

 ment of Austria and Prussia, in the joint ad- 

 ministration of the Duchies of Schleswig and 

 Holstein, seriously complicated, in 1866, tho 

 relations between these two powers. Austria 

 favored the claims of the Prince of Augusten- 

 burg, and not only permitted but encouraged 

 the public manifestations made in Holstein in 

 favor of the, Prince. The Prussian Government 

 had published, in October, 1865, the opinion of 

 the crown jurist*, who declared that, since the 

 Peace of Vienna, of October 30, 1864, the 

 sovereignty of the two Duchieg was exclusively 

 vested in Austria and Prussia, and that, if the 

 house of Augustenburg had ever possessed an 

 hereditary right to the government of the 

 Duchies (which was, however, denied by tho 

 crown jurists), it ftad ceased since, and in con- 

 sequence of tho Peace of Vienna. The en- 

 couragement given by Austria to the agitation 

 of the adherents of the Prince of Augustenburg 

 was, therefore, regarded by Prussia as an ag- 

 gressive act, which it had a right to guard 

 against. In its note of January 26th,. Count 

 Bismarck requested the Government of Austria 

 to take this view of Prussia into serious con- 

 sideration. In case the Cabinet of Vienna 

 should give to this request a negative or evasive 

 answer, Prussia must come to the conclusion 

 that Austria refused to go hand in hand with 

 her ; she must, in this case, gain for its policy 

 full freedom, and make such use of it as could 

 be most corresponding to her own interests. 

 In reply, the Austrian Government (note of 

 February 7th) claimed an absolute freedom 

 in the provisional administration of Holstein, 

 and her unwillingness to allow her administra- 

 tion to be interfered with from any quarter 

 whatever. As .Prussia did not reply to this 

 note, she was suspected by Austria of medita- 

 ting aggressive acts, and the Austrian ambassa- 

 dor at Berlin was accordingly instructed to 

 inquire what the Prussian Government under- 

 stood by the use she would make of the re- 

 covered freedom of her policy. Prussia eva- 

 sively replied that both powers returned to that 

 relation which existed between them before 

 the Danish war. 



Austria, uneasy about the attitude of Prussia, 

 began, as early as February, to arm. At the 

 beginning of March, her armaments attracted 

 the attention of Prussia. The King of Prussia, 

 in his turn, issued (March llth) a decree which 

 threatened all attempts to undermine his and 

 the Emperor's joint authority in the Duchies. 

 The decree was promulgated for the Duchy of 

 Schleswig on the 13th of March, and caused 

 the Austrian ambassador at Berlin to inquire 

 (on March 16th) whether Prussia intended 



