520 



MINTURN, EGBERT. 



MISSISSIPPI. 



The present surplus wheat product of the 

 State is estimated at eight millions of bushels, 

 but the insufficient transportation has resulted 

 in high freights. 



MINTURN, ROBERT BOWNE, an American 

 merchant and philanthropist, born in New York 

 City, November 16, 1805; died there January 

 9,- 1866. He descended from a family of mer- 

 chants remarkable for energy and business 

 talent, received a good English education, but, 

 losing his father at the age of fourteen, was 

 compelled to leave school, and enter a counting- 

 house. Though faithful to the interests of his 

 employers, he improved his leisure moments in 

 study, and his evenings in attendance upon 

 regular courses of instruction, and the habit 

 thus formed of reading and application, fol- 

 lowed him through life. His acquaintance 

 with general literature was extensive, and his 

 knowledge upon prominent questions of the 

 day remarkable. In 1825 he was admitted to a 

 share in the mercantile business of Mr. Charles 

 Green, whose clerk he had previously been, 

 who soon after visited Europe, leaving young 

 Minturn, though but twenty-one years of age, 

 the sole manager of the establishment. During 

 this period occurred a financial crisis which 

 brought him into a position of great respon- 

 sibility, taxing his powers to the utmost. His 

 faithfulness and good judgment were successful 

 in preserving the interests of the firm, and ho 

 continued there until 1830, when he became a 

 partner in the house of Fish and Grinnell, since 

 known the world over by the name of "Grin- 

 nell, Minturn and Company." His devotion to 

 business was unflagging. While a clerk in the 

 counting-house, he had invested little sums in 

 commercial ventures with such success as en- 

 abled him to become the owner of a small ves- 

 sel. The same thrift and industry attended 

 him during manhood, and helped to give the 

 mercantile house to which he belonged for 

 thirty-five years its stability and world-wide 

 reputation. As his means increased, his large 

 and generous heart prompted him to devote an 

 increasing share for the good of others. He 

 declined all political honors, and but once only, 

 through the whole period of his life, was pre- 

 vailed upon to accept an office. He was one 

 of the first Commissioners of Emigration, con- 

 senting from a desire of protecting emigrants 

 from robbery, and to provide homes for emi- 

 grant orphans. He was an active manager of 

 many of the charitable institutions of the city 

 of New York, and one of the originators of 

 " The Association for Improving the Condition 

 of the Poor." He was also among the founders 

 of St. Luke's Hospital. His ceaseless activity and 

 unwearied devotion to business and the be- 

 nevolent operations of the day wore upon his 

 strength, and in 1848 he was obliged to visit 

 Europe for the benefit of his health. Upon his 

 return he entered again upon his works of love 

 and mercy, and with new zeal. When the war 

 broke out, all the patriotism of his nature was 

 aroused, and he aided to the utmost in upholding 



the Government, even considering at one time 

 seriously the question of entering the army, old 

 and feeble as he was. Again his state of health 

 compelled him to go to Europe, but while there 

 all his energies were exerted in behalf of his 

 country. Upon his return he was induced to 

 accept the Presidency of the Union League 

 Club, which he held until his death. After the 

 emancipation policy was accepted by the na- 

 tion, the condition of the freedmen drew forth 

 his sympathies, and his last work was in their 

 behalf. Mr. Minturn was a man of deep per- 

 sonal piety, unbending integrity, sound judg- 

 ment, and thoroughly devoted to works of love 

 and mercy. 



MISSISSIPPI. The report of the financial 

 officers of the State of Mississippi for the year 

 ending October 15th, states that the receipts 

 into the treasury were $569,048, and the dis- 

 bursements $507,086; balance $61,922. The 

 amount of uncurrent funds in the treasury, 

 being paper obligations which had grown out 

 of the transactions of the war, such as Confeder- 

 ate treasury notes, etc., was $795,930. The rev- 

 enue bill passed by the Legislature in the pre- 

 vious year furnished sufficient means to meet the 

 wants of the State. It was feared that much of 

 the tax of one dollar per bale of the cotton 

 crop of 1866 would be lost; because many, 

 who, allured by the high price of cotton, em- 

 barked in its cultivation, would, it was believed, 

 become disappointed and disgusted under the 

 failure of the crop, and selling their cotton 

 would leave the State before the time for the 

 collection of the tax. 



An extra session of the Legislature was called 

 by Governor Humphrey to assemble on October 

 15th. He states that he convened that body 

 being " constrained by the necessities of the 

 State." No special emergency existed, but a 

 general exigency, resulting from the altered and 

 deranged conditions of their Federal relations 

 and domestic affairs, demanded further consid- 

 eration. The regular sessions of the Legisla- 

 tute are biennial. The governor says : " The 

 removal of the negro troops from the limits of 

 the State, and the transfer of the Freedmen's 

 Bureau to the administration and control of the 

 officers of the regular army, had resulted in re- 

 lieving the white race from the insults, irrita- 

 tions and spoliations to which they were so 

 often subjected, and the black race from that 

 demoralization which rendered them averse to 

 habits of honest industry and which was fast 

 sinking them in habits of idleness, pauperism, 

 and crime. Both races are now settling down 

 in business life, and cultivating those sentiments 

 of mutual friendship and confidence so essential 

 to the prosperity and happiness of both." Of 

 the amendment to the Federal Constitution pro- 

 posed by Congress, and known as Article XIV., 

 he says to the Legislature : " This amendment, 

 adopted by a Congress of less than three-fourths 

 of the States of the Union, in palpable violation 

 of , the rights of more than one-fourth of tho 

 States, is such an insulting outrage and denial 



