ALABAMA. 



19 



proposed, and General Mead^, in his report to 

 General Grant, stated that the proposed con- 

 stitution failed to receive a majority of regis- 

 tered votes, and was, therefore, rejected under 

 the terms of the very act which, it was claimed, 

 gave the election vitality. 



The Senate Committee on Fees and Salaries 

 reported on the House bill in regard to the pay 

 of members and officers as follows : chaplain, 

 $4; secretary, $10; assistant secretary, $8; 

 clerk, $8 ; page, $4 ; doorkeeper, $6 ; presi- 

 dent, $12 ; members, $8 ; sergeants, $6 ; mile- 

 age, 80 cents ; which was passed, but vetoed by 

 the Governor, as the pay of members was fixed 

 by the law of 1861, and the constitution forbade 

 an increase of pay during the sitting of the 

 Legislature. 



The Legislature also passed a bill, giving to 

 itself the power of casting the electoral vote 

 of the State for President of the United States, 

 which was vetoed by Governor Smith. In his 

 veto, dated August 12th, he said : 



After the most mature reflection, I am forced to the 

 conclusion that the bill is wrong in principle, and that 

 it would be a dangerous precedent in a republican 

 government. As my judgment does not approve the 

 bill, it is my constitutional duty to return it to the 

 Senate with my objections. It cannot but be re- 

 garded as remarkable that the first Legislature con- 

 vened in Alabama shall, in face of the principles of 

 its organization, which every republican professes 

 to hold dear, deny not only to the colored but the 

 white man the right, by his vote, to indicate his choice 

 for President and Vice-President of the United States, 

 and take the matter in its own hands. "What excuse 

 can there be for it ? Is it mere party expediency ? If 

 BO, then it is an abandonment of the principles and an 

 acknowledgment that the material out of which the 

 Eepublican party is composed cannot be trusted. In 

 other words, it is to say that colored men will not do 

 to be trusted. This action of the General Assembly 

 will be regarded as still more remarkable when it is 

 considered -in connection with what seems to have 

 been the almost unanimous opinion of the leading 

 members of the ^Republican party of Alabama. 



On the llth, the Senate passed the following 

 bill for the removal of disabilities, which was 

 not adopted in the House : 



SEC. 1. JBe it enacted ly the General Assembly of 

 Alabama. That all the disabilities imposed by the 

 second clause of the Third Section of Article Seven 

 of the constitution of the State of Alabama, shall be 

 and the same are hereby removed, as fully to all in- 

 tents and purposes as though no such disabilities had 

 been imposed, from all citizens who shall file an ap- 

 plication with the Judge of Probate of the county in 

 which such citizens may reside, in the following 



terms, to wit : I, , a citizen of county. 



State of Alabama 2 do make this application for reliei 

 from the disabilities imposed upon me by the second 

 clause of the Third Section of the Seventh Article of 

 the constitution of the State of Alabama and to be 

 restored to the rights of citizenship. 



SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, That it shall be the 

 duty of the Probate Judg^e to file all applications made 

 in pursuance of the provisions of this act in his office, 

 but he shall not be entitled to any fee or charge for 

 receiving or filing such application. 



Several unimportant measures were adopted, 

 and on the 13th of August the Legislature ad- 

 journed until the 1st Monday in November. 

 But it was again convened on September 16th, 



by a proclamation of the Governor, chiefly 

 to provide for the registration of voters at 

 the presidential election. A committee of 

 seven was appointed to consider that part of 

 the Governor's message relating to registration. 

 On the 21st September a joint resolution and 

 memorial to the President of the United States 

 passed the Legislature, calling upon him to de- 

 tail a sufficient force of troops for the State, to 

 secure protection, as the laws were neither re- 

 spected nor obeyed, and violence had been 

 committed, in many cases, upon human life. 

 It stated that officers had been intimidated 

 from the discharge of their duties, and many 

 forced to resign. 



No action was taken on the petition of the 

 Legislature. On the 1st October, the registra- 

 tion bill passed both Houses, and subsequently 

 received the Governor's assent. It empowered 

 the Secretary of State to appoint one registrar 

 in each county, who would have the power of 

 appointing deputies. A bill providing for the 

 election was passed. An amendment of the 

 Senate made it a misdemeanor for any person 

 to challenge a voter. 



The political canvass for the presidential 

 election was vigorously carried on by both 

 parties throughout the State ; clubs were or- 

 ganized, meetings held, and the greatest excite- 

 ment and enthusiasm prevailed. The Legis- 

 lature, which had adjourned after passing the 

 registration law, met again on November 1. 



The Governor's message chiefly dwelt upon 

 tHe resources of the State, and the importance 

 of encouraging Northern capital to develop 

 them. It called attention to the outrages per- 

 petrated by secret societies, particularly in 

 Northern Alabama, and recommended a limited 

 appropriation to the State agricultural fair to 

 open at Montgomery on the 18th of the month.. 



The presidential election passed over more 

 quietly than was anticipated from the strong feel- 

 ing on both sides. The Democrats carried the 

 State by a majority of about 40,000 votes ; even 

 a large number of blacks voted that ticket. 



The financial condition of Alabama appears 

 to be gradually improving. The indebted- 

 ness of the State consists of bonded, trust fund, 

 and miscellaneous. The bonded indebtedness 

 amounts to $4,726,200; the trust fund and 

 miscellaneous to $3,051,746. Total, with tem- 

 porary loans, $7,904,116. The receipts for the 

 year ending September 30, 1868, were $1,577,- 

 144 ; of which there was collected from gen- 

 eral taxes and licenses, $726,327. The total 

 assessment of real estate for the same period 

 was about $98,908,572, and of personal prop- 

 erty, $26,037,572. 



The cotton returns for the year were also 

 satisfactory. The three last years show that 

 the supply is on the increase. The receipts at 

 domestic and foreign ports were, for 1866, 

 429,102 bales; in 1867, 329,516 bales ; in 1868, 

 400,000 bales. The tax on the cotton of Ala- 

 bama, for the year 1868, at $12.50 per bale, 

 amounted to about $5,000,000. 



