40 



ARKANSAS. 



AEMY, UNITED STATES. 



In accordance with the provisions of this 

 proclamation, the enrolment of the State mi- 

 litia was set immediately on foot by order of 

 the commander of the regular 'army in Arkan- 

 sas, issued on the same day. 



Public disturbances and criminal acts of vio- 

 lence did not cease, however ; they continued 

 and even increased in frequency as well as 

 enormity and extent of place ; so that, on 

 November 9, 1868, Governor Clayton placed 

 ten counties of the State Ashley, Bradley, 

 Columbia, Lafayette, Mississippi, Woodruff, 

 Craighead, Greene, Sevier, and Little River 

 under martial law. 



" For the purpose of perfecting the organ- 

 ization of the militia and carrying into effect 

 this proclamation," a general order from head- 

 quarters of the State of Arkansas, dated 

 November 7, 1868, abolished the previously- 

 existing districts and established in their stead 

 four military districts, apportioning to each re- 

 spectively a proportionate number of the coun- 

 ties in the State. 



In the House of the General Assembly of 

 Arkansas, at its session of November 23, 1868, 

 two memorials, addressed to the Legislature of 

 the State, were duly 'presented and read, 

 wherein the petitioners, proffering themselves 

 advocates of peace, "most solemnly protest 

 against the organization and arming of the 

 militia and the levy of a tax for its support." 

 After consideration of the matter, the action 

 and answer of the House was, that all of the 

 fifty-nine members present, without a dissent- 

 ing voice, adopted among other resolutions the 

 following : 



3. Being fully persuaded of the preconcerted exist- 

 ence of wide-spread lawlessness and systematic as- 

 sassination of the friends of the government, State 

 and national, in certain counties for months past, and 

 the desperadoes without a single exception being still 

 at large and defying the officers of the law, we do, 

 therefore, most earnestly approve and indorse the 

 recent course of Governor Powell Clayton declaring 

 martial law in several counties. 



Of this deplorable condition of things, Gov- 

 ernor Clayton spoke at length in his message 

 sent to the Assembly at the opening of its 

 session in November, 1868. They seem, how- 

 ever, to have grown still worse afterward, not- 

 withstanding the organization and actual opera- 

 tions of the militia. 



As to the present political disabilities of a 

 portion of the white residents in the State, 

 who are looked upon to be the principal, if not 

 the only, authors of the criminal acts and dis- 

 turbances which have so long kept and still 

 keep that community in anxiety, the Governor 

 said in _ his message that he "desired to see 

 these disabilities removed as .soon as it is safe 

 to do so ; " namely, "when this class of peo- 

 ple show a willingness to recognize and fully 

 acquiesce in these measures, and support the 

 government established thereby." 



In respect to the State finances, Governor 

 Clayton expressed his gratification, and recom- 

 mended the funding of the State indebtedness, 



which amounts to less than five millions, by 

 "issuing new bonds and cancelling the old 

 ones." 



He recommended also, as a measure worthy 

 the attention of the Legislature at a future 

 time, a new assessment of taxable property, 

 one-third of which he says has heretofore es- 

 caped taxation, assuming that "the taxes of 

 the great mass of tax-payers will be reduced 

 very nearly in the same ratio as the valuation 

 is increased." Tor the rest he sets down the 

 best rule that "the burden of taxation rest 

 equally upon all, in proportion to the property 

 they possess." 



Concerning the taxes to be levied on the 

 people under different titles and for various 

 purposes in detail, a number of tax-payers in 

 Arkansas signed and submitted to the consid- 

 eration of the Legislature during its session a 

 memorial, of which the following is an extract : 



" From the new tax law passed during your 

 recent session, it appears that the taxes have 

 been greatly increased by adding new subjects 

 of taxation, by making new levies for extraor- 

 dinary purposes, and by making provision for 

 a new assessment, from which the revenue 

 to be derived for the year 1868, even accord- 

 ing to the moderate estimate of Treasurer 

 Page, will amount to $600,000, not including 

 the school-tax of one-tenth per cent., nor the 

 poll-tax for school purposes of one dollar, 

 which will amount to about $150,000 more, 

 making, together, the sum of $750,000 for 

 State purposes alone, to say nothing about 

 county, town, and local railroad taxes, and the 

 United States internal revenue taxes and 

 licenses, which together will amount to at 

 least $1,750,000, altogether making the enor- 

 mous sum of $2,500,000 ten times more than 

 the government ever cost before." 



The unsettled condition of affairs greatly re- 

 tarded the prosperity of the State, and has 

 afforded little opportunity for the development 

 of its resources. 



The vote of the State at the presidential 

 election was as follows: Total vote, 41,230. 

 Majority for Gen. Grant, 3,074. In fifteen 

 counties the registration and returns were 

 rejected. The Legislature was divided as fol- 

 lows: Senate Eepublicans, 21; Democrat,!; 

 House Republicans, 79 ; Democrat, 1. 



ARMY, UNITED STATES. The work of re- 

 ducing the army has gone on with considerable 

 celerity during the year. Orders were issued 

 in November, 1867, to reduce all regiments of 

 infantry and artillery, with the exception of 

 the ten light batteries, to the number of fifty 

 privates in each company, and to diminish the 

 recruiting rendezvous to four for cavalry and 

 four for infantry. On the 3d of April, 1868, 

 all enlistment for artillery or infantry service 

 was suspended, except in the case of old sol- 

 diers desiring to enlist; and further instruc- 

 tions, issued on the 24th of July, prohibited all 

 enlistment or reenlistnient . in these two 

 branches of the service. The war with the 



