TENNESSEE. 



753 



proved May 30, 1872, Tennessee was allowed 

 an additional representative in Congress, mak- 

 ing ten in all. with a proviso that such repre- 

 sentative might be elected to the Forty-third 

 Congress only by the State at large. It there- 

 fore becomes the duty of the Legislature again 

 to redistrict the State so as to constitute ten 

 congressional districts, instead of nine. Ac- 

 cording to the census of 1870, the total popu- 

 lation of the State is 1,258,520, while the vot- 

 ing population is 258,093. An exact division 

 of the aggregate population into ten districts 

 would give to each district 125,852 inhabi- 

 tants. 



A large share of the attention of the Legis- 

 lature was devoted to the consideration of 

 measures relating to railroads. 



The Eailroad Commissioners were author- 

 ized to sell the Tennessee & Pacific Eailroad 

 to the stockholders for $300,000 in State 

 bonds. This law was the result of a compro- 

 mise between the State and the railroad, and 

 was recommended by the Governor and Rail- 

 road Commissioners. This is the only railroad 

 now unsold wherein the State has an interest. 



An act was passed to indemnify the pur- 

 chasers of the McMinnville & Manchester 

 Eailroad against a claim for $67,000, claimed 

 to be due the United States, for which suit has 

 been brought by the United States Govern- 

 ment. 



The Governor was authorized and empow- 

 ered to settle and adjust all claims by the 

 United States Government against the various 

 railroads in the State, and also all counter- 

 claims the State has against the United States 

 on account of railroads. 



The Louisville & Nashville Eailroad Com- 

 pany was authorized to deposit the balance 

 due by it to the State ($850,000 in State bonds) 

 in some depository selected by the Eailroad 

 Commissioners, and thereupon the State re- 

 leases her lien upon the Memphis, Louisville 

 & Clarksville Eailroad, and in lieu the State is 

 given a lien on said bonds. 



The Eailroad Commissioners were author- 

 ized to settle with the "receivers of delin- 

 quent railroads," and report thereon to the 

 next Legislature. 



The interest of the State in turnpikes has 

 been a question of no little importance to the 

 people of Tennessee. The extent of this inter- 

 est in the various roads is shown in the fol- 

 lowing official figures: Nashville, Murfrees- 

 boro & Shelby, $66,666.60 ; Nashville & Ken- 

 tucky, $50,000; Franklin & Columbia, $75,- 

 000; Nashville & Charlotte, $30,000; Co- 

 lumbia, Pulaski & Elkton, $126,606 ; Clarks- 

 ville & Eussellville, $37,500; Columbia Cen- 

 tral, $139,000 ; Ashport, $35,000 ; BigHatchie, 

 $12,000; Chambers & Purdy, $7,500; Cum- 

 berland & Stone's Eiver, $107,000; Forked 

 Deer, $7,000; Fulton, $6,000; Eogersville & 

 Little War Gap, $15,000 ; Bristol & Kendrix 

 Creek, $20,000; Jacksboro, Powell's Valley 

 & Cumberland Gap, $8,000 ; Mulberry Gap & 



VOL. XII. 48 A 



Eogersville, $50,000; Ilarpeth, $39,000; Jef- 

 ferson, $45,000 ; Murfreesboro, Manchester 

 & Winchester, $49,890; Pelham & Jasper, 

 $44,000. Total, $971,056.60. The above- 

 named companies do not pay any dividends. 

 The following are the turnpikes that pay divi- 

 dends, with the amount received from each, 

 from June, 1870, to February, 1872 : 



From the Cumberland & Stone's Eiver 

 Turnpike Company, the Secretary of State has 

 also received $266.02, within the time above 

 mentioned. 



The Governor, Secretary of State, and 

 Comptroller, having been directed by the Le- 

 gislature to sell the interest of the State in 

 these roads, advertised during the year for 

 proposals from purchasers. But in conse- 

 quence of the inadequacy of the prices offered 

 the proposals were rejected, and the roads 

 withdrawn from sale. 



"It would be far better," says Governor 

 Brown, "to donate the State's interest in the 

 turnpikes, to the several counties through 

 which they run, with a guarantee that they 

 be maintained, according to the provisions of 

 the charters, than to accept the prices offered 

 without such guarantee. 



"I therefore recommend that the disposi- 

 tion of roads be provided for in such manner 

 as that they shall be secured and preserved as 

 thoroughfares of travel to the public, and with 

 a view to their ultimate improvement. 



The political campaign in Tennessee during 

 1872 was more than usually exciting, and at- 

 tracted a large share of public attention. This 

 was due in part to the new condition of na- 

 tional politics, and the unusual attitude of par- 

 ties, but more especially to the fact that ex- 

 President Andrew Johnson was one of the 

 three candidates for Congress at large, having 

 entered the contest independent of all party 

 action. The first important political move- 

 ment was the assembling of the Democratic 

 State Convention in Nashville, May 9th, for 

 the nomination of a candidate for Governor, 

 and the election of delegates to the Baltimore 

 National Democratic Convention. John C. 

 Brown was renominated for the office of Gov- 

 ernor, by acclamation. The following resolu- 

 tions were adopted, but not without a warm 

 struggle : 



The Democracy of Tennessee assembled in Gen- 

 eral Convention in pursuance of the call of the Dem- 

 ocratic Executive Committee for the State, for the 

 purpose of nominating a candidate for Governor for 

 the term next ensuing, and of taking such other ac- 



