KENTUCKY. 



401 



The question of removing the State capital 

 to Louisville was agitated, and majority and 

 minority reports were made on the subject by 

 members of a special committee to which it 

 was referreil, but no action was taken. 



On the 22d of January, Willis B. Macher 

 was elected to the United States Senate, to fill 

 the vacancy occasioned by the death of Hon. 

 Garrett Davis, by a vote of 104 to 18 for R. 

 T. Baker, on a joint ballot of the two Houses. 



The election of Representatives to Congress 

 in 1875, and thereafter, was fixed to be held on 

 the first Monday in August. 



A movement looking to the calling of a con- 

 vention for the revision of the constitution 

 was inaugurated, but met with little encour- 

 agement, and was abandoned. A resolution 

 was also offered, but never acted upon, direct- 

 ing an inquiry into the expediency of the State 

 assuming the business of fire, marine, and life 

 insurance for her citizens. 



The question of providing greater accommo- 

 dations for the insane occupied considerable 

 attention and resulted in the passage of an 

 act providing for a third and fourth lunatic, 

 asylum. The third asylum is to be a new in- 

 stitution, the location of which is to be deter- 

 mined by commissioners. Buildings already 

 in existence at the capital were designated for 

 the use of the fourth, and orders were given 

 in September by the Governor for the transfer 

 to these of such insane paupers as were con- 

 fined in the jails of the State. 



An act was passed during the session pro- 

 viding for a geological and mineralogical survey 

 of the State. It required the Governor to ap- 

 point a State geologist with two assistants "to 

 commence and carry on, with as much expe- 

 dition and dispatch as may be consistent with 

 minuteness and accuracy, a thorough geologi- 

 cal, mineralogical, and chemical survey of this 

 State, with a view to determine the order and 

 comparative magnitude of the several strata 

 or geological formations of this State, and to 

 discover and examine all beds or deposits of 

 ore, coal, flora, and such other mineral sub- 

 stances as may be useful or valuable, and to 

 analyze the same, and to perform such other 

 duties as may be necessary to make a full and 

 complete geological, mineralogical, and chemi- 

 cal survey of this State." The geologist and 

 his assistants are required to make thorough 

 exploration in each county of the State be- 

 ginning with the mineral regions, and on the 

 1st of December of each year to make a re- 

 port of the progress of said survey, accom- 

 panied with such maps, drawings, and cpeci- 

 mens, as may be necessary and proper to ex- 

 emplify and elucidate the same, to the Gov- 

 ernor, who shall lay such report before the 

 General Assembly." 



The following resolutions received the ap- 

 proval of the Senate by a vote of 21 to 9 : 



Where/if, The recent Congress of the United States 

 pused n act increasing the salary of the President 

 of the United Stutos to the sum of fifty thousand 

 VOL. xm. 26 A 



dollars per annum, and that of the members of Con- 

 gress to seven thousand five hundred dollars; and 

 said act, being retrospective in its operations, pro- 

 vides for the payment of said increased salary to 

 members of Congress for the whole term then about 

 to expire, thereby taking out of the Treasury of the 

 United States, and appropriating to their own use, 

 in violation of good faith, and contrary to the prin- 

 ciples of justice and equity, five thousand dollars 

 each : therefore, 



Retained by the General Assembly of the Common- 

 wealth of Kentucky, That the action of the Congress 

 of the United States, in enacting said law, is a fla- 

 grant violation of the will of the people, as repeat- 

 edly expressed by them in conventions and through 

 the public press, the people being unalterably in 

 favor of retrenchment and reform, and against such 

 reckless and needless expenditure of the public 

 money. 



Resolved, That the conduct of the members of 

 Congress who voted for and sanctioned the passage 

 of said act is reprehensible in the highest degree, 

 and meets with tne unqualified disapproval and con- 

 demnation of this General Assembly, and should be 

 rebuked by every patriot in the land, irrespective of 

 party. 



Besolvtd, That we commend the course of the 

 members of the Senate and House of Representatives 

 who refused to vote for or sanction sueb iniquitous 

 legislation. 



Resolved, That we condemn, in unmeasured terms 

 extravagance and reckless legislation, whether it 

 occurs in the State or national Government, and 

 recommend that those who participate therein should 

 be held to strict accountability. 



The following " act to amend the revenue 

 laws," which was passed, sets forth pretty 

 clearly the financial condition of the State, and 

 its virtual freedom from indebtedness : 



Wheren>, The Auditor's report shows that the 

 total redeemable bonded indebtedness of the State, 

 on the 10th day of October, 1879, was only $966,394, 

 of which sum $639,394 is either due, or is falling 

 due, during the year 1873, including the $200.000 of 

 8 per cent, bonds, which are redeemable on the 13th 

 day of February, 1873, at the pleasure of the State ; 

 and whereas, the same report shows that, at the 

 same date, there was in the Treasury to the credit of 

 the Sinking Fund, and loaned to banks on short 

 time the sum of $1,691,991.80, with which to pay 

 said bonded indebtedness of $966,000,394; and 

 whereas, it appears from the report of the Auditor 

 that the present resources of the revenue proper arc 

 not adequate to pay the necessary current expenses 

 of the State ; now, for the purpose of increasing 

 said resources, and at the same time providing 

 amply and securely for the payment of the entire re- 

 deemable bonded indebtedness of the State set forth 

 above 



SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly 

 of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, That the Com- 

 missioners of the Sinking Fund are authorized and 

 directed to invest so much of the means at their 

 command, and under their control, in five- twenty 

 gold-bearing interest bonds of the United States, as 

 may be amply and fully sufficient to redeem the 

 whole amount of the redeemable bonded indebted- 

 ness of the State, with the interest thereon, not ex- 

 ceeding $1,000,000 in amount, and not less than 

 $350,000 ; which said bonds, when purchased, shall 

 be held by said commissioners solely and exclusively 

 for the purpose for which they are directed to be 

 purchased ; and they shall not be sold or otherwise 

 used or disposed of than herein provided. The said 

 commissioners may, however, in their discretion. 

 for purposes of safety and convenience, deposit said 

 bonds in any one of the chartered banks of this 

 State, or in the Bank of America in the city of New 

 York. 



