ARKANSAS. 



stant, signed by " P. H. Sheridan, Lieutenant-Gen- 

 eral U. S. Army," the following sentence occurs : 

 " I think the terrorism now existing in Louisiana, 

 Mississippi, and Arkansas, could be entirely re- 

 moved, and confidence and fair-dealing established, 

 by the arrest and trial of the ringleaders of the 

 armed White League;" and 



Whereas, So far as the State of Arkansas is con- 

 cerned, the assertions of the dispatch are without 

 foundation in fact, and must have been made upon 

 wrong information ; and as the circulation of such 

 erroneous statements is calculated to do great injury 

 to the character of the law-abiding citizens of the 

 State, if not contradicted : therefore 



Be it resolved, ~by the General Assembly of the 

 State of Arkansas, That we do earnestly protest, in 

 the name of the sovereign people of the State of Ar- 

 kansas, against such unauthorized military inter- 

 ference in the local aifairs of a State duly acknowl- 

 edged to be and compose a part of this American 

 Union ; and we do here and now appeal to the can- 

 did judgment of the people of these United States 

 to know whether or not the States composing the 

 Union are mere provinces or dependencies on the 

 General Government, or independent States, with 

 the reserved and constitutional right to govern in 

 their own local aifairs and 



Be it further resolved, That, so far as the State of 

 Arkansas is concerned, it is to-day as peaceful, as 

 free from domestic violence, its laws as justly and 

 equitably administered, the rights of its citizens, 

 without discrimination or distinction on account of 

 race or political belief, as fully protected and cared 

 for as in any State in this Union. 



Resolved further, That it is not within the knowl- 

 edge of the members of this General Assembly, 

 voting herefor, that either the organization known 

 as the White League, or any other recent political 

 organization, has existence among the Democratic 

 Conservative people of this State ; and for the truth 

 of this assertion the members of the General Assem- 

 bly voting herefor solemnly pledge their honor. 



Resolved further, That the Governor be requested 

 to forward to the President and Vice-President of 

 the United States, and to the Speaker of the House 

 of Representatives of Congress, a copy of these reso- 

 lutions, accompanied by a copy of the journal of 

 each House, showing the names and residences of 

 the members voting hereon, with the request that 

 the two officers last named lay^ them before the two 

 Houses of Congress over which they respectively 

 preside. 



The most important legislation of the session 

 had reference to the finances of the State. A 

 bill was passed creating a Board of Finance, 

 consisting of the Governor and two other mem- 

 bers, for a^term of four years, to have " gen- 

 eral charge and control of the financial inter- 

 ests of the State." This Board was authorized 

 to appoint a financial agent in the city of New 

 York, and to issue bonds to the amount of 

 $2,500,000, payable in thirty years with inter- 

 est at six per cent. These bonds may be sold 

 and payment received at par in warrants of the 

 Auditor or certificates of the Treasurer of the 

 State, but when sold for money it shall be for 

 not less than sixty per centum of their value, 

 and the Board may increase the minimum price 

 at any time. The Governor is authorized to 

 mortgage any of the unsold lands of the State, 

 except school-lands and lands occupied by pub- 

 lic buildings for the security of these bonds, the 

 bonds to be conveyed to trustees with power to 

 sell the same at a price not less than one dollar 

 per acre. A" sinking-fund to secure the pay- 



ment of interest and the redemption of the 

 principal of the bonds at maturity is created 

 by a provision that an annual tax for this 

 special purpose shall be levied and collected 

 sufficient to produce the sum of $150,000 for 

 interest and $38,000 for the sinking -fund 

 proper. The following provision is made re- 

 garding the proceeds from the sale of bonds 

 for money : 



SECTION 11. None of said bonds shall be sold for 

 money for any other purpose than to defray the ex- 

 penses of the State government, and the proceeds 

 of such sales shall be applied to that purpose exclu- 

 sively, and shall be apportioned by said Board 

 among the various appropriations for paying the said 

 expenses, in such manner as may best serve the in- 

 terest of the people, and no money shall be paid out 

 by the Treasurer, except in pursuance of such appor- 

 tionment : Provided, That not more than five hun- 

 dred of such bonds shall be sold for money in any 

 one year. 



SE'O. 12. There shall be annually levied a further 

 tax to pay interest on the public debt, of one-tenth 

 of one per centum of the valuation of property in the 

 State ; and the Treasurer shall not make any pay- 

 ment of moneys derived from said tax, except to 

 supply deficiencies, if any, in the tax provided for 

 in section 10 of this Act, unless upon the order of 

 said Board. 



Another act provides for the issue of scrip 

 by the Treasurer, payable to bearer, with which 

 the Auditor's warrants may be paid, and which 

 are receivable for all dues to the State. The 

 certificates, or scrip, are to be paid out of the 

 current funds appropriated for the payment 

 of the expenses of the State government. 

 Another act authorizes the counties to fund 

 their outstanding indebtedness in bonds, bear- 

 ing interest at the rate of seven per cent., and 

 payable in not less than ten nor more than 

 twenty years. These bonds are to be issued 

 by the county courts at their discretion, and 

 may be called in at any time by the same au- 

 thority on payment of the interest due, and the 

 principal "in lawful currency of the United 

 States." These bonds are to be sold for county 

 warrants or scrip in sums of $25 and upward, 

 which are then to be canceled. A gener'al law 

 regulating municipal corporations, passed at 

 this session, also provides for the funding of 

 city scrip in bonds of not less than $50, bear- 

 ing interest at a rate not exceeding ten per 

 cent, per annum and payable in not less than 

 ten nor more than twenty years. A sinking- 

 fund must be created to secure the payment 

 of interest and the final redemption of the 

 bonds, and the Treasurer may purchase any of 

 the bonds at the lowest market price, when- 

 ever there is sufficient money accumulated 

 in the sinking-fund to buy one or more of the 

 bonds at par. Another act provides for a strict 

 accounting for all fees and emoluments of offi- 

 cers of the State, counties, cities, towns, or 

 villages. An act was passed suspending the 

 sale of property for the non-payment of taxes 

 in 1873 and 1874, the reasons therefor being 

 set forth in the following preamble : 



Whereas, The people are in a bankrupt and im- 

 poverished condition, brought about from the enor- 



