ARKANSAS. 



39 



value of money and supplies advanced by em- 

 ployers and the wages of laborers, and affix- 

 ing a penalty for the disposal of these products 

 by either party for the purpose of defrauding 

 the other. To secure the benefits of this pro- 

 vision the contract must be filed in the county 

 recorder's office. If an employer dismiss a 

 laborer before the expiration of the contract, 

 without a good cause, he is liable for the full 

 amount due at the time of such expiration ; and 

 if a laborer leave his employer without good 

 cause before the contract expires, he forfeits 

 whatever is due him, but is held liable for 

 what he may owe. It is also enacted "that 

 if any one shall willfully interfere with, entice 

 away, knowingly employ, or induce a laborer 

 or a renter, who has contracted as herein pro- 

 vided, to leave his employer, or the place rent- 

 ed, before the expiration of his contract, he 

 shall be liable to the party or parties injured 

 in the sum of all moneys due and damages in 

 the case." 



Another act requires persons contracting 

 marriage to obtain a license from the clerk 

 of the county court and to enter into a bond 

 "in the penal sum of $100 for the use and 

 benefit of the public-school fund of such county, 

 conditioned that the parties applying there- 

 for have a lawful right to the same, and that 

 they will faithfully carry into effect and comply 

 with the provisions thereof." Any one ob- 

 taining a license to marry without first ob- 

 taining the consent of the other party is liable 

 to a fine. Other acts provide for recovering 

 damages from railroad companies for injuries 

 to persons and property, and for the punish-' 

 ment of persons who maliciously cause injury 

 to railroad-trains and thereby endanger the 

 lives of persons ; abolish the office of Insurance 

 Commissioner, transferring the duties thereof 

 to the State Auditor ; prohibit lotteries and the 

 selling of lottery tickets ; prohibit the sale of 

 intoxicating liquors within three miles of any 

 academy, college, or university, " while pupils 

 are being taught or instructed in the same ; " 

 and prohibit the carrying of side-arms and 

 other deadly weapons, except on the person's 

 own premises or while traveling. An act to 

 encourage mining and manufacturing in the 

 State exempts from taxation for seven years 

 the capital employed in these industries : 

 "Provided, That the capital invested in such 

 manufacturing establishments shall exceed 

 $2,000, and, provided further, that no per- 

 son, corporation or company having, prior to 

 the passage of this act, invested capital in 

 any such manufacturing establishment in this 

 State, shall be entitled to the exemption here- 

 in provided for, unless the capital stock so 

 invested shall be increased twenty-five per 

 centum of its value as determined by the last 

 annual assessment." The appropriations for 

 the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial de- 

 partments of the government amounted to 

 $200,000. 



The most important business at the ad- 



journed session of the Legislature in Novem- 

 ber related to the finances of the State. The 

 Governor in his message to that body stated 

 on behalf of the Board of Finance that the 

 parties offering to loan the State money were 

 not satisfied that the Board "had the power 

 to bind the State by proper writings, or the 

 authority to pledge or hypothecate the bonds 

 of the State to secure the loan, and the money 

 was withheld and the negotiation delayed till 

 legislation could be had to meet these objec- 

 tions." He recommended that an act be passed 

 that would secure the loan ; also that the new 

 scrip consisting of Auditor's warrants and 

 Treasurer's certificates be funded ; that author- 

 ity be given to use any moneys in the Treas- 

 ury from time to time not otherwise appropri- 

 ated by law, for the payment of the obligations 

 of the State " in such manner as in the judg- 

 ment of the Board may best subserve the pub- 

 lic interest, but they shall not, with this money, 

 pay in whole, or in part, any bonds issued 

 prior to April 1, 1874;" and finally that the 

 rate of taxation be fixed at five mills on the 

 dollar for the expenses of the government, 

 three mills to pay the interest on the public 

 debt, and two mills on a dollar, besides a per 

 capita of one dollar, for the support of the pub- 

 lic schools. These recommendations were all 

 promptly carried out. The bill for giving ad- 

 ditional power to secure the loan provided for 

 at the previous session empowered the Board 

 of Finance " to pledge the bonds of the State 

 which were authorized to be issued by the 

 act last aforesaid, with power of sale on default 

 of payment of said loans, on a notice of twenty 

 days to said Board of Finance of the time and 

 place of said sale ; and, for this purpose, said 

 bonds may be executed by the proper officers 

 in the same manner as if a contract of sale 

 had been made therefor, provided that such 

 bonds shall not be pledged at a rate less than 

 one-half their par value, and that no more than 

 five hundred of said bonds shall be pledged 

 in any one year." 



STATE SEAL OF ARKANSAS 



The Governor, in his message to this ad- 

 journed session of the Legislature, recom- 

 mended that the time for holding the biennial 



