MISSISSIPPI. 



513 



the great interests of the State and her people, so 

 much impoverished by the abuses we complain of, 

 as too high and sacred to be made the subject or 

 party contests. Mississippi has a soil unequaled in 

 fertility and in the variety of its products. Our cli- 

 mate is genial and healthy. Every element of high 

 prosperity and of material and moral advancement 

 exists. But. notwithstanding all this, every business 

 is depressed, the people discontented and paralyzed. 

 We have the benumbing influence of despair and 

 threatened ruin in lieu of the healthy and vigorous 

 activity and energy of hopeful progress. And there 

 yet remains the saddest truth of all. There are dis- 

 trust and a want of mutual confidence between the 

 different classes of our population, and a deep and 

 wide gulf separating the rulers and the ruled. The 

 tax-payers do not desire this, and they now make 

 this respectful petition and appeal to the Legislature, 

 in the nope that that body may receive it in the 

 spirit in which it is made, and that such action may 

 result as will speedily put Mississippi on the high- 

 road to prosperity which shall bless all classes and 

 conditions and extend to every section of the State. 



The session of the Legislature, which began 

 on the 5th of January, came to a close on the 

 6th of March. Numerous bills, intended to 

 effect retrenchment of expenses, were intro- 

 duced, but several of them were defeated, the 

 colored members generally voting solidly 

 against them. A strong effort was made to 

 secure the adoption of a resolution providing 

 for the amendment of the constitution so as to 

 make elections and legislative sessions bien- 

 nial, but it was defeated. An amendment re- 

 ducing the number of chancellors was carried 

 through. A bill making changes in the school 

 law, and reducing the tax for educational pur- 

 poses from four to two mills, passed both 

 Houses, but was vetoed by the Governor. A 

 bill abolishing the office of Commissioner of 

 Immigration failed to pass. Every effort to 

 reduce the compensation of members of the 

 Legislature, which is $500 a session and twenty 

 cents for every mile of travel, was defeated. 

 Bills to reduce the number of circuit judges, 

 and to diminish salaries of county treasurers 

 and school superintendents, failed to pass. 

 Several measures modifying the salaries of 

 State officials were discussed and variously 

 amended. Finally, in the appropriation act, 

 the salary of the Governor was fixed at $4,- 

 750, that of Lieutenant-Governor at $1,585, 

 Secretary of State $2,500, Auditor $2,500, 

 Treasurer $2,500, Attorney-General $2,700, 

 Superintendent of Instruction $2,500, and 

 Commissioner of Immigration $2,000. Va- 

 rious other appropriations were materially re- 

 duced from the sums formerly devoted to the 

 same purposes. A bill making Treasury war- 

 rants receivable for taxes was vetoed by the 

 Governor. A new registration act was passed, 

 which required a complete registration of all 

 the voters in each county before the election. 

 Eesolutions were adopted in both Houses ap- 

 proving of the conduct of General Sheridan in 

 New Orleans, and sustaining the Federal Ad- 

 ministration in its interference with the or- 

 ganization of the Legislature of Louisiana. A 

 bill which occupied a large share of attention, 

 VOL. XT. 33 A 



and excited bitter opposition on the part of 

 most of the white members, provided for the 

 establishment of a metropolitan police-force, 

 under the control of the Governor, stationed 

 in the city of Vicksburg but liable to be called 

 on for service in other parts of the State. 

 This passed the Lower House, but was finally 

 defeated in the Senate. A new militia bill was 

 then introduced and passed, making each con- 

 gressional district a militia division and author- 

 izing the organization of a considerable force, 

 under the command of the Governor. It pro- 

 vides that there shall be no parade or rendez- 

 vous of the militia on any election-day or for five 

 days preceding, "except in case of invasion, riot, 

 insurrection, or imminent danger thereof." It 

 also gives the commander-in-chief "full power 

 to order into active service the militia force of 

 this State, or any part thereof, and order them 

 to any. part of the State, when he is advised or 

 deems it necessary to prevent or suppress riot 

 or insurrection, or to aid the civil officers in 

 the execution of the law." 



An investigation into the affairs of Alcorn 

 University was made, and it was found to be 

 in a very unsatisfactory condition. There had 

 been serious difficulties between the students 

 and the officers and faculty, and many of the for- 

 mer had left the institution. The trustees had 

 been very negligent, and there was no harmony 

 between the superintendent and the president 

 and faculty. The investigating committee rec- 

 ommended the abolition of the office of super- 

 intendent and treasurer, the duties of the latter 

 being transferred to the State Treasurer, and 

 the reorganization of the whole institution. A 

 bill was passed removing all the officers and 

 trustees, and providing for the appointment of 

 new ones, and for the complete reorganization 

 of the institution on a more economical and 

 efficient basis. 



According to the statement of Governor 

 Ames to the Legislature of 1876, which is lack- 

 ing in definiteness, " the condition of the State's 

 finances is unprecedentedly favorable. . . . The 

 real debt of the State," he says, " that is, its 

 outstanding obligations beyond its ability to 

 pay at once, with its current and available 

 funds (the taxes received for 1875), amounts to 

 about $500,000. The common and Chickasaw 

 school-funds, debts upon which the interest 

 only is to be paid, amount to $1,530,620. The 

 expenses of the State government, during the 

 past year, amounted to $618,259.18. The 

 amount paid to the two universities of the 

 State, to normal schools, and interest on the 

 Chickasaw school-fund, was $136,896.37. The 

 Mississippi State bonds paid amounted to $250,- 

 000. Interest on bonds, $37,664. Extra im- 

 provements, State buildings, $56,017.44. The 

 progress made during the past three years, in 

 reducing the expenses of the State government, 

 is found in the comparison of such expenses, 

 to wit : the expenses in 1873 were $953,030.13 ; 

 in 1874, $908,330.72 ; in 1875, $618,259.18. 

 " The successful administration of State finan- 



