16 



ALABAMA. 



Several other financial measures were 

 adopted, including a new revenue code pro- 

 viding for various kinds of taxation and de- 

 fining the duties of assessors, collectors, and 

 other county officials, in the matter of levying 

 and collecting taxes. Another act provides 

 for setting apart a certain portion of the rev- 

 enue, not exceeding one-fourth, for the pay- 

 ment of interest on the debt, and authorizes 

 the issue of bonds for the same purpose, when 

 necessary, but not exceeding $1,000,000 in 

 amount, or at a rate of interest exceeding eight 

 per cent. Still another act authorizes tem- 

 porary loans for the general uses of the State, 

 but not exceeding $100,000 in amount at any 

 one time, or at a rate of interest exceeding 

 eight per cent. 



Several important amendments were made 

 to the registration and election laws. The 

 qualifications of voters and the offices to be 

 filled were restated : the election for State and 

 county officers is fixed on the first Monday in 

 August, and that for members of Congress and 

 presidential electors on the Tuesday following 

 the first Monday in November. All qualified 

 voters are required to be registered, the name 

 and residence of each being entered on the 

 register, and whether white or colored, together 

 with his employer's name. When the votes 

 are cast, a poll-list must be made of the names 

 of those voting. If any vote is challenged, the 

 person offering to vote is required to make a 

 sign or oath as to his qualifications, and all 

 such oaths must be filed and returned with the 

 returns of votes. The inspectors of election 

 count the ballots and make their returns to 

 the county returning officers, and these returns 

 are canvassed by the Probate Judge and clerk 

 of the Circuit Court of the county in the pres- 

 ence of three reputable householders of the 

 opposite political party. The returns from 

 counties are made to the Secretary of State, 

 except those of votes for Governor, Secretary 

 of State. Auditor, Treasurer, and Attorney- 

 General, which are made to the presiding 

 officer of the Senate. An additional section 

 provides that each elector for President and 

 Vice-President shall receive eight dollars for 

 each day's necessary attendance at the State 

 capital in the performance of his duty, and 

 twenty cents a mile for necessary travel. An 

 act " to establish, organize, and regulate a sys- 

 tem of public instruction for the State of Ala- 

 bama," provides that after the first Monday in 

 August, 1876, no more than four per cent, of 

 the school-fund shall be expended for any 

 other purpose than in payment of teachers of 

 free public schools, and the State Superin- 

 tendent must fix the compensation of all other 

 school-officers accordingly. A separate census 

 of white and colored children between the 

 ages of seven and twenty-one is required, and 

 ooll-taxes collected from white citizens must be 

 devoted to the support of schools for white 

 children, and those collected from colored 

 citizens must be devoted to the maintenance 



of schools for colored children. An act making 

 appropriations for the support of public schools 

 provides that there shall be devoted to this 

 purpose each year $150,000 out of the general 

 revenue of the State ; the interest at four per 

 cent, on the proceeds of lands granted by Con- 

 gress, amounting this year to $3,883.65 ; in- 

 terest at four per cent, on the fund accruing 

 from the sale of the sixteenth sections of town- 

 ships; $26,765.47, being interest at four per 

 cent, on the surplus fund deposited with the 

 State by the Government of the United States ; 

 all sums received from escheats and from unsold 

 lands donated by Congress for the support of 

 public schools ; and all poll-taxes collected in 

 each county. According to the report of a 

 special joint committee appointed to investi- 

 gate the subject, the amount due from the 

 State to the school-fund on the 1st of October, 

 1875, was $249,309.39. An act was passed 

 "to carry into effect the intention of the Con- 

 gress of the United States in its donation of a 

 certain quantity of land " for the benefit of a 

 seminary of learning in the State. This incor- 

 porates the Trustees of the University of Ala- 

 bama, composed of the Governor of the State, 

 Superintendent of Education, and one trustee 

 for each congressional district, and confers 

 upon them all the necessary powers and re- 

 sponsibilities for administering the affairs of 

 the institution. Among other things they are 

 authorized to dispose of all lands and property 

 derived from the original grant, and to take 

 charge of all other gifts, bequests, and dona- 

 tions to the university. It is declared that the 

 "university fund" consists of $300,000, on 

 which the State is pledged to the payment of 

 interest at the rate of eight per cent. The 

 university is located at Tuscaloosa, and is 

 represented to be in a flourishing condition. 



A general incorporation law was enacted, 

 authorizing the organization of " mining, 

 manufacturing, immigration, or business com- 

 panies," on compliance with various specified 

 conditions. A general law for the incorpora- 

 tion of railroad companies was also passed. 

 This requires the persons forming such com- 

 panies to file a declaration with the Secretary 

 of State and obtain a commission from him, 

 and finally to receive a certificate after the or* 

 ganization is effected. All the powers and 

 franchises necessary to carry out the purpose* 

 of a railroad company are expressly conferred, 

 including that of taking the necessary property 

 for a right of way on payment of damages 

 determined by commissioners of award, ap- 

 pointed by the Judge of Probate of the county 

 in which the property lies. The franchise 

 lapses by five years' non-use. An act to in- 

 duce immigration to the State of Alabama was 

 passed, providing for the appointment by the 

 Governor of a Commissioner of Immigration 

 and two Assistant Commissioners, to collect 

 and disseminate statistics and information re- 

 garding the resources and advantages of the 

 State, and make an annual report to the Gov- 



