ALABAMA. 



17 



ernor. They are also required to receive 

 applications for immigrants, and propositions 

 for the sale or lease of lands and other prop- 

 erty to immigrants from all persons and cor- 

 porations in the State. The necessary funds 

 lor currying out the purposes of the act are to 

 be raised by the commissioner by subscrip- 

 tions, donations and loans ; but without creat- 

 ing any obligation or claim against the State. 



Among the miscellaneous acts of the session 

 was one making it a penal offense to sell, di- 

 rectly or indirectly, any public office of the 

 State, or the fees or emoluments thereof ; 

 one prohibiting county officers from having 

 any pecuniary interest in the contracts for 

 work or service for the county, under a penalty 

 of fine and imprisonment; one making it un- 

 lawful to confine white and colored prisoners 

 before conviction in the same apartments ; one 

 organizing the militia of the State, consisting 

 of one division made up of one brigade for 

 each of the eight congressional districts ; one 

 to regulate the granting of licenses to retail 

 wines and spirituous liquors, by Judges of 

 Probate, on the recommendation of respectable 

 freeholders and householders within five miles 

 of the place of sale ; and one prohibiting the 

 sale of lottery and gift-enterprise tickets. 



The Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad was 

 sold at auction on the 4th of October, by spe- 

 cial commissioners, under an order of the 

 United States Circuit Court, for $310,000, sub- 

 ject to the superior lien of the State acquired 

 by the indorsement of the first-mortgage 

 bonds, and to the right of the sinking-fund 

 for the payment of State bonds, issued in 1870 

 to aid in the construction of the road. The 

 purchaser was Adam P. Balch, understood to 

 be acting in the interest of D. N. "Stanton, the 

 original projector of the road. 



Owing to a division in the Republican State 

 Central Committee, two conventions of that 

 party were called, one of the " anti-Spencer" 

 Republicans, to be held at Montgomery, on the 

 16th of May, and the other of the Spencer or 

 Administration Republicans, to be held at the 

 same place, on the 24th of May. The first of 

 these was composed of delegates from fifty of 

 the sixty-five counties, and about equally 

 divided between the white and colored races. 

 It nominated State officers, delegates to the 

 National Convention of the party, and presi- 

 dential electors. The following is the State 

 ticket : For Governor, Thomas M. Peters ; 

 Secretary of State, J. J. McLemore ; Attorney- 

 General, J. 8. Clark ; State Treasurer, W. P. 

 Harris ; Auditor, O. C. Cadle, Jr. ; Superin- 

 tendents of Education, J. H. Hansley, Jere 

 Haralson. colored; Congressmen, S. F. Rice, 

 Willard Warner, and W. H. Smith. 



The Committee on Platforms and Resolu- 

 tions reported that, faithful to the principles of 

 the Republican party, so often announced by 

 their authorized exponents, they recommend 

 the adoption of the principles contained in and 

 disclosed by the address of the Republican 

 VOL. xvi. 2 A 



National Committee, and resolve that in his 

 seven years' administration of the Govern- 

 ment General Grant has guided the republic 

 through the severest trials, and has shown our 

 institutions capable of surviving equally the 

 shock of armed conflict, partisan hate, and the 

 great demoralization incident to all wars. The 

 most searching inquiries, prompted by Demo- 

 cratic partisanship, have entirely failed to 

 exhibit a single instance where President Grant 

 has tarnished with his pen the splendid tri- 

 umphs of his sword. 



The Spencer convention nominated for Gov- 

 ernor J. C. Bradley ; for Secretary of State, 

 J. T. Allington ; for Treasurer, B. M. Long ; 

 for Auditor, G. P. Plowman; for Attorney- 

 General, R. I. Heflin ; for Superintendent of 

 Public Education, P. J. Glover. Mr. Bradley 

 declined the nomination, on account of infirm 

 health. J. S. Clarke was nominated for Gov- 

 ernor. A delegation to the National Conven- 

 tion at Cincinnati was appointed, headed by 

 Senator George E. Spencer. The Committee 

 on Resolutions reported resolutions recognizing 

 civil and political equality of all men, free pub- 

 lic and non-sectarian schools, protection and 

 encouragement of labor, and the following : 



Besolved, That we indorse and approve the Admin- 

 istration of President Grant as wise and just in its 

 policy, patriotic in spirit and impartial and vigorous 

 in execution. It has carried the nation through a 

 period of unprecedented difficulties and trials with 

 safety and success, and has won for the President 

 renown as a statesman as solid and endearing as his 

 name as a soldier. 



fiesolved, That we declare our earnest admiration 

 for the entire career in public life of Hon. 0. P. 

 Mortonj of Indiana, in his advocacy of the great and 

 vital principles of the Kepublican party and of the 

 measures destined to receive their practical applica- 

 tion in the affairs of the Government. Mr. Morton 

 stands prominent before the country for the ability, 

 courage, and constancy he has displayed. 



Resolved, That we commend the Hon. 0. P. Mor 

 ton to the favorable consideration of our delegation 

 to the National Kepublican Convention. 



These were adopted, that relating to Mr. 

 Morton being the only one that caused any 

 dissent. A resolution favoring the resumption 

 act was also adopted, and one authorizing the 

 Executive Committee of the two wings of the 

 party to agree, if possible, on a State and elec- 

 toral ticket. Subsequent consultations resulted 

 in a compromise, and the following ticket wais 



agreed to: For Governor, Woodruff; 



for Secretary of State, Amos Moody ; for Au- 

 ditor, Lewis Owen ; for Treasurer, B. W. Har- 

 ris; for Attorney-General, E. H. Grandin. 



The Democratic State Convention was held 

 at Montgomery, May 31st and June 1st. There 

 were 400 delegates representing sixty-two coun- 

 ties, and the proceedings were altogether har- 

 monious. George S. Houston was renominated 

 for Governor ; R. K. Boyd, for Secretary of 

 State ; and Daniel Crawford, for Treasurer. 

 The incumbents of the other executive offices 

 were Republicans holding over from 1872, 

 and new nominations were made. Colonel 



