20 



ALABAMA. 



dents enrolled at the beginning of 1879 was 

 217, which exceeds the number at the same 

 date the year previous by 46. The advanced 

 classes are larger this year than ever before. 

 Of the 238 students last year, there were in 

 the first class 8, in the second 16, in the third 

 53, in the fourth 66, in the fifth 95. Of the 

 217 students in the present year there are in 

 the first class 13, in the second 30, in the third 

 47, in the fourth 60, in the fifth 65. In college 

 classes proper there were last year, out of 238 

 students, 143; this year, out of 217 students, 

 there are 150. During the past year improve- 

 ments were made upon the college building, 

 which give ample accommodations for 300 stu- 

 dents. The income of the college is derived 

 mainly from the endowment fund, which con- 

 sists of $253,500, invested, by act of the Gen- 

 eral Assembly of the State, in Alabama bonds. 

 These bonds are deposited with the Treasurer 

 of the State. The annual income from this en- 

 dowment is $20,280. 



Two acts were passed by the Legislature 

 which related to the financial affairs of the 

 Mty of Mobile. The first act repealed the 

 charter of the city, and made provision for the 

 application of the assets of the old corporation 

 in discharge of its debts. Three commissioners 

 were to be appointed by the Governor, with 

 the advice and consent of the Senate, to col- 

 lect and disburse these assets. Their manner 

 of discharging the duty is to be directed and 

 controlled by the Chancery Court for Mobile. 

 The commissioners are authorized to compro- 

 mise, compound, and adjust all debts, claims, 

 and demands, including past-due taxes, of every 

 kind which at the date of the passage of the 

 act existed in favor of the city, on such terms 

 and in such manner as, having in view the 

 speedy collection of such outstanding claims 

 and the largest possible reduction of the debt 

 heretofore due from or now asserted against 

 the city, may seem to them best ; and for the 

 purpose of so realizing the assets and paying 

 the debt, the commissioners and receivers, with 

 the leave of the Court of Chancery, are au- 

 thorized and empowered to sell, on the best 

 terms they can obtain, all the real and person- 

 al property which may come to their hands as 

 commissioners under the act, and not by ex- 

 isting laws exempt from sale, and so much 

 and such parts or portions of the claims and 

 demands with the collection of which they are 

 charged, as they may be authorized by the 

 order of the Court of Chancery to sell. The 

 commissioners are charged with the duty of 

 opening communication with the holders of 

 the funded debt of the city in relation to the 

 same, with a view to the adjustment thereof, 

 and its settlement ; and for that purpose are to 

 conduct negotiations with the creditors to the 

 end that proper legislation may be enacted to 

 secure at the same time and consistently with 

 each other the protection of the life, property, 

 security, and peace of the citizens of the terri- 

 tory of late governed by the municipal organ- 



ization of the city of Mobile, and the payment 

 to the utmost extent practicable of the just 

 debt of the city. They are to make report to 

 the Governor of the State, to be laid before 

 the General Assembly at its next term, of the 

 result of their negotiations, together with the 

 draft of such act for their consideration, as in 

 the judgment of said commissioners may be 

 required to carry into effect any scheme of ad- 

 justment they may recommend, and secure the 

 objects of the act; and upon the passage of 

 such act they shall apply to the Court of Chan- 

 cery for such proper orders and decrees as may 

 be necessary to secure the application of the 

 assets under its jurisdiction and control to the 

 uses and purposes which may be agreed upon, 

 and be declared by the act to carry such agree- 

 ment into operation and effect. 



The second act contemplated and provided 

 for the creation of a simple and economical as 

 well as efficient form of local government, to 

 exist provisionally until the next session of the 

 General Assembly, January, 1881. This gov- 

 ernment, being only for a limited period, is to 

 be intrusted simply with police powers that 

 is, with power to preserve the public peace, 

 protect the public health, to provide against 

 fires, take care of the streets, and perform such 

 other municipal duties as are necessary for the 

 well-being of the city. This provisional gov- 

 ernment, however, is to have nothing to do 

 with the settlement of the debt. Eight com- 

 missioners are to be elected by the people, one 

 from each ward, to manage the port. There 

 are to be a president of the board, a clerk, and 

 a tax-collector, and such police officers as may 

 be necessary. To defray the expenses of po- 

 lice management, the board is authorized and 

 empowered to lay and collect for each year of 

 its existence, upon all real and personal prop- 

 erty and all subjects of State taxation within 

 said port of Mobile, a tax not exceeding six 

 tenths of one per centum of the value of such 

 property or subject of taxation assessed for 

 State taxation during the year preceding that 

 for which said police board may assess and lay 

 the tax above provided for; provided, that 

 where the personal property of any person 

 does not exceed $150, and his real estate does 

 not exceed $200, such property shall be ex- 

 empt from taxation. The two acts thus passed 

 were first brought forward and approved by 

 the city authorities. The Board of Aldermen 

 considered the bill to repeal the charter first, 

 and recommended it for legislative action by 

 a vote of thirteen to seven. After some de- 

 bate they adopted the second bill creating a 

 new corporation by a tiva voce vote, which 

 represented the same majority obtained in 

 favor of the first. The Common Council was 

 unanimous in favor of both bills. These mea- 

 sures were the result of two years of agi- 

 tation. The objects were to secure an effec- 

 tive adjustment of the debt, to get rid of an 

 expensive system of city government, and to 

 place the property of the citizens beyond the 



