MISSOURI. 



607 



as agricultural improvements are extended and 

 perfected/' Eliminating all hypothetical argu- 

 ments, they sum up their views by restating 

 from their first report : 



If the normal volume of water in a silt-bearing 

 stream, flowing in an alluvial bed of its own forma- 

 tion, be permanently increased, there will result an 

 increase of velocity, and consequently of erosion and 

 silt-bearing power, an increase of area of average 

 cross-section, an ultimate lowering of the surface 

 slope ; and, conversely, if the normal flow be de- 

 creased in volume, tliere will ensue a decrease of 

 velocity, silt - transporting power, and mean sec- 

 tional area, and an ultimate raising of the surface 

 slope. 



The Mississippi makes its own bed, and 

 where there is a deposit of sediment there the 

 current lacks strength to carry it on. Wher- 

 ever there is a permanent channel there the 

 force of gravity and the force of the current 

 are in equilibrium. Levees compress the cur- 

 rent and make it sweep out obstructions. 

 An expenditure of $2,000,000 could, within 

 two years, restore the levees and effect these 

 results. In giving safety to navigation the 

 concomitant would ba security to agriculture 

 and commerce within the vast area affect- 

 ed. Levees must be continuous to be pro- 

 tections, yet States are constitutionally for- 

 bidden to combine for this or any other pur- 

 pose. The Federal Government alone has the 

 power and the right to institute measures to 

 prevent the deterioration which is taking place 

 in the noblest stream on the face of the globe. 

 It is fast becoming useless for navigation, and 

 a source only of overwhelming disaster to the 

 dwellers on its banks. 



MISSOURI. The presidential vote in 1880 

 was as follows : for the Hancock electors, 

 208,609; Garfield electors, 153,567; "Weaver 

 electors, 35,135. The Legislature, consisting 

 of 25 Democrats, 7 Republicans, and 2 Green- 

 backers in the Senate, and 98 Democrats, 42 

 Republicans, and 3 Greenbackers in the House, 

 met on the 5th of January of the present year 

 and remained in session until the 28th of 

 March. On the 18th of January Francis M. 

 Cockrell was re-elected United States Senator. 

 The vote was as follows : 



A constitutional amendment was adopted 

 for submission to the people providing for in- 

 creasing the number of the judges of the Su- 

 preme Court to six, and for dividing the court 

 into two branches. 



The April election in the city of St. Louis 

 resulted in the election of the Republican can- 

 didates. The following are the majorities of 

 the successful candidates, out of a total vote 

 of 36,357 : 



Ewing, Mayor 16,255 



Adreon, Comptroller 6,868 



Merrell, Treasurer " \ 4*970 



Smith, Auditor .'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 8*686 



Berg, Register ".!".!! '. 6*488 



Hudson, Collector 1,287 



Thomas, Marshal .'I..'.'!!! 5*090 



Rudolph, Weights and Measures ". . . . 4,682 



Powers, President of Board of Assessors 4,424 



Flad, Board of Public Improvements 7,699 



Parker, President of City Council 5,OS8 



The Republican candidates for the Council 

 had majorities ranging from 4,000 to 5,000. ' 



The number of children of school age in 

 1880 was 702,153 ; in 1881 it was 725,806, an 

 increase of 23,653. The amount of public- 

 school money distributed in 1880 was $515,- 

 286.09; in 1881 it was $519,001.16, an increase 

 of $3,715.07. The per capita in 1880 was 

 73W ; in 1881 it was 71 T V 



The State debt of Missouri, according to the 

 State Auditor's last report, dated January 1, 

 1881, was $16,259,000. This did not include 

 $250,000 revenue bonds, then outstanding but 

 since paid, nor the $3,000,000 bonds loaned 

 to the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. The 

 face of these bonds has since been paid into the 

 State Treasury, but the bonds not redeemed. 

 The money remains in the Treasury. The 

 above amount of $16,259,000 was contracted 

 on account of the following railroad companies 

 and other objects named : 



St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad... 



Cairo and Fulton Railroad 



North Missouri Railroad 



State debt proper 



Pacific Railroad 



Consolidation 



Platte County Railroad 



State University 



Northwestern Lunatic Asylum 



State Bank stock refunding 



State funding 



Penitentiary indemnity 



Renewal funding 



School-fund certiflrate indebtedness. . . 



$1,861,000 

 267,000 



1,694,000 

 489,000 



2,971,000 



2,727,000 

 504,000 

 201,000 

 200.000 

 104,000 



1,000,000 

 41,000 



8,850,000 

 900,000 



Total $16,259,000 



This debt bears 6 per cent interest, and is 

 due as follows : 



InlS90 $242,000 



In 1892 401.000 



In 1S94 504,000 



InlS95 8,2'.'>.iNiii 



In 1896 425.000 



In 1897 888,000 



In 1882 $17.000 



In 18S3 422,000 



In 1885 4,000 



In 1886 1,922,000 



In 1887 8,242,000 



In 1888 8,251,000 



Inl889 863,000 



Total $16,259,000 



The $900,000 indebtedness to the school 

 fund is nominal only, as it is simply the amount 

 of a debt duo by the State to itself. 



Some difficulty exists as to the bonds issued 

 to the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad Com- 

 pany, because they have an average of some 

 ten years to run, and bear 6 per cent. The 

 State lias no use at present for the money. It 

 lies unproductive in the Treasury, while the 

 bonds draw interest. The Fund Commissioners 

 maintain that the law under which the road 

 accepted the loan compels the company to hold 

 the State harmless as well for the interest as 

 the principal. The company claims that, hav- 

 ing paid the principal and all interest to date, 



