COLORADO. 



157 



the deep. 1 " The so-called Radical party has 

 joined a fraction of the Conservatives, and thus 

 united, both are aiming at the downfall of the 

 Liberals in the States most devoted to the Nu- 

 nez administration. Should they succeed thus 

 far, their intention is then to concentrate their 

 forces in an attempt to overthrow the Federal 

 Government. 



On Jan. 2, 1885, President Nnfiez telegraphed 

 as follows : " The remaining rebel forces sought 

 asylum in Boyaca without having fought. They 

 reached Tunja on the 22d, and they are now sur- 

 rounded by 3,000 men. All munitions had been 

 moved to Zipaquira in advance, owing to the ef- 

 forts and energy of Gen. Morgan, who for this 

 reason has been raised to the rank of general. 

 The revolutionists have asked for an armistice. 

 Here, and in Sabana and Zipaquira, we have 

 strong reserves." The movement, if once suc- 

 cessful in Boyaca, would acquire an impetus dif- 

 ficult to overcome. The Conservador, of Bogo- 

 ta, expressed the fear that disturbance would 

 become general throughout the republic. 



COLORADO. State Government. The State offi- 

 cers during the year were the following: Gov- 

 ernor, James B. Grant, Democrat ; Lieutenant- 

 Governor, William H. Meyer; Secretary of 

 State, Mel vin Edwards; Treasurer, Frederick 

 Walsen ; Auditor, John 0. Abbott ; Attorney- 

 General, David F. Urmy; Superintendent of 

 Public Instruction, Joseph C. Shattuck. Su- 

 preme Court: Chief -Justice, William E. Beck; 

 Associates, Joseph C. Helm and W. F. Stone. 



Finances. The condition of the Treasury on 

 Nov. 30, 1884, was as follows : 



Outstanding warrants $454,112 80 



Certificates of indebtedness 61,794 96 



Total $515,907 76 



Cash in Treasury $37S,267 85 



Cash invested in State warrants 134,867 76 



Amount due Jan. 1, 18S5, general revenues 404,862 55 



Total . . $917,993 16 



Excess over liability $402,091 40 



This is the showing on the face of the books, 

 but the actual indebtedness of the State, which 

 should be paid at once, is as follows : 



Outstanding warrants $454,142 SO 



Certificates of indebtedness 61,79496 



Estimated interest on the same 29.841 00 



Deficiency at Insane Asylum 25,718 00 



Deficiency at Industrial School 20,000 00 



Total present liabilities $590,996 76 



Due Jan. 1, 18S5, general revenue (tax 1SS4).. .. $404.862 55 

 Backtaxes 143,031 66 



Total $547,894 21 



The Auditor estimates that not more than 

 $455,000 of this amount will be collected, $30,- 

 000 of which will be applied on outstanding 

 loco certificates, leaving $425,000 to be applied 

 on the indebtedness of $590,996.76. This shows 

 a deficiency of resources to meet present in- 

 debtedness of $165,996.76. This indebtedness 

 can be met without either borrowing money 

 or increasing the State tax. 



The permanent school fund at the present time 



amounts to $114,220 04 



Permanent university fund 28,839 75 



Total $142,559 79 



The total assessed valuation of property in 

 1884 was $115,675,014.51 ; in 1883, $110,759,- 

 756.21 ; number of military polls in 1884, 31,- 

 653 ; in 1883, 27,600. The railroad assessment 

 in 1884 amounted to $19,923,425.05. 



Corporations. The Insurance Department has 

 yielded a net revenue to the public-school 

 fund of $13,025.55 during the past two years. 

 The number of companies authorized to do 

 business in the State is 105. The Auditor rep- 

 resents that all spurious companies have been 

 prohibited from doing business in the State, 

 and that the insurance business is now on a 

 safe basis. 



During the past two years 1,053 articles of 

 incorporation have been filed with the Secre- 

 tary of State, and spread upon the records of 

 the office. 



Capitol Building. The Legislature of 1883 au- 

 thorized the construction of a Capitol building, 

 and appointed a Board of Managers to carry 

 out the provisions of said law. The law was 

 framed and passed hurriedly, and seems to 

 have been very imperfectly adapted to the pur- 

 poses for which it was intended. The Board 

 of Managers decided that it would be impossi- 

 ble to construct the building and do justice to 

 the State without violating the provisions of 

 the act under which they had been appointed. 

 The commissioners have drafted a bill for sub- 

 mission to the Legislature of 1885, under the 

 provisions of which the Capitol can be built 

 without embarrassing the State in any way. 

 It contemplates that the construction shall cov- 

 er a period of five years, and that the final cost 

 shall not exceed $1,000,000. The following 

 resources for the construction of the Capitol 

 can be made immediately available : 



Capitol building fund, cash $134.195 50 



Public building fund, cash 20,062 82 



Due Jan. 1, 18S5, half-mill tax 57,800 00 



Total cash $212,058 32 



Bonds voted in 1883 300,000 00 



Immediately available 512,058 82 



Half-mill tax for five years (estimated) 800,000 00 



Total $812,05812 



"This leaves," says the Governor, "only 

 $200,000 to be provided for. The Constitution 

 prohibits the levying of any tax in excess of 

 one half mill on the dollar per annum for a 

 Capitol building. But it does not prohibit the 

 appropriation of any surplus in the Treasury, 

 to the credit of the general revenue fund, for 

 this purpose. The demands upon the general 

 revenue fund can be lessened, and a surplus 

 created by supporting the Penitentiary by a 

 direct tax levy, instead of by appropriation 

 from the general revenue fund, as is now done." 



By an act passed by the last Legislature the 

 electors were called upon, at the election in 

 November, 1883, to pass upon the question of 

 voting $300,000 in bonds for the Capitol build- 



