ALABAMA. 



thorities announced later that the rising had 

 been completely suppressed. 



The Zhob Valley Marauders. Sidar Shah Jehan, 

 of Zhob, with his principal chiefs and maliks, 

 arrived at Duki, on Jan. 17, 1886, to make his 

 submission to Sir R. Sandeman, the governor- 

 generaFs agent, thus fulfilling the terms of 

 peace made with the Zhob tribes after the ex- 

 pedition of 1 884. 



The Transcaspian Railway, The narrow-gauge 

 railroad from Michailovsk to Merv is 1,335 

 versts in length, and has 63 stations. The first 

 510 versts, from Michailovsk to Artik, crosses 

 a nearly waterless region extending to Kizil 

 Arvat. From Artik to the Oxus is a distance 

 of 470 versts, and from Tchichardjui on the 

 Oxus to Samarcand 350 versts. The road runs 

 for the most part through a sandy, uncultivated 

 country, producing no fuel ; but astatki, or pe- 

 troleum waste, for the engines, is furnished in 

 sufficient quantities from the product of the 

 Transcaspiun oil-wells. The new harbor, op- 

 posite the island of Urzambada, southwest of 

 Michailovsk, which is to be the depot of the 

 railroad, was opened on May 22. Gen. An- 

 nenkoff had returned from St. Petersburg, 

 where on April 13 he obtained the sanction of 

 the imperial ministry for the extension of the 

 line through Bokhara to Samarcand. 



Disturbances in Bokhara. The compliance of 

 Abdul Ahad, the new Emir of Bokhara toward 

 Russia in regard to the railroad and other 

 matters produced much discontent among his 

 subjects, and a revolt was led by his brother, 

 Abdul Mumin Khan, the Beg of Hissar, who 

 was in correspondence with the eldest brother, 

 the pretender, at Peshawer. The latter, Abdul 

 Melik, called Kette Tore, or rightful heir to the 

 throne, who is under British protection, threat- 

 ens to drive his brother, the Emir, from the 

 throne at the instance and with the assistance 

 of the Indian Government. The Emir checked 

 the movement in Hissar before it attained for- 

 midable dimensions, and transferred Abdul 

 Mumin Khan to a similar post at Baison. Far- 

 ther east a revolt of the Kiptchaks, who re- 

 ceive secret aid from China, disturbs the Rus- 

 sian province of Ferghana, formerly the khan- 

 ate of Ehokand. 



ALABAMA. State Government The following 

 were the State officers during the year: Gov- 

 ernor, Edward A. O'Neal, Democrat; Secre- 

 tary of State, C. 0. Langdon; Treasurer, 

 Frederick H. Smith; Auditor, Malcolm 0. 

 Burke; Attorney-General, Thomas N. McOlel- 

 lan; Superintendent of Public Instruction, 

 Solomon Palmer; Railroad Commissioners, 

 Henry R. Shorter, Levi W. Lawler, and W. C. 

 Tnnstall. Judiciary, Supreme Court: Chief- 

 Justice, George W. Stone; Associate Justices, 

 David Clopton and H. M. Somerville. 



Condition of the State. The Governor, in his 

 message to the Legislature on Nov. 10, says: 

 " During the past two years the State has been 

 peculiarly blest. No great disaster has be- 

 fallen its people. The public peace has every- 



where been preserved. The laws have been 

 faithfully executed. Life has been secure and 

 property has been protected. The cost of 

 government has been lessened, and taxes col- 

 lected for the public use have been economi- 

 cally expended. Favoring seasons have given 

 satisfactory returns to the labors of the hus- 

 bandman. Agricultural prosperity has stimu- 

 lated and rewarded commercial and manufact- 

 uring enterprise. Its mineral resources have 

 challenged the attention of the world, and 

 eager capital from remote countries hastens to 

 their development." 



Finances. The Legislature of 1882-'83 re- 

 duced the tax-rate and increased the appropria- 

 tions. This followed the defalcation of the 

 State Treasurer for about $250,000. The im- 

 mediate result was a better collection of taxes 

 and more prompt returns to the treasury. 



The treasury balance, Sept. 30, 1884, was 

 $224,832. The receipts at the treasury from 

 all sources during the year ending Sept. 30, 

 1885, were $962,462.83, and the disbursements 

 from it were $916,924.52, leaving a balance of 

 $270,370.31, of which $239,500.10 belonged 

 to the general fund and was available for ordi- 

 nary purposes. The treasury receipts from 

 all sources for the year ending Sept. 30, 1886, 

 were $888,724.33, and the disbursements for 

 all purposes $818,366, leaving a balance of 

 $340,727.94, of which $71,273.85 were special 

 funds. In addition, moneys are paid direct by 

 the county collectors to the County Superin- 

 tendent of Education. 



In 1885 and 1836 the total amount of taxes 

 collected from the people (exclusive of county, 

 city, and special taxes), in one form or another, 

 on property, for licenses in fees and on polls, 

 was $2,592,673.91 (not including $187,588.37 

 received at the treasury from other sources 

 than taxes), of which $934,075.12 was received 

 and paid out in the counties, and did not come 

 into the treasury. 



Since 1875 the taxable value of property in 

 the State has been as follows : 1876, $135,535,- 

 792; 1877, $130,709,138.57; 1878, $126,773,- 

 262.85; 1879, $123,757,072.85; 1880, $139,- 

 077,328.22; 1881, $152,920.115.14; 1882, 

 $157,520,551.25; 1883, $158,578,157; 1884, 

 $167,124,594.49; and 1885, $172,528,933.82. 

 The bonded indebtedness of the State is now 

 $9,193,900. Of this $7,700,000 bears interest 

 at 4 per cent, $539,000 at 5 per cent., and 

 $954,000 at 6 per cent. 



Debt Settlement The settlement of the old 

 bonded debt of the State under the act of Feb. 

 26, 1876, has not been entirely closed. About 

 $250,000 of old bonds, convertible into new 

 class A bonds, and about $200,000 of the in- 

 dorsed Alabama and Chattanooga Railroad 

 bonds are still outstanding. Under the act of 

 Feb. 26, 1876, the State released to the holders 

 of bonds issued under the act of Feb. 11, 1870, 

 and loaned to the Alabama and Chattanooga 

 Railroad Company, in satisfaction of all liability 

 thereon, all its right to the lands and other 



