758 



TENNESSEE. 



TEXAS. 



January 18 Hon. Washington C. Whitthorne, 

 who was then holding under appointment from 

 the Governor, was elected United States Sena- 

 tor for the term ending March 3. The choice 

 of his successor for the next full term of six 

 years also devolved upon this Legislature, and 

 was the cause of a prolonged contest in the 

 Democratic caucus. Sixty-eight ballots were 

 taken, on the last of which ex-Governor Will- 

 iam B. Bate received 78 votes, all but 5 of the 

 votes cast. Before this result had been reached, 

 five joint ballots had been taken in the Legis- 

 lature without a choice. On the sixth ballot 

 Bate received 81 votes, and Archibald M. 

 Hughes (Republican) 45. Two important re- 

 sults of the session were a new law regulating 

 the assessment and collection of revenue, and a 

 resolution in favor of the prohibitory constitu- 

 tional amendment as passed by the Legislature 

 of 1885. The revenue act seeks to secure a 

 more equitable valuation of property, more 

 complete assessment, and more efficient collec- 

 tion of taxes. Coupled with it, an act was 

 passed raising the State tax to forty-five cents, 

 and revising the system of special taxes. Spe- 

 cific appropriations were made for the com- 

 pletion of the West Tennessee Insane Hospital 

 ($150,000) and the completion and equipment 

 of a similar hospital in East Tennessee ($50,- 

 000). Other acts of the session were as follow : 



To enable counties, cities, and towns to subscribe 

 to the capital stock of any railroad company incorpo- 

 rated under the laws of the State. 



To punish false pretenses in obtaining the registra- 

 tion of cattle and other animals, and to punish giving 

 false pedigrees. 



To prevent the adulteration of candy. 



Increasing the pension granted to disabled Confed- 

 erate soldiers and to disabled Federal soldiers, not 

 pensioned by the Federal Government, from ten to 

 twenty-five dollars a month, and extending the act to 

 those who have lost both arms or both legs in the 

 service. 



To permit parties defendant in criminal causes to 

 testify in their own behalf. 



To provide a more just and equitable mechanics' 

 lien law. 



To relieve druggists of all taxes that have accrued 

 against them as liquor-dealers under the revenue laws 

 of 1881-'82, 1833-' 84. and 1885/86. 



To create a board of public works for the city of 

 Chattanooga. 



Authorizing the funding of coupons that have been 

 detached from State bonds, and not heretofore funded. 



For the protection of fish between March 15 and 

 June 1. 



Making it unlawful for any firm, corporation, or 

 other employer who owns or controls a store for the 

 sale of general merchandise to force or attempt to 

 force employe's to trade at such store. 



To organize the militia of the State, and to provide 

 for its government. 



Accepting the gift to the State of the Kandall-Cole 

 Industrial School, and organizing it as the Tennessee 

 Industrial School. 



Making it unlawful to sell intoxicating liquors with- 

 in four miles of any school-house outside of an incor- 

 porated town. 



Giving land-owners a lien on the crops raised on 

 their land by share-croppers, for supplies, implements, 

 and work- stock. 



Providing for the observance of u Arbor Day " by 

 the public schools. 



Taxing and regulating the business of mutual or 

 assessment insurance. 



Authorizing cities of over 32,000 inhabitants to issue 

 bonds for water-works. 



To permit the consolidation of non-competing rail- 

 road lines. 



Prohibiting corporations from influencing the votes 

 or dictating the place for trading of their employe's. 



Incorporating the town of Newburn. 



To establish a uniform standard of weights and 

 measures in the State. 



Allowing guardians to loan money of their wards 

 on real estate. 



Providing for the appointment of a State mine in- 

 spector. 



Finances. At the beginning of the year the 

 treasury statement showed a considerable defi- 

 cit; at its close there was a cash balance of 

 $225,752.81. For the last three months of the 

 year the receipts were $448,101.87, and the ex- 

 penditures $230,602.03. In 1887 the increase 

 in assessed values over 1886 was $14,640,402. 



Industrial School. The Tennessee Industrial 

 School for Boys at Nashville, founded by pri- 

 vate enterprise and given to the State, was first 

 opened for the reception of pupils at the be- 

 ginning of the year. Fifty-two boys were ad- 

 mitted during the year, of whom forty-three 

 remained at its close. Of these, thirty-five 

 were white and eight colored. The expense of 

 constructing and furnishing the institution was 

 over $18,000. 



lYaiiuK The entire commercial supply of 

 peanuts for the country comes from Virginia 

 and Tennessee, with small exports from North 

 Carolina. The Virginia crop for this year is 

 estimated at 1,800,000 bushels, and the Ten- 

 nessee production at 750,000 bushels. For the 

 past two years there has been a gradual de- 

 crease in the Tennessee production, while that 

 of Virginia shows a considerable increase. 



Coal and Iron. The estimated production of 

 coal in the State for the year was 2,000,000 

 tons, and of pig-iron, 250,344 tons. 



Election. The prohibitory constitutional 

 amendment, having been adopted by two suc- 

 cessive Legislatures, was submitted to the peo- 

 ple for ratification in August. Out of a total 

 vote of 252,701, which is nearly equal to the 

 presidential vote of 1884, the friends of prohi- 

 bition polled 117,504 votes, and its opponents 

 145,197 against the amendment. 



TEXAS. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Govern- 

 or, Lawrence S. Ross, Democrat; Lientenant- 

 Governor, T. B. Wheeler ; Secretary of State, J. 

 W. Baines, succeeded by J. M. Moore; Comp- 

 troller, John D. McCall; Treasurer, Frank R. 

 Lnbbock ; Attorney-General, James S. Hogg ; 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, Oscar 

 H. Cooper ; Commissioner of the Land Office, 

 R. M. Hall; Chief Justice of the Supreme 

 Court, Asa H. Willie; Associate Justices, John 

 W. Stayton and R. R. Gaines. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met Jan- 

 uary 11, and was in session three months. Its 

 early days were occupied with a contest for the 

 seat held by United States Senator Samuel B. 



