MINNESOTA. 



I; ulroad and Warehouse Commission. 



Since the 'Trillion of the commission the records 

 demonstrate that much has IHTH .-,,, ..mpli-lied of 

 direct lieiictit to the general public, a> the grad- 

 ual but material reduction in transportation 

 rate- lor frei-ht and passengers, and as requiring 

 of the railroad companies equal consideration 

 for all clashes of shippers. Conipctition, im- 

 I methods in handling trains, newer and 

 better machinery, lower grades, and tlic reduced 

 1' transacting business, aided by it grow- 

 ing trallic. have also assisted in making lighter 

 the burdens of transportation. The commis- 

 .-ioners regard I he issuing of free passes as now- 

 practiced in Minnesota as an unjust discrimina- 

 tion againM e\ery passenger that pays, and thus 

 opposed to the spirit of the act passed for the 

 regulation of common curriers; also that it is 

 a fruitful source of corruption; that it is in- 

 jurious alike to public nnd private interests, and 

 to the interest of the companies themselves, and 

 that it is one of the chief obstacles in the way 

 of proper and necessary reform in railway man- 

 agement and the control thereof under authority 

 of the State. The present law regulating com- 

 mon carriers especially permits the issuance of 

 passes for the free transportation of passengers, 

 although all other discrimination is prohibited 

 under severe penalties. 



The decision rendered in March, 1891. by the 

 Supreme Court of the United States, holding 

 that certain provisions of the act of 1887 regu- 

 lating common carriers are not in harmony with 

 the Federal Constitution, will make necessary 

 some changes in the Minnesota laws in this re- 

 gard. It was understood when the law of 1887 

 was enacted that while the railroads were en- 

 titled to receive reasonable rates for service ren- 

 dered, (lie Legislature was the sole arbiter as to 

 what rates were reasonable. It was also ad- 

 mitted that this power could be delegated by 

 th^e Legislature to a board of commissioners. 

 With this in view, the law of 1887. as interpreted 

 by the Supreme Court of the United States. 

 delegated this power to the Board of Railroad 

 and Warehouse Commissioners, nnd provided 

 no means for a review of its action. The court 

 of last resort has determined that action upon 

 such matters is not final either in a commission 

 or in the Legislature itself. The power of the 

 Legislature to make reasonable rates for common 

 carriers is not denied, but. whether a given rate 

 so made is reasonable is a judicial question, and 

 must be settled as other matters of law and fact 

 nre determined, through the medium of the 

 courts. 



Political. Under the Apportionment act of 

 Congress approved Feb. 7, 1891, which fixes the 

 number of members of the House of Representa- 

 tives after March 3, 1893, Minnesota's delegation 

 was increased from 5 to 7, and the State has 

 been redistricted as follows: 



MISSISSIPPI. 



531 



ur, Sil.l.-y, Carver, McLcod, R*nville, and 

 Meeker. 



4. TI.e r.,untii-i.i)f Kojiwiay, Wellington, Chicago, 

 Iriunti, uml Kiiiniliec. 



.". Th! county ol' Hi-miriiin. 



In ooonfiei r <',,]<, I Ita*ca, 



Carlton, Aitkta, Crow Win-, i-in,-, .Mm,. 1.,,,-H, Ano- 

 kn, Shcrburne, Wright, Ku-unm, ]{, i,..,n. M,,rriiu,ri 

 lotkl. Cn.-s, \\ii.leini, lIuMmnl, and ISi-ltrumi. 



7. The ri.imtii-M of KittM.n. Mar.-ln.ll. l',,|k, N., r 

 man, Cln\. \\ilkin. Traverse, JJitf St.m-. Swift. Kim 



diyolii, Btevena, Pope, Douglas, Grant, Otter TaUL and 



>iT. 



1. Tlic counties of Houston, Fillmoro, Mower, Free- 

 >rn, Wascca, Stcclc, Dodge, Olmsted, Winono, and 

 abash a. 



2. The counties of Faribnult, Martin, Jacks..n, 

 Nobles, Rock, Pipestone, Murray, Wntnnwan. Blue 

 Earth, h'ieollet, Brown, Redwood, Lyon, Lincoln, 

 Yellow Medicine, Lac Qui Parle, Chippewa,andCot- 

 tonwood. 



8. The counties of Goodhuc, Dakota, Hicc, Scott, 



MISSISSIPPI, a Southern State, admitted 

 to the Union Dec. 10, 1H17; ana. IC.slu Mjuart- 

 miles. The population, according to each decen- 

 nial census since admission, was 75.44H in 

 130,621 in 1830; 875,051 in 1840; 000,526 in 

 1850; 791,305 in 1860; 827,922 in 1870; 1 131 - 

 597 in 1880; and 1,289,600 in 1890. Capital. 

 Jackson. 



Government. The following were the State 

 officers during the year: Governor, John M. 

 Stone, Democrat; Lieutenant-Governor, M. M. 

 Evans; Secretary of State, George M. Govan; 

 Treasurer, J. J. Evans; Auditor, W. W. Stone; 

 Attorney-General, T. Marshall Miller: Superin- 

 tendent of Public Instruction. J. R. Preston ; 

 Railroad Commissioners, J. F. Sessions, Walter 

 McLaurin, and J. II. Askew; Chief Justice of 

 the Supreme Court, Thomas H. Woods ; Asso- 

 ciate Justices, J. A. P. Campbell and Timothy 

 E. Cooper. 



Finances. The balance in the State treas- 

 ury on Jan. 1, 1890, after deducting the sums 

 embezzled by ex-Treasurer Hemingway, was 

 $270,835.90 ; the total receipts for the year fol- 

 lowing were $1,251.093.04, and the total dis- 

 bursements were $1,210.340.22, leaving a balance 

 on Dec. 31. 1890, of $318.183.32. For the year 

 1891 the total receipts were $1,273,845.42;' the 

 total disbursements. $1,178,682.37: and the bal- 

 ance on Dec. 31, 1891, $413,396.37. The chief 

 sources of revenue for 1890 were the following: 

 From the ad valorem State tax of 4 mills, $572,- 

 134.45; from the privilege taxes, $201,408.28; 

 from fines, $62,573.74 ; from retail licenses, $161,- 

 450. For 1891 the receipts from the State 

 tax were $606.811.42; from the privilege taxes 

 $174,350.37; from fines, $83,923.62; from retail 

 licenses. $157,812.50. 



The total State debt on Dec. 31, 1891, includ- 

 ing interest due. is reported by the Governor to 

 amount to $3,375,583.59. Of this sum, $827,000.81 

 represents only a nominal debt, which probably 

 never will Vie paid, and $1,606,312.60 represents 

 a debt of which the State is pledged to pay the 

 interest and not theprincipal. leaving $942,270.18 

 as the actual payable State debt. The total as- 

 sessed valuation of property in the State was 

 slii.\X47,334 in 1890 and $167.109.303 in 1891. in 

 both of which years a State tax of 4 mills on the 

 dollar was levied. 



Railroads. There were built in Mississippi 

 during the year ending June 30, 1890. 102*57 miles 

 "of railroad, and during the year ending June 80, 

 1MH. 42-S3 miles. The total mileage in the 

 State at the latter date was 'J. l.">6-4~> miles. 



Population by Races. The following table 

 shows the white and colored population of the 

 SUite in 1880 and 1890, as reported by the Fed- 

 eral census : 



