GEORGIA. 



38T 



which is sold in immense quantities as olive- 

 oil. The English control the trade of the 

 Gambia and the countries to the southeast. 

 The republic of Liberia is described by Dr. 

 Lenz as corrupt in its government, and ex- 

 tremely modernized in its social conditions. 

 It is rich in coffee. Here begin the gold-dig- 

 gings, which farther east have lately begun to 

 be exploited with the newest appliances by a 

 number of joint-stock companies. The Gold 

 Coast has already a large export trade in palm- 

 oil, of which Lagos is the center. 



Madagascar. The latest explorer in Madagas- 

 car is Audebert, a German zoologist, who was 

 sent out by the Zoological Museum at Ley- 

 den, and, after the five years of his contract 

 expired, remained two more on his own ac- 

 count, returning in 1882. During his sojourn 

 on the island the Englishmen, Gerard and 

 Grossley, the Frenchmen, Humblot and Ma- 

 jastre, and the Germans, Rutenberg and Hil- 

 debrandt, died there from hardships and fever. 

 The Hovas he found treacherous and jealous, 

 and the inland tribes hostile and savage. He 

 was once poisoned, and was attacked five 

 times, and his hut was fired thrice. He was 

 deserted by his porters in the midst of a forest, 

 and twice he rescued his life only by swim- 

 ming. Besides his discoveries in natural his- 

 tory, comprising seventeen new species, Aude- 

 bert enlarged the ethnological knowledge of 

 the island. While searching for a mysterious 

 animal an ass with long, hanging ears which 

 he was told lived in the north by the people in 

 the south, and in the south by those in the 

 north, he came upon the Voilakertras, a tribe 

 hitherto unknown. They are a bellicose and 

 predatory people, of whose ferocious qualities 

 he was warned on all sides, but whom he found 

 to be superior to their lying, indolent, and 

 cowardly neighbors. They are excellent hus- 

 bandmen, but constant wars interfere with 

 their prosperity. He was received cordially 

 by their king, Lambohazi, and would have 

 staid longer if a war which was going on did 

 not render his situation precarious. They 

 dwell in the upper valley of the Manambato. 

 The Valaves, another undescribed tribe, pos- 

 sess all the evil qualities attributed to the 

 Voilakertras. Another tribe unknown to Eu- 

 ropeans is the Safzoras, a branch of the Taifasy 

 family in the southeast. 



GEORGIA. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year: Gov- 

 . ernor, "Alexander H. Stephens, succeeded by 

 James S. Boynton and Henry D. McDaniel, 

 Democrats; Secretary of State, N.O. Burnett; 

 Treasurer, D. N. Speer ; Comptroller-General, 

 ^illiam A. Wright; Attorney-General, Clif- 

 )rd Anderson ; Superintendent of Public In- 

 truction, G. J. Orr ; Commissioner of Agri- 

 ilture, J. T. Henderson; Railroad Commis- 

 sioners, J. M. Smith, Campbell Wallace, and 

 L. N. Trammell. Judiciary, Supreme Court : 

 Chief-Justice, James Jackson ; Associate Jus- 

 tices, Martin J. Crawford and Samuel Hall. 



Gubernatorial Succession. Gov. Stephens died 

 on the 4th of March, and on the 5th James 8. 

 Boynton, President of the Senate, took the oath 

 of office as his successor. 



The law provides that, after the death of the 

 Governor, the President of the Senate, acting 

 as Governor, shall order an election for Gov- 

 ernor, to fill the unexpired term. 



Gov. Boynton immediately ordered an elec- 

 tion for the 24th of April, and convened the 

 Legislature for the 9th of May. The Demo- 

 cratic State Convention met in Atlanta on the 

 10th of April, and after a session of several 

 days nominated Henry D. McDaniel, his chief 

 competitors having been Gov. Boynton and 

 A. O. Bacon. Mr. McDaniel was elected by a 

 light vote, without opposition, the figures be- 

 ing 23,680 for McDaniel and 334 for others. 

 The Legislature having convened, pursuant to 

 the call, Gov. Boynton transmitted a message 

 reciting the death of Gov. Stephens, and his 

 action in the premises, and giving the follow- 

 ing information : 



The resolution of the General Assembly, authoriz- 

 ing the sale of the $160,000 of United States regis- 

 tered bonds received by the State from the purchasers 

 of the Macon and Brunswick railroad, has been en- 

 forced, and a most advantageous sale was made by the 

 Treasurer in New York. The bonds brought $180,- 

 200, or a premium of $20,200 on the bonds for the 

 benefit of the State. The cost of the sale was only 

 $100 brokerage and the treasurer's expenses less than 

 $100. This money will be devoted to paying the pub- 

 lic debt. In addition to this, $1 14,000 of oouds not yet 

 due, paid by the purchasers of the Macon and Bruns- 

 wick railroad, have been canceled and warrant given 

 for the same. This included $74,500 of the 7 per 

 cent, bonds issued by Gov. Jenkins to rehabilitate 

 the State road, due in 1886, and $39,500 of 6 per cent. 

 State indorsed bonds of the Savannah and Gulf rail- 

 road due in 1886, 1887, and 1889. The reports of the 

 Treasurer show that in addition to these items the 

 sum of $367,971 of the public debt of the State, prin- 

 cipal and interest, has been paid in the last few 

 months, steadily reducing the State's debt, and demon- 

 strating the solid integrity of the State's credit, as well 

 as the advancing value of her securities. 



On the 10th of May Gov. McDaniel was in- 

 augurated, and the Legislature adjourned. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met in 

 adjourned session on the 4th of July, and ad- 

 journed on the 26th of September. From the 

 message of Gov. McDaniel to this session the 

 following extracts are taken : 



I regret to inform you that the Treasury Department 

 of the United States has declined to pay the sum of 

 $35,555.42 appropriated by Congress in the act ap- 

 proved March 3, 1883, " to refund to the State of 

 Georgia certain money expended by said State for the 

 common defense in 1777." The First Comptroller of 

 the Treasury has decided that this sum shall be cred- 

 ited on account of what is claimed to be due for the 

 quota of direct taxes, apportioned to the State by the 

 direct tax act of Aug. 5, 1861. This decision is, in- 

 my judgment, erroneous ; and I have notified the Sec- 

 retary of the Treasury that the State does not acqui- 

 esce in it. If the taxes claimed are due, the obligation 

 is upon the citizen, and not upon the State, which 

 has never assumed the payment of the taxes, and can 

 not be justly charged with them. All proper means 

 will be used to secure the payment of the sum appro- 

 priated for the benefit of the State. 



An embarrassing question has arisen in the taxation 



