Funding for the digitization of this title was provided by R.J. Taylor, Jr. Foundation.
About The Carroll County times. (Carrollton, Ga.) 1872-1948 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1877)
The Carrol] Comity Times. Sim EflWlH U. SKI AII Vi:, Editor. CARROLLTON Ga , Jan. 19, 1877 THE LEG IS LA TUBE. As our readers are aware the Legis’atnre ofUeorgia met Wednesday, the 10th hist.— It was organized by electing Senator Lester of Savannah, President"of the Senate, and Representative Bacon of MacoD, Speaker of the House. THURSDAY. Upon Thursday the principal business done was the reading of Gov.^&iuitil’s message, which we publish elsewhere, and the count ing of the vote of Governor. FRIDAY. On Friday Gov. Colquitt was inaugurated. Ilia inaugural address was an admirable one. We regret that we have not space this, [week to publish it. He urged retrenchment and •eforni as the duty of the hour. lie referred to the tact that before the war our taxable property was over $500,000 000 and to day only 1-50,000,000. Then the taxation was omy $500,000, while to day it is $1,250,000. Ou national affairs be was short aud point ed. He thinks we should stand by our friends in the North, in their effwt to pre serve constitution.! I government SATURDAY. On Saturday the General Assembly got down to work good fashion. The most im portant bill introduced in the Senate was one to govern railroad strikes. It mikes it a misdemeanor to stop cars between terminal points. In the house an important bill was Introduced by Fry of Atlanta tor reducing salaries. The provisions of the bill are that the salary of the governor shall ha $3,000, secretaries executive department $1,500, messenger, S9OO, comptroller general, $2,000 clerk of comptroller general $1,600, treasur er, $2,000, clerk of treasurer, $1,500, secreta ry of stale $2,000, clerk of secretary of state $1,500, (nofees or perquisites allowed) attor ney general $2,000, and no extra compensa tion, state school commissioner $2,000, clerk s9oo,fjudges of supreme court. $3,000, clerk of supreme court $1,500, judges of superior courts $2,000, solicitor general $1,500. presi dent of the senate and speaker of the house $8 jasr diem, uuMnbers of the general assem bly $5 j>er diem, aad $2 lor each 20 miles, secretary of the senate and clerk of the house $8 per diem. MONDAY. OiqMouday the Senate and nouse com mittees were appointed. A good many local bills were introduced. Ilogau of this coun ty, introduced a bill to change the line be tween Douglas and Carroll and also to abol ish thfl County Court of Carroll county. Mr Phillips also introduced a bill for the relief of county officers in the matter of making bonds, TUESDAY, The Senate In executive session confirm ed the following appointments: C Peeples, judge Atlanta circuit—C D McOulchon, Judge Cherokee circuit—M JCrawford, judge ChaU»?.occheo circuit—L E Bleckley, judge supreme court—lt N Ely, attorney geueral. The Senate and House also in joint session elected State House officers with the follow ing remit—N P Barnett, secretary of state, —JW Renfro, comptroller general—Jas P Harrison, public printer. 1-» HAND BOOK OF GEORGIA. The above book just issued by Thomas P Janes, Commissioner of Agriculture, is be fore us. It was prepared in accordance with the law creating the Department of Agriculture. In getting up the Hand Book the Com missioner has two objects principally in view: First, to supply the people of Georgia with correct information of their own State, its conditions, resources, and institutions. Becond, to supply immigrants actual and prospective, with accurate and reliable in formation on those subjects connected with Georgia, in which it is believed they will feel a special interest. There is a great deal of useful information in this Hand Book to Georgians. The chief divisions of ttw> work are: 1. The Country 2. The People. 8. The Productions. Under the first general division wo have the physical features, climate, scenery etc., of the country writien up. Under th- bead ing of the Feople, we have the characterist ics of the people aiven, aud the institutions of the people described at length. Under the third general heading, we have the pro ductions of the country treated fully. The book is gotten up in good style and we think fills a want in our home literature. The Georgia and Central railroads, the two leading railroads of this State, have had the good sense to abolish the custom of issuing free passes to editors, legislators, ho tel keefiers, etc. An independent press ought to be under no obligations to anybody, and no undue influences should be brought to bear upon legislators, for flesh is weak. We hope that the pernicious and demoralizing custom will be abolished by 111 the roads in the State. !»■ «- . We are glad to see that the Legislature took our advice of last week, and are start ing out on the retrenchment and reform plat form. We hope that they will hold out to the end on this programme. — Our Washington letter gives all the news we hare on the Presidential muddle. There Is no telling what a day may Bring forth. - ■ ♦ «■%«• «■ The Donglassville Medium has come out for HilL for Senator ‘That do settle if 1 1 • «■»— i Sam Bard is going to start a daily pa per in Pensacola. ■ « i»i Governor Colquitt has appointed Col. I. W Avery-formerly editor of the Atlanta Consti tution, his private secretary. A good selee - UOQ. <•> —— , , Mr. J. B. Reese hav retired from the Ea tonton Messenger aud has been succeeded by C. W. Sparks. Thoe. D. Hightowei, Esq., of Franklin, has moved to LaGvange. • ' Read our Washington l«ttor. [Special correspondenue Carroll County Times ] Our Washington Letter. THE DEMOCRATIC POSITION. Each of the two Houses of Congress has made some progress toward reaching the po tion to.be taken by them resjiectively upon the occasion of the counting of the electoral votes. The committee of the Hoase had made a re port, containing five resolutions of which the following is a synopsis. The first declares that the President of the Senate has no pow er to ascertain and decide what electoral votes shall be counted; the second, that th> only office of the acting Vice President, in the maiter, is to receive audfguard all the returns presented t > him, and to present all he receives to the House at the specified time, the third iusists that the Senate and House possess the power to examine and as certain the fourth asserts that the House has, at least equal power with the Senate in making the count and the fifth and last declares that no electoral vote.shall he counted unless with the concurrence of the House. These resolutions were adopted in the committee by a strict party vote, and they doubtless will be adopted in the House. It is not known,'as yet, whether the Repub lican minority of the committee will submit any report or not. The Resolutions will come up for action by the House on Tuesday next when an interesting debate may be expect ed. THE SENATE COMMITTED. The Senate committee, on the electoral vote, lias agived upon a bill, but the mem bers decline to make its provisions public, be fore submitting it to the Senate, bat it is sup posed Dial the committee lias adopted the main features of the bill which passed the Sen ate at the last session, which assumes the con verse of the House proposition, and declares that the vote of no state shall be rejected, without the concurrence of both Houses of Co-ugiess. The report of the comm.ttee w ill undoubtedly be adopted by the Senate, and then the issue will be joined between the two Houses and at present, an amicable ad justment of thejdiflerenoe of opiiaon seems to be as remote as ever. POLITICAL TELEGRAMS. The House lias ordered the arrest of Pres ident Orton, of the Western Union Telegraph Company, aud he has arrived here in the cus tody of a deputy sergeant-at-arms, to ans wer at the bar of the House for his contempt for refusing to deliver telegrams to the Afor lison committee. Mr. Orton is expected to persist iu his refusal, and go to jail rather than violate the confidence of his customers. The Senate has a contumacious telegraph man on its hands, and is probably waiting for the House to make the precedent before it proceeds to deal with him for his contempt. There is a difference between the two cases however. Tiie makes a wholesale demand for the production of all the telegrams of fifteen or twenty indiv iu uals, while the Senate only asks answers to questions, as to whether money was traitv ferred by telegraph to Oregon, about the time of the meeting of the electoral college there. It is believed here that all ‘this tempest in a teapot r> wi 11 prove a fiasco and that the telgraph company will carry its point, and that the political partisans will be obliged to forego the pleasure of reading the teleg r ams of their opponents. rirni.ic meetings. The Democrats held a deinonstratiou in this ci ty on Mouday last, at .which ilenry Waiterson me mber of Congress from Kentucky , announced that one huudred.thousand unarmed Democrats would assemble here on the fourteenth of Febru ary to petition Congress, to witness the counting of the votes, and to see to it that t'io Republicans took.no unfair advantage. This speech is regaid. ed with disfavor by the peacably inclined ol both parties, for it 13 assarted that if the Democrats as semble here in largo numbers, the Republicans will be likely to do the same, and the danger of a collision would be very great. The Republicans are to hold a quiet ma ss meeting here on Wed nesday at v hick time some of their prominent leaders will set forth their programme. Many good citizens deprecate both ol the assemblages aud assert that the settlement of the matter should be left to the. Congress, untrammelled by public clamor. LOUISIANA. Much solicitude is felt iu official circles here, in regard to the state of affairs in Louisiana. — Pr esitknt Grant, mid Generals Sherman and Shwr idau ate understood to be holding daily conferen ces about the matter, and it has furnished consid erable food for discussion in Cabinet meetings.— Thus far the President has decided not to inter fere, except to prevent actual bloodshed, but it 'is now intimated that Inc Attorney Geneial is pre paring a report as to which is the legal state gov ernment, aud that upon the reception thu Presi" dent will direct the partisans of the other to dis perse. OREOOH. Mr. Cronin has gone home, but Governor Gro ver, and a number of other Oregonians are here, and the investigation is stiil going on. The com mittee has developed the fact that somebody traeferred eight thousand dollars to Oregon, by telegraph for some purpose, and is endeavoring to find out who did it and for what. A NEW ELECTION. « Fernando Wood is carrying about in his pocket a Dill, ordering anew election in the throe dispu ted Southern states, which he is seeking an op portunity to introduce. There is also a strong party in Congress, which proposes so to engineer inattters as to make anew election necessary throughout the country. Felix. Washington, Jan. 12th, 1877. —. ■ <<»-»■ The newspapers that formerly burlesqued the members of the Legislature that were iu favor retrenchment and reform by calling them Phetipliar Peigreeus, etc., have quit that kind of thing now. We are proud to know that tiio Peagreeus seem to be in tile ascendency at present. «. The Jeff Davis House of Newnan is now under the management of Lowe & Wells. »-»#>» The Newnau Blade has & correspondent at Billow, in tin's county, We hope the noble army of politicians now in Atlanta besiegiug the Governor for office, will not sour on him, if they po not get a position. Twenty days is long enough for the Legitilaiure to stay in session this y< ar. Let them perform what legislation is absolutely needed, call a con vention, aud then go homo. ~ ——► « W*- The wood haulers of Newuan have been bulldozing Barron. ■ ■»•« ■ ■ - . The Newuan Blade is one of the best print ed papers that come to our office. The Atlanta Constitution has been enlarg ed, and is now better than ever. - and reform is the watchword. Synopsis of the Governor’s Message. Executive: Department, Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 10,1877. j '1 o the General Assembly. I have the honor to communicate to the General Assembly such infor mation as is deemed proper in refer ence to the condition of the Coniuion weaith, and to suggest, for their con sideration, the measures thought nec essary and expedient The cash balance in the treasury, January 1* 1876, as shown by the Treasurer’s report of that date, was 15511,785,21. The amount received into the treasury during the last fiscal year, a* will appear by reference to the reports of the Comptroller Geners al and of the Treasurer, herewith sub mitted, was $2,332,933,38. The disbursements during the last fiscal year amounted to $2,280,435,26. The objects for which these disburse ments were made are particularly stated! n the accompanying reports. The balance remaining in the treas ury, January 1, 1877, was $564,283- 33. The public debt, as shown by said reports, including the bonds matur ing the present year, amounts to s3,s 447,500. This statement does not in clude the bonds of the Macon and Brunswick Railroad Company, and of the North and South Railroad Com pany, indorsed by the State, and for the payment of which the liability of the State is recognized. The sums necessary to meet the annual interest upon these bonds, should be included in the appropriation made for the pay ment of the accruing interest on the public debt. In accordance with the provisions of the Act approved February 24, 1876, five hundred aud forty two 7 per cent, bonds of the State, of sl,- 069 eacii, were yxecuted, for the pur pose of funding the accrued interest upon bonds of the Macon and Bruns wick Railroad Company, aud of the North and South Railroad Company, for which the Slate was liable. The disposition made of these bonds, and of the proceeds arising from the sale thereof, is fully shown in the accom panying annual and special reports of the Treasurer. The attention of the General As sembly is respectfully called to the estimates of the probable receipts and disbursements at the treasury during the present fiscal year. I also com mend to your consideration , the sev eral amendmants of the law suggested by the Comp! roller General, ATTORNEY GENERAL S REPORT. The accompanying report of the Attorney General shows thecondition of the official business in his charge, and the disposition made of the pub lic money collected by him during the past yt ar. This report —containing as it does a particular statement of the action taken in all tire cases iri the hands of the Attorney General, during the period mentioned—is an exceed ingly important one, and 1 specially invite the attention of the General As Bomblv to its contents. Some of the cases determined during the year were of great interest, both on account of the questions decided and the amounts of money involved. I3y the decision of the Supreme court for the United States in the Railroad Tax cases, the power of the Legislature to impose an ad valorem tax upon the property of certain railroad companies, has been settled adversely to the State. During the yeai certain criminal prosecutions, commenced in the State courts against Federal soldiers for al leged violations of law, were by vir tue of a statute ot the United States, transferred to the Federal circuit court tor trial. There is no provision ot iaw for the prosecution of such ca ses in that court, and the Attorney General calls attention to the proprie ty ot remedying the defect by Legis lation. He also suggests that the law be amended so as to enable the Comp t roller Genet al to traverse the correct ness of tax returns made by railroad companies. Daring last year suits were brought in the courts of Tennessee against the Western and Atlantic Railroad, for the recovery of certain claims growing out of what is usually known as the ‘Tennessee Car Company contract.’ The aggregate amount of these claims is large, and the Attorney General, under instructions, retained Messrs. Cook. Van Dyke & Cook, to repre sent the State in these cases. These attorneys have entered the proper de fense and as far as possible have ta ken steps to protect the treasury against these fraudulent claims. Before passing from the report of the Attorney General, it is not out of place to certify to the faithfulness and efficiency with which he lias perform ed his public duties. PENITENTIARY. I herewith transmit the report of the Principal keeper ot the Peniten tiary tor the year just closed. It con. tains a full and satisfactory account ot the operations of that institution during the period indicated The number of convicts at the close of the year 1875 was 926, of whom 91 were white, and 835 were colored. In these figures are included 1 white snd 30 colored female convicts. The aggregate number of convicts at the close of last year was 1,108, of whom 111 were white and 904 were colored. The number of convicts re ceived during the year was 404; the number of discharges 77; the number pardoned 18; the number of escapes 44;*and the number of deaths 58. The convicts were distributed among seven lessees, and were em* 1 1 >yed during the year in'tnining, ag nculture and on public works. The nuinbe r of escapes and of deaths is worthy of attention. It is believed that tho sanitary measures and the general care of the lessees were equal to those of former years, when the morality was much less, and that the unusual nutiil)'-r of deaths is to bo as cribed to the exceptional heat ot the summer months (quite a number hav ing died of sun stroke) and to the ciis eased condition ot many of the oon j victa when received into tlie Peniten tiary It is hoped that the changes soon ito be inaugurated under the act pass* ed at the last session, will produce a ; practical and permanent reform of all the evils existing is the preseut bvs ; tem i Li April last I published an adver tisement inviting ,bids for the Peni tential v convicts under the provisions of the Act approved February 25, 1876. In response to the advertise ment, bids were received and cousid ' cred, and the convicts were let under the provisions of the Act to three companies, designated as the Peniten tiary Companies No. 1, No 2, and No 3. B) the terms ot several contracts these companies, agreed to take the whole cf the convicts for a period of twenty years, to commence after the expiration of the then existing leases, for the sum of $500,000, to be paid in twenty equal annual installments of $25,00. The company designated Penitentiary Company No. 1 contracts to take three hundred able bodied I longterm men, to by kept up to that ; number so long as there shall be so * many iu the Penitentiary. These con j victs are to be employed in mining, |as is provided by the statute referred j to. The Companies Nos, 2 and 3 1 severally contract to take, each, one 1 half ot the number of convicts re ! mainiug and to keep and employ • them us the law authorizing the lease | requires | Each company has given bond and security for the faithf.ul performance ;ol its contract, and for the manage ment. control and safe keeping of the ; convicts committed to its care. It is | further stipulated in the contract, j that in all cases where convicts under i existing Fuses shall be thrown upon i the hands of the State, the lessees un ; tier the new contracts shall hold man I age and control them according to 1 the provisions of their several con tracts and bonds until the first day of April, 1879, when the term of the twenty year leases will commence to run. These companies are composed of citizens of Georgia of high charac ter, and iu the contracts entered in to with them the State possesses a guarantee that her criminals , while receiving humane treatment , will al so cease, in a great degree, to be a burden tojie bonest'andjlavv abiding people. Since these several contracts were made, it has been found necessary to establish a permanent State prison f‘>r each ot the companies. That ot Penitentiary No. 1 has been located at the mines of the Dade Coal Compa nv, m the county of Dade; lhat ot No, 2 at a point five miles west of the city of Albany, in the county of Dougherty; and that of No. 3 near Skull Shoals, in the county of Greene The Penitentiary question has thus been disposed of for a period ot twen ty years from and after the’first day of April, 1879; and while the solution reached has not in all respects been entirely satisfactory, it is, nevertheless in my judgement, the very best one which, under the circumstances, could have been made. LUNATIC ASYLUM. The report of the Trustees of the Lunatic Asylum shows the operations of that institution during the past vrar. The number ot patients at the date of the report was six hundred and five, and the cost of their main tenance, including salaries of officers, for the year was $98,816,65. The cost of maintaining each patient was 40 1 5 eents per diem, 116,30 per annum. The Trustees suggest that, by changes of the interior construction of the buildings, an addition of seven ty eight rooms, affording accommoda tion to nearly or quite one hundred patients can be secured at a cost not exceeding $12,500. The Trustees al so suggest that two additional brick buildings on the premises could be erected for the accommodation ol one hundred and twenty five patients, at a cost ot less than $30,000. They al so express the opinion that it will not be necessary tor some years to com to make provision for more than one hundred additional patients. In this opinion I fully concur. The General Assembly, at the last session appropriated $20,000, for the purpose of constructing water works at the Asylum. lam gratified to be able to stale that these works have been completed, and that an abundant supply of pure soring water is furn ished to the buildings. On tiie night of the 15th December 1877, » fire occurred at the Asylum, which destroyed the workshop and contents and the laundry house, with its valuable machinery and much clo thing. The loss is a serious one to the institution, and a regard to eeon my and convenience requires that it should be repaid with the least posi sible delay. More than SIO,OOO of the appropriation for the Asylum au thorized last year has not been drawn the saving ot which is due to careful economy in the internal management ot the institution. I recommend that the appropriation asked for by the Trustees ($9,000) be made tor the purpose of replacing the buildings destroyed, and refitting them with the requsite machines. T 1 le Trustees submit estimates for | the maintenance ot the Asylum for the present year, to which I respect fully invite vour attention. I also recommend that an investigation of the claim of Messrs Fakes tfc McKel fresh against the Asylum, referred to m the report, be made and that a sum sufficient to pay the amount found due them be appropriated. DEAF AND DUMB ASYLUM. Accompanying this communication will be found the annual report of the Trustees and Officers of the Institu tion tor the Education of the Deaf and Dumb. According to the report tiie affairs of the institution are iu a satisfactory condition, and there is no immediate necessity for further lvgia- , latiou on its behalf. * Under a joint resolution ot the Gen 1 eral Assembly* approved February 25, | 1876, a Board ot Visitors, consisting • ol three citizens of the Slate, was ap*» pointed to visit this institution and m ; vestimate any irregularities or deficien ' cies existing in its government. This Board vvas further required to report to the Governor and the General Ass sembly, at its next session, ‘what res forms and recommendations are nec essary and proper for the better man agement and successful operation ot the institution. ’ A majority and a miuori.y report have been submitted iby the Board, which are herewith ; transmitted for the information of the General Assembly. These reports differ in relation to the best system of government for the institution, but not in reference to the management ■of its affairs under the existing sys | tern. The high character and intelli ' gence of the members ot the B.>ard entitle their opinions to the careful consideration of the General Assem bly. GEORGIA ACADEMY FOR THE BLIND. The condition ol the Georgia Acad euiy for the Blind is satisfactory, as appears from the report, of the Board ot Trustees. The Academy contains fifty-seven pupils, and their progress during the past year vvas highly en < ouraging- The sum of $4,654, 38 vvas expended during the year in re pairing and re-furnishing the mam building, and in emoting and fitting up the grout] Is of the academy. Pros vision has been made for a considera ble addition to the number ot pupils, and also, for their better instruction iu the useful arts. MACON AND BRNUBVVICK RLILROAD, A veiy full report of the State’s Board ot Directors, is transmitted herewith. The operations ot the road for the past year, as therein set forth, may be briefly stated as follows: Earnings for the year ending November 30, 1870 $317,829 18 Expense account to same date.. .. $317,054 78 Net earnings $10,744 40 To the item of earnings it is legiti mate to add a balance dtte from other roads as per agreement for division ol business and revenue*, rmounting to .. $17,701 32 Making total net earnings, $58,415 72 Ot the $47,701,32 due from oilier ro ads, as above, there has been paid’ as per supplemental leport, ihe sum of $18,097,62, .‘leaving still a balance against them of $29,702,70, which ev ery effort is being made to collect. NORTH AND SOUTH RAILROAD. The report of the i.eceiver of this work shows that it is being operated at an expense to the State, its leceipts being less than its expenditures, and with little prospect for improvement in this regard, the yearly account is thus stated.- Expense accounts $9 013 95 Earnings, . .‘58.63L03 Excess of expense over earnings $332.32 Ihe shortness of the road, and the unfavorable character of the country which it traverses, precludes all idea of conducting it with profit to the •State. The Receiver presents an al ternative either to extend the road at the States expense’to a point beyond the mountains, twelve miles distant from the present terminus, (much ot the gr iding being already dune) or else to seli the property for what it. will bring. The whole matter is subw mitted for your consideration without recommendation. 1 may remark hows ever, that I have no reason to change my opinion that the State will consult its best interest by ridding itself of all ownership m, and responsibility for, such ptoperty, even at a tolerable loss. REPORT OP THE SECRETARY OF STATE. The attention at the General As sembly is respectfully invited to the accompaning report of the Secretary of State and to theseveral suggestions therein made. MiSCELL ANEOU 8. Upon the petition of the municipal authorities and or the relief assooia tion of the city of Brunswick, an ex ecutive order was issued Nov. G, 1876 suspending the collection ol the State tax in the couonty of Glynn, until the next meeting of the General As sembly. The petition represented that by reason of the tenable epidem ic through which the cay of Bruns wick was then passing, and the em barrassed condition of the tax payers, caused thereby, the enforced collec tion of the Biate tax at that time would work great hardship to the people of that county. Under the cir cumstances, I thought the request a proper one, and the petition was ac cordingly granted. At the last session of the General Assembly, three several acts propos ing amendments to the constitution of this State, were passed, and received executive approval. In order that the said amenduittiits should take ef fect it is necessary that the acts pro |K)stng them should be passed ‘by two successive legislatures. It the present General Assembly should concur with its predeoessoi in regard to the merit ot said amendments, it will therefore be necessary that the action above indicated be taken at the preseel ses sion. * By an act of the last General As semply, the Governor was directed to require from the captaiu or other offi cer, of such companies as were called out by reason of the insurrectionary movements in Washington and ad joining counties, a particular and sworn statement ot the number of men and horses employed in such ser vice, the time for which they were employed, tfcc., and to report the same to the next General Assembly tor their action. In obedience to the requirements of said act, I transmit herewith such evidence as has been received—and I earnestly recommend that the amount therefor be ascertain ed. aud that the sum adequate tor the pavmeut therefor be appropria ed. CONDITION OF THE BTATE. In surrendering the high trust com. sided to me by the people, I may be pardoned for referring in brief terms to some of the results which have been accomplished since my accession to office. The public credit, as indicated by the daily quotations at the centres of trade and commerce, is eqaal to that of any State in the Union. Our pub lie securities, rated at the time I enter ed the Exei utive office at 30 per cent, discount, are now above par. I found a recognized floating debt of more than one and a quarter millio i dolla's. The whole ot this amounting in exact figures to $1,277,788,25, or an aver age sum ot $250,000 per annum, has been entirely paTd. The IState has been relieved of a fraudulently contracted debt ot $6,500,000, w bile there has been no addition to the amount of bonded debt ot the State contracted on her own account. Any apparent inert ase of our public debt* is the re sult ot liabilities created by railroad charters granted by former adminis trations. These results have been ac complished without a material addi tion to the public burden. Throughout the State the stream ot justice has moved with a smooth and flow,..The iaw has been impar tially administered, and not a breath of suspicion has soiled the ermine.— Lite, liberty and property have beer, faithfully guarded, and not a single human being* of any color or condi tion, can justly complain of oppres sion. The great and manifest im provement of our condition, social, educational and industrial—is due to the home-bred common sense—the desire tor progress and love of justice which characterizes the people ol Georgia. 1 allude to it in no spirit ot personal boasting, and claim no great er credit than should be accorded to the humblest citizen who discharges his duty m his appropriate vocation. I gratefully acknowledge that the re forms referred to in* this communica tion, could not have been effected wsthout that active support of pa triotic citizens and the cordial co-op eration of the representatives of the people. FEDERAL RELATIONS. Before closing this, mv last, annual communication to the General Assem blv—l cannot lbi bear a brief refer ence to t he grave circumstances v Inch surround us, and seem to thi eaten the existence ot the liberties of the peo ple. On a given day, over 8,000,000 of freemen, representing nearly 45,000,- 000 of people, came forth from their abiding places, and quietly proceeded to the ballot box for the purpose of choosing their rulers for the next four years. Th s grave pioceeding was characterized by the utmost order, notwithstanding the presence, in ma ny places, of the military forces of the government, sent Bother to overawe the weak and ignorant, and to secure ! the election of particular candidates. ; The law pointed out the mode of se ll cling the President and Vice-Presi dent of the United States. The ques tion as to who shall fill these high offi ces, had been referred to the ballot box. The true result of that reference no candid man can doubt. The elec tion vvas held in pursuance of thekws of tee United States, and the several States. It vvas peaceable and orderly and free from intimidation and vio lence. And yet, immediately after the election, we find a few adventur ers, acting under the direction ot am bitious leaders at the Federal capital, and backed by the military forces of the government, attempting by fraud and chicane, to set aside the eminent statesmen chosen by the people and to force in their places, persons whom the people, after a fair trial, had re fused to elect. The question arises here: Shall the candidates fairly and legally elected by the people be placed in office, or shall persons rejected at the ballot box be elevated to power? Shall law and order prevail, or shall fraud and violence have the mastery? Shall the people of the United Slates choose their own rulers, or shall political cheats and swindlers be permit ted to perform that vital office for them? We have appealed to the ballot.box; shall the result of this ap peal stand, or shall it lie set aside by fraud and iorce? If the former, then our free institutions are already at an end, and constitutional liberty on the the American continent has received its final blow- The right of the people to choose their own rulers is the corner stone of a free Democratic re public; and when they voluntary priv ilege or allow it to be wrench ed from them, they have already obtained their own consent to be come slaves. No more sacred cause can engage the patriotic efforts of a nation, than the firm maintenance of the fundamental right in all free governments to say who shall rule over it. This right, the people ot Georgia, and, 1 trust, of every other State in the Federal Union, will nev er willingly abandon. No division ot the dirty spoils of office, no promise of personal advancement, no engage ment to withhold the iron hand of power, can ever compensate the peo ple tor the surrender aright at once dear to themselves, aud so vital to the very existence of constitutional liber ty. The people of the United States are thus brought lace to face with a most momentous responsibility. What shall be done? What shall we do?— the motto of our noble State furnishes the safe guide for our own action in this solemn emergency: ‘Wisdom, Justice, Moderation.’ It is not for us to lead, or even to suggest, but to follow. It Is the plain duty of Con gress, by adhering to law and estab lished precedent, to give effect to the clearly and legally expressed will un happily , fail to do this, then it is be lieved that the ptoper determination of the grave questions now conlront ing us can, in the last resort, be safely left to the sober judgment ot the right minded people in the Northern States. It it cannot then we are pow erless, and they, as well as ourselves, will have lost the inestimable right of freemen—the right of self-goveru- ] meat When they shall have decided j what improper to be done for the | preservation of this right, it is assum ing but little to say that the people of Georgia will be found ready to co-op erate with them find do their whole duty, under any aud all eircuuistaiu ces. CONCLUSION. In conclusion, I beg to express my profound gratitude to* the people J* Georgia for the honor they have con ferred upon me, and for the uniform support they have accorded mv etv torts to serve them Deeply interest ed iu all that concerns the welfare of my native State, it is to me a matter of sincere graduation that her Chief Executive authority is soon to de volve upon the eminent citizen who has been called to succeed me bv a popular majority unexampled in the annals of the State. JAMES M SMITH. NEW ADVERTISEMENTS If you wish to crow Vegetables for sale read Gardening for Profit. If you wish to become a Commercial Flor ist, read Practical Floriculture. If you wish to Garden for Home use only read Gardening tor Pleasure. All by PETER HENDERSON. 1 rice $1.50 each, postpaid, by mail. Combined CATALOGUE IITEttYTHIBiG FOR THE GARDEN! Numbering: 175 pages, wittt 1 colored plate sent HP n 33 E ! * U . our customers of past years, or to those who have purchased any of the above books to others on receipt of 25 cents. or Seed Catalogues without plate, free to a.l applicants. PETER HENDERSON & Cif Seedsmen, Market Gardeners and Florists, I 35 Corllandt St., !V«iv lurk. BIG GIANT CORPS MILL g.ind shelled tom sufficiently fine for family use Prices from s&> to $125 each 3 The $35 one-horse mill grinds from 10 to 15 bushels of meal per hour. * 9 he two-horse mills grind from 16 to 60 bushels per hour, according to size. No machinery required to operate it,—hitch tho horse direct to lever of the mill. DubCi iptivc circu ard free. a. is. conr, MANUFACTURER, No. 197 WATER STREET, Mow York. THE VICTOR mis mis was awarded the first premium at eighteen State and County Fairs in 1870, and at many previous ones. It works easily and well, separating the corn from the cob, rind is superior to any corn sheller in t he market iu strength, compactness and excel lence of work. Price sl2. Descriptive circulars free. A. IS. CO HU, MANUFACTURER, No. 197 WATER STREET, 3NTow ‘Yorlt. THE COMMON SENSE FEED CUTTER Excels nil in the market in the quantity and qual ity of its work. Will cut c..rn fodder," with ears ot corn unhusked, as readily at hay or straw. It received the highest award at the Centennial Ex hibition aud at thirty State and Coun y fairs. Length of cut, half-inch, inch, and aud one and a half iuphes, which can be changed in a second. No. 1 has cattiyg capacity of 4x12 inches, and will do more work than any SOS machine in the market. Its price is S4O. No. 2, cuttiug capacity 4x13 inches. Price $45. Descriptive circarars fne. A. It. COSIfJ, MANUFACTURER, No. 197 water street, 3>To w Yorli. THE HIGHEST HONORS AT THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION. The judges unanimously recommend TBS MIimSSOM PIBOS FOR THE Diploma of Honor and Medal cf Merit Placing them in {he Front Rank without a Su perior. PRICES BELOW COMPETITION For Strictly First-class Pianos. §6OO for $250. $650 for $275. S7OO for S3OO. $750 for $325. SBOO for $350. S9OO for SIOO. SIOOO for $450. Xu Commissions to Agents- No Oiseoiints to ’l'eacliers* No Deviation in Price. THE MENDELSSOHN Grand, Square, and Upri^ f PIMOS Contain valuable patents and improvements n e ' er before introduced. MATHUSHEK’S New Patent Duplex Overstrung Scale Is the greatest * d f Ta r, making, producing the a staining tinging richness and depth beilag a ‘UiumdPi quality never btjore anoint u., & ANO IN A SyUAKE C’AtX. THE MENDELSSOHN UPRIGHTS Are the Finest in America. They are pronounced the “ Pianos of the Future. Manufactory & Warerooms: 490,492,494,4%, and 488 W. 5711 ST. 858,860,862,864,868 & 870 1010 IV. Pianos Sent on Trial. Illustrated and descriptive Catalogue mailed tr»- Mendelssohn Piano Go., Business Office, No. sti Broadway, M. Y.
