Newspaper Page Text
For the Federal Un on.
Til K LUNATIC AMYLl'M.
Messrs. Editors: The stirring reports
of Drs Bozeman arid Cumming d j vel-
The fcorernor's Message*
Executive Depa m m e \ t t,
Atlanta, July X
ope no greater wonder than the super- fo the Senate and House <>J Hr presenter- J
lives :
Coin-
THE FEDERAL UKIOK.
Cornti oj Hancock and H'ilkirtsot. Streets. y
Wednesday Morning, July 24 1872.
FOR PRESIDENT:
HORACE GREELEY,
OF NEW YORK.
FOR VICE PRESIDENT:
B. GRATZ BROWN
OF MISSOURI.
d dlars^ner an-1 “lo iwealili, and t-> recommend to their ^ est t |, at C0U U be eflecte I in the pres | discussion of tiie lease, therefore, at; a meeting in this city on the thirtieth
‘ . j . .! consideration such measures as may j eut COlK ijtion of the public credit, and this time, and in advance of the official, day of March last, when they organiz-
rare of six hundred deemed necessary and expedient for k ig | )e | ieve( j t | iat it will give satisfac- evidence, might justly be deemed pre-led a college in conformity to the law
r fl nr^hl!, e a m H,r 0 eel the F ublic g°”‘ L T approach the dis- tloD to our creditors. There exists no mature. ' . granting the donation, made formal
1 capricious, 01 mree charge 0 f t f.is duty with a feeling of | j aw authorizing the payment of inter- The magnitude of the interests in- application
wiosv services are very near- djffi(Jen . ce) pro< | ucet | by a conscious ] est upou t | ie o?d bon's'after their ma- volved, and the concern which the,and receive
avtiw h-l f? a, ‘ j ness that the subjects before me W *H j turity, but being satisfied that the transaction has excited in the public stowing the
form themiLlvM VJhP con’ re( F lire a more exteilded " 0!icii tha “ 1 i proposition to that effect, embraced mj mind, render it proper that I should) I herewi
IrJnnlr XVn.o s ' sba11 be abie to bestow u l’°" tbem * J the arrangement above referred to. it j invoke at your hands, whenever you proceedings
AVOrill K VOLIIIK EXDtn.
With the present number we com
plete the Forty-second Volume ol
the Fedcrul Union.
We shall enter upon the Forty-third
volume with a determination to make
oqr paper fulfil better, if possible, in
the future than in the past, all the
great aims which should shape the
course of a public journal. In the
past we have nothing to be ashamed
of—having conscientiously labored, so
far as in us lay, to promote the true
welfare of the public in religion, in
morals, in education, in good govern
ment, and all that conduces to the
people’s prosperity and highest happi
ness. We shall continue the same
course to the best of our ability, war
ring against the deeds and the doers of
evil, and upholding the right cause
with increased fervor.
The world has greatly changed since
our first number of the Federal Union
saw the light. A generation lias pass
ed away, and a second one is half
gone. Few are the present readers ol
our paper who peruse^ t[ ie first vol
ume.
\V e are pained to record*that the
changes these forty-odd years have
brought do not seem to us to be good
changes in every instance. The des
tiny of free institutions is manifestly
more imperilled by the march of time.
In morals the world may he more
showy and ostentatious, hut is it as
solid ? Alas! we have many sad
thoughts on this all-important subject
which we may as well smother as to
express. In material prosperity, the
world at large has made wonderful
strides, while our poor Southland has
been smitten Into poverty by as cruel
a war as ever the lust of power led
over the desolated homes of men. In
this period, railways have formed a
network over the civilized globe, and
revolutionized the commerce and trav
el of mat kind. The ocean is rapidly
traversed by steamers, and the tele
graph has sent its wires over the globe,
transmitting instantaneous intelligence
to every quarter.
rision of that Institution, as provided
bv law. Here is a grai.d benefaction,
consisting of real property wor’.h near tion
a million of dollars, disbursing about {information of the state »>t tl>
one hundred thousand
mini, fitted for the
unfort unates—all
almost absolute and capricious, ol three | of t ', lis duty uith a feeling of
1 rustees, whose services are very near
ly a gratuity
impossibili
tees can inform
dit'on, circumstances, wants, &c., of
the Asylum, sufficiently to discharge
their great arid absolute trust, without
expending much more than the SJOO
allowed by the law. And if they are
capable of performing the duties as
signed, their time is worth much more.
Now it seems clear that the responsi
bility should attach to compensated offi
cers, if a proper discharge of that re
sponsibility be expected. Verily the
sum of responsibilities of the whole
Institution rests upon the only unpaid
employees concerned.
Further— the proposed new law
actually forbids the Trustees to spend
more than sixteen days per annum in
the service ; forbids them to qualify
themselves to execute the trust faith
fully. There is not a farmer in the
country, who could so acquaint him
self with the resources of the least
farm in that time as to be able to di
rect its management with judicious
economy. But this great work, of
most peculiar character, can be admin
istered by gentlemen from the moun
tains and sea-board and wire grass, on
ten days visiting acquaintance! and
for $100 a year! Nonsense.
rangement is as follows: An offer is terest ’in the public mind, and have) By the terms ot its charter, the
made to the holders of the old bonds* been the subject of much diverse ent-, trustees of 'he University of the Stat.
I to* exchange therefor the new seven j icism. In consequence of this fact,■ located at Athens, and already in suc
ker cent, bonds authorized to be issu-l the Legislature at its l ite session, by cessful operation, possessed ampb
ed bv said act. In the event this offer! a joint resolution, provided for the ap powers to establish si cli a college as
shall not be accepted, it is proposed pointment of a committee, whose du-j that described in the act of Congress
,-that the semi-annual interest shall con-j ty it was made to investigate and re- making the donation, and it was only
It is made my duty by the Coustitu-' t j nue t0 p a j t | U p 0 n the old bonds: port upon the lease. This committee j by the prompt exercise of these pow-
ion to give to the General Assembly un tj| the State shall be able to redeem j I am informed, will submit their re-Jers by the trustees that the fund did
the same. This arrangement is the port during your present session. Any ! not become forfeit. The trustees hel •
The magnitude of the interests in-i application for the use of the fund,
the i and received an Executive order be-
the same upon the University.
ith transmit copies of the
ngs had at said meeting of the
carried out, will be promotive of tbe| shall feel it to be your duty to take up j trustees, and of the Executive order
Executive office, in January last, | .jj e we |f are> I respectfully recom-j this important matter lor considera-j referred to.
; confusion existed in almost every j men( j t j,at t [ ie same be approved by {tion, the exercise ol your highest wis-j It may be remarked that the act of
,i r\ j om aiH ] justice. In the discussion Congress prescribed the conditions up
Tiie Governor’s Message is a man
ly and earnest documet t of less than
the usual length of such documents,
and marked by the good sense and
patriotic devotion to the public inter
ests characteristic of Gov. Smith. We
exclude lrom our columns much other
interesting matter in order that we
may lay it before our readers. Give
it a reading, and we are sure your ap
proval will follow.
State Convention.— The Georgia
State Convention, charged with the
duty of nominating a Democratic can
didate for Governor, and an electoral
ticket, mee's to-day in Atlanta. We
trust the action of the Convention
may be harmonious, and leave behind
it none of those bitter feuds which
ma} r well constitute a Northern luxury,
but which we cannot well afford to
indulge in heie. Let the Southern
Democracy postpone the day of dis
sension to the day of the material
prosperity of the South, at least.
The indications are clearly in favor
of the nomination of the present able
and efficient Executive. We have no
voice to lift.against that result. While
we were led recently to hoist the name
of the gallant aud admirable General
Colquitt, we are not insensible to
the many virtues and valuable public
services of Gov. Smith; and we are
prepared to yield to him, when nom
inated, our enthusiastic support.
Van Nostrand’s Magazine.—The
importance of Civil Engineering as a
profession in our day as compared with
ns importance a century ago may be
illustrated very well by the facilities
of travel now as compared with the
facilities then. The rapid multiplica
tion of railways alone, to say nothing i ^ 1" . . . .
• . „ , - , .! Georgia against the mega
ot other numerous and important " ”
causes, has exalted the office of the
Civil Engineer into one of the very
first impoit.mce.
Mr. D. Van Nostrand, 23 Murray
•street, New York city, lias been pub
lishingfora few years last past, and
vet publishes, a monthly Magazine
entitled the “Eclectic Engineering Mag
azine'* The [trice is $5 per annum.
Some of its articles are sufficiently
scientific and learned to enlist the clo
sest thought of the ablest scientists,
while many of them are exceedingly
fine examples of popularized science,
comprehensible to unscientific readers
of ordinary intelligence. The subjects
treated of are invariably of the most
practical character; and we do not
know of any more useful or interest
ing journal which we can recommend
to our readers. In the July number
before us, the articles “West of the
Mississippi in JS72”—“Telegraphy
without Insulation”—‘Pressure on
Tonndations”—Gun Cotton”—“Indian
Bridges”—“New fortificationsat Stras
burg”—* Railroads of the U. States,”
&e., &c., are of the greatest interest
to the general reader, and are such as
can scarcely be met with elsewhere.
To the Civil Engineer, and to railroad
men generally, this valuable maga
zine is a necessity.
“ Watchman.”—We regret that a
press of matter has compelled us to
eave out the interesting communica
tion over the above signature. It will
appear next week.
The Legislature.—The Legisla
ture of our State assembled in Atlanta
on Wednesday, the 17th inst., and has
already gone to work vigorously. A
very large number of bills have been
introduced, enough to furnish work
for many weeks to come. We trust
that much good may be effected at the
present session. Many important mat
ters are to be submitted to their wis
dom. The legislative action respect
ing the permanent location of the
Agricultural College will be regarded
with peculiar interest in this quarter ;
and the action on tiie Reports of im
portant committees on the bonded in-
deowdness of the State, on the State
Road, ami on other matters of great
public interest, will be looked to with
becoming solicitude by our readers.
And is it not time that a move be
made to restore the Capital to good
old economical Milledgeville? We
think so. The sooner this is done the
better for the public welfare.
A Portrait of Carl Schirz—Schnrz
rnay fie fairly ticketed as the Hero of Civ
ilization, the Cavalier so to say, of our
nineteenth century cultute, with all the
inspiration and none ot the vices of the
Ruperts and the Sydneys,— the most brill
iant, natural represenia'ive of the morality
of American political life, which we hold
to he the leader and progenitoi of all mod
ern political philosophy, to he found any
where occupying an active place in public
affairs. If Schurz depended upon his tal
ents as a politician for success, lie would
he a failure. He has succeeded in spite
of his simplicity as a contriver, and be
cause of his extraordinary power as a lead
er. Ilis is immeasurably the best intellect
that lias appeared in this country since the
death ot Calhoun, whom he, resembles in
many pnmts, but whom lie' surpasses in
breadth of culture and knowledge of I he
woild. Calhoun had a superb understand
ing, hut he was a provincial. ISchurz lias
a superb understanding, and is a national
ist. Schurz really unites to the patriotism
of Webster—without Webster’s shortcom
ings—the logical mind and purity of char
acter which made Calhoun so powerful,
in spite of Calhoun’s limited horizon. In
fine. Schurz is tiie leader—earnest, sympa
thetic, self poised, self-denying, sincere
straight-forward, btave, unpretentious, re
liable, large-headed and large hearted —
whom tfie South has been looking for dn-
ring years of floundering about among
such execrable cattle as Toombs and Ste
phens and other political shams.—Louis
elite Courier-Journal.
Nineteen members of Congress are
to be chosen from Illinois this year.—
This is an increase of five members,
the heaviest of any State in the Union.
In the last Congress the Illinois dele
gation consisted of eight Radicals and
six Democrats.
The electorial vote of the next
Presidential election will aggregate
three hundred and sixty-six, making
one hundred and eighty-four necessary
to a choice.
When I entered upon the duties of
the
great
department of our public affairs. Ourj the Legislature,
finances were in tne utmost disorder,
and tiie stock boards of this country j
and of Europe had been flooded with
bonds, purporting lo have been issued
by this State, but yet regarded ot
doubtful validity. The administration
of justice had been rendered ineffective
by the abuse of tfie pardoning power;
tbe confidence of the people in their
public servants had beet; impaired by
the faithless conduct ot leading officials,
and a teeling of general distru-t and
insecurity prevailed. The civil au
thorities had so long been subordinated
to military power that many true men
had reached the melancholy conclu
sion that civil liberty had already
ceased to exist.
The earnest efforts of every depart
ment of the government have been di
rected to the correction o' these abuses,
and if these efforts have not yet proved
entirely successful, it lias bee;: be
cause the evils sought to he remedied
were manifold and deeply rooted.
Evils, the result of years of misrule,
cannot ho extirpated in a day. .Much
patient labor yet remains to be done,
and in its performance I earnestly in
voke the assistance of the representa
tives of the people.
PUBLIC DEBT AND FINANCES.
By legislative act, entitled “ an act
to protect the people of the State ol
and fraudu
lent issue of bonds and securities, anil
for other purposes connected with the
same,” passed December 9, 1371, it
was provided that a joint committee
of the Senate and House of Represent
atives should be appointed, whose du
ty it should be to ascertain and report
the number of bonds and endorsements
which had been issued and put into
circulation by Rufus B. Bullock, late
Governor; the aggregate amount
thereof, by whom the same were sold,
the amount of money paid therefor
the times when, and the persons to
whom such payments Were made, and
all other facts connected with the his
tory of said bonds.
The committee appointed \>y virtue
of this act will submit their report, I
learn, during trie present session of the
Legislature. While it is proper that
I postuone any extended remarks up
on the classes of claims and securities
mentioned in the act, until alter the
information collected by tiie commit
tee shall have been laid before you, yet
I feel constrained to say that, in my
opinion, the State is bound for tiie re
demption of only such obligations as
have been issued in conformity with
law. If money raised upon authorized
securities has come into the treasury,
the State is bound to account for the
same. But considerations of public
po icy forbid that the State should re
cognize as valid and binding, any con
tract entered into by any person not
authorized to make tiie same. The
Governor has no authority, by virtue
of his office alone, to issue bonds of
the State. To do this, he must be
specially authorized by a legislative
act, passed for that purpose. When
so empowered, he becomes a spec
iigent, and cannot transcend trie limits
ot the grant conferring his powers
It is a well established principle, tfiat
persons having dealings with public
agents, in matters like this, are strictly
bound to look to the authority ol such
agents.
The following is a consolidated state
ment ol the existing debt of the State,
created before the lourfh day of July,
1863, showing the amounts and dates
of the issue and maturity of the bonds:
In effecting these arrangements, Ij which will doubtless arise, I feel as
have to acknowledge tiie obligations
under which 1 rest to the Hon. Chas
J. Jenkins, who, while refusing all
pecuniary compensation therefor as
the agent of the State, brought to4ny
aid trie benefit of his well-known w.s-
dorn and experience.
By the wasteful expenditures of the.
late administration, tiie State was de
prived of the means of paying the
semi-annual installments ot interest on
the public debt, and to supply such
means, it became necessary to resort
to the doubtful expedient of a short
loan. The necessary eflect of this I
will be to place three semi-annual in
stallments of interest on I lie public
debt upon the revenues of the present
year. In December next, we shall
have to pay the temporary loan con
tracted to meet the interest falling
due this summer. Then following
closely in January and February
thereafter, another semi-annual in
stallment will failjdue. This we shall
probably be able to meet without se
rious difficulty. In June, July and
sured that you will lose sight of neith
er the true interests of the people, trie
honor and dignity of the State, nor
the rights of the lessees.
POPULAR EDUCATION.
I transmit herewith the report of
on which the donation was made.—
One of these conditions required that
tfte State, upon accepting the dona
tion, should become bound to preserve
trie fund, and to see that no part ot
the same was lost or misapplied. The
acceptance of the fund made the State
a trustee for the uses declared in the
act creating the trust. To enable the
the State School Commissioner upon)
the present condition and wants of our J . , ,
i w i D17C ,, m j..i. t State to porform its duty and to pro-
common school system, to vvniclt 1 re-| 1 . 1
snectlully invite your attention. , , , . , , . ,
The attempt to establish the com- sa, 7 tl,at tbe 8ame sll0uld be ke P l
.. . 1 . .. aI 1 r> f I M J Cf nt<\ Lot: ^ within
tect trie fund it was manifestly neces-
lat the same should be kept
the control of trie Legislature.
authorized to receive
tne Asv
therefore upon which tiie Super
intendent of the Lunatic Asylum i 3
a convict into
um, cannot be supplied. The
lessees-are bound by tneir contract
and by the law to treat tiie convicts
with humanity, and to confine them
securely ; but there is no previson pre
scribing proceedings to be had in c ; ,se
any of them become lunatic. 1 there
fore recommend the passage ot such
act as will cure the evil here pointed
out ■
mon school system in this State has, . 0
J i 1 he University is a State institution,
not been crowned with the success
which was anticipated. It is not dif
ficult to understand the causes which
have led to this result. In the im
poverished condition of the people, it
has been found impracticable to raise j
trie means at once to carry into suc
cessful operation a system so expen
sive, without too great an increase of
taxation. Even the scant means
' which have come into the treasury,
laud which by the Constitution were
set apart and devoted to common
'school purposes, have been misapplied.
! By order of the General Assembly,
August of next year, however, another j in the vea r JS70, the sum of $242,-
027 62, belonging to the school fund,
ike installment will become due, and
will be upon us before the taxes ol
We are indebted to Senator
Wallace for public documents from
Atlanta.
Mrs. Gratz Brown, it is said, is a
handsome and winning lady, mother of
seven children, six of whom are still
living, the oldest not over fourteen
years of age. Of these children five
ate girls. It is related of the Gov
ernor that he married for love, when
Mrs. Brown was a country maiden,
and that he first saw her swinging on
a gate in front of a country farmhouse,
as he and two or three other mem
bers of tbe Missouri Legislature were
strolling out of town alter one of its
sessions.
was taken lrom the treasury. Soon
next year can be collected. 1 he tem- j a f ter tliis was done the Legislature
porary loan just negotiated should be) j, as §ed an act establishing a common
school system. The grave wrong was
committed of first misappropriating
the school fund, and next of establish
ing a cumbrous and expensive system,
requiring tor its successful operation
fully re-es-j a heavy outlay of money. No suffi
cient appropriation was made for de
fraying trie expenses of t^e system.
The necessary consequence of this un
wise procedure was that heavy debts
were contracted in the employ
ment of teachers, and for other pur
poses. The present General Assembly
at its late sessions ought to correct ex
isting evils by remodeling the whole
system. The law as it now stand
promptly paid at maturity, and pro
vision be made to meet future install
ments of interest without recourse to
temporary expedients.
It is ot the highest importance that
the credit of the .State It
tablished, to the end that trie heavy
burdens now resting upon the people
may be removed as speedily as possi
ble. The present impoverished condi
tion of the country, produced by the
late civil war, the disorganization of our
labor system, and the wasteful extrav
agance which characterized trie acts of
those lately in authority, reitdcr the
practice of trie most rigid economy
LUNATIC ASYLUM.
I herewith transmit the report of
the special committee appointed to in
vestigate the condition o! the Lunatic
Asylum. The investigations of the
committee have bet-n thorough, and
the information which they have col
lected in regard to this great charity
cannot tail, to attract the attention of
the General Assembly. The number
of patients now being treated in the Asy-
lum is large, and tbe expenses attendin r
the same are heavy. These unfortunates
must be cared for, however, and to that
end all needed reforms in the adminis
tration ot theiusiitutionshould bemtro-
duoed, and all existing abuses correct
ed. The committee whose report is
now submitted, is composed of gentle
men ot liigli character and marked abil
ities and any suggestions that they
should make are entitled to the most
respectful consideration.
MAIMED SOLDIERS.
I respectfully ask that your atten
tion be directed to the subject of sup.
f j plying means to furnish ui t.ficial limus
I to such indigent soldiers of this State as
were maitne.i in trie late war, whether
in trie service ot the State of Georgia or
of the Confederate States.
The General Assembly, in 1SG6,
made an appropriation for this purpose,
but I am advised that there are still
many indigent soldiers remaining,
who have never been supplied with ar
tificial limbs. The report of the Comp
troller General, made in the year 1S6I),
shows that a portion of the appropria
tion made in 1866 is still unexpended.
As this fund cannot be drawn from tiie
and the action of the trustees may be
reviewed by the General Assembly.— |
This is true of no other institution of 1
learning in the State. In granting
the use of the fund to the University,
therefore, I was careful to place it
where the Legislature would still re
tain the power to interpose for its
proper application and preservation.—
No part of the principal fund, or of the
interest, could be appropriated to the
purchase or erection of buildings for
the college, but no delay was occasion
ed on this account, since there were
already suitable buildings belonging
to the University, which could be us
ed for that purpose.
For these and other reasons which
might be given, I deemed it to be my. treasury without further action by the
duty to save the donation in the only Legislature, 1 respectfully recommend
practicable way left open to me, and t | iat an appropriation be made sutli-
indispensably necessary. Our resources! it [though an improvement upon pre
should be husbanded, our expenditures
confined within the strictest limits ot
necessity, and public officials held to
vious legislation, is still very defec
tive. These defects are [minted out in
the report ot trie Commissioner, and
rigid accountability. By a wise, honest. t [ )e necessary remedial legislation su
When issued.
VVi.ei,
due.
Amount.
181'.' wild I’CiJ
187 -J
$ 650.00 00
I8ia and l8Ki
187 f
1.17.000 On
IS 11 and 184S
1-71
251,500 00
1858
1878
160,000 00
I85ht
1870
200,000 00
I860
1880
200 600 00
1861
1881
1(d),000 00
1866
1886
3,600,1.00 00
a8.5 io i.o
From the foregoing tabular state
ment, it will appear that the total
amount of our bonded debt, contract
ed prior to July 4, 1S6S, is $6,233,-
50U 00.
To meet the bonds falling due the
present summer, trie Governor was au
thorized to issue bonds to the amount ;
of $700,000 00, due in twenty years,!
and bearing inteiest at a rate not ex
ceeding seven percent, per annum,'
payable semi annually. As required
by the provisions of this act, 1 have 1
caused bonds to be prepared, and the
same are now being used in exchange]
and redemption of the old bonds fa!
and faithful administration of the gov
ernment, trie public credit will soon be
restored, and trie people be relieved of
the weight of taxation which now op
presses them.
FLOATING DEBT OF WESTERN AND AT
LANTIC RAILROAD.
Your attention is also respectfully
called to trie propriety ol making pro
vision for the payment of the flouting
debt* of the Western and Atlantic
Railroad. The annual report ot the
Comptroller General, herewith trans
mitted, shows that there was paid out
of the public treasury during the year
lS7J,to claims belonging to the class
just named, the sum of $463,US9 92.
There is still a large number ot such
claims outstanding, a portion of which
have been audited by the commission
ers appointed by tiie Legislature, in
the act approved October 24, 1870.
At tiie late session of the General
Assembly, a committee was appointed
with [tower to investigate trie conduct
of the said commissioners, and to in
quire whether any claims had been
allowed them after being rejected by
the Legislature or by the courts, ot
whether any claims had been allowed
which had been barred by tbe statute
of limitations, and whether any fraud-
ulant and illegal claims had been al
lowed. and upon what evidence. No
warrants have been issued for the pay
ment of these claims since my acces
sion to office. It is a matter of doubt
whether any appropriation exists for
their payment, aud 1 deemed it proper
and respectful to avvuit action on trie
part of the Legislature, before direct
ing further paymeuts to be made.
I vvoulJ also call your attention to
the fact, that there is outstanding a
large amount of claims against the
State, in the form of change hills, and
notes issued by the Western aud At
lantic Railroad. Most of these pur
port to have been issued during the
late war, and others bear date as
far back as tiie time when the road
was being constructed. I have been
informed that it has been held b) r the
courts of Tennessee, that the full
amount specified on the face of the
change bills issued during the war, is
recoverable. In view of the fact that
much litigation may arise, and great
expense be incurred in suits brought
in trie courts of Tennessee lor tfte
collection of these bills, l respectfulU
recommend that some provision be
made whereby these evils may be
ing due the present tear. By the 3
section of the act, a temporary loan | aV oided
was authorized in a sum not exceeding j
$300,009, for the purpose of paying| LEASE WESTERN and ATLANTIC
the semi-annual interest, due the pres
ent summer, upon the bonds ol the
State issued before the first day of
June, 1963, which loan it is provided,
shall be paid back out of the moneys
received from the taxes paid into tbe
treasury during the year 1S72.
Acting under the authority thus
conferred, I borrowed from the Na
tional Bank of Commerce, in New
RAILROAD.
The attention of the Legislature has
never been formally called to tiie ietse
of the Western and Atlantic Railroad,
and I therefore transmit herewith
(tested. 1 cannot too urgently recom
mend that provision be at once made
for paying the just claims of teachers.
When tiie school fund was taken
from trie Treasury, certain bonds ol
the State were deposited in lieu of
the same. The Governor was autho
rized to sell these bonds to raise money
to pay the teachers, but the power to
sell was expresslv made dependent up
on the condition that such sale could
be made without injury to the public
credit. Upon inquiry made of the
Treasurer, I found that the bonds bore
lithographed coupons, and in his judg
ment were so defectively executed as
to be •( little or no value. As an evi
dence of this, it was stated that t' ey
bad been offered by the late Governor,
in the New York market, but a sale of
them had been found impracticable,
except at a ruinous sacrifice.
Being satisfied that tbe mere fact ot
these bonds, thus executed, being
placed upon the market would greatly
impair the credit ot tbe State, I deem
ed it to be my duty to defer any at
tempt to sell them, and to submit the
matter to the General Assembly.
AGRICULTURAL LAND SCRIP.
By an act of Congress, passed in the
vear l v C2, donations of land were of
fered to l lie States for the purpose of
establishing agricultural and mechan
ical .colleges. The States accepting
the donations were allowed untill the
second day of July instant, to estab
lish the colleges. The scrip issued to
the State of Georgia, under the provis
ions of said act of Congress, was sold by
my immediate predecessor, at ninety
cents per acre, making the sum of
$243,000. Of this, the sum of $60,400
has been received. The remaining
portion will not become due until the
third day of July, 1S73
to grant the fund to the University of
the State.
It may be added that the college
went into operation on the first day
of May under the most promising aus
pices, and that there are already about
one hundred students teceiving instruc
tion in the same free of charge. The)
prospect is that this number will be I
largely increased, and that the State, j
so far at least as her agricultural and fact that the bodies of over two tliou-
inechanical ii terests are involved, j sand soldiers who fell upon our own
will soon enter upon a new and more soil, still remain uncared fur on the
prosperous career. What we most hillsides and in the valleys, where they
surrendered their lives in our delense.
By appropriation heretofore nude, and
cient to meet the wants of this merito-
i rious and unfortunate class of our fel
low-citizens. These patriotic men
gave their natural limbs to the service
ot trie State, and it is but little to u^k
that the State should replace them
with artifi cial limbs.
OUR DEAD SOLDIERS.
Your attention is also called to the
need is thorough and practical educa
tion, and this the new college promi
ses to secure to all classes of the peo-
dle—to the poor as well as to the rich
and more fortunate.
PENITENTIARY.
By authority of trie act approved
December 14, 1S7I, authorizing the
Governor to farm out the convicts in
the I’enitentiary, I proceeded, aft~r
due notice given, to lease the same
by private contributions of means and
time, expended under trie patriotic di
rection of the ladies composing the
board of trustees ot trie Georgia Mem
orial Association, twenty-two hun
dred and eighty bodies have been gath
ered up and decently interred in the
Soldiers’ cemetery laid out for that
[ or j purpose at Marietta. All the means
the term ot two years, to Messrs. I on hand have long since been exhaus-
Grant, Alexander & Co., at the sum j ^ further has been done
of fifty dollars per capita per annum.! Wltb,n lbe l ;,st three years, and now
The number of convicts in the Peni- j e y en cemetery, preparerIwith such
tentiary on trie day tbe lease was exe-l T' 0118 Ci \ re > bas fallen into decay from
cuted, was 432. The number on the] ,ac ^ °* ^ uni * s t() keep it up. I lespect-
first of this month had increased to ^ n< J°* re how long shall this neg-
476. Thirty-two have been discharg
ed in the meantime, their terms hav
ing expired.
This marked increase in the number
of convicts is not due to any augmen
tation ol crime in the State, but is be
lieved to be the result entirely or a
more rigid and proper enforcement of
the laws. Tnis institution heretofore
fias been a source of expense to the
State. Under the present arrange
ment, however, it is not probable that
any appropriations will become neces
sary tor its support aud maintainance.
On tiie contrary, it will probably be
productive ol considerable revenue.
PARDONING POW’ER.
It may be here remarked that in the
present state of society, I have felt it
to be my duty to confine the exercise
ol the pardoning [tower within very
strict limits. Courts and juries con
stitute the proper tribuual for the tri
al of criminal offenses, and it is no
part of the duty of the Executive to
intervene to screen trie guilty from
punishment. The theory of the law
upon this subject is, that when guilt
has been ascertained in the manner
prescribed by tbe supreme authority,
tfie interest of society demands that
the offender be punished. The most
painfu 1 duty which devolves upon the
Finding that the time in which the i Chief Magistrate of the Commonwealth
college in this State must be estab-i* 8 refusal of appeals made to Exec-
lished, if at all, would expire before utive clemency. Impressed as I have
the meeting of tbe General Assembly, I been > however, with the conviction
and feeling unwilling to apply to Con- that the good order, peace and wel-
gress to extend the time, for tiie reason of society depend in a large meas-
that such application in all probabili- ore upon the due enforcement of the
ty would have been used as a pretext
for attaching to the donation condi
tions which would have r mdered the
same odious to the people, I deter
mined that it was my duty to exercise
the power conferred upon tfie Execu
tive by the Legislature, and to save
this important fund for our people.—
The question arose, how could this
best be done.
In looking over the State, it was
found that we iiad several excellent
institutions of learning, and that tbe
people in several localities desired to
have the college established in their
midst. This was natural and praise
worthy. But my duty was plainly
pointed out by law, and beyond this,
I could not «>o. The act of the Leg-
the same.
From these papers it will appear
that on the 27th of December, 1S70,
York, tfie sum of $200,000 at 7 per] my predecessor leased tfie road, its
cent, per annum, to De paid on the rolling stock and other property, for
first day of December next. This sum 'the term of twenty years, for the sum
was placed to Hie credit of the State jot $26,000 per mouth, or $300,000
on the 29th day of June last, and is]per annum. This rental has been
sufficient to pay the interest falling 1 legularly and punctually paid. The
due upon our old debt iu the months ot terms aud conditions of the lease are
copies of all tfie papers of record and
on file in this department, referring to J islature, approved December 12, 1S0G,
conferred upon the Governor all the
power necessary to save the fund to
the State. The act of Congress, how
ever, making the donation, required
that tfie College should be actually es
tablished by llie second day of July,
laws, I have felt constrained to refuse
to interfere with the due execution of
judgments pronounced by the judicial
authorities. It is believed that a strict
adlierattce to this line of duty will re
sult, at no distant day, in restoring to
the people that feeling of security,
without which society can be neither
prosperous nor happy. I am glad to
have it in my power to add that there
has been a marked diminution of crime
throughout tfie State, and that there
is reason to believe that this diminu
tion will become more marked in the
future.
LUNATIC CONVICTS.
Your attention is respectfully called
to trie defect in the law as it now-
stands in regard to the proper disposi-
ti >n to be made of lunatic convicts.—
Under our present system, there is no
provision of law specially adapted to
such cases. When the convicts were
confined in the State prison, under di
rect control of tbe Principal Keeper,
a provision existed for the removal of
JS72. There was no such college in I lunatic convicts from the Penitentiary
June, Julv and August.
An arrangement has also been effect
ed with the National Bank of Com
merce to act as the agent of the State
in exchanging the old lor the new
bonds falling due this year. This ar.
fully set forth in the accompanying
documents, and need not to be recapi
tulated here.
The circumstances attending this
transaction from its inception to its
consummation, have excited great in
existence in this State, and I, as the
chief executive officer under the gov
ernment, had no authority to create
such an institution. The Legislature
had (ailed to organize a college for
this [mrpose, or to dispose of the fund,
and would not re-assemble in time to
take the necessary action. What then
could be done?
to the Lunatic Asylum, upou proper
certificates ot lunacy being made by
the Physician of the Penitentiary and
tfie Principal Keeper. At this time,
however, there is no such officer as
Physician of the Penitentiary, and the
the Principal Keeper has ceased
to have peculiar custody and control
of the convicts. The only evidence
lect be permitted to continue? Having
put our hands to this good work shall
we turn back and leave it unfinished ?
These men died for us. Shall we not,
then, at least save trieir boms front
the plowshare, and put then tenderly
away? Duty calls us, and our nobie wo
men stand ready, with teaifnl eyes to
perforin the holy task. Our people
are poor, and the State is cramped in
her finances—for the stranger and the
spoiler have been among us—but we
are not so poor but that we can yet
bury our dead.
MILITARY INTERFERENCE.
It may be that it is necessary to
call your attention to the correspon
dence which was recently had by this
department with the commandant
of the military forces of the United
States stationed at this place in re
ference to the interference in our lo
cal affairs by armed Federal soldiery.
The copies of letters, herewith trans
mitted, will put you in possession of
all the facts connected with this un
authorized attempt to set aside and
supersede the authority of the State.
It is the earnest desire of the
of Georgia to preserve good order, t)
put down crime in their midst, to dis-
charge their duties, public and pri
vate, in a peaeable manner, and to
maintain between the authorities ot
this State and of the United States kind
and pleasant relations. Such is my
own fixed purpose as Governor of the
State. It is hoped, however, that we
have seen the lust of this kind of in*
terference with our domestic affairs.
There is neither reason in it nor war-
rent of law. It is my duty, as Chid
Magistrate of the Commonwealth)
to uphold the laws, and main
tain good order within our borders,
and to protect the people in tiieir riMi ts
of person and property. To < ischurge
this high duty, the Legislature has
clothed the Executive with ample po^*
ers. There is not likely to arise an
energency when the aid ot the I ederal
authorities will be required, i n 1
can never occur a case in which t' e
voluntary and unauthorized interfer
ence ol the military forces ot the ge'
ernment can be necessary or justifia" ■ •
And so long as I hold the office w
which tfie people have so freely h 0,|( ' r
ed me, 1 shall protest against such i' 1 .
terference with all the earnestnc-> 1 ’
outraged justice. The people h ave °_
thought ot offering any kind of
tance to the enforcement of the ‘ iV '
of the United States, but they do p 1 ^
test, and will continue to protest)
gainst all illegal and unauthorizei ^
tempts to trample under loot tlieg
right of local self-government, " F|-
er such attempts be made by the ^
tary forces or by the Judiciary o
Federal Government.
James. M- Smith-
Mosby, it is said, has quit ^
and announced his readiness to
the Baltimore Domination.