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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.