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l&)t ttkcklg Constitutionalist BY JAMES GARDNER ISiTfißsers mm. | . I; Kxictnr. Depa.t.svt [ I MUWg»"“‘.«*" 5aT -* >tb ’ U ‘ I' *« SeT ‘ at l ' rfl be L»imo, of »b« Treas- For a ottDe , o , be reflo rts | vtj, you are ree P* I \ be Comp'rriHer Gtotra!.— t/aeTreaeorer and *e^omp tege , epor „ Jt a‘‘ ! 'f ***?,**/ A b . r this Slate, mcndiug 'be Jfcc whole pub.'C -eh. u . en d. amonu'.s I P public property of ;o |S.4li,ie®. ar.a j. Railroad stock, ft,State, including &ok» » c iF- a .“ 6d „ bicb ~ ’ eed >be State, amount* at a low raitt a.e property of gg ‘ ]t wonld> theiefore, be>:n j v*;cn to i - ’ - , tr Dav every aoiUr of her * the owtr of the State te pay ere y eon sec, to re- be money before due. TEH nr* atILIOS aPPKOPEtATics. a s-g® SJEMSSSS*! I dercg 'be b«al y h^“ d iTwhaaker, j been returnee $50,000 br Lieut. Col. i T'?“"r o Qua?'ern D asur Genefb and *O3 ' ]raK rosw , « , cb . its ; o{ Ordnance, for , ■ tbe“re.P.ctl«« departments ? U to , Clbo was ‘Speeded in pajuiett -or arms j " '.‘S tMlini Prior *o your last .ession; ■ ’ ‘Y* VI *e iron to be used in fortifications ■ “2 \i. gr.nboat called tbe ‘'Siate of Geer* I “ d - P Tbiß boat was built under tbe supervision t fAtvo.r General Jackson while to command, and : I ‘I, Vied u!t rbe retired. The ha t n'e o. the tH ‘ tr rta construction*•» cootr-buted by the . ® ' k- rannab Augusta, and oiler corpora -1 L’ r“ and chiefly by the lace* of this 1 ". w i, o have shown since the citr.n.rr.ermett , ’ 6.1 iwff’e on all proper occasion*, a libera i !.„J ■ ifro-ism w< rtbr die most distinguish- j rfStSti of the Revolution of 177*. j support,equipment, pay and fiansporfa.icn j „< .;o c r mpanusnow m service a» Hr.,.g, Guards , r be SUte Road. f. This leaves f11.M1,- !, "j which, top ether with a special approprta- j of ’*loo 000. waa expended upon tbe Georgia j armv and fir other cunlingcnt militarv piirposea. i a t , (**,„, however, by reference to the he- , t ” , a ot ihc Quartcraaster General and the Chief ! £f Ordnance, 'bat very cons.derablo aoma weie , f -i nded for the purchase of horses, art. Herr, i‘ were transferred to ihe' Confederacy j witii tbe Georgia army, for winch nopaymest lias i «t been mad* to the State. These sums with cor.t rgent military expenditures, when deducted j tiorn the abore nienuoued sums, rill uto ™,j whole cos, Os the Georgia army cf near'y B.OJO . W(B for neaily six months, including pay, dotes | r?, subsistence, transportation, sr a eves hotter | MpeoM, a liitle short of $2^,000. tKB/.SCRT NOTES. "he Appropnar.oß Bill pasted at yt>w last ses- j mV. made it my dutv, ic case »beit sboU'd hot. at I ivt j time, be money :o the Trtasurj to ineet t.oy KpLropnatioD, to 'raise it Dy \h* hbU of Mute i beeda, or by issuing Treasury Dot«b, a». i I to-ck best. In each case where l tad U.c u/ie' ■ Ore r«Jid notbf*#Mete i- it ms* j rc-ts bearinil no interest, in piece of bonds hear- j ;aK iuterefct; and T bate teurd these notes art , ir 'v current, but id great demand as an in eaU tntt t. The whole am* uiitof Treasury cotes issued * iTruf-re iV dittcult to tret goodjpeper and to get tbe wotk properly executed, 1 set; Hon. James j , KBon as »v t u gent of the State o New Orleans, i u make the necessary anangemeats for the tm* imitation of tbe pacer and the neceefiaijcontract w*., a competent en grater for tbe exttiik-n of ti.e Kotk. In both particular* be war 6BCCe?*fnl. vy b ’ e the work was progressing in a satisfactory r.bLcer, but before its completion, the city was ho j he. "usly throated by the enemy, that I tboui'b’ it i indent to hare tbe work in its unfin'&hed siate, m V tr. the stones, plates, paper, Ac., removed totbia Under my metrucuoDS, Judge Jackson re unit'd <o tbe city for this purpose, kittled with the conti actor ’for the work done, and bud ail toe printed bills and noateri*’ in trnnsdc far Georgia, when tbe c:tv fell imo the Lands of ltit nfamous tyrant, Mutier, whose tame will V* posterity on history’s darkest page. 1 H then employed Ur.' Howell, of Savannah, to com pi -t‘ tbe job, w hich-was dene in a manner cuite saiiafictory. The LOtes are jieyt.fcte ;n specie or eight per cent, bonds, six months after a treaty tt peace, or when the Banks of Augusta 2nd haiannah resume speoia payments if beiore that Theee notes-have generally been lard away w* iat r e investment ‘-y tanks ax.d others into wtM-as hand* they have fallen; ani it it- a raj<. oc currence to see one in . lrculniion. Should itbocctne atccssa-y, aait protably will„to eneDd tie issues m to meet part ol the 'labilities of tbe Tieaaifry for ibe i lesent ks-cal year; I raspectfvilj recommend tfcat no alteration be made :n the form cf the notes, aa there is ea hand u very considerable tan-, ant o tbe printed bills that can .oi -u be issued ■ wuiJ'ut expense, which would be 6§eies.i in dase ™ <if any change m the present form, i: would (t«.- delay and espenso’ tc pr< c; r= paper -na have at be"■> prepared. Tt •* only ofjeciic-n icMdsil upic against iha »/• re <t 'treasury netet, in place ot the sale of b rus to uiret i£e demands on the T itasnry, is, tLa; ibe ;*sue of a large amount cf notes to te cir vu «**:d as currency, dupTeciatrs the •value f paper 1“ currency in tbe Br.arket, This is uoc nesticuatly true, fs evid ky tfie present atat-e of (-u: tur reacy. Bui :i is equally true ihat < f i must he ■ • I i<t the country, u meet the demand. Suppose the liita’.e needs axcii:ic-s of dollars, and pats he.- bf i ls in the market t/'raif*e it, and j»k.per currency n payment f«,rti:ein. it is quite evident tliA’iir* Con led ? racy, or the Banks, n.* ?t issue l minion to meet th e demand in addition to the ’.*»* e '.Ley would ofiurv. >e make for other purposes; and tbe same depreciation gr; wir g out ot u recunaieJiry of papt.* currency follows, which would Lappwn, were the State to issue a million of doners in her* own notes, and thus meet her own demand. The queatioD is not one of the dep;e ctation of the carreDcy hy. over isenes of paper, as the number of dollar* in paper currency to be placed upon the market is tbe>ame ia either case, brn it is simply & question of iaieresl. Stall the B>e hti own notes, which pasa reed iy as currency without inteiest, and are general!) laid away as an iovest.xsfcct, or shal! she pay interest to l corporation for tbe privilege o( using and sir- j culating its netes, fofcndsd upon & less secure than her own? In my op:ni«*c # there i? bo m* m tor hesitation in making ? i,e dec:eion in favor '• o: Treasury notes. amount of tot*reF? saved : U> the Treasury in one at serac per cent.! nj on the issue of notes .vreadv made in place of • tv cdf. is $102,400. To Jbis might have been? addea tbe further sum of £7O, Lad I been authorized by the statute tc* issue and ÜBe Treas* ; cry notes in place of bonds' to meet the Cenfede* i rs;e war tax. This statute was a special one fora | special purpose, however, and coofiaed me to the . *i‘ e e of bonds without giving me 4? ,fcre< on to :ag*.:e \ Treasury notes. •ONI EL EKATS WAh ?aX. An act passed at your last session the i payment of the Confederate war tax, passed • •guicst the people of this State for jea r , and • Bade it my duty to rmse the am'-et t by the .sale | of State hi nds, with but one restriction, which waa that they should not bear exceeding eight per •ent. interest per annum. As the Confederacy and tbe other States generally, were paying eight per wot., it was not supposed that this Slate would be able to raise the moner upon bonds bearing a less rate. Before I could get. the Trws ury notes prepared, which I was author.zed to i*- ! S ue for otbtr purposes, I had to negotiate some ; temporary loans with the banks f t eight per cem to r.itse money to defray the expenses of tbe army ; tnl the notes could be .ssued. It is but justice, however, that I remark, that ail the Banks except the Bank of Commeise and the Back ol tbe State, j refused to accept more than seven per cent, on : settl. meet ier this temporary advance. The war I tax was due ihe Ist of April, and as I anticipated some difficulty in securing promptly so large a sum, 1 vitited Savannah in tbe latter part of Jan* ■iiity ana had un interview with some of the most i prominent bankers of the city, which resulted in : a pi oposition (n their part to take the bonds of rhe | State running ten year.-, bearing 7 per cent, paya'- 1 ble quarterly, and advance money vo meet tbe [ emergency it 1 would p~y interest from first of February. To this Icc usenten, and tbe banks advanced $2,000,000, a portion of which was i plac. dto the credit of the Treanrer after tbe Ist I of February, aud bcie interest only from the date ; when it was placed to the credit of the State.— Having no u*e lor the money tili the fits*, of April, ; j ihe date when the tax was due, I proposed to pay ! it to ihe Secreury of the Treasury, if he would | | aikw seven per cent, upon the advance, till the \ tux should become due. This proposition was 1 declined, and I then invested in the six per cent. I j stor k of rhe Contederuty* c.nd was able to realise , | six per cent, upon it till first of April. Bankers ; turn other States would have taken the balance of ; . the binds, but 1 tnought it best to put them on ’ the market in this S ale, and lei then, gc into the 4 baud* «*f tur ait z.*ca if they win Id purchase them. This was done by a pub ication asking tics for them at par till Ist t>f March'. The bids., . were mere than irfficiect to cover liit whole bn!- ance ot the purposed ssue. The issue and sale unde- this i*«i amount* t 12.441.iN 0 in tends. Tbe precise amount *>t the State’s uuo:a of the ] tax could not be ascertained on ii*e Ist of Apiil, j and Ike Secretary of tbe Treasury proposed-hat i 1 pay the ami uct supposed t.» be due, and that a ] final settlem- nt be made when tr.e necereary J<i>a ; could be obtained* To this 1 agreed. Recently L j was furnished with a statement making Georgia’s ; quota, less the ten per cent., 2,554 '2r 57. Upon i tae re.eipt of inis 6tatems.Lt, the Comptroller i General, who has bo ofteu saved :x> the 'Siati* • Treasury arge sums bv hi« vigi’ante and Indus* {try, carefuh) compared the return* of the coon* j tie© with the returns of taxable property made to the Stale Receivers, ano found that the difference ,iU hi,me counties was sc* great .that mistakes tor large amounts must necessarily hare been com- 1 j mined against ibeS ate. This matter was brought : to the attention of tie Chief Collector for the State I and the Secretary of the Treerury. After some Ic* rrespondeuce, the Comptroller General visited j Augusta, and after a careful examination of the . books with Judge Starnes, the obliging Collector, ! it was found that the quota of the Stat", after de* i ducting the ten per ceut., amounted to only $2,- • 4t-4 112 4 The amount saved to the Treasury j ut the Slate by the correction of these errors com* • rcitted Vy sub-collectors, and detect* 1 by the j Cotwp’roller General, is IC. Finding the I sum laii't.U by the sale ol the bends, together with ' interest »n call certificate*, and from individuals ■ <,n coupons, to be f33,y~4 Ol less than the amount |of tax ‘J le on the final seitlemcn*, I ventured to i juise üba money by the use of Treasury cote .per, w*thu*M »ut«*r©*t, ,n place of bond* bearing ? intereel, as directed • v the statute, which, I trust, • will' meet the approval of the Goceta! Assembly. While it Wat difficult tr* the money on j sevt.r per cent. bone at par when nrs*. placed on • the m..rktl, and 'he banks acted v >th liberality i iu agitt-it g to lake then. wh«-n other govd secure ! tie j vere c!l red at eight per cent-, auti by their I action attracted the attention of private capit&'ii-t* to the n, they ave lost nothing by their iibtrih* nv, as the L* mis ba re since that time greati v «.p preciated in the market, and arc now regarded a most destiebie investment at a considerable pre i rumen. I COMPTROLLEK OHSKPaL’b kRPVBTrfENT. ‘ The report of this übie officer is replete with j vaiuable information, statistical tables, £« , which J have been prepared with grea*. care and labor. It ! is bu* justice to say that Cob Tbweatt, the vigil j aut aud active bead of this Department, bus, by ! j his annual reports, furnished much valuable in* j formation to the resent generation, and important j material for the usp3 of the future historian of the j State. The law imposes upou that officer very • laborious duties connected with the finances of ( , the State, the collection of the taxes and the au di’icg ol ciaims against the Treasury. Ah settie n enip with Collectors are made ij& that office. , Coi Thweatt, by bis active energy, has secured the Treasury many thousands or dollars due by I Collectors prior to the comD.-acement of bis term *of office, and has prevented :he accumulation ot these claims. The correspondence imposed upon bin*, in rnakng settlements and : .n furnishing in formation t. the Tax Collectors and to the Inferior ! Courts «t the State in connection with the taxes, is vrry laborious. This, with the otter duties of his < ffi- e, is more thau any cae n-an ought to be required to do. i, therefore, rei‘»mioeud, as an aci rs justice, that be be allowed a cle r £, with a <&!arv sufficient u> secure the serv; es of nr> intel ligent, business man. STATIC IttOOI S. la cos, jpliar.ee with the resolution of ?hc Gener al Assembly passed at its last session, directing me to tsansfer the State troops to the Con eder *cv with the consent ot the troops. I ordered the tjties j turn of iranster to oe submitted to a fair vote »»f ' each orgx.tized body of troops, ana the majority | against ue Tansfet axisonn f ed aim *et to j tv. Soon after the passage «•! the Conscription i A tt, b<. wove!, w hich paesed after tte expiration .of *J e teixi of enlistment “f pari of ihe met, but u j« ort time before the end of the term of much the ' larger por.ion of *bei v the Secretary of War ins formed LJt that rJi toe State troop* between 1£ j and V. j tA.-d of age must go into the Confederate . serv-ce. Ai that time an attack upon the city ofSa -1 vacr.ab wue daily expected, and, for the purpose of avoid ug ootflict and collision with the Con , federate antborriee in the face of the enemy, I r j agreed to ykld the point, and I immediately tens P j dered the Slate A/my to Hi igedier General Law ton, .who then commanded the Military District cf Georgia, .Major General Henry R. Jack Ron, who eoxitiri&Ldtd tee Stale t[*;*ops, having retired from tLe jo prevent all embarrassment. Cm. Lawton accepted the tender, and assumed the ooaainand of the troops. The claim made fey the secretary «f War did not include those under ifc 3T years of age, but it thought best to tender the wbole tr-gether as the detachment or j those between 18 nnd Z< irom each organisation I would have disorganiaed the entire force. While referring to the subject. I feel it a duty . which 2 owe to the gallant officers end brave ) men who composed the State Army, to say that i they were at the title of the t mar ter, ae tbors j oughly ergua zed, tife’ned.and [ babiv apy body of troops of equal number lon the continent, who net been a tisicb longer time in 'he field. They They had performed, without murmur, sn almost i amount of lah.ir in ejecting fortifica" i and field works necessary to ihe protection } of the> city, and had made their peskier sc strong as to defer the enemy, with a force of veetly sn ! peri or cv tubers, from naking an attack. While | they regretted that an opportunity d*d not offer Ito show th£. r courage aod cJhc.eney epos the | bat*, .'e-field, tk«y stood, like a bulwark of stout j N'tytrand between the city and ihe AR GUSTA, GA., WEDNESDAY MORNING, NtfV.l2, 1P62 enemy, and by their chivalrous bearing atd ens ergetic preparation, in eonnectiou with iba small l«r number of brave Confederate troops near, the saved the city from attack and capture, without bloodshed and carnage. It is but justice tnMajor General Jackson, that it be remarked, that he had, w ih untiring t-uer* ■ gy and consummate ability, pressed forward the 1 preparation of the defenses and the training of the army, acd that the people of Georgia owe much ot gratitude to him for the safety of the city of Savannah and its present fieednm from the tyrannical rule of the enemy. There i 3 not, probably, an intelligent, impartial man* in the , State who does not regret that the services of * ibis distinguished son of Georgia should j not have been properly apprec by the Con federate authorities, and that he should not, sf- , ter the Georgia army was tra%iferrec, have beeu invited by the President to a command equal to j his well known ability and merit. This was re quested by the Executive of this State, which re- j quest wss presented to the President by her en- j tire dalegation in Congress. It is alk) due Brigadier Generals George P. Harrison, F. W. Capers, and W. H. T. Walker, I that their names be honorably mentioned for en** lightened generalship and efficiency as commands ! ers of their respective brigades. The Executive j of the State, appreciating the merits of those oft j cers, asked for positions for them, as commands I ers in the armies of Uie Confederacy, but neither of them, so far as I know, has betn tendered any j command. If this might be excused as to Gen* j Harrison and Capers, on the ground that they 1 were not graduates of West Point acd old army i officers, though one ot ’hem ha.s a there ugh mil:* ; tsuy equcatKD, aid the other is known to be a ’ most valuable, energetic military man, having ! ; the confidence of the whole people of the Stare, j 1 inis excuse does uol apply in the car?e of Gem r* 1 • al Walker, who is a sou ut Georgia, a graduate of j ; West Point and au old soldier, who bus shed his ■ blood in his country’s service on many a battle** ! ; field. His ability and gallantry are ackrn wledg* ! j td by all who admire cool courage and bighton d j j chivalry. Bu r so one ot the. Gc *rgra Generals s wku commanded her Suite army has since been j | invited to a position, and even ifii* gallant old 1 soldier is permitted to remain in retirement, » ; while thousands of (vdorgia woo. s who entered I 1 the Bervtce ot ihe Confederacy »rder requi*-- . t *i*.*i*s up(*n the Sia*e, aud whose right, under the 1 Gonsntutien, to be^commanded by Generals ap : pointed by the Stute is too clear to admit of d-übt. thrown under the command of Generals up ■ | peiftted ir. ru other States, many of whom have 1 : cad neither the experience in se»vice, nor ihe . m*y winch General Walker has, while confronting the enemies of Lis country. pur> ‘ • cha-ied wit?. Lis bU >d upon the battle field. S7A7R ARMOEY. In accordance « ith the provisions of the Ac? entitled an Act to provide for the manufacture and purchase of arms tor the public defense and to appropriate money for the same, which ap* propriates $350,000 to.- the purposes indicated in the title of the Ac', aud anthorizes the Governor, it the money is not in the Treasury, when need ed, to raise it by the sale of $ per cent, bonds, with discretion to issue pert of the amount in Treasury notes, Ac., 1 directed the establish* I ment of an Armory in the Penitentiary, and em ploy* 1 Mr. Peter joti f, who was long connected j prominently with ibe Armories und manufacture <.l arms, for the Un'"> 1 .States, t<> tak** charge of ! and supenno bd the works. He has secured as j rauca rcaterk.l us cruid, *nd made aii the to- er, lifjil.hdE made as goon nroct • - • *' . ••■*o • r d . mg the mar.y errharrhsatnentn in the wsy, and • out inability tr iir.j-r* any of tbs material tr ira ; chir-ry liteded We can now turn out an cxce!- . ItfDt aim at the ra*e of About per month, and ’.rill in the court" of a Vw months, it is lioped, he • s-.ble to extend the capacity of the works. s< as to make them a source of hiibstat tia! aid in th«. achievement x.l err independence. I have net *eec tb’.t* to purchase any small arms during the year, n<'r have 1 been abV to get pos -Beti*i"ii ct Hindi the larieer portion of those pur chased in England prior to vonr lost seaaioß and j since imported. About 4 .o'* of the excellent ! Entield rifle* which were imported by the State at great risk and expense, huve been seized ut the ports where ibey landed, by officers |of the Confederate and carried be* | vood my reach, i have remonstrated against i these unantboriz-rd seizures of the property of | ihe Stale und while my re mu ns trances have j been met with respectful language by those in | authority, and the act generally apologised for, as I I mistake, they have neglected to restore the I property seized, and have, after my reinonstrace, , repeated the seizure on the arrival of other arms. 1 As the rights of the State were disregarded by the Confederate aulbon ties, 1 thoeght it ' to send more money to fiarope to invest in otb jer arms to be lost ai sea or tw ia- d, w thout con -1 suiting the authorities of State, on their arrival, i In ibis senneotion, I wnald remark that the i State troops generally brought with them into | service such country anus as were at their urand, which were turned into the Sißte Arsenal 1 when better arms were fur nished to them, hfanv | of the!*e wd.ii cere taken possession of by the 1 State authorities and distributed among Confed - erate troops who were without arms. .Part of Col. i I>. J. Pulley’s regiment, Confederate troops, were armed wall tnet», i-s were part of liieut. Colonel Lmlehetd’s Battalion and part of Col. Sumner J Smiths Ranger*. Coc.pensution nag not yet been 1 made to the owner*. 1 therefore recommend that I !>*me one or more proper per.-ons he appointed • under authority of law m nudit the claims o; citi zens who were thus deprived of their arms, and ; tnat prevision be made tor payment of just com ; peona'.ion for a i Unit have been taken for the pub j iic service. j CIIAM.C TILLS. 1 Ihe Snperin lee dent of the W. A A. Railroad, ! finding it impossible to attend to the duties of bis I office and sign all lbe change bills, which he was required by the Act of 17ih December, 1861, to is-* sue, with my assent, employed Mr. Win. Grisham to sign the bills for him. The whole amount of bills issued u 30th September is, in rnand dux* her*, fbu,ool. Most of these are s-igned by Mr. Grisham, for the Supern’eodent, and bv Ben. May. Treasurer. The balance of the $200,000 will be issued as Boon as the bills can be prepared, which has been toned to be quite a laborious task. By act of 50th last each chartered Bunk in thisHtate, which claims the provisions of the Suspension Act, is required, upon the ap* plication of any person, to issue and keep in cir*» eolation during its suspension, small bills in de» nominations of five, ten, twenty-five and fifty cents, to the extent of one per oe ato on upon its capital stock, with privilege to extend the issue to three per eentnoi. The Act of 17th December relieved all individuals and corporations who had issued and put change bills ir circulation, Iroixi the penalties of tkeexiering laws, upon the re* oeunptioo r»f said bills, but provided that they should cot be authorised to issue any other change bills, or to re-issue those then in circulation when redeemed. Tiis law hae been constantly evaded, » if not openly violated, by individuals and corpo- S rations, and large amounts in change biiU, in the ; shape of promisee to p«y certibcates of deposit, ! acknowledgments of indebtedness to be discharg |ed in specific article*- A? , Ar, have been put »Dto tirculatiOEL Mary oi these bills have been print !«d upon verv inferior paper and are soon worn | out by circulation. H 'theseillegal issues are not | effectually checked, if cannot be doubted tbet they will result in heavy losses >oour people. 1 ! therefore recommend ill* enactment of a law, , making it obligatory upon each chartered Bank of |h. i Rttt# to extend, its issoee pf change bills to as much as three per oent. upon its capital stock; ! and making it the dety of the Treasurer ana Comptroller General of this State to issue and pot in circulation Slate change bills of five, tbiee, two and one dollar and the usua* denomination* under that sum, to tbe amount cf three hundred ; then sand dollars, redeemable in the Treasury ' notes of the Confederate 3tate«, when as much as S2O is preeented at.the State Treasury. Audi fur*, tber recommend that the issues bv tbe Western k Atlantic Railroad be extended to $200,000, in bills of different denominations from five cents to five dollars, and that it be made highly penal for anv other corporation or person to issue, circulate, I pay or tender in payment any other change bill, | wbe her it be a direct promise to pay. a certificate 1 of deposit, or in any other form, intended to cir . cnlate as currency, except issued under the ’ authority cf the lawn of this State. This legislation would, it is believed, provide for the issue of as many change bills a* might j be necessary to meet the demands of our people, i until it may again be possible to procure silver • change, and tbe people might more safely rely i upon the ultimate redemption of tbe bi 8 issued ; as above recommended • ban upon those now in 1 circulation The law should allow a reasonable I time for the redemption of illegal issues now in | circulation, and to secure the suppression of iU legal issues in future, it may be necessary to im pose upon the person violating the statute, a I heavy pecuriary penalty to be paid to the infor* i mer. « lEIDCE CCARH3 ANL COMB PAOTECTION. The people of the Stale have been Informed through the medium of the public prtsvof tbe 1 facts connected with the daring attemp; Lnv*e by { a bind of spu s sent, by the authority of me eue ! rny to burn ihe bridges on tne W. A A Railroad. | The condujt of Mr. Fuller, the Conductor, :rd of j scree others in the hazardous pursuit, wh.to the ! spies were in possession of the tram, deserves the 1 j highest •ommenda'ion aud entitles them to the | j confederation of the General Assembly. I there- I : tore recommend the appointment of a committee ! ! of the two Houses to inquire into the facts and j sepf.rt upon tr.err, and that such medals or other j public acknowledgment be awarded to the parties ! j Whose conduct was most meritorious, as will do | j just’cc to their services and stimulate othiis to ! i like deeds of daring when necessary for the pubs ! lie security. j Soon after this bold attempt to burn afi the I } bridges of the Rond (two of which had been | burned and replaced but a short time pre [ vious.) I felt it oiv duty to rrgaoize a trili tary company to guard this valuable property.— Some time after the company had been raised, the Committee of the House of Representatives’ visited the Road and joined in a unanimous re* commendation that 1 add onother company to the guard. In deference to the recommen dation of the Comn«rtee. which my own judgment approved, I d-reefed the organization of a second company. Those companies now consist of abont 150 men each, the one command ed by Capt. E. M. Galt, the other by Capt. Albert Howell. They are mustered into service for an indefinite period of time, and may be disbanded at the pleasure of the States. There are sixteen j valuable bridges, besides smaller ones, upon the , Road, which is a great thoroughfare, and will be during the war a great military necessity. The destruction of two or three ot these bridge* over the large streams might not only cause great de rangement of the business of the Road, and great to the travelling pub’ic, but might so delay military movements as to cause oe loss of au important victory. The expense *r» the j SisOA-ef "keeping; no a sofhciani jEtmujl , inco • » j niderable wber coMioared With the object, and I i j shall feel it my duty to continue troops in I ! service, unless otherwise directed by the General j Assembly. The only question with me is, wheth ' er the two companies should not be increased to j two regiments, and thoroughly armed, equipped, I and ‘rained and kept constantly in iheserv-ce of [ the State till the end of the war. So large a mim j b *r of our arms-bearing men l ave gone fioui the j Sta'e into Confederate service, that wo cannot ' feel entirely secure against internal troubles from ' servile insurrection; and even two regiments ot wco armed aud thoroughly disciplined troop.-. *t the command of the Staie Government, might, in such event, be the meaus of preventing sceues of massacre and misery too appe.l'.iag to contem plate. Should you think proper, b’ resolution <»r otherwise, to direct such organization, it would meet rev cordial approval, and J shouid lose uo time in carrying your decision into practical operation. ; Frequent complaints have been made to me that | an association of persons, unfriendly to cor gov I eminent and cause, has been formed in the north eastern portion of oor State, and that the mem* ber9 of the association, probably some fifty to j one bnndred in number ; to avoid 'military service, have concealed themselves in tfce mountains and live by plundering the citizens whose homes ars near their lurking places. The State owes it to her citizens to afford them all the assistance in her power to protect them against these inroads. Should an organization of the character rccons mended be formed, a portion of*it might be cav I airy, which might used to scour the mountains for the protection of the inhabitants, or be thrown upon the const, or into such other part of the 3‘ate, as the security of the people might require. DISTILLATION. * After our communication had been cut ofl by the enemy, and we could no longer tret supplies | of provisions from Tennessee and Kentucky, it wap pooh discovered that we bud none to gpVre, and it wap doubled whether there wa-* enough of grain .n the State hi answer all the demand** f r bread. The snpnlv -.f Wcs'fre whisker had, however, been cn! o<l, ne well aa the iapply of prnvisione, nrd Ibe demand for th»t article ir.~ creased till distillation w-,.9 cmm. need at a rite that would, in the eeurte of the sprint; and early , part of the enmirer, have consuir-d all the grain that could have been purchraed, and increased 1 the price *o an extent that mu«t have put it nut of f the power of the poorer i 'aseev of our people, and ! especially the families of poor men who were in the army, to get bread. These facts were made known to me from different parte i f ihe r'.tate, and earnest appeals were mad -for unci) action as would protect our people against this great wrong. After ma'nre refi-c iin, I was satisfied that it was uiy duty to exercise all the power 1 possessed to check the evil. The only question was as to my constitutiona l power to act. There conld be no donbl that I had the power to take private properly for public use, and as we were hard pressed by a powerful enemy, and needed all the ordnaooe and ordnance stores we could command, and as the stills were made of copper which could be us*-d in the manufacture of field artillery, I issued my proclamation ordering the Militia officers of the State to eeixe the atilt of anv person in the State who should continue distill, ing after the 15th daj of March. While there were, donbt'e'a, cases in which the proclamation was eyaded, and white some military officers may have failed faithfnlly to discharge tbeir duty, the : eri! was in the main checked, and bread was saved to our people. ! The proclamation only prohibited distillation till Ihe meeting of the General Assemble, and I now submit the question for vonr consideration. While it is hoped we mav have a plentiful supply of Corn for the use of the people of the Slate, and can spare some for the army, we do not know what may be the viaissitudea of w»r, and it is certainly the duty of Ihe Statesman, at mch a crisis, to do all in his power to so husband the blessings of Provldenoe, tut to prevent suffering, and Becore a supply of food for the people, lj therefore, respectfully recommend the passage of a statute prohibiting the diaiillntion of grain into alcohol or ardent spirits, except undor sufficient VOL. 15-No 46 restrictions, for mech&Bical and medicinal a?** till the end of the present war. I thick this le-'is.J ation is demanded alike by an enlightened p«b he opinion, and by the exigencies of th* times. ftince my proclamation 1 hare permitted ®er sons having ooutracts with the Conlederate Gov ernment to manufacture necessary supplies of al oohol and whiskey for the army, but I hare found it eery difficult to prereut abuses of thie pnvi lege, and I recommend that the terms upon which it shall IB future be granted be dehoed by law. and that Government manufactories h» confined to one, or a few localities, so il.i .a,, rttate shall not hare to hear more than her i . ’ I art ut the burden of furnishing from her grim the ardent spirits elsimed to be ueccssurv lUI ti.l use of the army of the Confederate States I have reason to believe that Gjvernment con. tractors have been through the States eubvlettim. •heir contracts, and getting whiskey made at Z much lower price than that paid them by the Gov ernmtnt; This speculation should not be per mined, but the Government should be authorized to locate its distilleries at such poiu sas it mar select, ana there by its agenlsto make GeoruVs part of what it needs for medicinal uses and bo more. SALARIES OF PUBLIC OfFICeaS. I recommend that ibe Salary al every public officer in Georgia, which is fixed by law, where there is no constitutional prohibition, includ q» the fees of officers of lb** Courig, be increased fifty per cent., and that the Judges be all placed upon an equality as they stood prior to your laa; session, before tbe fifty percent, is added, bo as to giveali the Judges of each Court the sam? con pcLsation. Produce, clothing, groceries itiedicines, and alt tbe necessaries of life used by a family, have risen in the market to an average of at least five times as much as they cost *i, r . u ibe fees and salaries of public officers were fixed by law. Tbe depreciation o» the currency tmi »he scarcity of the supply of most of tue»e neces saries, have ur.iied to produce this result. The public officer now receives the same number of dollars in currency which he formerly received in gold, and can purchase with it only one-hfih jus much of the necessaries of life. Ido not pro pose to add live hundred per cent, to the present j salaries, which would place the public officer in as good a condition as he was be ore the war, but i propose to add only fifty per cent., and let him lose the four bundled and fifty, as his part o! the burden imposed by the war. I think the isoat parsimonious citizen of the State cannot deny the justice of this proposition, nor contend that the public officer shall take all the burden without any of the compensation resulting from tbe pre*» , sent high prices. This increase shouldjinclude the pay of the members stud officers of the Gene* rat Assembly as well as other public servants, if the Constitution will permit; aud l think it doe?. In making this recommendation, I cannot be justly cha;geabid with interested motives, as my own salary, though not worth as much as cue thousand dollars was when I first went into office, cannot, under a provision of the Constitur tion, be either increased or diminished during my term in office. This, however, tarnishes uo suffi cient reason why others should suffer injustice. The farmer gets (or most of the ai UcJes which he produces, from three to five times as much as for merly ; the manufacturer and merchant oo the same on their productions aud stock in trade.— The pay of the public officer is his living ; or if you will allow the expression, his crop. Why, then, should ho alone be conttuea to the old prices for his income and be compelled to p&v Ithe incrtased puces lor all he has to purchase. It is not just, aud a just people will not require r TIIIS FAMILIES OF OOUSOLiHBRS IN SERVICE. : TbAtwark* made in reference to the hig^ ! priewi vr Yhe necessaries of die, apply to the lr dies •»( our noble troop?, who, by their g f - , i deeds, have illustrated the chain- ter of ou , ' : on ihe battle fit Id, and rendered iheir » 1 mortal on a bril uot historic page. Vbtse hero’ i r.Mwu soldiers have,-till recently rt-tt,ved hot ! *li per month trom the CoveVnmeni ua | Th- act of Congress, pas*,* at Ug !aat (ewlo J ~ ~ polled by tlf; new^i., erp . ralses liie wß)w , .. I 'ho private *r.« me non-commissioned offlerr |.,u- I dollars ;o:r hrtnth. Aiuuy o! these privates a-; I poor aien, who have lett behind them large larni i hies ttepeudeut upon their own exertions to- a ' j livelihood. i Tbey may be obliged to expend part of thei wages, in camp tor indispensable articles but it tbey are not, and send it all back, it affords their loved onesat home a most meagre subsistence at the present prices of provisions and clothing Some ot the wealthier countieb under an act of tbe last session, are providing amply for tj- Wants of the soldiers' families, while others are not able, without an oppressive tax, to render the large number within their limns much as sistance. In this slate of things, l think it pr,.p per that the wealth of tbe whole Slate, vrtien necesaarv, be compelled to contribute to the wants of soldiers’ families in all pa-... ol the Statp, who need assistance. I, therefore recommend tuat the Stale provide, bv general an propnalloD, a bounty ol one hundred dollars tor toe family ol each soldier from this State in ser vice lor the war, or who may bereutter enter ib * service for a like period, whose properly wii‘o i Usi given in by bim on the tax book, was wo ib j less than one tbousauu dollars, and tbe like sum I lor each widow of a deceased soldier, and l.u r ach j widow who has a son orsons in service or who I has ln.-t a sod in service. And I further recoin - I mend, that tbe whole net proceeds of the Western dt Atlantic Railroad for the ecsun mg your be appropriated to pay me boua y, and that ireights be increased for that purpose tweu*y.five per cent upon the meson, pr.ces, and that each perron in this Stale who lias been engaged in any kind of specula! on m any ol the necessaries of life, be tsx~d tbii-iy ibree and oae-third per cent, upon the net in comes us bis speculation, to raise the balance of j tbe fund. The oath of the tux paver should be so amended as to compel each to stale on oath tbs income of his speculation, and a heavy penalty should be proviued against uuy one who swear l iirely. I also recommend, that the Governor of ihe Slate be aulhoristed to raise the money t i meet the payment ol this county by negotiating a l *m porary loan at live per cent, to be paid to the creditors, so soon aa tbe mon-y is paid into tbe Treasury by the State Road and tbe Tax Collect ors The act should prov d.- for tbe appointment ot ons or more proper persous in each county to receive Ihe money lor the families and see tnat it is prooerly applied in the purchase op such supplies as are actually ceoessar/ for the comfort of each family, aud sboold provide a be..vy penalty against any one who shall misapply tbe funds due a soldier's family, or speculate directly or indirectly upon the bounty mouey. While they are absent, enduring ail the hardships and privations of camp life their families should be supplied, it need be, at the public expense, with such of Ihe necessaries of life as their labor will not afford them, cost the Htate wbat it mar. the money could be rained in the manner above recommended without serious burden to the fieos pie ot tbe State, as a large pait of the freight on ihe State Road is paid by speculators of this and other States, who, if their cooimndiittes were shipped for nothing, would still charge the high est prices for all they sell. Tb« tux of thirty-three and a third per cent, upon the incomes of those who have been speculating upon the neeessn '.rs ot life would be just and preper, and wouid com pel them to appropriate part of their gams to tne benefit id our cause. Many of them are making large fortunes by taking advaniage of the neces sities of tbe poor and needy, and will do nothing lor the public good unless they are compelled bv laws too stringent to be evaded. (OohctniHw on aiders e *&a j