The Rodney telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.) 1838-1840, 1839-01-19

tt6te tFedeu( &Fy H. - ~ - ~ q n
be snthorized % recelvt elQ1s eeo
If the state OF any parll9 81 -
change Should be made 10 reI0 81
method Of keeping the accounts in a.
uresss ofice-moneys paid into the tfo1su-
nv on account Of the literary, three per cent
and Seminary funds, is liable to be drawn
out for the ordinary expenses Of government
those funds should not be diverted from
their legitimate object. invoke your par
ticular attention to the laws in relation to
the appointment and duties of Assessors and
Collectors 1.-The whole system needs amend
ment---their bonds are insufficient, and not
filed in the proper pace-the Office of As
SCISSOR and Collector, in the large counties
particularly, should be severed, and sepa-
rate bonds given for assessing and for col
lecting taxes. When both offices are uni
ted in one individual, a failure to return the
assessment roll, renders it difficult to hold
the collector responsible for failing to pay
the taxes he may collect, into the state
treasury.
Ii is deserving of your serious considera
ton, whether the embezzlement of The pub
lie money should not be made felony, and
punishable by Imprisonment in the state
Prison.
The law prescribing the duties of Auc-
tioneers requires amendment-they inter
fere with the regular merchant, and the tax
es they are required to pay, from some
cause or other, fail to reach the state treas
usy.
The report Of the Adiutant General is,
herewith Misunderstanding the last year
most of the regiments have been organized
Our citizen soldiers are awakening to the
importance of preparing in peace for war.
The number of volunteer companies have
been more tilun doubled, and | feel conf
dent that by the slose ofthe present year
will be enabled to have every regiment or
ganized and oficcred, in addition, it is ex-
pecied that forty volunteer companies will,
by that time, be armed and equipped, ready
to march at shart notice, TO whatever point
danger may threaten. l commend these
companies toihe special consideration of the
Legislature; composed as they are, of young
and chivalrous gentlemen, ready to face
any TOE and brave any danger, the country
may confidently rely on them for protec
.ssation. The appointment Of an Inspector
akienera is respectfully recommended whose
duty it should be, at least once in every
year, to drill the officers of each regiment.
To obtain competent oficer,a liberal sal
airy will be requisite. Having reviewed
portion of the regiments last fall, | can safe
ly say, that the entire organization of the
milltia is not inpracticabIe, and that our Cit
ixen soldiers are amply able to protect their
homes against the assaults Of any foe, for
fy mlskets, belonging to the state. were
wrecked in the barque Ella Hand. These
guns were purchascdin the spring of 1887
but IN C. nsequence of the protest of the
check given in payment ofthem, they were
not shipped until July, 1888. Under. the
act Of congress Of 1908, arms are annually
furnished to The various states Of the union
Garrett returns of the strength of the mill
tia ofthis state have been made by the Ad-
jutant General to the proper department;
and, In future, a sufficient quantity Of arms
will be annually obtained from the general
government, to furnish ten companies. In
several of the Counties the regiments are
too large, and some of the brigades could he
advantageously divided. The existing mi
litia law is plain and perspicuous-fre-
>t"S"s ~sAndSOo III VIC ~ StcifI are always
injurious. and it perhaps would be we'll to
give the one now in force fair trial
twenty-five hundred copies of the act to
regulate the militia have been printed, and
most OF them distributed among the officers.
Books OF discipline are needed, and cannot
readily be obtained. During the last fall,
representations were made to the Executive
that the lives of some four or five indvidu-
ais were in great danger-that the Indians
were resolved TO retaliate on them for kill
ing one of their tribe-that no organized
force in that county existed, to aid the civil
ofhcers IN preserving the peace and enforc-
ing the laws. Believing that neither white
men nor Indians should be permitted to
take the law in their own hands and re-
venge their supposed wrongs, considered
it my duty to take precautionary measures,
and be prepared for any contingency. This
had the desired effect, and the peace of the
country was preserved.
The report of the late State Treasurer.
J. A. Van Hoesen, Esq, and of the present
Treasurer, Gen. Sias Brown, as well as the
Report Of the Auditor of Public Accounts
are herewith Transmitted. These docu-
menfs will convince you that the annual ex-
penditures far exceed the receipts into the
State Treasury, and that retrenchment-
Improvement in the collection Of the reve-
nue. or additional taxation must be resorted
70.
Soon after the appointment Of J. A. Van
Hoesen, as State Treasurer, / directed him