Washington telegraph., 1852-11-17
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE.

Vi OLc All iSc Opcldtc
the other. ft...s
have atte empted to demonstrate the necessity
of Railroads to Arkansas and designate those, Ill
my Judgment, which the necessities of the country
demand should be first built and also the ways
and means, within our reach for their construc-
ton; and | now submit them to your considera-
tion, without further attempting to portray the
benefits and advantages to result to the State.
The Governor hero rec ,mm ,nds, as in
former Message, a Geological Survey of the
State, alludes to the improvement in the
spirit Of the laws during the last half cen.
tury and advocates the rights of married
women in relation to the control of their
own property. The message proceeds.
The wealth Induced into the State, by thus
throwing open our mines to the foreign capitalist
and men of enterprise and industry, will reimburse
the State more than ten-fold; for any temporary
outlay she may be called upon to make in the
prosecution of this to my mind, necessary work.
l feel myself called upon to renew my recon-
mendation for Geological survey of the State,
and report upon her mineral resources.
The subject of homestead exemption is engag-
ing the serious attention of legislature everywhere.
More than half of the States have passed laws
securing their citizens against the Sherif's writ
and the creditors oppression. This is but anoth-
er step in that legislative reform. so creditable
to the age in which we live am unwilling that
Arkansas should be behind the foremost Of the
States. in recognising the rights, and protecting
the interests, of the female sex. l would there-
fore recommend the passage of liberal Home
stead law. sheltered under which, the honest man
and the disconsolate widow, with her helpless
children, may feel and know that they are secure
1,,o hnr holfo 10 o%osf ham tho
storms of winter, and fields in W hica they may
labor for an honest living.
The Commissioners appointed under the pro-
visions of an act of the last General Assembly,
entitled, IAN act to provide for the reclamation
of the swamp and overfowed lands donated to the
State of Arkansas by the United States" have
been actively engaged in the discharge of the
various and arduous duties devolving upon them
And if the State, through her agents. has not made
that progress in the work OF reclamation, that
was anticipated, the reason must be found in the
fact that the whole system was an experiment,
the practicablity of which was yet to be demon-
strated--the minds Of the doubling to be convinced
the Indifferent aroused, and the desponding cheer
ed and encouraged; while the proscrlptive and
active hostility OF very many was to he met and
overcome. sB
This whole enterprise rested upon peculiar
and uncertain basis. The practicability OF gen.
eral system Of levees upon the Mississippi river
has ever been involved in doubt and before this
work could progress, with any degree of conf.
dence, it was necessary to demonstrate and estab-
lish the affirmative of this proposition 1t was
necessary that the whole work, or a considerable
portion OF it, should be performed before the peo-
pie of the State, the capitalist and laborer, could
be thoroughly convinced of this fact The State
had not one dolla: at her command, to do this but
was forced to rely ior resources upon the lands re-
claimed, which, until reclaimed were wholly
worthless; and as to what would be their value
when reclaimed, and whether susceptible of re-
claimation or not, still remained matters of the
greatest uncertainty. Yet, by the indefatigable
energy and enterprise of the Commissioners, this
whole question, to its entire practicability and
immense advantage to the State, has been settled,
the confidence of capitalists has been won to the
enterprise, public appreciation has been gained,
and the cooperation of men oil industry and enter
prise, has been obtained The consequence is,
that notwithstanding all the obstacles to be con-
tended with, the work of the reclamation has
progressed with astonishing rapidity, and our
efforts crowned with satisfactory results.
Soon after their appointment, the Commission
ers assembled at Helena, organized their Board,
established their Office at that place, appointed
their necessary ministerial officers, and by the
assistance fsub-commssioners or locating agents,
set about selecting the lands granted to the State,
as swamp and overhowed lands. In few months,
lists from almost all the counties containing any,
considerable amount of these lands, were trans
nitted to the Executive Office, and by me present
ed to the Surveyor General. to be filed in his of
fice These lists after considerable delay. were
returned to my Office, with objections which will
appear from the correspondence upon the subject
with the Surveyor General, submitted for your
consideration An unfortunate difference of opin-
ion, and inability to see and construe alike the
law upon this subject and the instructions Of the
Commissioner OF the General Land Office which
existed between the State and Federal Officers
charged with duties connected with this interest
has very much deranged and retarded the opera
tions of the Commissioners.
Notwithstanding all the existing obstacles in
the way of an active execution of the law, the
Commissioners have been able to have properly
selected and returned between four ard five mill
lions acres of Swamp and Overfowed lands, ana
it is estimated that there yet about like
quantity to be selected; this, at the price now
fixed upon these lands. cannot yield to the State
less than S5OOO,OOO. Half this sum, it is estimat-
ed, will construct all the levees required for
thorough reclamation of all the Swamp and over
flowed lands in the State. Truly this is a mag
nifcent donation and should be guarded with ieal-
ousy by the State.
Ii this fund be judiciously managed, and the
system of reclamation commenced under such fa-
vorabe prospects, prudently and skillfully prose-
cuted, have no hesitation in saying that it will
result in more of permanent and substantial good,
than all the donations yet made to the State, or
the enterprises undertaken for her advancement.
But what has been done towards the reclama-
ton of these lands, and what are the results?
From careful survey made, it appears that
there will be required on the Mississippi river in
order to reclaim all those lands affected by the
floods OF that river, 81 miles of evee every mile
of which is now under contract, Sc miles compet-
ed, and the residue confidently expected to be fin
sbo1 J,r %ho The Re
which have followed the construction OF the par
tial levees above referred to- of such acharac-
ter as to dispel all doubts to the practicabity
OF and necessity for the completion of the entire
system of contemplated levees During the last
annual rise in the Mississippi, although within
few inches of high-water mark in no instance, ex-
cept one land that but slishtl did the levees,