Southern standard., 1852-01-17
NUMBER 81.

Stctlon, mlght nave rendered the residue OF The
tract yalueless. l would reconabfsd the passage
I of a law in lieu thereof, aath6Jizidg these lands
to be disposed Of at very moderate prices TO be
/ fixed by law, to any person whatever, who NIL 5ht
be inclined to purchase them, and in the same
quantities in which they acquired by the State
1t is believed that this course would enable the
State to dispose Of lands forfeited for noi-payfent
of taxes on favorable terms, subject the lands a.
gain to taxation, and thereby materially Increase
her revenue, which might also be applied to paf-
poses of internal improvement.
The amount of money that can be realized from
4 the 800, 900 acres of donated land, the swamp
lands, and the lands forfeited to the State for the
non payment of taxes, if disposed of in the man
ner above intimated, or in any other practicable
manner would be sufficient to carry on an exten-
sive system of internal improvement for many
years to come. But should they prove insufficient
to answer the wants of the State, a resort might
Be had TO another for carrying on these I'M
! proTemdats, which, from the experience of other
countries could hardly be considered at this dav.
by any liberal minded person, as one of doubtful
propriety. ! allude to the taxation of real estate
in the vicinity ef tAese roads, for the purpose of
aiding in their construction. That railroads have
certain tendency to increase the val1e of lands
in the regions of country through which they pass
cannot admit Of doaf and there is scarcely
road of any considerable extent in any portion of
the United States, whore the lands lying contgu-
Gus to the road have not been increased in value
sufficient to pay for its construction; and is there
anything unjust in equalzing the burthens of those
who to be benefited by the Improvement p
This plan of assessing taxes upon real estate to
be benefited by Improvements, for the purpose of
aiding IN their construction, has been decided 81
the courts of several of the States, as am inform
ed, to be consutonal-and it is a mode of car
rying out great works of Improvement which has
been freely resorted to by many of the States.
Should the Legislature in its wisdom, CONCEIVE It
proper to resort TO this mode of taxation, would
suggest the propriety of discriminating between
those lands lying within say ten miles Of the road,
and those lying moro than ten, but within twenty
miles of it; aid beyond this limit 7 would not
conceive it proper TO go, as lands beyond that
distance derive benefit too uncertain to subject
them to tie burthcn Of taxation for the purposes
referred to.
The taxes imposed as Suggested, if any should
inure totha benefit of the taxpayer by requiring
the tax-collecor to give to the taxpayer receipt
certificate for the amount of railroad tax paid
by him, which receipt certificate should entitle
the individual paying the tax, or the assignee, to
stock in the Company, to the amount of the tax
paid to aid in the construction of their road.
In this way, the burthen of taxation would
fall only upon those who not only benefited by
the enhanced value Of their lands, but who, as
stockholders may also realize dividends of inter-
est upon the investment
The lands donated by the government to aid in
the construction Of the Mobile and Ohio railroad
are held by the State for that purpose, and some
Legislative action will be necessary to enable the
company to use them in the construction and COM
petion of their road
1t is proper for me to state in this connection,
that on the 10th day February last, my ,predeces-
sor, Gov Guion, appointed Charles Z. Mayerh6f,
Esq, of Clarke county, an agent on the part of
this State, to locate the lands thus granted
.1,,t . al IL
to this subject at early period of the session.
The Commissioners of the New Orleans and
Jackson Railroad have not yet made any report
as to the manner in which they have applied the
two thousand dollars given them by tie Legisla-
ture, to aid in surveying the route of said road
| have been informed, however, by the President
of the Board of Commissioners that the surveys
have been completed from New Orleans to Jack
son, and that the reports and estimates Of the en-
gneers are Of tie most favorable character
herewith submit 10 the Legislature, for their
consideration, letter from A. Hutchinson and G..
r. Fall Surviving artners of c. M. Price, propo-
sing to sell to the State enc thousand copies Of
Hutchinsoh's c3de Of Mississippi at five dollars
per copy.
At your last regular session, an act was passed
appropriating two thousand dollars for the purpose
of repairing the State capitol and placing the same
at the disposal of the Governor to be by him ex
pended This duty has been efficiently complied
with by my predecessors.
In obedience to an act passed at your Fast s3si
sion, and approved the 9th of March, 1850 the
sum of two thousand dollars was placed at tie
disposal of the Governor, for the purpose of erec
ting some suitable part Of the capital square,
brick building for an arsenal or place of deposit
for the public arms. am happy to be able to in
form the Legislature that this duty promptly
performed by my predecessor, Gov. Qutman, and
that the arms Of the State now securely de-
posted in an armory; which, Willie it was impe-
riously demanded for their preservation and safe
keeping, also adds to the beauty of the public
grounds.
| herewith transmit certain resolutions and 9TH
er communications covering variety of Subjects
which | submit to your respectful consideration.
| herewith transmit to the Legislature the re-
port of the Secretary of State in relation to cer-
tain amendments proposed to the Constitution at
your last regular session, and which were voted
upon by the people at the last general election
which will, hope, fully explain itself.
By reference to the census return, herewith
transmitted it will be that this State is enti-
tied to an additional representative in Congress -
would respectfully cali your attention to this
subject, that you may take whatever steps you
may think proper and necessary to secure. q full
Representation from this State, 50 soon as the new
apportonment shall take effect. s-sa
/ herewith transmit a report from the Adlutant
/ General. From this report 1t wll be seen that
the Militia system is in state Of great derange