Washington telegraph., 1856-11-26
The Governors Message.

Leaving the SUBJECT OF DankS GOyern0l
Conway, alludes as follows to the progress
of the State of Arkansas:
1t is gratifying to know that the State
of Arkansas is rapidly increasing in popu.
lation and wealth. The whole value OF
taxable property In the State, for the year
1852, was s42 SOC, ,0S0, as shown by table
81" in the Auditors report of LIST Octo.
Der, 1S45. The official returns from fifty
counties for the year 1856, and like infor-
nation from the remaining four counties
for the year 1855, without allowing any
thing for fke increase in these four coun-
ties since Che 18th March, 1885, show
that the taxable property in the whole
State, for the year, 1856, amounted in val
ne to S7O,75S, O44-demonstrating that
the taxable property of the State has in
creased, during the last four years, S27,-
S57 ,965.
Referring then to the Indebtedness of
the State, he gives it as his opinion, that,
although:
She is still encumbered with large part
of the debt brought upon her by the bad
management of the banks, that with pru-
dence, skill, and economy in protecting
the interests and in administering the at-
fairs of the State, aided by increasing pop
ulation and wealth, we shall be fully able.
| by the time our State bonds fall due, to
pay every dollar of the debt without op-
pressing the people by taxation.
In view of the late attempt at grand
Financial swindle, on the part of the Little
Rock and Cincinnati Slate Company, Gov
ernor c., says:
Although this b.nk seems to have pass
ed out of existence, yet without more strin-
gent laws than We now have, similar eff
forts might hereafter be made to establish
such institutions In this State, and greatly
prejudice the interests of our citizens by
driving frsm the State the gold and silver
circulation, and placing in its stead their
paper issues deprecated, if not worthless.
His Excellency recommends that suita-
BILE provisions be made for revising the
Laws, employing and fixing the remune-
ration of public printer, &c.-refers to a
suit instituted by the State for the recove-
ry of certain lands, embracing portion of
the Southwest part of the city of Little
Rock, and makes certain suggestions in
the premises of no very general interest,
and then alludes as follows to the all i'm
portant subject of the Swamp and Over
flowed Lands belonging to the State:
By the report of the Swamp Land Com
missioners, it appears that from the Ind
April, 1855, to the 24th September, 1886,
they received / ,243 ,06S, ,76-lUO cubic yds
levee work, and granted certificates for
payment to the Auditor, amounting to
s30U,35o SO; and that they received 49,
S12, 2,3S-100 cubic yards of ditehing at
| twenty cents per yard, and gave certifi-
Gates upon the Auditor for payment out of
the Swamp Land fund.
Under the first swamp land law OF this
State, the swamp land commissioners were
authorized to issue swamp land scrip in
payment for levee work and for other ex-
penses. But that authority by subse-
quent law was taken from them and YES
ted in the State Treasurer, who alone is
sues swamp land scrip; but only upon
warrants of the Auditor. The whole a.
mount of swamp land scrip ever issued by
| the commissioners, as stated in the report
of the commissioners, was S370,760 90.
The whole amount of swamp land scrip
ever issued by the State Treasurer. before
the 1st October, 1856, is shown by his re-
port to be 81, 1926 Al, making when
added to that issued by the commissioners
81, ,797 ,026 Al; of which there had been
redeemed, before the first day of October,
1856, s1,579,7 ,70S % showing that the
whole amount of swamp land scrip which
remained unredeemed, on the first day of
October, 1856, was s217,31S 49, This
sum is composed of So, $50 issued by the
swamp land commissioners; and S213,
75S 10 issued by the State Treasurer
| There have been confirmed by the Sc
cretary of the Interior and certified by the
commissioner of the general land Office OF
the United States, to this State, $780,
III ,20-10O acres of swamp and overfowed
lands; and for ,246, 1885,, ,44-1O0 acres OF
the land so confirmed, the State has reci
we'd patents from the United States. By
statement marked 90" in the Auditor.
report it appears that the whole amount
of swamp and overhowed lands disposed
of by the State, before the lst October
1856, was 2,99S, 1922 acres. Tc
satisfy the amount of scrip that remained
unredeemed on the 1st October, 1856
would require 434 ,636, ,3S-10O acres OF
swamp land of the second class, at the es
tablished price of fifty cents per acre. The
number of acres thus appropriated, added
to the number Of acres sold, would mak'
3,433 Alb ,61-100 acres of sold and appro
priated swamp lands: which, deducted
from the 5,970, III, ,29-100 acres confirm
E ed to the State, will leave 2,537 ,352. SO
: 100 acres of land more than necessary t
t satisfy all the unredeened swamp lam
scrip issued before the 1st October. 1886
/, The swamp land commissioners state, il
;, their report, that there have been selected
/ as swamp aud overaowed lands. 9, ,514 ,61S,
t 63 leo acres By subtracting the mum
: Der of acres confirm d to the State fron