Des Arc citizen., 1858-11-13
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Rock district, to $12,756 37 and in the Cham ,arnolle district, to S8,5l0 D
 2 As there are but 1095.99 acres ofsunsold [ wamD and oyerAowed lands in the Fayette- ii He district.it is.recommendcd as a measure, of economy that tthe office of land agent for .he Fayetteyille district be abolished. Al < 1t is recommended that a law be passed fX-, inc theAuniform ninimum price at which swamp and oyerfowed lands of the State may be sold, ~at one dollar per acre. -' -'-,-e--
 Our constitution provides that, "lnternal improvement shallfbe encouraged 5yauff gov erament of this lState.'A luseekingto comply with this injunction the executive recommends that 250 0O0 acres of the confirmed swamp and overaowed lands remaining unsold ill the di strict be invested at one-do- lar an acre, in the way of stock in the Missls- sippi, Ouachita and Red River Railroad Com pany, for the benefit of the swamp land fund of that district; that 250,000 acres of the un- sold swamp and oveltlowed lands of the State in the Washington district, be invested at one dollar an acre in the way of stock, Gagthe Cairo and Fnlton Railroad Company. for the benefit of gtherswamp land fund of Washing ton district; and that 400,d00s acres5of the swamp and oyerhowed lands Of the State. re- maining unsold in the Batesville distrlef; be Invested at one dollar an acre, in the way of stock in the Cairo and Fulton Railroad Com pany, for the benefit of the swamp iand fund of that district; and upon the condition, that the proceeds of these lands shall be eappt1ed towards the construction of that part of the road extending from White river to the Ms souri State line a distance of about 80 miles, that 400 .000 acres of the unsold swamp and overhowed lands ofthe State in the Batesville district, be invested, at one dollar an acre, Tn the way of stock, in the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad Company, for the beneft ot the swamp land fund of the .Batesville dis- trict, upon condition that the proceeds fthe lands be applied exclusively towards the con- struction of that part of the road extendingfrom Little Rock to Deyai's Bluff, on White river, and upon condition that the Company VIII construct this division of their Road, next after completing that east of St. Francis river; and also in like manner, and upon like conditions, that 100000 acres of the swamp and oyerhowed lands of the State, remaining unsold in the Little Rock district; be invested at one dollar an acre, in the way of stock, III the Memphis aud Little Rock Railroad Com pany. for the benefit of the swamp land fprtd of the, Little Rock, district, so as to enable the company to complete the division of the road from Little Rock to White river during the next two years.
 Itis also recommended that all of the pn- sold swamp and overflowed land of the State
 
 one dollar an acre, and all of the unsold in- ternalaifnprovemen CT 800 ,000acre of lands at $1 25 an acre in the Fayetteville and Clarks- vile districts, be invested in the way of stock in the Company of the Little Rock and Fort Smith branch of the Cairo and Patton Rail- road; the swamp land for the benefit of the swamp land fund of the respective districts, and the internal improvement lands for tlfe benefit of the internal improvement fund.
 In carrying into effect these recommenda- tions the actual settlers should be we'll pro- tected and secured from the loss of their ilri- royements-theyefore liberal preyision for presumption rights is recommended.
 It is recommended that section six of "An act to amend an act to aid in the construction of the Cairo and Fulton Railroad, approved January 16th, 1855, ,o approved 26th Noven- Der, 1856, be erepealed and that the Cairo and Fulton Railroad Company, alld the Company of the Little Rock and Fort Smith. branch of the Cairo and Fulton Railroad, be entirely re- leased from that part of their respective bonds to the State, by which they were required to comply with that section of the act of 26th November, 1856.
 It is recommended that an act be passed, fixing the time in which the second division of the Memphis and Little Rock Railroad, between St. Francis river and White river; shall be completed at the first day of Decem- Der, 1862, provided the Company will com plete the division from Dcvai3s Bluff to Little Rock, by the first day of January, 1881.
 For Information relative o>the four roads mentioned, you are respectfully referred to the communications to the Goverror from the presidents of the companies. It is the earnest desire of the executive, that these railroads should be speedily constructed; and if the recommendations which he makes to encour- age them, be adopted it is confidently believed, that all of them will be finished in few years. They should all receive the encouragement of the State, in everything compatible with the public interests This whole subject is sub nitted to the wisdom of your councils, with full confidence that you will act for the ad- ya-eement and honor of the State.
 There is one subject of some difficulty to which your attention is invited; that is how best to insure the emigration of all the free persons of color from this State and to pre- vent the subsequent residence of any of them in it.
 In enacting a law on this subject, as police regulation, a sufficient sun of money should be appropriated out of the Stae treasury, to defray the expenses of the indigent and help less to the places. of their destination, and to provide some means of subsistence for them, for short time after they reach their new homes. As some of them might choose to en- slave themselves to obtain comfortable homes, and remain in the State as Slaves, it isrecom- mended thata a law be enacted to authorize them to do SO; and that owners ofasla9es be prohibited from emaneipating them, so as to take effect whilst the subjects of emancipation remain in this State.
 There are doubtless many free persons of color residing in this State iii contravention of the existing laws on the subject.
 If nothing more is done, the existing laws should be properly administered and enforced, and if legislation be needed to require oiicets to rerform neglected duties on this subject, it would be well to provide for such cases by law. |f1 e4. ~l,-t
 By provision of theconstitqtion, the duty of aITanging the senatorial districts, and ab- portioning the representatives in the several counties devolves upon the General Assem- bly,, at the present session. To the abstract of the census of this State, showing the popula- tion of tho several counties on the firsiIday of
 January, 1858, as enumerated by the sheliGs the executive invites your attention. From
 Arkansas county there is no census return.
 The aggregate population of the other fifty three counties, on the first day of January 1858, as stated, was 325 ,429 souls of which
 l3l,19 were free white males 113I13 free
 white females 1885 slaves, and 734 free per. sons of color. This abstract also shows that
 the lands cultivated in the wear 1857 Were 3l7 !.
 6S9 acres in cotton, sand the production s1T2 .- 692 bales of cotton; 9lO,S54 acres in grain, ant the production 16,S90,952 bushels of corn. l1.139 ,096 bush0ls of wheat md . r95 72G