Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-11-25

! County Courts of each count
!, of the State, the power to lev
; a tax, to be expended in their res
pectiYe counties for Common SchOo
purposes, as provided for under the Code
and which system, in my opinion, viii b
cheapert, more efficient, and, therefore
practically more beneficial than tn,
present one. hope that it win prove Il
be so. 1t is due for me to say, however,
Mr.. Speaker, that the report of the State
Superintendent contains an amount OF
information on the subject of our schools
which l find to be of great value, and,
therefore, the more deeply do regret the
absolute necessity calling for its repeal.
The manner in which the costs of
terminal prosecutions" have been in
erased has been 50 startling as to draw from
the Comptroller of the Treasury an earnest
Renaissance as well as an appeal to this
General Assembly for relief This we
propose to give, and the Senate now has
on its table bill providing that this drain
on the State Treasury shall cease, and re-
curing of each county the payment of
the costs of freeing their respective com
munities from the criminals who infest
them. This Is the most equitable adjust
ment of the matter that we can now
adopt, in my opinion, because, an exam
nation of the report of the Comptroller
of the Treasury will show that of this
item of S135, 265 90 more than One-ffth
has been paid to these counties alone
Davidson, Shelby and Knox-and we can
see no good reason why the other counties
in the State shall be required to pay for
them this heavy liability. / might well
argue that neither the StaIe nor the county
should be required to pay the costs so ac-
| crling, and that if the amount could not
be made out of the defendant, they should
remain unpaid, on the principle that each
| citizen of the State, either as Clerk, Sheriff,
| Juror or witness ought to be required to
do and perform such duties for the State
in criminal prosecutions, in consideration
of the security which the State affords
them liz the protection of their lives, lib
critics and property. Such is the English
law, yet we'are not prepared for so radi-
cal change, and therefore the remedy
proposed in the bill referred to.
These measures, if adopted, will re-
lieve the treasury Of the State of the sum
of not less than $500, 600 90 annually, as
shown by the report of the Comptroller,
and will greatly promote the object
sought in the series of measures intro
duced, and having for their aim the pay
ment of the State debt, the preservation
of the State credit and the final relief of the
people.
But the railroads failing to pay their in
h. .O1I arfia r1larlry fhpCa
that are unable TO pay. The partnership
between the State and the railroads should
be at once dissolved, This is recon-
mended by his Excellency Gov. Senter, in
his message, and | commend the highly
practical views presented by him to the
Senate. The example of the States of Penn
sylyania and Missouri, to which he refers,
are before US, and it would be well for US
to profit by the lessons of wisdom af-
fOrded US. The Comptroller of the Treas
ury makes the same recommendation.
Remember that the interest on the debt
created for railroads, in round numbers,
amounts to 81, 200, 900. OF this sum we
receive from solvent railroads about the sum
of $500, 900, leaving to be provided for out |
of the State treasury the sum of 81 400, 900. |
Now this should be stOppedat once. If Ell |
ther of the defaulting roads could be leased |
to solvent companies for a term of |
years, upon the sole condition that the |
companies would operate the roads and |
promptly pay the interest on the bonds !
issued for their construction, it would |
be well if this could be done Such, | !
am informed, is the lease of the Memphis
and Ohio Road, to the Nashville and
ment cannot be made, then, by law, a
board Of commissioners should be APP
pointed, with full power to sell the ''inter-
est of the State" mall Of the defaulting rail
roads, and with authority 10 transfer to the
purchaser the full benefit of all the statu
tory liens enacted in favor of the State.
| have prepared a bill for the purpose
specified, and it is now before the Senate.
The advantages of the plan suggested, in
my mind, over ali the other propositions,
are obvious. 1t is the speediest, cheap
est and most certain mode of effeCting
the object desired. We at once part with
our interest; we vest a good title in the
purchaser. There is no cost or expense |
attached to it. There is no delay grow
ing out of proceedings in the Chance
~ Court, and the power, in
my opinion, is clearly vested in the
General Assembly by section Lib of the
code, and act passed Dec Z, 1867.
| need not enumerate the roads. This
matter more specially belongs to the Com
mite on internal Improvements, and !
only now mention the subject merely he
cause it is a part of the system that l de-
sire to have inaugurated, looking to the
relief of the treasury of the State, the
payment of the debts Of the State and the
early relief of the people from system
of taxation which is eating into the
very yitals of the labor and industry of the
State, and which ] insist must be borne
vet little while for the public good.
Remember that the resources of the
States of Tennessee are enormous. Our
taxable property amounts in round num-
bers to the sum Of 1925, 900, 900. At one
dollar on the hundred dollars we would re-
alize 81, $50, 900; add to this, income
from privileges and polls, say $500, 900,
and you have annually 5000, 900 to pay
the interest of your debt, the expenses Of
your State government, and redeem the
issues of the Bank of Tennessee and
then, if to this you add the amount which
solvent roads pay say $4,000 and
NAV reach 5000, 000-the Senate can readi
" see how the measures proposed vii
certainly accomplish the object desired.
Then if you can sell the railroads or
lease them in such a way as to pay the
annual interest, or even sell them at
loss of 10000, 900, it is obvious that
we can bring the State through the storm,
although necessarily dismantled because of
the unskilfull pilots who have had the
old ship in charge.
1t is at once seen that the S37, $50, O27
of Indebtedness, is not an original indebt-
edness of the State; but as endorsed for
the railroads or as their creditor and for
for their benefit. These roads are
valuable. They extend throughout the
State. In length they exceed 200 miles.
1t is true, some of them are at present of
| little value; but all, or most of them,
| may become more valuable if properly
managed: and hence, in addition to the
| other resources of the State, the actual
value of these railroads should be taken
| into the estimate as part of the resources
| of the State, and when thus considered, it
| does seem 10 HE THAT We udfC 10 CAUSE
for alarm after the present difficulties are
surmounted. Why should we not sur
| mount theml
feel, Mr.. Speaker, that it can be done.
believe it to be our duty to do it, and
believing so, have taken the response
bihty of proposing an increase of our
taxes for the next two years. If | could
see any other mode by which we could
reach the result desired, ] would most
gladly adopt it. l snxiously desire to
hear from Senators on the subject | am
welded to no plan, no one measure or
series of measures. My great object
il TO save the credit Of the
State. to avoid the folly of funding
Tho debt. 10 provide means fer the pay