Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-12-06
NASHVILLE.

Z NASHVILLE, December b.--both houses
Of the General Assembly convened yes
terday, but for lack of quorum ad-
journed till this morning. The House
organized this morning, with hfty-nne
members present, There was no quorum
in the Senate. Els 4 ra
The Governor says he will have no
thing to communicate TO the Legs
lhtnre. r-s ~
The Supreme Court Of Tennessee com
rnenced its winter term yesterday. The
six judges we're all in attendance. The
Chief Justice announced that upon an
examination of the docket he found l24I
civil causes now for trial. exclusive of
State causes-266 were fled in 1861
The Court proposes to devote three
months labor to the docket and lift is not
broken up by quo carranta proceedings
10 the United States Court at Knoxville,
to which three of them were required TO
answer on the second Monday in Janu-
airy, the Court will be enabled to give
three full months to the work. The
Chief Justice said the Court had con
suited in full as to whether the dispatch
OF business would be promoted by sitting
in two sections, as authorized by the Con-
vention. He said whilst they had grave
doubts whether any more could be ac-
eomplished by sitting in two sections,
they had determined to make an expert
nient for one week Next week Nichol-
son. Deaderick and Sneed will sit at
court in the Supreme Court room, trying
the business Of the 18th Circuit for 1867
and 1868, and Nelson, Turner and Free
man viii sit in the Federal
Cour, room, trying the business of
the 9Th Circuit for 1867 and 1868.
The coaft will sesin fall bench during
the present week, and viii take up the
seventh circuit and hear causes fled in
1867 and 1868, commencing with the law
docket, then the equity docket, and then
the State docket of each county.
The Comptroller's report is ready for
presentation to the Legislature. Ii says
the amount of currency TO be received
under the tax law for $50 will fall short
of defraying the current expenses OF the
State, while the increased tax levied for
1871 will also fall short. The Comp
troIler confines: When State that
owes bonded debt of 1889, 1902,
has revenue law insufficient to meet her
current expenses, to say nothing of pro-
viding sum to pay the semi-annual in
terest, or providing sinking fund, it
may be taken as pretty conclusive evil
dence that our revenue law need modify
ing. Every dollar received for taxes in
1870 win be needed to defray expenses of
your honorable body or salaries of your
judges, would exhaust it, while the Pub
lie Printer will require one-third of it.
There are reasons for it, and call for very
prompt measures. We cannot always
borrow; in fact, ii is now impossible to
borrow at all upon our revenue law
as basis; this has been tried.
Men do not lend unless the borrower
gives reasonable assurance Of his abil-
ity to pay quite early. After the adj
journment of your honorable body last
July, loan by my predecessor in Office
in New York to pay Ward 4 Briggs be-
came due, and having no money and
having been refused the authority to
borrow of the State, | came near
having Der bonds hypothecated at forty
cents on the dollar. They were saved by
great exertion for the time being, but
will yet be lost unless the means are pro-
vided to pay this claim before January,
1871 The Comptroller recommends
that necessary legislation be taken to
divorce the State from all connection
whatever with. railroads, turnpikes, etc