The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1876-10-19
History Of Mississippi.

History Of Mississippi.
The following is an extract from the
Centennial Address delivered 1t Phila-
delphia on the 10th of July, by Gen,
"A. M. West: ~
Mississippi Territory was three times
owned by individuals. In 1880 it was
granted by Charles I. of Great Britain
to Sir Robert Health. In 1887 Health
transferred his grant to Lord Maltrav-
ers, and subsequently it became the
property of DIR. Daniel Coke, of the
province of New jersey; and in 1889,
the same year that the French estab-
lished themselves at Biloxi, under Ibe-
vile, his title was recognized rs valid
by the Attorney of King William. And.
lastly, it was the property of the State
Of Georgia, and, as before stated. was
ceded by that State to the United
States in 1902. As previously stated,
''the Mississippi Territorial Govern
ment was organized by an act of Con.
gress of April 7th, 179S; Congress, how
ever, reserved the right to divide it into
two districts, with separate govern
ments. Winthrop Sargent was its first
Governor, and by proclamation dated
April I'd, 1779, divided the Territory
into two counties. The 4th of June
178O, he created An additional county.
The first session of the Legislature OF
the Territory was held at Natchez,
January 22d, 1899. In 1902, two more
counties were created.
A session of the Legislature was held
at tbs town of Washington, November
4th, 1911. There we're. then, nine
counties in the Territory. The sum OF
33l ,S45. as had been collected for taxes,
and OF that $17,911.43 had been dis
bursed. There were then only about
1919 freeholders residing in the Terri>
tory. A second session of the Legisla-
ture met at the town of Washington,
November, 1872. David Holmes was
then Governor In his message he
commended the people of the Ter
ritory for their prompt response to the
United States for troops in her war
with Crest Britain. Other calls were
made by the President of the United
States, and by Major General jackson,
and were responded to with equal alac
rity. There was received into the Ter
ritorial Treasury, for taxes IN 1914,
$26, ,6S4. The taxes were deemed op-
pressive by those who paid them. The
disbursements amounted to S16, sol.
By authority OF the United States, a
Convention from the western part of
Mississippi Territory met at Washing
ton, July, 1917. There were then four
teen counties, and they were represent
eddy fortv-seven members. A State
Constitution was adopted and the State
-~----l Ah:~a;aa;,,,ai Tha frot .ooisla>
ture under this Constitution met at
Washington, and on the 9th of October,
1917. elected Walter Leake and Thos.
II. Williams United States Senators.
There was rece ived in the Treasury in
1S49. $45. .S36: and there WAS disbursed
S37, sos. There was in the Treasury
when the State Government was inau>
gurated, Ss,2ro. January 1st, 1918,
VIM. B. Shields, John Taylor, j. P.
Hampton and Powhattan Ellis were
elected Judges. and Lyman Harding
the first Attorney General under the
State Constitution. In January. 1920,
the Legislature met at Columbia; there
were nineteen counties.
The whole vote of the State now
amounted to 6,917. The first code of
laws was revised and consolidated by
Geo. Poinde1ter in 1924 Thos. Kinds,
James Patton and Wm. baltimore were
appointed commissioners to locate two
sections of land donated to the State by
the United States, for seat of gov
ernment for the State. The location
was made; the place named Jackson, IN
honor of Gen. Andrew Jackson, and, in
1882, the Legislature met there. Gov.
Leake, in his message to the Legisla-
ture, congratulated the country upon
the number, dimensions and style OF
the buildings erected in the town OF
Jackson, which six months before was
entirely in the woods, in the midst of a
wilderness, the former abode of untu.
tored savages" The vote of the State
in 1925 was over 5000.