Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-12

State and county treasures. From De
cember l9, 1873, to August l, 1874 eleh'
months and q half, the State paid 70
~iailers for board of prisoners So0,S4o ~,
This is the average under the law OF
1866. Under the present statute the
State paid for the same service, from
December 10, 1915, to August l, 1876
$2O428 SO. The saving to the county
treasures is in the same proportion.
The cost Of land sales for taxes for the
two wears ending the 18th OF December
1874, was $55, l40 Al. 0fthis sum ST.
$40 Is was for printers fees. The act
of March, 1875, repeals the statue allow
ing the printing of sales OF land Tor
taxes after August, 1876, and to that ex
tent the treasury is relieved.
The pay of jurors was increased by
the acts of 1866 and 1861. By the act
| of March, 1875, il was reduced to 81 on
per day, and the pay of Justices in at
tendance upon the Quarterly Courts was,
by the same act, reduced to 81 90, and
the Court reduced to oue-halt OF tue
Justices, saving to the tax payers OF the
State the sum OF $50. 900 per annum.
The act abolisbing the Quorum Courts
of the State and charging the chsirmen
of the County Courts with the perform
ance of its duties, savesto the tax payers
the sum Of $I3, 1872 per annum.
The annual appropriation of S25OO a
year to the State Library was reduced to
$500. The office OF Superintendent OF
Weights and Measures was abolished
and wherever the Treasury could be re-
lieyed it was done, aud On earnest given
to the people that the Democratic party
is a party Of economy aud reform
Judicial expenses for the past two
years, including judges, amount to about
5000, 900. The Democratic party has
been criticised for this expenditure, and
especially for increasing the number Of
the Judges Of TIE Supreme Court. On
this point | invite your attention for q
moment. At the time Of the increase Of
this court from three to six judges, 1t was
an absolute necessity recognized by
every we'll informed man in the State
The dockets we're crowded as they haC
never been before, and it was q phys'es
impossibility for any three judges e
dispatch the business of that court. The
three Judges of the Supreme Court ap
pointed and elected while the State wa
under Republican control, in FIVE years
disposed of 1888 causes. The presen
court, composed of six judges, has II
six years disposed of 90l6 causes, o.
nearly three times the amount of bust
ness Of the court Of three judges.
The difference in the legislative ex
penses for the past two years and tina
Of any period in ten years is a yer,
marked one. In 1866 the State pal,
Sl55l9I; in 1867 it was $l44,885; tn
next year, 1868, it was Sl9O,433i 10
1869 SIG, 1874; for the year 1870, $72 2Og
From October, 1870, to October, 1871
the State paid SAG. 043; that was for ez
penses Of one Of three sessions in tw
wears of the Legislature in which Mr.
Thomas served as q Senator, againi
$48 1874 for thetwo years of the presen
administration. The expenses OF th
? State government are less thar the
have been in ten years, and have bee
/, steadily decreasing since the Democrat
party was placed in control of it.
The last Legislature passed an"act o
the llth of March, 1875, to enable alier
i, to ACQUIRE. hold and dispose Of propert.
real and personal Since its passage
, company from England, with who's
operations / am familiar, has purchase
lin the county Of Marion over 10000
acres Of land, for which and for the II
movements made, the company had e
(: pended in cash up TO the last Of Jul
1892, l46. 1t has in its employ 300 me
and is paying oat an average OF 5000
. a month The passage Of this bill alon
I backed by the Agricultural Bureau, b
y attracted more capital from abroad th'
T all the legislation for twenty years pa
The creation OF the Bureau has be-
productive OF great results to the Stat
u Through the influence Of the public
tons of its able Superintendent, with
d. two years past, more than n million
! dollars hsve been invested in the mineI
i lands Of the State By parties who p
, pose to settle their acres with an int.
gent population from the old States
e America and Europe.
+ He gives his reasons for not
n leasing the penitentiary. 1t seem
d 10 him that the offer was not sui
II cient, and he believed hal the pr
IS emit lessees had made a net profit
1t four hundred thousand dollars irC
TO their lease. This is a matter viii
A. the law leaves to his discretir
is as in the coupon matter, and
s. promptly decided to pass it over
:. the next Legislature, Further
at he says:
I'll Recent legislation has lightened
ey burthens of the people, and much N
10 can be accomplished in this direction
recommended TO the last Legislature
id passage Of a tax limiting the incom
,s all officials 10 a certain amount, and
viding that all fees in excess Of the
sY seribed limit shall be paid into the pu
af- Treasury" Such a law would brin
large revenue to the State, and if it
isV comes necessary to enlarge it, let
cts knife be applied all along the off
line, from the FIRST officer Of the Stat
the h~umbleSt, and let practical proc
us. given to the country that the Democr
in party means reform and %retrenchmer
From this the Governor pas
to a discussion Of his oppone
by particularly Mr.. Thomas. His n
rts' point was to show hal in 1870
the Thomas voted for high taxes,
tor he quoted extensively from
journal of the Senate TO prove
new The foregoing gives a general