The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-06-13


will be the most effectual means of Re.
moving erroneous impressions already
made and the most transferable areu
ment that 10 be used in drawing imnli-
giants and capitalists TO u.s.
An annual appropriation should he
made by the Legislature, sufficiently
! large to pay our Commissioner Of imml-
/ grafton fair and reasonable salary, and
/ lie should be kept constantly at work by
+ the State in the interest of immigration
+ lie now gets salary of one hundred dol
lars, and the Office is merely nominal.
An annual appropriation should also be
made to enable the Commissioner 10 have
printed and circulated, beyond the limits
OF the State, such documents a would
inform non residents of the character of
our soil and climate, and of the great adj
vantages offered by our State to immi-
grants and capitalists A small appro-
prlatlOn would answer both purposes,
and would be money proftably spent.
The State has now a title to about six
| millions Of acres of land within its Dor
ders, land which has been forfeited to the
State tor the non-payment Of taxes. This
vast amounC of land is withdrawn from
the list Of tax paying property, and the
State derives no revenue from it. How
to get it back on the tax paying list, and
make it yield a revenue in Il hands Of
thrifty tenants, is a question Of vast i'm
pcrtance. BY so doing We add one-siXth
to the tax paying lands of the State, and
add greatly to the tax paying personal
property, as every tenant occupying these
lands would have some personal property
to be added to the tax list. The State
should dispose of this vast landed Interest
by sale, entry, or on some other plan, on
terms so easy as to enable every homeless.
citizen Of the State to get him a home,
and in so doing, the original owner Of the
lands forfeited for taxes should have the
preferred right to buy, enter or appropri
ate the land to his own use for given
period Of time, on the terms which may
be prescribed by the State, and upon his
failure to buy, enter or appropriate the
land within the time prescribed, then
any other citizen Of the Stale should have
right to take it for actual settlement
only, and not for speculation, for given
period Of time on the same terms SO pre-
scribed by the State. And should the
land not be taken by the original owner
T by any other citizen within the period
prescribed, then any immigrant who
would come into the State aud comply
with the terms prescribed by the State
for the sale or entry of such land, and
settle permanently upon it, thereby be
becoming Il permanent citizen Of the
State, should have the right to do so. La
disposing of this large landed property on
the plan above suggested, or some other
of like character, the poor and INDECENT
citizens of our own State would be ena-
bled to get homes, and much might be
accomplished in aid of immigration into
the State.
The building of new lines of railroad
would draw both capital and immigrants
into the State. The State government
now has it within its power to aid greatly
in such works of internal improvement
with but little, if any, tax on the State
Treasury The number of convicts in
our Penitentiary is now large, and add
tons are made to it almost daily. This
institution was for years heavy tax on
our people, but the last Legislature made
it not only self-sustaining, but the source
of a small income. These convicts
should be employed on public works,
in building new lines of railroad, in
building and repairing levees, in clean
ing out and improving cur navigable
| streams and such other works as are
of public interest. They could be en-
ploved on such works, without any, or
with but little costs to the State. There
are several new lines of railroad in the
State, on which work has been com
menced, but suspended for the want of
means to prosecute it, that would, | am
assured, take the convicts, feed and
clothe them and relieve the State from all
expense, for their labor. This policy
should be adopted, because it would de
velop our resources, add greatly to the
taxable property of the State, invite inn
migration and capital into it, and great
| ly benefit our citizens. We want a rail
road starting from Mississippi City, or
the most eligible point on our Southern
coast. wherever that may be, and RUM
/ ing North through the center of the State
about equally distant from the Mobile
and Ohio on the east, and the Mississip-
! ri Central on the west, 10 our northern
border, and there connecting with some
| line running North. With such line
completed, we would soon have city on
our own coast, within our own borders,
at the Southern terminus of this road.
We would then cease to pay tribute to
New Orleans and Mobile. Exports and
imports that now seek other channels,
would be turned through this city. This
road, too, would upen up to every part
of the State, because it would be connec
ted by lateral branches with all other
main lines of railroad in the State, the
] ~ ha
part of our State, in which there is much
undeyeloped wealth. Its completion
would not only add greatly to the taxa
BILE property of the State, but it would
confer lasting benefits upon our whole
population, and make our State more
attractive to the immigrant and capt.
talist.
| should also favor the establishment
at an early day in Mississippi of an agri-
cultural and mechanical college A fund
has been set apart and donated by the
general government to our planters and
mechanics fer that purpose. The State
is made the trustee to receive the fund
and execute the trust, and it has no dis
cretion in the IN itter. The act of Con
gress provides that the fund shall he ex-
pended in no other way, than in the es-
Enlistment and endowment of an agri-
cultural and mecanical college, The State
cannot divert this fund from its legitimate
object expressed in the act Of congress
without violating the terms of the trust
1t cannot refuse to execute the trust with
out violating its terms. 1t might have
declined to act as trustee IN the case, and
refused to receive the fund, and in that
way have avoided all responsibility, but
it did not adopt that course. And now