The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-04-13
Governors Message.


falls largely short of containing q
sufficient number of inhabitants, ac-
cording to the tenth Genus, to enti
tie it to a representative, and III
other districts great inequalities
exist, l have deemed it proper to
invoke your action upon the subject
before the next election of represen-
tatives, in order that full and equal
justice may be done to the inhabi-
tants of every portion of the state. -
Referring to the 100 act and the
act passed for the purpose OF
raising money to pay the in
terest on the bonds, the governor
said: ''The supreme court of Ten
nessee-three out of the five judges
concurring-has recently decided
that the provision of the act provid-
ing for the compromise and settle
ment of the bonded indebtedness of
the state, making coupons receiva-
BILE for taxes and other dues to the
state, was unconstitutional and
void, and for that reason declared
the injunction, restraining the issu-
ance of new bonds under said act,
perpetual. Therefore the taxes lev
led for the years 1881 and 1882 to
raise a revenue upon the funded
bonds cannot be applied to the pur-
poses for which they are levied.
I.submit that it is unwise, and es-
pecially in view of the short crop of
1881, it is manifestly unjust to the
taxpayers of the state to levy and
collect large amount of taxes which
cannot be applied to the purposes
for which they are levied. 1 am ad-
vised there has been collected on
the taxes of 1881, and now in the
treasury of the state, a large
amount of revenue, which, for the
reason before stated, cannot be APP
propriated to the purposes for which
it was levied and collected. there
fore recommend, as a measure of re-
lief to the people of Tennessee, that
said act, passed and approved
April 7, 1881, entitled, can act to
provide revenues for the State of
Tennessee and the counties thereof"
be so amended that no more taxes
than may be found necessary to
pay the ordinary expenses of the
state government, and such addi-
tional appropriations as may be
deemed proper, shall be collected for
the year 1882.
AS to the act appropriating money
to pay the interest on the state debt
''Now, inasmuch as the money thus
appropriated, for the reasons before
stated, can never be applied to the
specific purpose for which the APP
preparation was made, 1 recommend
that so much of said act as makes
an appropriation of $1,125,O for
said purpose be repealed"
He recommends that the legisla-
ture shall provide some more eff
Gent means for the collection OF
what is known as shack taxes" that
provision be made for the appoint
ment of an assistant librarian.
THE supreme court has recently
decided that a sheriff is entitled to
fee of only fifteen cents for sum
moning a jury, without regard to
the number of jurors summoned,
time spent or labor performed in
summoning the same. Under our
practice it frequently becomes nee
essary for sheriffs to summon sew
eral hundred jurors in a single case.
The performance of this duty often
requires much time and labor, in
order to procure the attendance of
good and competent jurors. In
such cases it is manifestly unjust to
to the officers to require of them
such services and allow them only
the small pittance of fifteen cents
thereon. l therefore recommend
the amendment of existing laws so
as to allow them a reasonable com
pensation for such services"
He also recommends that what is
known as the road act be so amend
ed that highway taxes shall be col
lected by the revenue collectors of
the several counties as other taxes,
to be by them paid over to the sew
eral officers charged with the proper
Of the same"
The governor again urges upon
the assembly the necessity of pro
viding some remedy for the delay of
causes in the supreme court.
Without casting any imputation
or suspicion upon the integrity of
our present efficient treasurer, l de-
sire to call your attention to the i'm
portance of providing for the safe
keeping of the large amount of rev.
enue which is now or may hereafter
be collected. My information is the
now on hand is on deposit
IN a number of banks scattered
about over the country and subject
20 the orders of the treasurer, and
argely exceeds the amount of the
bond which the law requires shall be
given by him for its safe keeping
and disbursement. Simple justice
20 the people requires that every
possible means shall be employed to
prevent the waste or loss of this
'und."
1T is unquestionably true that in
Tarious portions.of our state many
# our llow-citizens, especially |
mong the poorer classes, are desti-
ute of the common necessaries of
ife, and of the means of providing a |
uture support for themselves and |
antilles, in consequence of the pro-
racted drouth of 1881 and the re-
ent overflow of many of our valleys.
'hese unfortunate people appeal to
S for help. have received numer-
us petitions from citizens in vari-
us counties calling upon me for as
istance to relieve the pressing and
wants of those in dis
'ess. To all of which / have been
to reply that L had no
over to appropriate to any pur-
ose whatever one dollar of
ne public revenue, and had no
leans of furnishing the relief asked
II. A decent respect for the opin-
IN of the civilized world, and the
rinciples of humanity demands
lat provision shall be made for the
1eedy relief of these sufferers, and .
that end, 1 would suggest, for
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