The Osceola times., 1885-01-24

OF Governor Berry's last message to the
Twen;y-fifth General Assembly OF the
State Of Arkansas, read before the Senate
aud House of Representatives in joint ses.
sion:
STATE or ARKANSAS,
ENECUrIyE OFFICE,
IIrTLk Rock. January :, lsso.
To n, Msmbers Of tse Senate and H0s.e Of hss-
rsseH.sf.res Of fAs Ccasrsi Ass,Hsbty Of 'as
STATE Of irlGEsas.
You are assembled as a CO ordinate branch
OF the state Government to enact such laws
welfare and to aid In the administration OF
public Afairs
| can but congratulate you that the two
years just past have been years OF general
prosperity TO the people of the state of
Arkansas. No disturbances OF serious char,
acter have taken place. as rule, peace ana
good order have prevailed, at no time have
! been coinpcllci to call upon the militia TO
uid In the enforcement Of the laws
while the crops Ia some sections of the
State have not 5eea so boantiiui as We could
have wished, the yield. altogether, ha, been
fair, and We have experienced no unusnal
suffeIings or destituton Ion come directly
from the people, as their chosen agents anu
representatives, fully advised OF their needs
and wishes, TO devise ways and means That
Will best secure aad promote their happiness
and prosperity.
constitution, | cheeriully undertake to furn-
ish you whatever aid | can Ia the discharge
Oh this important duty.
STATE DEPARTMENT.
The report OF the secretary OF state, ike
the report issued from that office two years
ago, contains n full and complete history OF
tne workings of the oftce, showing the
amount OF fees paid into the state Treasury.
Rnd tue expenses OF the ofnce-the receipts
being largely in excess OF the expenditures.
The action of the secretary OF state IN
keeping aud adjusting the accounts between
the state and lessees OF the fenueItlaty,
willie not especially required OF MN ~ tne
Law, met 10y approval aud that OF the BoArd
OF PeniteniIs-y Commissioners, and much
praise Is due him for the very efhcient
manner in which this rather difisult and
troublesome duty was performed. Ihs sec.
retary's action In the removal Of the body OF
the Hon. William NJ. Davidson, a. set form in
his rcpor,, was taken after consultation with
myself and other state oincIals, and \" Is ap-
Tne reference by the Secretary to ths ex.
emptions OF certain railroad property irom
the attention and consideration of the Zen
.ral Assembly. section OF article 10 OF the
Constitution OF the states provides "that
all property subject to taxation shal
be faxed according to its value. tnas
value to be ascertained in such
manner as the General Assembly shall di'
rect, making the same equal and UNIFORM
property from which u tax may be collected
snail toe taxed higher than another species
of properly OF equal value. There are GER.
tain exceptions TO the above prov isons, Dnt
railroad property is not one OF them. some
mode or manner should be devised by the
General ASSEMBLY BY which the value OF
railroad properly eau be asceitaiheu IL
should be assessed as all other properly, az
its true value; nothing more NOR nothing
less.
Tine condition OF the supreme Court room
Is such, on account of insufficient ventila'
tion, thnt 1t 10 impossible Tor the Judges 10
labor there during the summer months WIN
Out endanger.ng their health. Various III
urnN.mentH arr recommended
AUDITORS AND TREAsuRLR's REPORTS.
The reports OF the Auditor and Treasurer
cover the two years IRON october !, ~,
to september ~, lisa. Both reports are iuli
elaborate and IL is unnecessary thxt the us,
tails be repeated by me. From them u WIZ
be seen that At the meeting OF the last Zen
eral Assembly, the state Was indebted IN the
sum OF slu0.Uve. money borrowed the prev.
Gus september, tnat in March, loss, si1o,voo
additional was borrowed py the hhahVe
board. Both of these sums, tosether ~itn
the interest thereon have been PAID.
In addition to the payinhnts oi the amounts
above named the Treasurer has, wthin the
last two years, redeemed (amountin5 70
s!5s OOo) Of the six per cent. bonds OF the
State, commonly called the Loughboronsn
bonds There Is no" IN .he n, treasy ~ 40 I'M ~
Inled states currency. No money has oeen
borrowed since March. 1888, ana no state
scrip issued. The state scrip Is prnetealy
gone, tue Loughborough bonus cAeept Is
belonging TO tile permanent schooi iuhu
and siAioen belonging to Washington
County, have been paid on. IL 70 est,
mated by the Auditor that the collection OF
the revenue Tor lssi will place In the stare
Treasury, Ivy the 2Oth OF May, lssS, 10 ihs
credit OF the sinking fund and OF the sener,
Al revenue fund, stDJ,vVv in addition 10 '"e
s,,,n now held by the Treasurer.
This healthy condition OF our finances
brings us, 60 use the language OF the Treas.
urer, "face to face with the question OF the
settlement OF our undisputed debt" This
j.
more than one bali OF which Is interest. NO
Interest has been paid thereon since lsl2.
The people, at the recent election, have,
by an Overwhelming majority, declared that
they do not intend to pay what is known as
she disputed debt of the state, including the
railroad aid. the levee and the Holfori
bonds. Their action in that behalf meets my
hearty approval
The Auditor and Treasurer both fully dem
onstrale by their reports that II 10 possible
to reduce thh taxation, meet all legitimate
expenses OF the state government, ana
make provision for the settlement OF the Old
undisputed Gebt, which has SO long tended
to puralyze pie energies of the people, repel
Immigration, nnd retard the Development oil
the states resources.
Without going into detail or suggesting the
precise modo, | earnestly urge upon the
General Assembly to make n Deginning-to
do something to show that we were fully In
earnest when se SAID that we womb pay AL
that we iegitIt1atc owed, but not dollar
of the fraudulent CLAIMS preferred against
us. | am OF tne opinion, that shoali II be
deemed best ~ issue new bonds, such bonds,
for the iir.t lev years at least, rnould bear Il
very low rate of interest, and that no bond
should be ihsuad when does not reserve 10
the state tne right to pay the principal after
period OF I'VE years.
COMMISSIONERS OF STATE LANDS.
II the recommendations made by tho
present Commissioner, as well as by MS
immediate predecessor, Colonel tnmpbelI,
De carried OUT, there Is but little doubt
that the money arising IRON the sale OF state
lands Will be almost suiiicieni WITHIN hsen
g pay OF our state deOt
AS will be seen from their reports, the do
nation law is constantly used as a means to
practice gross frauds upon the state, num-
erous parties procuring these titles FOR the
sole purpose oi ena Diius them to dispose OF
the ylluaOIe timber growing upon sucn
Lands, anu thea aoandonns tue CLAIM
The law ought TO be repealed, and the piics
OF all state lands Increased to - per acre.
Toe lands originally mortgased TO the
Real Estatv Bank, ana wnich were intended
to secure the state against the loss on ac.
count OF her LIABILITY ior tne bonds issued
by the bank, have been grossly misman.
nscd and In "a great measure wasted But
l,'4e has been reaiized by the state from
tntm, and the law upon this SUBJECT, W
shown by the report OF the Land tomInis-
siouor, Is in great confusion.
! recommend that the committee charged
with this matter investigate II thoroughly,
and that sucn legislation be enacted as VIII
most speedily realize to the state, in casn,
tn. amount Of her claims against these
IaPds.
COMMON SCHOOLS.
The report OF the superintendent of Public
instruction shows steady and most gratiiy-
ing increase IN tine nulnDer OF scnool- houses,
and In the attendance of pupils throughout
the state upon our common schools. Inc
amount of money distributed by the super
ntendent to tue various districts last year
far exceeds the sum distributed In any pre-
yious year. That the General Assembly
should use all possible means, consistent
with other demands ana ooligauons, 10
foster and promote the common schools OF
the state Is not only enjolned by the Consti-
tuition, but is tine earnest visa OF all who
lopk 10 the best interest of our people.