Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-04-02

falsely which i DO not believe, then
was deceived and misled.
Repo5ter-It Is claimed, Governor
that you failed 10 Sue the leasees on
JulyI 4, 1856, for the rent Of 1852
ARsWer-Weli, such q claim is stu.
pidly absurd to say the least Of IL. Was
/ to notify the Attorney-GeneFal 60 sue
the lessees OF the Gulf and Ship Island
Railroad? The latter had possession
Of the penitentiary, and claimed to as
sumo ali obligations under the statute
Of 1884, authorizing the transfer to II
by the lessees. The Legislature met
four days after the rent fell due. and !
referred the whole matter to that body,
to deal with as they deemed best.
After more than two months consider
alton they passed a bill with numerous
contingencies, one Of which is. that in
certain event, $4,000 is appropriated
for the support Of the ~penitentiary.
Reporter-Then, Governor. what is
the result of this investigation, and
what, IL anything, vas recommended
by the special or compromise commit
tee?
Answer-It would seem that the
result is, that If the legal opinions
elected during the investigation are
sound, that I collected from the lessees
without authority of law, and paid
into the treasury $58 .12225 ; that the
lessees had a right, as they had done in
previous years, to pay this sum in re-
pairs and improvements. and that they
will refuse to pay any further sum in
cash. The special committee to whom
was referred the majority and minority
reports Of the Senate, recommended
that section z of al act to amend an
act entitled an act defining the duties
Of the Superintendent of the Peniten.
tiary, approved March Is, 1884," be
amended so that all contracts hereafter
to the amount of 500 should be in
writing.
CONTINGENT FUND.
Reporter-Govern, would you mind
answering a question or two about the
contingent fund.
Answer-No sir, what do you wish
to know about it?
Reporter-A year or more ago, and
before your nomination the second
term for Governor, there was a great
deal said and published by those
friendly to other candidates about the
disbursement and management Of the
contingent fund. How much was ap.
propriated for the four years, your
first term, and how much dis bursed,
and have you made a statement of it
to the Legislature and what was the
report, if any, of that body?
Answer-There was appropriated
$4,250.00 per year, or for your years
1882 3-4 and 1885, $l7, 100000.
Discussed in the four years, less
than one-half the appropriation ST.
020.83 per year, OF for four years 49,
0S3.35.
Balnce left in Treasury s ,9l6.65.
Out of the above undrawn sum, a
part Of the expenses Of the railroad
supervision litigation was paid as per
my statement to the Legislature. My
statement was examined by a commit
tee, and through its chairman, Hon.
J.. E. Gwin, of Holmes, made a report,
which l saw for the first time to-day,
and is as follows:
ut thus appears that Governor
Lowry is entitled to an additional cred
it of $4S.25, on the accounts of 1928 4
and 1885. Your committee beg leave
to report that they have carefully ex-
amiDed the vouchers of said account.
and the objects for which the contin.
gent fund has been expended, and find
that all of said accounts have been tx,
pended legally and judiciOusly, and fol
the best interests of the State.
(S,gned) j.. E. GWIN, Chm'n."
LOWRY ISLAND AND MARSH LANDS
Reporter-What about that survey
Governor, and what did the inVestiga'
, tion develope?
+ AnsWeE-The survey was made IN
der an act of the Legislature of 1884
This work was to be done upon the
recommendation Of the Governor, witt
the concurrence of the Attorney Gen
eral and Secretary Of State. l made
the recommendation with the concur
renee of the officers mentioned, anC
the survey was completed, and tn,
diagrams and maps are now on file il
! the proper Office as directed by law.
Reporter Whose duty, under tn,
law, was it to have the survey made.
/ Answtr-TheSwam Land Commits
sioner.
> Touching contracts with surveyors
, In his letters, my statement, che evi
! dence of Mr.. Cameron and the tw,
surveyors, and that Of the Swami
Land Clerk, Mr.. Comfort, all Of whicl
are published in the report of the com
J mittee,
, Reporter-Who approved the &C
? counts rendered, and upon investigs
q ton, were they or not correct.
4 Answer approved the accounts
They proved upon investigation to b
: incorrect-two accounts were rendere,
: containing many items and vouchers
and it seemed that some of the charge
: we're in both accounts. Referring t
Z the accounts, the committee say
i "They feel it but just to say that th
many donhla charges discovered h