Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1902-04-12
The Old Capitol and Some Of Its Memories


father-to tell them something of the
history that centered in "Auld Lang
Syne" around the old Capitol. The
following is a copy of his address, de-
livered on July in the college chapel.
In Difference to the oft-repeated re-
quest for its publication, and because
we think it only right that we should
follow his example and share his best
gifts with the people of the State he
loved so we'll and served SO loyalty,
we give it to these columns, through
which he spoke, with such great pleas
rue to his readers and his friends dur
ing recent years. X. M. +.
Prior to the Constitutional Conven-
ton of 1917 the town OF Washington,
in. Adams county, was the seat OF ter
lritorial government. That convention
provided that the Legislature should
hold it's next session-OCtober II, 1917
in Natchez, and thereafter as might
be determined.
At the fourth session, in Natchez
an act was passed changing the seat
of government to Columbia, Marion
county. Natchez, Liberty and COlum-
bla were voted for. Columbia carried
by a vote of II to 10,
The sessions at Columbia were: No
vember, 1921; February, 1922; June,
1922. At the February session a bill
was introduced changing the seat OF
government to Monticello for the next
ensuing June session. 1t passed the
lower house by majority OF one.
The Senate would doubtless have
passed it, but the rule requiring all
bills to be read on three several days
could not be dispensed with; besides,
the Legislature had agreed to adjourn
before the third day could be reached
In February, 1921, commission was
created consisting of Thomas Hlnds
James Patton and William baltimore
"to locate two sections of land in the
country lately ceded to the United
States by the Choctaw Indians, as soon
as the same may be surveyed, for the
purpose of a seat Of government OF
this State, the same to be Wlthll
twenty miles of the true center OF the
State, embracing the whole extent Of
the State as well as that part Whlcf
is now in the jurisdiction of the STATE
as chat part now occupied by lndiaI
tribes" etc.
The commissioners reported in NO
vember, 1921, to the Legislature thel
in Columbia, recommending that tn
Capitol be located at Let'leur's Bluff
Oh Pearl river, and the report wa
adopted. LeFleurs Bluff was thirty
five miles in excess of the twenty-mll
limit, but with this exception it me
all other conditions. Subsequently
, strip was added to the northern bound
airy of the State, making kosciusk
very nearly the geographical center
The act creating the commission ha
been so amended that when the sele(
i ton was made the place should b
e named Jackson, in honor Of Maj-GeI
, Andrew Jackson. And 1t may be al
!, propriate here to note that Hind
= county, created February II, 1921, wa
named in honor of the chairman OF tn
CapltoI commission, uvh' Fi.V'''''
z, Kinds, He commanded the JeiIerso
+ troop at the battle of New orleans
s. and Gen. Jackson, in speaking OF
~ brilliant dash made by this comman
upon an intrenched position OF tn
enemy, said. The Jefferson trool
T. commanded by Col. Thomas Hind
L was the terror of one army and II
a admiration Of the other
d The General Assembly that met
Columbia in June, 1922, adjourned
meet in the town of Jackson on u
=. cember %, 1922. A temporary sta
!. House had been erected on capt
? street (where the Harding buildir
10 now stands. 1t was a two-story brio
d, 4Ox3O, and cost $4,000. Thirte(
7. counties sent twenty-one represent
lie tiyes and there were seven senatorl
I'd districts. ..
,d ,As an inducement to settlement
Jackson. the first ten settlers were
have pre-emption rights to ten lo'
ol provided a neat log or frame nous
re not less than thirty feet in lengt
ed was erected ON each lot. The lots we
m promptly pre-empted and improved.
To Gov. Walter Deake thus congral
bo lated the members Of the Legislatu
on their new environments;
Before | close this communicate
VI hermit me to congratulate you on yo
III first meeting at the place determln
on as the permanent seat OF goVel
ment. where for the first time yo
= deliberations may be conducted in
house the property of the State. a
MI erected exclusively for the purpose
legislation; and also on the prosp'
of comfortable accommodations at
place where so little could reasonal
l.. have been expected. / am fully p
III suaded that If your accommodate
'el will not be equal to the wishes OF th'
I'M who provide them, they viii at lei
di- exceed the expectations Of those "
on nartake of them. When we retl
rg- that this town was, but a short ii
ic. since. entirely in the woods, in
80 midst of a wilderness, the form
'"N abode of untutored savages, who DIR
scanty support from the beasts
ma the forest and not by agricultural
nd, suits: that but little more than
months have passed since the town
er- Jackson was laid off; that but Few
the sons have as yet been authorized
d., . occupy lots therein; the great dista
n lies from whence all necessary
- niles are to be transported-throug
country, too, where no persons res
10 to keep the roads in repair; and ab
'er- all when we view the number, din
sions and style of the buildings ere(
in the town of Jackson, we cannot
ked admire the enterprise, Industry
perseverance of its citizens; and
The same time feel disposed to ext
70 them every reasonable indulge
ere which their situation may seem
of merit,
~ The Constitution was framed In
"nn m little State House around the
w. ner" 9,
,%e- THO first church erected in JACK
in. the Methodist-was completed
Rim 1898, until which time the iirst )
lble House was used by the preachers
ma came along-C. X. Marshall Johr
nlke Jones Ford, and others.
49, On February &c, 1888, the first ap
o1 priation-S95,0 ,000--was made for
'he erection of new State House. "
the final report was made, in Janu
} TO 1s40. about 100000 had been exp
ed. Gov. McNutt expressed the OPT
that "the expenditures had been
:. usually extravagant.' t.
"A The present Capitol was first
,ded pied by the Legislature in Jan,
,,,,a 1899.
'huo s, Although cannot speak from