Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1902-01-11
GOVERNORS MESSAGE
Gentlemen of the Senate ami House o;
Representatives:


Representatives.:
AS required by section 122 Of tn,
State Constitution, have the honor Il
present a condensed summary of thu
status Of affairs Of the State govern
ment, and Of the operations of its va
rious departments, and to recommend
for your consideration such genera
measures as | deem necessary and ex
pedient to the progress and welfare OIL
the government, the business interests
of the State and the needs of the peo
pie, so far as such come within legis
lative Jurisdiction.
FINANCE.
The legislature of two years age
seems to have marked the parting oi
the ways" between an old and new
sentiment of governmental liberality
Your honorable body at that session
was liberal above all your predeces
sors, for many years at least, in the
appropriation of funds for the assist
ance and maintenance of tue State in
stitutions and the proper objects fol
State aid.
1t has been gratifying to note also
that the spirit of progress and lib
erality manifested by you has been
heartily approved by the people, who
have come to know of certainty thai
tax money, when judiciously expended
for the comfort, education and general
benefit of the masses, is not extrava
gance, but a safe and becoming invest
ment by the State.
1t is pleasing to report, however
that, Notwithstanding the liberality OF
your said appropriations, and the re
duction by you of one-half mill of the
State tax levy, sufficient funds came
into the treasury from the various
sources of the State to meet all cur.
rent expenditures required, and with
which to pay off also $400, 100000 of
five per cent interest bearing bonds
and to defray all the expenses to date
incurred in the building. Of the new
State-house, without the sale of bonds
provided for by the act authorizing
the erection of new capitol.
direct your attention to the reports
of the Auditor and State Treasurer for
detailed statements of the moneys re-
ceived and disbursed by the State dur.
ing the two preceding years.
In the hope Of furnishing some sug-
gestions for your guidance in making
appropriations of money at the pres.
ent session, take the liberty of sub
mitting for your consideration the fol.
lowing careful estimates of the funds
likely to come into the treasury during
the years 1902 and 1903, to wit:
State tax for 1902 and 1908
at mills ;............ .$2,425,O0O OC
State tax. privileges. 1902 and
1903 under present law . $4,000 OC
Land sales including Chick
asaw school lands ...,... 100000 OO
Fees collected by Secretary of
State and Auditor ....... $4,000 OO
Penitentiary ............ 10000 00
L, $. appropriation A. & NJ.
Colleges, 1902 and 1908 " 10000 OO
and 1908 .........,..... 100000 90
Poll tax collections, 1902 and
1903 49,. ............,.. 100000 90
cash on hand Jan l, 1002... $4,000 90
Making a grand total for
the TWO years ............ S4. 300, 900 90
1t will be borne in mind that these
amounts are estimated, but are be-
lieved to be approximately correct,
and | beg to admonish that should the
appropriations made at this session ex-
ceed the above amount, serious embar-
rassment might result to the State.
PAYMENr OF BONDS.
The legislature at its session in 1896
(Chapter 34), for the purpose of rails
ing revenue to carry on the State gov
ernment for the fiscal years 1896 and
1897, authorized the issuance of $4U0,-
100000 of 5 per cent bonds, payable in
ten years, with the option given the
State to redeem or pay off same in five
years from their issuance, and in per
-suance thereof and in accordance with
the provision of said Act. there were
issued and sold on the first day of
July, 1896, said $4O0, 100000 of bonds.
By section of the Act, the credit of
the State of Mississippi was pledged
to the punctual payment, both of
principal and interest of said bonds,
and at the expiration of five years the
State was given the option to pay off
and retire any or all of them.
On July list, 1901. when the said op-
ton matured, as the agent and repre-
sentative of the State in the premises,
| published proclamation giving no.
tice to all holders of said Mississippi
State Bonds, series "B," numbered
from 1 to 500, to present same on July
1st, A. d. 1901, to the treasurer of the
State of Mississippi at his office in the
Capitol. in the City Of Jackson, Misss-
sippi, for payment in iull, with ac-
crued interest.
Under this CALL have the honor to
r.sk hot -. i, II
1901, 100000 of said bonds were
presented to and cashed by the treas
urer. and that $3,5O0O0 thereof have
been paid off and cancelled since Octo-
ber 1st, aforesaid, including all ac-
crued interest on the bonds thus taken
up.
The law governing the whole subject
matter relative to said bonds is con-
tanned in the said Act of 1896, and be-
ing of opinion that there was no con-
stitutional or statutory inhibition to
prevent the States exercise of the op-
tion through its agents or fiscal CT
fcers, | deemed it wise and to the best
interest of the State to pay them off
and stop the interest of 500. 100000 per
annum. Especially did this course
seem proper in view of the fact that
there was ample idle money in the
treasury to cover said bonds. not 9th
erwise appropriated by the legislature
or needed for present use.
STATE HOUSE PONDS.
Chapter 54 of the Acts of the legis- !
ature of A. D. 1900 authorized the Gov
ernor to have prepared a series of
thirty year. four per cent interest
bonds of the State Of Mississippi to the
amount of $1,00O,0O0OO, TO be sold by
him to the highest bidder for cash. at |
such times and in such amounts as he
might elect. The further additional |
sum of $2,500.00 was appropriated by
said act for engraving the said bonds
md advertising the same for sale. BY
section of the said act S40,000.00 was
with which to pay inter-
,et ou the Stafa-hOuse honds q oforpsaid