Year: 1877

i I L cs. There is nothing in oui treasury. It is impossible to get |it, except by taxation, and men don't like to pay out money un- less they can see it come back, Let us make a small beginning and work up. It IS better to do this than to inauguratc a grand scheme which will fail. The people feel that they are already impoverished. Let us go slow and be sure we are right. If we had plenty of money we could give $20,000, or 3O,000, or 50,000 to this enterprise, but we have ro money. He was the earnest friend of the scheme--we need the hureau-but let us be sure that we establish it Tn accordance with our means.

 Mr. Kimble said when he looked over the assembly he thought he saw an audience composed almost entirely of emigrants-at least ninety per cent. were natives <Of other States. Do we need more immigration? What is Arkansas Is it q desert? A barren waste? It is tue finest fruit country in the known world. It has fine rivers, salubrious climate, free from the extremes of heat or cold--frcc from storms--an agricultural ter ritory .nsurpassed-inines Of m told richness. Everything that grows in temperate zone grows in Arkansas.

 There IS more gypsum in Ar kansas than in any state in the Union; coal the most valuable in the world--none equal to it ex- cept that Of Lehigh, iron in un- told quantities. Now we ask on ly $25,000 to show these resources to the world. Ii the members of the Legislature fail to make an appropriation for this purpose few of them need ever expect to get back. Gen. Thomasson had said a Bureau of Immigration was an experiment.. An experiment! So were railroads; so were steam boats. so was telegraphy. But they were successful experiments He said he knew the wants of Ar kansas. We want people more workers: The men who opposed the Centennial appropriation were now all ashamed of it. What great results will come from that $lo.000 appropriation. We have peace in Arkansas, but we have poverty, Let us try to make plen- ty follow peace, and we can do so if we will use the means. It. will be a shame and a disgrace if we are afraid to tax ourselves tDe paltrv sum of one fourth of a mill to bring about such grand results.

 Gen. Pomerov was at loss to know whether the propositionwas to get the $25. .000 from this Con vention. or rom the Legislature. If it was to come from this body, he was ready Go vote for the meas. ure and pay his proportion. But if we depend on the legislature, he would say that it will be ex- ceedingly difficult to get the amount proposed. Let us ask for what we can get.

 Col. Cravens said he might vote for the appropriation of $25,000 but he did not believe the people would sustain him in it. They were now burdened with an i'm mense debt. The Chairman of the Immigration Committee Tn the House is perfectly certain that we can get no more than $l0,000, if we get that, It is far hetter that we put ourselves in harmony with the Legislature. If we are extravagant they will stampede.

 The question recurrred on the adoption of the substitute to in. scrt $25, 1000 instead of $l0,000. The motion was adopted, ayes Is, nays 10.

 Judge Boles moved to strike ont the section in the proposed bill providing for the removal of the Arkansas building from Phi adelphia, and provide for the sale of the property and the invest ment of the proceeds in a build. ing at Little Rock.

 Mir. Stout thought it would he we'll to see whether the expense of removing the building would not be too great to warrant the outlay.

 After some discussion Mir. Boles withdrew his motion.

 Mir. Roots spoke in favor of an amendment to the law exemptfng manufacturers from taxation. He thought the amount should re- duced to $500 instead of $2,000.

 Mir. Benjamen knew of nothing more calculated to build up Ar kansas than the exemption from taxation of capital invested Tn manufactures. Every State in the Union that has prospered has seen the wisdom of such a policy. and he hoped Arkansas would have the foresight to profit by the wise policy of others.

 The resolution was adopted.