truly as they shall come to your knowledge, to the best of your understanding.' The good name and fame of the State of Alabama are inseparably connected with the fidelity of her people to the laws. No man, whoever he be, whatever his pretensions, is honest or patriotic, who, in the remotest degree, by look, word, or deed, aids, countenances, or encourages the ill-behavior which is declared against. It is a high crime, at this delicate juncture in our political circumstances, to bring about a necessity for applying to these communities the stringent correctives contained in the act of May, 1870, and in other recent legislation of Congress. The true, the peaceable, the only constitutional means of getting rid of an obnoxious law is to procure its legislative repeal. This, under a republican form of government, is sure to occur whenever the majority of the people are persuaded that it should be repealed. Until that time, the minority must content itself with the use of moral suasion, and instructing the public mind, with the view of producing the desired change in the public sentiment."

There appears no record of any indictments for these alleged violations of the act of Congress. A sub-committee of the congressional "Ku-klux committee" visited the State, and spent some time, during the summer and fall, in making investigations. A large number of witnesses were examined, and gave very conflicting testimony. Many persons, represented to be gentleman of high character and undoubted veracity, testified that the condition of the State was in general very peaceable, and the citizens were inclined to obey the laws. Colonel Lowe, formerly a Confederate officer, on being asked about the Ku-klux Klan and the Loyal League, said the former was the offset of the latter. He never was a member of either, but thought one the cause, and the other the effect. The League arrayed bad whites and negroes against the best elements of society. The country was disturbed, and civil law feebly executed; and the Ku-klux proposed to repress crime and preserve law and order in the interest of society. He believed neither organization now existed in North Alabama. The country never was in a quieter or more peaceable condition than since the last election, when the people had regained, in a great degree, the control of their State government.

Captain L. W. Day, who had been an officer in the Federal army, and was at the time a United States Commissioner and clerk of the District Court, bore testimony to the generally peaceable and law-abiding character of the people, and expressed his belief that leading Democrats in the State were opposed to all lawless proceedings. Another gentleman testified that he was a Republican and in favor of law and order, that he had been three times foreman of the grand-jury in Colbert County, and had had the amplest opportunity and the

fullest cooperation of his conjurors in the investigation of crime, that he believed that the general sentiment of the people is opposed to lawlessness, that he was satisfied no Ku-klux organization now existed, and that the occasional outrages were perpetrated by a few men banded together to gratify their private malice or for mere personal objects, and not for political purposes.

Captain Daniel Coleman, Solicitor of Limestone County, was examined particularly with reference to the condition of affairs in his county. He said that there had been a good deal of crime in that county, but that it had not a political aspect; that men had banded together and operated in disguise to gratify their personal malice, to achieve private objects, or for horse-stealing, or other purposes of plunder, but that the balance-sheet showed a decided balance in favor of a conservative, law-abiding, peaceful public sentiment; that the most vigorous efforts had been made by the civil authorities of the county, supported by public sentiment, to bring offenders to justice; that a number of offenders had been arrested and indicted, and would be prosecuted with energy; and a mass meeting of citizens had been held at Athens, and had denounced lawlessness, and pledged its support to the civil authorities.

Evidence of a contrary purport to this was given mainly by negroes, and related to individual cases of violence, having no obvious connection with political affairs. Governor Lindsay and Judge Busteed, while at Washington, declared emphatically that there was no more disorder or opposition to law there than in any one of the New-England States. The people, they said, "were peaceably employed in developing their material interests, and simply desire to be allowed to pursue them without interference. There is no political agitation of any kind. The colored population is contented, and labor has resumed its natural order, with entire harmony between the employers and the employed."

The finances of the State, notwithstanding the trouble growing out of its somewhat extravagant indorsement of railroad bonds, are in a promising condition. The public debt is stated by the Auditor as $8,761,917.37, which indicates an increase of $283,906.62. The Governor, however, declares that it is only $5,442,300, "the University and other funds, what is known as the Patton certificates, and accounts unsettled, or Auditor's warrants unpaid," not constituting, "in any accepted signification of the term, public debt." The receipts of the Treasury during the year amounted to $1,422,494.67, which is $229,359.24 in excess of the estimate of disbursements made at the beginning of the year. The actual disbursements, however, amounted to $1,640,116.99. The discrepancy between the estimates and the actual payments is explained as owing to the protracted session of the Legislature, special

people that the recent amendments to the Constitution of the United States, guaranteeing equal rights to all men, shall be neither repealed nor nullified, and that the whole power of the General Government shall be used, if necessary, to prevent and punish all unlawful proscription and persecution of citizens, whether by individuals, or organizations, for the sake of political opinion or action.

Resolved, That unless this wicked and cruel persecution, still persisted in in some portions of this State on account of political opinion, shall immediately cease, we shall unhesitatingly ask of the President of the United States that he shall promptly exercise the whole power given him by the Constitution and laws for its suppression, and for the swift punishment of the criminals.

Resolved, That the Republican party is the party of equal rights, of obedience to the Constitution and to law, of peace and good-will to all men, and finds its truest platform in the words of the Master-"Do unto others as ye would that others should do unto you."

Resolved, That we pledge ourselves anew to the success of our great principles, and to the work of educating, at the public expense, all classes of the children of our State; of restoring fraternal feeling among all the citizens of our great country.

Resolved, That, condemning the violent and intolerant tone of the regular Democratic party of the South, and, its useless and mischievous warfare against fixed facts, and seeking as we do the ends of justice, peace, education, and prosperity for all, we cordially invite the cooperation of all good men seeking the general welfare.

Resolved, That the people have the right to demand from their chosen officers good and honest government, and that we sternly rebuke and denounce all corruption and unfaithfulness in public officers, and pledge our best efforts to secure the selection for all

offices of men whose well-known character shall afford safe guarantees for honesty and competency. Resolved, That the late elections in this State, in the evidence of Republican unity and growth where the voters were free to act independently, and of general Democratic discord and disintegration, give us the sure promise of complete triumph in the State next year, and enable us to give to our friends through out the country the assurance that the electoral vote of Alabama, though not needed, may be relied upon for the nominees of the Republican party for President and Vice-President in 1872.

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded by the chairman to the President of the United States, and to the Republican papers in this and other States.

The Legislature of 1871-'72 met at the capital on the 20th of November, and remained in session until the 19th of December, when it adjourned to the 10th of January, a resolution having been previously adopted, extending the session beyond the period of thirty days, to which it is regularly limited. Several measures were set on foot to secure an amendment of the Constitution, but none of these were carried through before the recess. One resolution proposed seven amendments to be submitted to a vote of the people. The most important of these affected the right of suffrage, and the maintenance of a system of public education. The former consisted of the following to take the place of sections 3 and 4 of article 7 in the present instrument:

The following persons shall not be entitled to vote, nor to hold office in this State:

1. Those who, during the late war between the States, inflicted, or caused to be inflicted, any cruel

or unusual punishment not justifiable under the laws of civilized warfare, upon any soldier, sailor, or citi

zen.

2. Those who have been convicted of treason, embezzlement of public funds, malfeasance in office, or felonies.

3. Those who are idiots, or insane. And no person shall be eligible to any office in the State, who is disqualified under the fourteenth amendment of the Federal Constitution, until said disabilities are removed.

On the subject of education, a substitute for article 11 was proposed. This places the control of the schools in the hands of a Superintendent of Public Instruction, district superintendents, and township trustees, all to be elected by the people. It proposes to take the school legislation away from the Board of Education, and intrust it to the Legislature, which "shall designate, in advance, such days as they may deem best (during the session of the General Assembly) for the consideration of measures relating to the educational interests of the State; on which days the State Superintendent shall be entitled to a seat in the House, then considering educational measures, and shall have and may exercise all of the rights and privileges of a member of such House, but shall have no vote. The Senate and House of Representatives shall not, upon the same day, consider matters connected with the educational interests of the State."

Funds for education are to be raised in accordance with the following sections:

SECTION 6. The proceeds of all lands that have been or may be granted by the United States to the State for educational purposes; of the swamp-lands; and of all lands, or other property given by individuals, or appropriated by the State for like purposes; and of all estates of deceased persons who have died without leaving a will or heir; and all moneys which may be paid as an equivalent for exemption from military duty, shall be and remain a perpetual fund, which may be increased, but not diminished, and the interest and income of which, together with the rents of all such lands as may remain unsold, and such other means as the General Assembly may provide, shall be inviolably appropriated to educational purposes, and to no other purpose whatever. SEC. 7. In addition to the amount accruing from the above sources, there shall be collected, for edu cational purposes alone, from every male inhabitant of the State, between the ages of twenty-one and sixty years, a poll-tax of one dollar and fifty cents: Provided, That the poll-taxes, collected within a townport of the public schools within the township paying ship, shall be appropriated exclusively to the sup

the same.

SEC. 8. The General Assembly shall have power, when deemed best for the interests of the State, to levy a special tax upon the people of the State, to be devoted exclusively to the support of the public schools: Provided, That authority may be conferred by law upon a county to levy and collect a special tax, for educational purposes, within its limits. cific annual tax upon all railroads, navigation, bankSEC. 9. The General Assembly shall levy a speing and insurance corporations, and upon all insurance, and foreign bank, and exchange agencies, and upon the profits of foreign bank bills issued in this which shall be exclusively devoted to the maintenance State by any corporation, partnership or persons,

of the common schools.

No final vote was taken on these proposi

tions before the adjournment, and the same was the case with a set of resolutions proposing to call a convention to revise and amend the constitution of the State.

A bill to prevent illegal voting, which provides for the trial and punishment of all persons voting more than once at the same election, or perpetrating any other fraud on the ballot-box, was referred to a special joint committee of the two Houses, and had not been reported on at the time of adjournment. A bill to secure the free exercise of the elective franchise by all qualified voters in the State, providing that "it shall be unlawful to be come a member of any secret organization, having for its object the undue influencing of any election held under the laws of this State, and that any person having membership with or participation in the unlawful designs of such secret organization shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, if convicted thereof, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000," was indefinitely postponed in the House, by a vote of 42 to 40.

The subject of the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad was taken up, and measures were pending over the recess looking to a complete investigation of the affairs of the road and the interests of the State therein. Meantime an act was passed, empowering the Governor "to provide for the future payment of the interest due on the bonds" indorsed or issued by the State for the benefit of the road under the conditions mentioned in the act of March 8th, "whenever the same may become due, and a claim upon the State, by reason of the failure of the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad Company to meet the same, or until otherwise provided for by law."

An act was passed to "relieve and regulate the finances of the State." This authorizes the issue of bonds for one million dollars, "or such amount thereof as may be necessary to meet any deficiency in the Treasury," the interest not to exceed eight per cent., payable semi-annually, and the bonds to be payable in twenty years, and renewable at the pleasure of the State. The Governor may place these bonds in the market from time to time, and sell such "an amount thereof as shall be required to meet outstanding warrants on the Treasury-such appropriations as may be made by the General Assembly; the interest on our foreign bonded debt, not incurred on account of any railroad company, and the temporary loan (one due on December 1, 1871, and the other falling due February 1, 1872), heretofore negotiated by the Governor for the purpose of paying interest on bonds of the Alabama & Chattanooga Railroad Company, and bonds loaned by the State to said company. Such bonds to be sold through the fiscal agents of the State." The same act authorizes the issue of the "remaining certificates or receipts by the State" authorized by a law of 1867, the whole amount, however, not to exceed $400,000. The

fiscal agents are required to give bonds "for the faithful performance of their duties, and to account for all moneys and securities of the State which may come into their possession or control."

An act was also passed, providing for the establishment of a normal school for the education of white female teachers, to be located by commissioners named in the act; and another, providing for normal schools for the education of colored male and female teachers at Montgomery, Huntsville, Marion, and Sparta. Other important measures awaited the reassembling of the Legislature in January, 1872. According to official authority, there are 4,982,340 acres of improved land in the State, 8,034,700 of woodland, and 1,456,570 of other unimproved land. The cash value of farms is $67,502,433; of farming implements and machinery, $3,256,101; of all live-stock, $26,077,267; of home manufactures, $1,083,720; of slaughtered animals, $4,556,467; estimated value of all farm products, including betterments and additions to stock, $66,532,810; true valuation of real and personal estate, $201,855,841. The total amount of wages paid to agricultural laborers, during the year, including value of board, was $11,791,191. The number of horses is 78,962; of mules and asses, 75,644; of milch-cows, 165,663; of workingoxen, 57,237; of other cattle, 248,943; of sheep, 234,607; of swine, 701,346. The productions for the year were 1,049,960 bushels of wheat, 18,594 of rye, 16,660,488 of corn, 767,732 of oats, 152,456 of peas and beans, 157,446 of Irish, and 1,806,264 of sweet potatoes; 222,943 pounds of rice, 151,557 of tobacco, 370,773 of wool, 3,178,638 of butter, 21,068 of wax, 307,706 of honey; 10,553 tons of hay, 166,009 gallons of cane and 261,986 of sorghum molasses; and 423,312 bales of cotton.

The number of manufacturing establishments in the State is 2,231; capital, $5,713,607; steam-engines, 291, with 7,640 horse-power; water-wheels, 736, with 11,098 horse-power; employing 7,294 males above 16 years, 665 females above 16, and 390 youth; wages paid during the year, $2,211,638; value of materials used, $7,643,784; of products, $13,220,655. Of the manufactories, the most important are, 613 flour and meal mills, with a capital of $1,191,856; 33 establishments for ginning cotton, capital $14,575; 10 for the manufacture of cotton goods, capital $900,000; 3 of cotton thread and yarn, capital $31,000; 20 for the manufacture and working of iron in various forms, capital $555,100; 143 for the manufacture of leather, capital $207,769; 13 of machinery, capital $393,870; 284 saw-mills, capital $744,005.

The deaths during the year were 10,771, of which 3,373 were from general diseases; 1,180 from affections of the nervous, 2,055 of the respiratory, and 1,399 of the digestive system. The whole number of children attending