North Carolina Newspapers

KALE1GH, C. WEDNESDAY..;;' .1 ' " JANUARY. 15. 1ST9. EARLY PROGRESS VP TBS WESTERN , bORTll CAROLINA RAILROAD, , "The Western Narlh1 Carolina Rairoa both to the rWgnitude of the undertaking and the results sought to be accomplished through' the development Its completion was' designed to bring about, -was the greatest work of internal improvement iril which'- the State has engaged, apbahj thing pertaining; $o its early history and progress must interest the whole people of North Ctoofinfc:,'X-l - t i ,,' 4 , ' -3The work was !srdered to be complefeff by 'sections, and the divkon'from-6ali, Dury to aiorgantonj waj , first divided into three sections, the first from Balisbury to Statesville. ; twenty-fire miles ; second," Statesville to Hale's store, in Catawba, twenty eight and three-quarter' mfletfy third, Hale's to jlorganton, twenty-twa miles; making thdisUhcelrom.BaSlbury to Moreanton. bv the first survey: aeventv- five miles.' The !lfirst ;'regular;. repr o Chief Engineer i Jamb ; C. Tcrre bears date of August 27, j-1856, and was consid ered the second annual meeting "of stockholders at Statesville, August 28, 1856. .The Engineer's estimate for the. first sec tion , was $537.341.83 ; for i the second $586,802.66, and for the third section $557,683.00, or, total cost of completing the railroad1 from Salisbury to Morganton $1,681,782 50, j being ' for; the completed superstructure,' without equipment n average of $22,423.76 per mile. "The topographical features of the country be tween Salisbury and Morganton, says the report of the Chief Engineer,7 ''exhibit that irregularity' of outline and variety Which usually characterize all countries fot a primitive formation, and there is no part ot the State, not actually in the mountains, piore broken up with high and steep hills, On the 11th of March 1856, the first sec. tion of . twenty-five ; miles was put under contract,' and the engineer reported to the stockholders meeting in August that $65, 000 jffdrth of the trading had been done. The State had made her first subscription of pjrht hnndrftd I thnnsanrl rlollara onH individual stockholders had made up their four hundred thousand, and the work was satisfactorily, progressing at the close of . the first fiscal year, , and an additional twelve miles, extending to the Catawba River had been putj under contract. ' What the hones and aaninationa of that dav were' artA vahat. it xpbq rilpfliomprl trt sivnmnliaVr ' through the constrjuction of the Western North Carohna Rat'road, may be gathered . i iiuui c ai lu iu kuo vyi. t,u. Chief Engineer, i iboye alludecl Ho. He 1 'The North Carolina Railroad is now I completed, and inj direct communication with yout own city f Wilmington. The At lantic and North Carolina Railroad is rapid ly progressing toward completion; tne sate and secure harbor of Beaufort, one of the best on the Atlantic coast, will soonbe as: accessible. by landj as it now is by water. The Western North Carolina .Railroad now, so fairly beccun, needs but your fos tering Care to extend and connect it with the Tennessee. Roads,' thus completing, so . far as your State can, that important link in the chain, which is, at no distant day, to unite the Pacific with the Atlantic. . Tlinn vrill "WrtitH I C!airlina : rt rr rrav n vassal to other States, take that position among her sisters of the Union, to which .nature and her geographical position so justly entitle her. (Then will it be known that there is an interior of ..North Carolina an interior rich and productive in both (mineral and agricultural resources. Then will it be known that for agricultural pur Doses. not only vour vallevs. but vour mountains are rich land productive to their .very summits." h I Xa locating the railroad between States ville and Morganton it was found that by leaving Newton three miles to the South, a saving of some $155,000 could be made, ana it was accordingly ."decided to give Newton a branch, which the Legislature of .1856-57 authorized, and so a branch road three miles long ' was built, and all regular trains passing over the Western North Carolina Railroad have been requir ed to run in and call! at Newton, to the great inconvenience of the road and . the no less annoyance j of travellers.- Our last Legislature ordered the line of the road tabe so changed as ;to ' pas directly f by Newton and . the work of grading' anjl cetting ready fort the superstructure on this .change, of . line has been more than half completed, and the trains will be run before Summer. .1 By - the terms ', of, the amended chai;te'r in 1857, the first section was made to ter minate at Morganton, and the second at a point ten miles east 01 the Western portal of tie Bffanannoa Tunnel, which permit ted more on the road to be put 'under con . tract, and the work more rapidly and vigo rously pressed forward. And accordingly in June bf that year fifteen miles mxe, in addition' to the Newton Branch; were put under contract, making fifty-five miles in all under way the first of June 1857. To the August meeting the Chief Engineer reported that all the masonry betweea Sal isbury and Statesville had been completed, while West of Statesville toward Morgan- ton all the masonry was under contract and progressing satisfactorily. Nineteen of the first; twenti-flve miles from Salis bury ''bad! been" made? ready f or the iron, and the remainder would ' be i in tt short time. Iron had been'purchased for twenty- - fiye miles of road; and the engines Swan nanoa and Catawba had been delivered du ring the summer of 1857, and before the annual meeting in 1 boo it was promised that the whistle of the locomotive should be heard in the valley of the Catawba?5 -' At the fourth 'annual meeting, August 28, 1858,; the cars were running ttwenty jnileswestof Salisbury, v The rail way .was open to the Catawba River, and the work 04 iraCK-iaying was going on . witn an pos ' eible dispatch, binder a TOntractV 0& ChIbjlks I1. IFisbxb for 'putting down the supersjructore iftovct Salisbury to States- yiile.' The efEect produced upon the pea pie of a section of country by the progress , ofra liner of railroad was alluded UK by j the first President, B-:'C. .Pxaesom;- Esq.; and his remarks ;are doless appropriate and expressive of the feelings and senti ments of the people along the extension of pie Western North Carolina Railroad to day. Mr. P arson, in his fourth annual report, said : - ' "X The steam engine, as it penetrates a country upon its iron track, becomes itself the most potent of all arguments for its continued and raoid advance : even the hardest-fisted tax-payer who had shuddered lit the recital of the cost, whilst uhseeD. Releases his hold upon his pocket-book when he beholds its down train laden with hia. product, and je vela upon Xho thought bfthe' rich 'return Which its ub train will make to hs coffers ; and just- as we bring nearer homerto every man on the line this bractical argument, will the. fear .of railroad taxes vanish into thin air, and each recipient of the benefits wbich railways confer be come a willing and active Bj?ent4n pressing bur greawork on torcompietioiECfV;! f t.TteetiEfltfnleVte corps of Engineers were in the field lo eating the line from Morgan ton to the base 1 .v I j . a I ill- of he Blue Ridge, and .that in a few weeks k iJLU liis fw ty&'XlA. uin . uui m MSTEI.II III ft &iin . w m 1 1 I II lt X Carolina IlaUroacr W Old Tort would be ready for the contractors. Some--difficulty and delays having been experiencedwith' th contractor during the year 185?, the whole of the unfinished work to Morganton had- been recontracted with Chables F, ?Ff shkb, and tthe?Presi dent Mcerrtedthat,the energy:displayed by the contractor, Mr. Fishes, gives prom ise that the road will be fully completed to Morganton by the first of January, 186L" The cars werel running, ittf Aognst,1 1859, to the -CawrlyeV.'.thlrty-sem" and ther jpnly, awaited the.rcompletion of the long bridge to' cross ijver and speed along up- the ;;ylley 'olelii&yrb, Fifty-two miles " of " roadway (sa "al ready iroaed,or read for - tnej iron, exclusive o the J:NeonBranc Was ' ascertained that this first fifty-two miles ojhelrdcpmrete Ifady oy the running of (McariVwwild cost one million, two hundredr tl;oAisand'oilar3,mclnding equipmenj- ( I jj fttj , The August meeting of i860 found the cars running tcflcard $tfJ,'&eVpn miles east of Morganton, and so satisfactory was the progress of tfieork7 and so economi- nallv confined within "the estimates, thai Iu-J-Jli:-' " fuUl!;- lX"LiJiZ I kue A .ywuAwuxifw ,m, W wimwjuii road through to Paint Rock with the orig inal appropriation of 'four ' million from the State 'anViwomUlunof individual subscriptions, and accordingly the Chief Engineer was directed to locate the line to the Tennessee connections' " and his re port thereon was made to a called meeting of the stockholders in Salisbury? govern bCT 28, 1880.1. f, f ?Mil i . TfiE XEPQRT 0M THE f$gA6tTRRr The report of the State Treasurer, pub lished elsewhere, will commend itself to the. people ,f .(theState and.the.-publie at large "as a7 plain, pointed? and business- ike document. ! A' people are fortunate whose public! fund is in ' the hands of a gentleman of " the ability, business habits and integrity, of Tfeasuj-erWoETEU, ,' 4 . The statements of ( various funds, re- ceipts and disbursements, show that the; have been properly managed and faith, fully applied, t 'and. Saf While"tBe special tax levies i by: the last liegislature were not adequate to all the appropriations voted, yet by rigid economy, and - the obser vance of law in the administration of the Treasury Department, there has been crea ted no deficit no debt : made by the Treasurer on the hypothesis that the Legis-' lature would make, good disbursements iD excess of its appropriations and . the dis -bursements of , the, Treasury have .not, therefore, gone beyond the actual resources of its vaults. ! The debt statement will arrest public at tention, and the careful classification of the same affords the-1 fullest possible information on the subject of' the State's '. indebtedness. From this state ment , it is seen that the principal and the interest now due on the old or ante-war bonds together amount to $13,378,980.50 and that the principal and Interest on other recognized bonds, Issued during and since the - war,, under authority of acts of the Legislature before the war,; ordinances of nrmvp.nt.ion t fnndinsr arrtfl . etc. between 1865 and the special tax issues and appro- pnauuua ui iouo,: uluuuui. iu pia,i,- 247.35, and that; the : total amount j of the State debt now, exclusive of special tax bonds, is $27,120,227.85, subject, however, to a deduction ot the amount ' bf interest paid by; the Receiver' of the, fNortbJ Caro UnaItallfoad of the annual dividend of six per cent passed into his hands by order of the Circuit" Court bf the" United States in the !tS wazey,l suit,... which, iamount the Treasurer has pot ascertained; 7 but" which may be stated ' at about a miLion dollars. This would leave the : recognized debt, in round numbers at $26,000,000. i- I Against this indebtedness, the available- assets of the State are' slim. Save the three millions f stock in the Norihj Caro Una Railroad, the State appears tot own no productive Btocks, though she holds stocks and bonds of the face value of over' seven millions. i n n Uii , ! 'The Trea8uret. recommends ; an adjust ment of the State'debt, but recognizing the impoverished condition - and railing - re sources' of ' 6urpebple -lie does' not 'sag- gest' llQwthis ' rajoib amph8hed;i,ot hnew,6r,5 should u an adiusfment be- effected. He berely recoinmends thai iternSif' oom promis? be ofjered !!the A Stater rcreditors. f -. . v.v rate otiinierest. as aayeDe consisient witn, l ne , Areasurer cans upon tne juegisiaiure for a -tmiform-system- of -assessment for iaxatibnepajh few words mristrates' the evils and hard ahtpjto. tuany, tax-payei;sfp,.thft, present want of imtformit-' inther system," The irlatter .'wcyofjtb mo8t.fd wo- sideration at the hands of the General As- sembiyi-'" 't,v?-"5 "" 's' 1 A HabP WdnKtai Prsxohxr A Bap- t ist preacher in ' North: Carolina . has" read the Bible., through fifteen times in the last fifteen years, by torch-light. ? Last Tear, besides' raisingiwith his pwahands two bales ' of tcctton; "f tyabarrels of corn and 200 bushels of potatoes; be travelled 2,000 miles, preached 120 sermons and received FROJJ1 WASHINGTON. i Special Correspondence of Th ObskrvkbJ j Washington, D. 0., Jan. 13, 1879. L MxssBSb EDrroEs:r-The House adjourn ed at 12 m. until 3 p. n when the funeral services of ' Hon. Gustave Schleicher will take place as stated in my letter of yester day. The roCTamm 1a rerv. mucn tne same as that Adopted In the case of Mr. narinaife. a. euuimmee 01 rueinuecn nuuu the Senate and House will leave this even ing; with the remains of Mr. Schleicher for Ban Antonio, Texas. The Committee 3IoreiguBelations,".of whicn Jttr. iichieicher was a member," met this morn- ias and passed resolution askmc" Con gress to direct the payment of the salary due Mr. Schleicher for the present Con- "gress, " to the widow. They also request the incoming 46th itJoogress .to order the payment of tne salary to the widow, until Schleicher, 'a,successor is elected, wtucn a -THtfiTOBAOOO TAX AGAIN. , , 't iissioner Baunv weot before the Senate, Committee 4 on last Saturday and (made an argument against the redaction of I the tihnwn x frnm 9i 1r1fi.nta nar from 24 to lb cents per wwwv - - . nound. w & K I do not think J;he .Commissioner of In ternal Revonue has any; right to attempt the control of the legislation of Congress. ITa is rfmnfvlaii executive bHcer ; Gonjhtissioher Raum is iaVinced to this cwrsjf suppose, becauai it appears from hre report to Congress, that the ; falling 5ff of the receipts in the Jnternal' Revenue for the last fiscal year amount to $8,341,020, 8sJ as compared with the preceding fiscal Nnw what. 19 thft ransfi or this ralnnor v rw u ir a off of the retenues of the government ? It is attributable to the? general depression of business resulting fronY Sbermaa's process of getting down to bard pan.". Poverty has enforced economy , and 01 course de Creased consumption.. It is s poor mode of obtaining revenue jo , starve ,'the people into such a state of exhaustion that they are usable, to produce the article upon wnfch Vhe? tax1 is 4 levied. The' financial legislation for the last few years has nearly destroyed all the business of the land, and almost made a nation of paupers. .Then the absurdity of taxing the products of la bor until the production of the article ceases, .and the manufacturer; of the raw article is driven to suspension. The fa cilities to make monev have all been de- stroved, by this, class .legislation," and yet the burdens of taxation are to remain the same P5' These are "gievances too grievous to be borne.' H Tb report of I i CommisMOner Raum I shows that the people of the United States, during the "last fiscal year, paid into the Treaaufv the .vast sum of S104.660.781. 57 for internal revenue alone. Consider that, F in" addition, the American people oav over $100,00,000 fa gold for the sanwtAime, to the grasping government bond-holder, in addition: to: the .many millions- for. high tariffs and, swindling railroad subsidies, and em have! some idea of an over burdened, people who alao have to meet the: domands of btate, corporation and private debts?. .'I'fttfoi M i-: - ,A? i Of this 104,000,000 Iforth Carolina pays $1,818,358.94, Virginia pays $6,501, 476 89.' The sixteen Southern States pay twenty-six and one third millions of dollars, about pne-rourth or the whole. , me ag gregate of the six New England States is , but $3,594, 6S2 39, about one-half as much as is paid by Kentucky, or v lrgima, lue State of Illinois pays four and three-quarter millions more tax than any other btafe. Ir is obvious that most of the tax comes from the agricultural, industry and the en terprise of the country, while the fatates en gaged mostly in manufacturing, and which have the largest amount of tariff produc tion and the most vested capital and bank facilities, pay a much less proportion. : lhese facts should nut the American peorfle to, thinking. The men who have made us "hewers of wood and drawers of water" should be held to a strict accounta bility; . . W. H. M. f.EXXEil FKOH GREENBC'OCm. j i j . . t Correspocdence of Thb Obsertek. . ' Ssow Hiix, N. C, Jan: 9, 1379. Messrs. Editobs : It becomes my pain ful duty to chronicle the sad and sudden death,' that occurred here Tuesday vthe 7th in8t , of Mr. " Daniel Pittman, of Lenoir c unty. Mr. Pittman had come to town Mocday previousi to visit a pear relative of his, Mr. James Kilpatrick, employed as C'erk in the establishment of Messrs. &rimslsy"& Dixon. These cousins," both promising and nome young men, whowere to each other as loving brothers, came t the store from dinner about ten minutes to one. Mr. Kilpatrick stepped behind the counter, walked to the upper end, and ras busy waiting on a customer. r A negro man, in the meantime, wanted to see a pis tol, and called. Mr. Pittman, seeing his cousin ; occupied. ' volunteered to wait on the negro, moved to, the lower end of the counter, reached in the show-case, got a pistol, and handed it to htm for examina tion. The negro asked if . it was loaded Mr. Pittman replied, ho ; but unfortunate- Mr.l'wSen fact being unknown nesrrj bescun re volving the pistol, and accidentally dis charged it; that baa - taking effect in Mr Pittman's forehead, just above his right eye. Mr.. Pittman instantly fell, like one dead, to the floor in an unconscious con ditions- ?Drs.T Jones, Rountree and . Qallo- Way were called in, made a full examina tion, explored for the bullet without suc cess,, and, pronounced .the wound fatal Mr. Pittman lingered in a comatose state Suntil halt-cast twelve day before yesterday. when his spirit gently look its flight to ioin the celestial choir in that beautiful land ''beyond the sunset's radiant glow It is but. just , to add that the pistol was loaded to meet an emergency, an attempt having been made to rob the store a night pi two previous to the shooting. The be reaved family have, the sympathy of the entire community. Every attention was shown the dyine young man by the citi zehs of the town, Messrs., A." J. .Griffin and J. D. Grimsjey deserving, special mention jThe negro was tried before a; magistrate and acquitted.'. . Several of the , witnesses iexaminedsaw Ihe shooting, and knew it to be purely accidental; i rSnow Hilf has never witnessed such" de pression- m business. "The cry of. hard ttmes is m the mouth of everybody, I pir. William, Kilpattick came here on the 7th 1 instant,; and in ' broad daylight pntloined One of ourr queens, Miss hlapple Harper, but her mother was willing. Rev. IMr. J. P. Simpson assistei i them to get way; zMI. they.have a prosperous jour key through hfe By the way our town has been hpnored by the acquisition of hpnored by 1 ,Mr. Simpson: lust . mentioned above. : He I ihas Dermafnentlv located with us. i w r fiare'i : excellent School resumes the 13th inst. " Shens a lady of great leamingv an "admirable educator, and well deserves the patronage of the public. She is ably , assisted by a. corps ot experi- Senced teachers,' mcluding her distinguished husbands I 'wish her increased prosperity. s The ' weather ' remained extremely cold for four or five days up to yesterday. It is now cfuite warm. - 4,P. Eael.w Th Iros.Tkads. The statistics of the froa industry for the past year show, an encouraeinff condition of that branch of business. -Elevated i railroads materially pontributedjlo the Increased cpnsumpuon. 4. Eroi IiAlSdHOOiA-fndTana'nas W school to y t i . - . i, -,- a. - T a fund ajnemnting to - $9,000,(K)a hd the school property of ,th$ State is valued at $12,000,000 a, year for- public school in- itruction."- - r-- car hi r. ir lyOmm Report of the Treasurer. State or Noeth Caxoiixa, .; Tekasub Depaetmxnt, Raleigh, January 7, 1879. To His Excellency t ZebtUon B. Vance, Governor of Jform Carolina. , ' . t Sib : I submit this report of the receipts and disbursements of this Department for the fiscal years ending on the 80th day 01 September, 1877, and 80th dayof Septem ber, 1878, with statements which explain themselves. . ; h-.-. -: :. r: ; The summary statements of the Educa tional and -Public Funds - show - balance to the credit of each fund on "the 30th of September last as follows 7 ".f f"' ". ' Educational" fund, i f $ 18,600.26 Public fund, L . ! . 4-100, 192.99f .1 - , ' - IVv $118,793.26 Statements A and B contain the receipts and disbursements of 1 the Educational Fund, which, for the two years, are as fol lows:-1 ' n f f PEBMAKKNT FUND. - ' Entries of vacant lands, .' il $ 8,563.30f r ines. for tenures and penalties, t y.atw.otf i? $17,851.89 nfOOME OB DISTElBtfnVX ITSD. Tax on Auctioneers. I 19T.SS Tax on Ketailersof Lqrs, 19,18.81 Interest on U. S. Bonds. a,166.8T . . University Normal School P (reruuaeel) , . j o Total receipts, ! . 46,375.95 Statements U and 1 coHtain the dis bursements of, the Educational Fund, for the two fiscal years,1 stated as follows ; FBOM PEEMANKNT FUND. Investment in TJ. S.f Bonds, $7,805-00 DISTEIBCnVE FUND , Common schools, Expense account, . Uuiversity JJormal 8 hool, Colored Normal School, 1701.63 i as.50 , a,oi3 S.000 $21,543.13 Total disbursements. .,$29,348.13 Statements E and F contain the receipts of the Public Fund, which, for the two fiscal years, amount to $1,066,957.59$. Statements G and H contain the disburse ments of the Public Fund.l for the same time, amounting to $1,147,451.66 1-6. These disbursements, in j addition to the ordinary expenses of the State govern- ment, embrace the usual special appropri ations to the several ! charitable and penal institutions, and extra appropriations and interest on bonds, as follows Western N. C. R. R. $75,196.93 Western Insane Asylum, 50,500 100,000 Penitentiary," i. f Interest on mortgage bonds issued on account of Western N.C.R.R., 118,545 $344,241.93 It is proper to suggest that these large special expenditures are in excess of the usual appropriations provided for by special taxation, and the fact that they have been met without an increase of the revenue levies, is; evidence of-the rigid economy in the administration of the government in its several i legislative, ex ecutive, and judicial departments, as the saving by the large reduction of these ex penses has admitted of more extensive aid from the Treasury to the several works now in progress under the authority of the General Assembly. , J I am compelled to i state, however, that the Treasury has suffered embarrassment in consequence of a deficiency of funds to meet special appropriations for the West ern iNorth uaronna Kuroad, and public buildings, a large portion of which re mains unpaid. ! ? In this connection 1 call the attention of the General Assembly to section 7, of article V. of the atate Constitution, which requires that "every act of the ueneral Assembly levying a! tax, shall state the special object to which it jis to be applied, and it shall be applied to no other pur pose. - - I.I""' lhe treasurer, as a ministerial officer, should obey a Btatute giving direction to his duty. I I Sec. 3, page 1, of the act to raise" revenue, provides that " the taxes hereinafter designated shall be applied to defray the expenses of the state government and to appropriations to j charitable and penal institutions. . i In making these special payments from the general fund, I (fid not conceive it my auty 10 consmer to wnai ex&ent tne action -J . A. A - ? I . : A. A. A. 1. . of the General Assembly, in giving this di rectioh to the funds. was consistent with the sections of the Constitution Statute above quoted-! I and the I obeyed the General Assemby as far as I was able with the means in my hands. The balance to thei credit of the Public Fund, on the 30th of j September last, was $10UIU2.UU, applicable as follows: General purposes, $55,069.62$ Agricultural Department, Penitentiary, H , Insane Asylum, - 1 13,670.41 8,00ff. 10,625. Institution, Deaf and Dumb and Blind, r $100,192,994 It is seenthat of the above stated bal ance, only$oo.Uby.t were applicable to general purposes, which amount was ex hausted before any settlements were made by Sheriffs' of their tax accounts for the present year, by the payment of, the inter est due .November 1st on ithe Mortgage Bonds issued for the purchase of the West ern North Carolina Railrpad, tne salaries of the executive and j judicial officers, and other expenses, such as public printing. conveying convicts to the Penitentiary, &c. ":' ; .'- PtTBLIO. DEBT. ' " Statement I exhibits the bonded debt in detail, giving dates of issue and maturity, and authority under which the bonds were issued. w r?:?!.!i 1l f '' ' The debt is classified as follows : 1. Bonds Issued before the war. known aa old" bonds..!..... $3,371,400 00 Interest due on same... .iU;;.. 6,1)01,580 60 sr Total.. Iv..........iJ.;..l$lMlS.93e 60 S. Bonds issued eince tbe war by i , aotbortty of acts before the i.,. j war.s . ..i . .i... .. . 1,7T4 000 oo ! Interest dne on same.. 1,015,890 oo i P jTotal. V...-;..Aii.3;..r.i.' $s,T8,890 oo S. Bonds Issued since ttie war, toy .t f h anUionty of ordinances o Con- -' f vencoa, anil acts r tht, Geo- C ' . era! Assembly, - passed. since I the war ..,..1..... $S,012,045 00 ! 7; Interest aue on same..;..,.... 1,160,773 ?6 $3,112,813.35 4. Bonds- issued under Funding acts ot March 10, 1S6S. and Aa- ' gUSt 20, 1S6S j : i ; !t ! . Funding act of 1S6.$2, 231,000 Im'st due on same.. 1,310,263 3,541,262 00 r Funding act of 1868 $1,657,600 -,- Iufst due on same. - . 990,937 2,648,587 00 7' Total.V..-?.;.... :i..$6,189,849 oo ' B'md tssned during tne war. by - authority of acts passed befora , tne wr, for internal improve ment purposes, to which are added $ 218,000 issued for Chat- . , bam Kail road onder ordinance : ''- " " of Convennoii of Jan. SO, 1862.. 914,000 00 interest due on same.... ....... 674,690 00 1 ' Total... .;.i'...L..$18S,690 OO Total principal of debt, exclusive -- -: ' . of spe iai tax bonds.;... ,16,960,045 00 Total amount of interest due...... 10,160,182 85 i Total amount principal and int'st$27 120,22! S5 t The Special tax bonds are eliminated from the general statement of the debt, and reported in a separate statement! marked Ki where they appear as, the re sult of unwise legislation, 4 ; a 4 ,1 1 s The principal of ae wlcr or ante-war debt, as shown in tbe foregoing clasifica tion, is $8,S71,400S Of this' amount $2, 794,000 were issued for the construction of-the North 'Carolina Railroad. ' Deduct ing this amount there remains as principal $5,577,400, i The interest on this class, which is reported at $5,007,580.50. is sub ject to a deduction of the amount paid by tne .receiver or the dividends from the North Carolina Railroad Company, which amount I have not ascertained. ; ? 1 ; The 2d, 3d, 4th and 5th classes are bonds issued during and since the war, amount ing in the aegregate to $3,588,645, princi pal, ana $d,io,6U.i .. interest- t Total $13,741,247.35. ' . ' ' The character of the issues embraced In these several classes is explained in the tab ulated statement, as well as in the foregoing classification. .. . : - :.- These figures commend themselves to the serious consideration of the General Assembly.1', : i - -' .2 ':: . I suggest that some adjustment of the debt should be made with the creditors. It is true that the works of improve ment, which have been constructed as an equivalent for the liberal aid extended by the State before the war,- are now almost wholly unremunerative, and that there are bnt litttle, if any visible fruits of the large appropriations, which make up the debt contractea since me war, on w men me State can depend in an arrangement with the creditors. It is further true that the financial con dition of our people has been changed by the heavy losses which they have suffered. Yet the debt bears upon us as an incum brance w our prosperity, which is in creased by the continued postponement of an adjustment. i y Terms of 1 compromise ought to be offered the creditors, embracin g such an amount of principal, and rate of j interest, as will be consistent with the ability of our people to assume. If such terms should be rejected by the creditors, the responsibility will rest upon hem a id the end of negotiations wil have been reached. The Raleigh & Augusta Air-Line Kail- road Company has completed its exchange of bonds with the State as authorized 1 by law, in the redemption of the mortgage ef $1,200,000, held by the State on the property of the company, and executed under an ordinance of tne (Jonvention of. 1868. j By this transaction the principal of the debt has been reduced $280,000, and in terest $177,138, making a total reduction of $57,138. The statement of the -debt is made up with this reduction. j STOCKS AND BONDS, j I have omitted the statement, in the usual tabular form, of the stocks owned by the State in corporations, and bonds held in exchange with them, ibey appear in the following statement, and do not in clude stocks purchased with special tax bonds. ' STOCKS. . . . North Carolina Railroad Com- i pauy $3,000,200 Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad Company 1,266,500 Western Railroad Company : (from Fayetteville) 1,100,000 Albemarle and Chesapeake Ca nal Company 350,000 Roanoke Navigation Company. . 50,000 Total face value of stocks, $5,766,700 " The market value of these stocks is nominal, nd they are entirely unremuner ative, except the stock in the North Caro lina Railroad Company. j BONDS. The following mentioned bonds are held by the State in the nature of exchange, and are unavailable : City of Raleigh, date January - 1, lms 14,000 Raleigh and Gaston Railroad - Company, date Jan. 1, 1863. : 20,000 Wilmington, Charlotte and .. Rutherford Railroad Com-i pany, now Carolina Central,; different dates 'from Jan. 1, ' 1860 to July 7, 1862, lnclu-i i sive ! 1,500,000 Total face value of bonds. $1,534,000 ASSESSMENTS OF PBOPKBTY. I call the attention of the General .As sembly to the importance and necessity of changing the system property for taxation. of assessing The present mode has been unequally and unjustly practiced in many counties of the btate. An extensive correspondence with the authorities of several counties, as well as tax payers, gives evidence of a gen eral want of uniformity in listing property for taxation. The Commissioners of many counties have construed the law according to their own convictions without regard to. the uniform rule required by the Constitu tion, as well as the Statute whose intent it is to give effect to the constitutional pro visions. As the effect of this, much prop, erty has been unlisted and the State de prived of just revenues. A thorough' re vision of the rules of assessment and listing of property is demanded, so as to equalize and justly distribute the ratio of taxation among our people. Very Respectfully, YourObt. Serv't, J. M. Worth. State Treasurer. The Orphans of the State. Correspondence of Ths Obsxrvkr. ' Wilmington, Jan. 4, 1879. -Messes. Editobs : While the attention of the members of the Legislature is being called to the necessity of laws to protect sheep, crops, and so forth, 1 would like to ask the religious and secular press through out the State, as a matter of rights justice and .charity, to impress upon the Legisla -ture the necessity of a law for tue protec tion of poor orphan children, so that the little means left them bv parents shall not be taken or stolen from them by their guar dians, who often pay them in bankrupt 'no tices, or so arrange their property, although often living in luxury and extravagance, that it cannot be reached by ' law should the orphans have friends and means to contend for; their honest dues and rights. Make it, gentlemen, an honest offence, punishable with fine and imprisonment, for any guardian to appropriate to his own Use the money and property of his wards, and there will not be so many crushed and broken-hearted orphans dependent upon the cold charities of the world, who feel that the State does not afford them pro tection, and that every one is his or her enemy, endeavoring to crush them because they have been robbed by j those who should look after their interests. ? . ... i Again, let the law require that all sig natures to guardians' bonds shall oe signed in the presence of five competent and dis interested witnesses, the said witnesses to attach their own signatures in the proper place upon the bond, and said bond filed with and recorded in the office of the Judge of Probate of the county where the ward resides, who shall be required also to see that the security is ample and good. , The necessity of the latter law will be apparent, when I state that a young lady in one of our eastern counties lost some fifteen thousand dollars, left her by her parents, and is unable to recover one cent because the bond given by her guardian was de stroyed by fire, with the court-house, and no one could remember the names of the sureties to the bond. Tours truly, I , , ' J Will. j German Tobacco. The area of land in Germany upon which the tobacco plant is cultivated exceeds 50,000 acres, Prussia, Bavaria, the Duchy of Baden, Alsace and Lorraine being the counties which grow the most; and the average yield is about 8,300 pounds to the acre. With this crop some 50,000 tons of leaf and 1,250 tons of prepared tobacco are imported yearly, tbe exports barely reaching ' four thousand tpnaV;!- '"-t'j"'itfj5-jiei t:,:..i'iv!k4:viii- fe TJie Tobacco Tax,"""""- rspeclal to tbe Ricbmond Dispatch, 14th. i Washington, January. 13. Senator Withers informs me that he has had a con ference with Senator Bayard, and that I stated his position on the tobacco tax correctly In my dispatch tbe other night viz., that he is for a reduction tor 16c. Senator Eaton, of Connecticut, has been reported as against a reduction to 16c., but he said this morning! that he is in favor of reducing the tax to 12c. He and his colleague. Senator Barnura, may be both counted for. the House bill when it comes before the Senate either with or without the favorable consideration of Mr. Morrill's committee. . Senator Johnston to-day arranged pairs on the tobacco bill for Messrs. Ooyke and Bayard, who o south with Mr. Bcbleacners body. JoL Burwtll, who was before breakfast this morning lookinff after the pairs of senators about to leave Washington, has arranged in regard to pairs for Messrs . Bailey, of Tennessee,; and Garland, of Arkansas, and others, who are in Jjouiwana with the Id ler committee. A valuable tobacco docu ment was placed in the bands of senators to-day. It gives extracts from the speeches of Senators Sherman, Thurman, and Bayard in the Senate March 1 and d io vo. i ne present oecrciary oi tne i rea sury then ably and earnestly opposed an increase from 20c. to 24c.,. and said that the law under which tobacco is now taxed was dishonorable and unjust.' Mr. Bay ard said that more money could be raised by reducing the tax below 20c. than by increasing it to 24c.,' and opposed the in crease. Mr. Thurman, in opposing the increase, alluded to the enormous burden under which tobacco then groaned, and asked, if t even a tax of 5 per cent, was imposed upon wheat, or Indian corn was taxed 10, 20 or su per cent, upon its value. what would you hear from the country? And yet, he said, tobacco was taxed from 100 to 400 per cent. Col. David Miller carter From the Wilmington Star. We knew Colonel Carter most intimate ly khew him from his boyhood. We are, therefore, prepared to give an intelli gent estimate of his capacity. 'He had as much pure intellect as any man in North Carolina. This is our deliberate judgment formed long ago, and tenaciously held be cause nothing occurred compelling or au thorizing a change of opinion. He had admirable logical powers that were capable both of the acutest and severest ratiocina tion and of the most prolonged exercise. His perspicacity of thought was unri valled in our State so far as we know. So luminous, so clear, so condensed were his intellections that his very statement was an argument. We heard John. S. Long, of Newbern, one of the most eloquent and brilliant- men in North Carolina, say, that he heard CoL Carter make a pure, dry legal argument some years ago, that was so closely welded in its successive links of reasoning so comnact of thought, that it excited his mind to the highest possible point and ex hilarated him as a' splendid outburst of eloanence would have done. We knew David Carter welL and we believe him to have had brain enough to have easily risen to the highest place in the legal profession in 'our State. Men who were pigmies to him intellectually were better known and more favored. . He was a good scholar, and could have become very eminent if he had so chosen. He had a natural aptitude : for languages, and when quite a youth could read the most difficult Latin at a glance. He wrote well like a man of reflection who had pot neglected tbe graces ofvstyle. He had good taste in polite literature, and was familiar with the best authors of our language. He, was a man of for tune, and was never a hard student who bent all his energies to secure the highest positions in the land, or to win that mead of, praise that is so pleasant ;and grateful to tbe ears of the professional politician. He was an inde pendent thinker, and was, therefore, in capable of wearing servilely a party collar. He thought and acted for himself. His views and opinions were eminently cbn servative and moderate. He was every inch a patriot, and a devoted friend of North Carolina and its cherished Uni versity. But he is gone; friend of our youth, and of our advanced manhood. Since George E. Badger died no man in our State of finer intellect has lef t us for ever. O Be-Half to the Informant. ' In view of the interest taken in remov ing the, 40 lashes save, one for petty of fences we take from the Charlottesville Chronicle the following amusing story of how it was administered in Virginia in te good old times : " In colonial times, when CoL Archi bald Cary was a magistrate, living at Wil liamsburg, a man who was much disliked by bis neighbors, on account of his vin dictiveness and general meanness, came before the old' Colonel, and informed hirn that his neighbor, John Brown, had - vio lated the Game law by killing a deer be-1 lore tne ist ot oeptemrjer. : now, aunougn Brown was a good, honest, poor man, much esteemed by his acquaintances, Esquire Cary was bound to issue a war -rant for his arrest, and when Brown ap peared before ' him he confessed that he had killed the deer, knowing at the time that he was violating the law; but that his wife had a great longing for venison, and knowing that deer daily frequented his corn-field, she gave him no peace. He had begged her to wait a little while, till the 1st of .September, but she vowed she could not wait. - So he killed the deer. The old magistrate, seeming full of com : passion, said ; . ;: - l , U. 'Brown, the law is explicit ; you will have to pay the fine, which is 5.' . " 4Lord bless your heart, Col. Cary,1 sail Brown; "all 1 have on 'earth would not sell for 5. . :5 ;:, ' . ; : ,", ' ! 'Well, then,' said the Justice, turning to the law and reading, f without paying strict attention to punctuation or the exact position of the words, 'Whoever shall be guilty of shooting, snaring, trapping, or in any way killing a deer within this, his Majesty's Colony of Virginia, at any time between the lstot May and the 1st of September, shall pay a fine of 5, and if he is unable to rdo this, the punishment shall, be awarded of . 39 lashes on the bare back, well laid on, one-half to be given to the informant, and the other half to the King.' Mr. Constable,'- said his Honor. 'as we are enjoined to do justice and love mercy and where an odd amounj-, which is' not capable of an equal division is to be divided, between a rich man and a poor man, I always give " the poor man the larger share; you wilL therefore give the informant in this case ,- the 20 lashes, and whenever you catch his Majesty, th? King, in this colony, you will: then give him tbe 19. So the majesty of law. was maintain ed; much to the satisfaction of all who knew the odious informant." 1 x: Served Thkm Right. The Baltimore's Sun't telegraph letter of Monday say's that the commission of the present postmaster at Greensboro, N. C, will shortly expire. The place is worth $2,400 per aonum.r A day or two ago two : North Carolina mem bers xf Coogre&j went to see the Postmas-ter-General, and asked ' him to appoint a Democrat named by them. The Postmaster-General replied ; that, he;, thought the place should be gives to a Republican.: Just so; no man who calls himself a De mocrat has a right to appeal from his party to the other party, American Iron'I'rade.- Special to the New York Herald, 13th. Philadelphia, Jan. 12, 1879. A . ; port of the condition of the, American iron trade for the past year has just been com pleted by James M. Swank, secretary of the American Iron and Steel Association. states that the production of Diz iron in the United Stales in 1877 was 2,314,585 tons, and In 1878 was 2,333,000 tons. 'uiioim au ia auuwB mi i inn rMMM tii iiffPF 00,000 tons, while Ohio shows a decrease of over , 30,000 tons. In 1878 Pennsyl vania maoe more than nftyper cent, of the total production of pig iron in the Uni-f ted States. At the close of 1877 there were in the boned Sta'es 716 blast furnaces, of Which 270 were in blast and 446 were out of blast. At the close of 1878 there were : 700 furnaces, of which 200 , were in blast and 440 out of blast. ' The stock of pig Iron on hand unsold at the close of 1877 amounted to 642.851 net tons. At the close of 1878 they were very much less. oeiug aoout uio.uuu tons. At the close of 1876 the stocks aggregated 686.793 tons. The" shrinkage in stocks was remarkably Uniform in all producing States, and it is very significant of the caution which cha- racienzieu uiis urauuu oi me iron trade' throughout the year. rNp State materially increased its stocks'in 1878 The con sumption and the production of pig iron. as well as the reduction of stocks, were greater in 1878 than during the previous . year. . - ' , A careful estimate shows the production was increased about 70,000 tons, . Stocks were decreased about 126,000, and cpn sumption increased about 195,000 tons. , In 1877 the production of iron rails amounted to 332,540 net tons, which was a great reduction from the production of 1876,: which was 467,168 tons. In 1878 this decline was wholly arrested, the pro- : duction during the year being as fully as great as in 1877, and probably a few thou sand tons greater. In 1877 the production of Bessemer steel ingots was 560.587 net tons, and the production of Bessemer rails was 432,169 tons. In 1878 the production of ingots was about 730,000 net tons, and the weight orBessemer rails produced was about 600,000 net tons. Putting the iron and steel rail products of the year together we have in round numbers a total ot 930, 000 net tons as the product of the year. This product has only once been exceeded m our history (in 18 2), when the product reached 1,000,000 net tons. In 18S0 we, will j probably equal even that immense product. '. j j Thfe decline in price of pig iron durinlg the year was $ 1.50 a ton, and on bar iron it was one-tenth of a cent per- pound! 0r $2.24 a ton. Iron and ; steel rails told during the year at average prices which were higher than the quotations in January. The only discouraging feature of the jron tirade of 1878 is that which relates to pripes. In. both iron and steel rails there was an improvement, but in pig:and bar iron there was a decline from the exceptionally low pricesof 1877. The report conclude as follows : The old year, take it all injall, was a more active and more J prosperous year for the American iron trade than either 1876 or 1877. There was improvement in the demand for all iron and steel producers. and prices, although not satisfactory, were well mairitAiriprf pxoent in t.hft reuwvnf- nic iron. Ti his branch of the trade has had a hard struggle, and many furnaces have, been run without profit. The new year opens with the promise of a still more , active and more prosperous business for our iron and steel manufacturers than the; old year gave to them. Business is in fewer hands and the home competition cahn'ot be so desperate as it has been. Foreign com petition for the present is not to be dreaded.1 f rices, it is hoped, .are at last at the' lowest point to which they can possibly fall, while the unmistakeable nnd undeniable revival of general prosperity throughout the country , gives every assurance of the continuance of the increased demand for iron and steel which; characterized t he old year. - NEW ADVERTISEMEN IS. FOR Y OUNG LADIES. ... The Spring Term commences on the SOtli of Janaarv and closes on the 13th of June. All dep rtments filled. ty experienced and suc cessful teachers . Terms moderate to suit the times. For circular and catalogue address KHV. K, BUKWELL A SON, Janl6-d2t-wlm ; Raleigh, N. C. IMPORTANT SALE. BY VIRTUE OP THE powers contained in & - mortgage from J. P. H. Hubs and wife to J. T. Leach, registered in Book 43, p. 440, Register's omce, of Wake coun ty, I shall on Monday, February lUh. 1819, at the Court House door, ln Rateigh, proceed to expose to pubuc sale the interest of said Russ and wife In 110 acres of land, lyin on Walnut Creefc. in Wake coantT, and bounded by the lands of Wil liam Scotl and Thos. ti. Jenkins, Thos; Howie, J O. B lake and others This tract is sublect to prior mortgages, which will be announced on day of sale. J. T. LEACH. RAUK, BUSBXS & BUSBEE, jams 30t Attorneys for Mortgagee. lit 111. THE DWELLING HOUSE ON WILMING ton and Lane street . . Apply to ' , janlS-4t T. D. HOGG. WOOD & LUMBER YARD. i. , - , W.: L. HARRIS will carry ion the Wood and Lnmoer business at Christopher's Yard, north east corner Baptist Grove. A large lot of oak wood Just received. All orders left at the store of Messrs. Christophers A.Sorrell filled promptly by W. L,. IIAKKI. , japi43t- . : . .Y-i- -V-----; -NOTICE. JHB REGULAR ANNUAL MEETING OP ' the Stocfciblders bf the North Carolina Home Insurance Company wUl be held in the Com pany's offlce, in Raleigh, on We Tnesday, Fev rnary 8, 1S7, at 11 o'clock a.m. . ; janlWt , W. S. PRIMROSE, 8ec'y. SALE OF VALUABLE CITY PROP- - EKTY. By virtue of powers conferred to a Deed of Mortgage executed by the North Carolina Ma Boulc Temple Association on the 10th day of January, 1875, registered in the office of Regis ter of Deeds for Wake county, In Book 88, at page 4&", I wiU seU at public outcry at the Court House door in Raleigh, on . ' ; . vednesaay tne i&m day Janj, the LO r now owned by the said corporation. The lot lies immediately south of the Court House Square, lti6 feet broad and. runs from Favetteville street to Salisbury street Sio feet.' The Terms of sale are CASH; bunt ; tne pur chasers, shall desire it, arraiigements can be! made with the mortgagees by wiuca time to pay the mortgage debt can be secured. The property will be divided tntp lots to suit purchasers, the aivwiog lines to be made known oa the day of sale. . . - JOHN GATLIMG, . Attorney for Mortgagees. Dec.30-tds. , Y VIRTUE Of authority contained lri a Deed 1 oi Trust executed te me oa tne February lsiS, and recorded in the Register's -office for Wate County, in boot 50, pag e 3io, i will, on vvednesday . the 15th if . the i5tn aay oi oi day of January l7, at 1 o'clock Sn-. exuoee to pubUe outcry, Kt trif tHrt. llftiirtn iloor. in tbe citT Of KaleigB, Pei Wii. a VAL.UABJUS TRACT OF 1.AND, adjoining th "Beav. r. Dam Mtll" tract, and the Unda of Mrs. KiniDrough Jonesrandcontaining aooat 9tt acrrs. . . .f - i Terms of Sale One third cash, and the bal ance in six and twelve months.. Purchaser to beuure f !i lot two ' payments by mortgage on . A. W. HAYWOOD, Trustee, , dei5-30d. ' f 4tM. J 4-tict- ' -'r-! f'A ;-''- ' i