Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

as

their respective sessions and make laws, among which is their adoption of the amendment to the Constitution of the United States known 66 Article Fourteen." These sessions of the Assembly have been continued since without interruption, except by recesses or adjournments. Its acts from the beginning may be looked upon as legalized by the subsequent action of Congress; though influential papers of the State published the reports of its proceedings under the heading, "The Pretended Legislature."

a

Upon these grounds has Arkansas been recognized and readmitted by Congress as State of the Union, and entitled to have her representatives sitting among those of the other States in both halls of the Federal Legislature; as appears from the following act passed in May and June, 1868:

Whereas, The people of Arkansas, in pursuance of the provisions of an act entitled an Act for the more effective government of the rebel States," passed March 2, 1867, and the acts supplementary thereto, have framed and adopted a constitution of State government which is republican in form, and the Legislature of said State has duly ratified the amendment to the Constitution of the United States, proposed by the Thirty-ninth Congress, and known as article fourteen: therefore, Be it enacted and it is hereby enacted, That the State of Arkansas is entitled and admitted to representation in Congress, as one of the States of the Union, upon the following fundamental condition: That the constitution of Arkansaş shall not be so amended or changed as to deprive any citizen or class of citizens of the United States of the right to vote who are entitled to vote by the constitution herein recognized, except as a punishment for such crimes as are now felonies at common law, whereof he shall have been duly convicted.

This bill was indeed vetoed by the President; it has, however, become a law notwithstanding; and the Representatives of Arkansas, on the basis of her new constitution, have taken their respective seats in Congress.

In consequence of the new condition of things thus introduced in Arkansas, the commander of the Fourth Military District, by an order dated June 30, 1868, its provisions, however, to be reckoned as from June 22d, turned that State over to her civil authorities, recognizing them to have the full power in the government and administration of her affairs, as follows:

General Orders, No. 25.
HEADQUARTERS FOURTH MILITARY DISTRICT,
DEPARTMENT OF MISSISSIPPI AND ARKANSAS,

VICKSBURG, MISSISSIPPI, June 30, 1868.

1. Official information having, this day, been received at these headquarters, of the admission, on the 22d inst., of the State of Arkansas to representation in Congress, it is hereby made known to all concerned that so much of the Act of March 2, 1867, and of the several acts supplementary thereto, as provides for military government in certain States, have become inoperative as to said State of Arkansas; and that every thing in the hands of the military authorities concerning its civil affairs will be immediately turned Over to the several duly elected officers of the State, to date as from the 22d instant.

2. Brevet Brigadier-General C. H. Smith, com

manding Sub-District of Arkansas, will see to the immediate execution of this order.

By command of Brevet Maj.-Gen. MCDOWELL. JOHN TYLER, First Lieutenant 43d Infantry. Brevet Major U. §. A., A. A. A. General.

Official:

NAT WOLF, Second Lieut. 34th Infantry, A. A. A. General.

By a subsequent order of August 4th, General Gillem, pursuant to directions from the army headquarters at Washington, declared the State of Arkansas as separated from any further connection in military matters with the State of Mississippi, and attached for the future to the Department of Louisiana, headquarters at New Orleans, whereto he enjoined the military commander of the late Sub-District of Arkansas, at Little Rock, to report himself for instructions.

Meantime, under the auspices of the new State constitution, General Powell Clayton had been elected Governor of Arkansas, and on July 2, 1868, entered upon the duties of his office.

Serious disturbances having taken place in various parts of the State, and enormities perpetrated, especially within three counties, Governor Clayton adopted severe measures to suppress the disorders and restore public tranquillity, for which purpose, on August 27, 1868, he issued the following proclamation:

Whereas, It has been made known to me that a large number of lawless and evil-disposed persons in the counties of Conway, Perry, and Columbia, in the laws of the State, that a court of justice has been State of Arkansas, are in open rebellion against the broken up, and the civil authorities overpowered in said counties, by bodies of armed men, who have driven from their homes a large number of peaceable loyal citizens; and that the officers of the law are wholly powerless to preserve order or protect citizens from violence, within either of said counties; and reliable information having been received that quiet men have been assassinated, and attempts have been made upon the lives of others, in various other counties in this State, in which the laws are set at defiance, the lives of officers are threatened, and the civil authorities of the State are openly defied and set at naught, rendering it impossible for the constituted authorities of the law to preserve order and protect the lives and property of the people:

State of Arkansas, do hereby enjoin upon all persons Now, therefore, I, Powell Clayton, Governor of the within said State to keep the peace, and command all bodies of armed men (not organized in pursuance of the laws of the State, or of the United States) to immediately disperse, and return to their homes.

I do furthermore make known that I shall at once cause to be enrolled and organized the reserve militia in pursuance of said act, and shall use, as far as may be necessary, all the power and authority vested in me by the constitution and laws of the State of Arkansas, to preserve order, enforce the law, and protect the lives and property of every person within the State.

[SEAL]

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the State of Arkansas to be affixed, at Little Rock, this the twenty-seventh day of August, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight. POWELL CLAYTON, Governor.

By the Governor:

ROBERT J. T. WHITE, Secretary of State.

In accordance with the provisions of this proclamation, the enrolment of the State militia was set immediately on foot by order of the commander of the regular army in Arkansas, issued on the same day.

Public disturbances and criminal acts of violence did not cease, however; they continued and even increased in frequency as well as enormity and extent of place; so that, on November 9, 1868, Governor Clayton placed ten counties of the State-Ashley, Bradley, Columbia, Lafayette, Mississippi, Woodruff, Craighead, Greene, Sevier, and Little River under martial law.

"For the purpose of perfecting the organization of the militia and carrying into effect this proclamation," a general order from headquarters of the State of Arkansas, dated November 7, 1868, abolished the previouslyexisting districts and established in their stead four military districts, apportioning to each respectively a proportionate number of the counties in the State.

In the House of the General Assembly of Arkansas, at its session of November 23, 1868, two memorials, addressed to the Legislature of the State, were duly presented and read, wherein the petitioners, proffering themselves advocates of peace, 66 most solemnly protest against the organization and arming of the militia and the levy of a tax for its support.' After consideration of the matter, the action and answer of the House was, that all of the fifty-nine members present, without a dissenting voice, adopted among other resolutions the following:

3. Being fully persuaded of the preconcerted existence of wide-spread lawlessness and systematic assassination of the friends of the government, State and national, in certain counties for months past, and the desperadoes without a single exception being still at large and defying the officers of the law, we do, therefore, most earnestly approve and indorse the recent course of Governor Powell Clayton declaring

martial law in several counties.

Of this deplorable condition of things, Governor Clayton spoke at length in his message sent to the Assembly at the opening of its session in November, 1868. They seem, however, to have grown still worse afterward, notwithstanding the organization and actual operations of the militia.

As to the present political disabilities of a portion of the white residents in the State, who are looked upon to be the principal, if not the only, authors of the criminal acts and disturbances which have so long kept and still keep that community in anxiety, the Governor said in his message that he "desired to see these disabilities removed as soon as it is safe to do so;" namely, "when this class of people show a willingness to recognize and fully acquiesce in these measures, and support the government established thereby."

In respect to the State finances, Governor Clayton expressed his gratification, and recommended the funding of the State indebtedness,

which amounts to less than five millions, by "issuing new bonds and cancelling the old ones."

He recommended also, as a measure worthy the attention of the Legislature at a future time, a new assessment of taxable property, one-third of which he says has heretofore escaped taxation, assuming that "the taxes of the great mass of tax-payers will be reduced very nearly in the same ratio as the valuation is increased." For the rest he sets down the best rule that "the burden of taxation rest equally upon all, in proportion to the property they possess."

Concerning the taxes to be levied on the people under different titles and for various purposes in detail, a number of tax-payers in Arkansas signed and submitted to the consideration of the Legislature during its session a memorial, of which the following is an extract:

"From the new tax law passed during your recent session, it appears that the taxes have been greatly increased by adding new subjects of taxation, by making new levies for extraordinary purposes, and by making provision for a new assessment, from which the revenue to be derived for the year 1868, even according to the moderate estimate of Treasurer Page, will amount to $600,000, not including the school-tax of one-tenth per cent., nor the poll-tax for school purposes of one dollar, which will amount to about $150,000 more, making, together, the sum of $750,000 for State purposes alone, to say nothing about county, town, and local railroad taxes, and the United States internal revenue taxes and licenses, which together will amount to at least $1,750,000, altogether making the enorthe government ever cost before." mous sum of $2,500,000-ten times more than

The unsettled condition of affairs greatly retarded the prosperity of the State, and has afforded little opportunity for the development of its resources.

The vote of the State at the presidential election was as follows: Total vote, 41,230. Majority for Gen. Grant, 3,074. In fifteen counties the registration and returns were rejected. The Legislature was divided as follows: Senate-Republicans, 21; Democrat, 1; House-Republicans, 79; Democrat, 1.

ARMY, UNITED STATES. The work of reducing the army has gone on with considerable celerity during the year. Orders were issued in November, 1867, to reduce all regiments of infantry and artillery, with the exception of the ten light batteries, to the number of fifty privates in each company, and to diminish the recruiting rendezvous to four for cavalry and four for infantry. On the 3d of April, 1868, all enlistment for artillery or infantry service was suspended, except in the case of old soldiers desiring to enlist; and further instructions, issued on the 24th of July, prohibited all enlistment or reënlistment in these two branches of the service. The war with the

2

Indians on the Western plains prevented a corresponding reduction of the cavalry force, and the services of a volunteer regiment of cavalry from the State of Kansas were accepted, which regiment was mustered in on the 6th of October. Five stations for recruiting the cavalry force remained open through the year.

The actual strength of all the regiments in the service, on the 30th of September, was 43,741, and it was reported that the term of enlistment of 4,500 of these would expire before the close of the year. The engineer, ordinance, and other special branches of the service employed 4,340 men. Of 203 volunteer officers remaining in the service in November, 1867, all have been mustered out but General Howard, the head of the Freedmen's Bureau. The whole number of colored troops mustered into service during the civil war was 169,624; of these 86,923 were mustered out, 20,236 were discharged, 31,866 died, 14,887 deserted, 1,514 were killed in action, 1,344 missing in action, and 366 were transferred to the navy. Several colored regiments still belong to the army.

The actual current expenses of the War Department for the fiscal year, ending June 30th, were $68,743,094.71, to which is to be added the sum of $9,961,405.43, old war debts paid during the year, making the total expenditures of the department $78,704,501.14. The appropriations for the fiscal year, ending June 30, 1869, were $35,400,557.47, and it has been estimated that there will be deficiencies to the amount of $13,975,000. The requirements of the department for the year, ending June 30, 1870, are estimated at $65,682,380.85. The disbursements of the pay department for the last year

[blocks in formation]

The expenditures of the Ordnance Bureau for the last fiscal year were $3,192,000, which is less than three-fifths those of the previous year. From the Commissary Department supplies were furnished for freedmen and refugees to the extent of $882,884 in the year 1867, and $632,776 in the year 1868, making a total of $1.515,461, of which the Freedmen's Bureau repaid $1,048,669. Army stores were issued to the Indians to the extent of $640,439 in 1867, and $373,926 in 1868. Besides these expenses outside of the ordinary claims on the department, $250,500 were paid for commutation of rations, to soldiers who were prisoners during the war, or to their heirs, under the act of Congress of July, 1864.

Claims to additional bounty were allowed during the year, to the number of 241,992, involving an expenditure of $23,649,157.78. Since the act of Congress granting this bounty, 435,199 claims have been received, of which 387,091 have been paid, 32,403 rejected, and 15,705 remain unsettled. The aggregate dis

bursement on these claims has already amounted to about $54,000,000.

The cost of reconstruction during the year was $2,261,415.02, and a balance of funds to the amount of $467,626.46 remains available for that object, which it is thought will finish the business.

The amount of money subject to the requisitions of the Quartermaster-General for the year was $37,000,000, of which $36,500,000 were disbursed. The surplus and new appropriations for the fiscal year, ending in 1869, amount to about $15,000,000. The debts of Southern railroads to this department, for material furnished and interest thereon, are $8,500,000. This is chiefly due from four roads in Tennessee, namely: Nashville and Chattanooga; Northwestern; Memphis, Clarksville, and Louisville; and East Tennessee and Georgia. A large quantity of clothing and equipments was left on hand at the close of the war, and no appropriation for new purchases has been made since.

More attention has been given, than heretofore, to the inspection of the army, and still further improvements in that regard are suggested. The officers of the Bureau of Inspection consist of a Judge Advocate-General, an Assistant Judge Advocate-General, and eight Judge Advocates. The work of the bureau, thus far, is comprised in 15,046 records of military courts, received, reviewed, and registered; and 1,457 reports on various subjects especially referred for opinion.

The number of military arsenals in the country is 27, including the national armory at Springfield. Measures have been taken for the sale of the St. Louis and Liberty Arsenals, and legislative authority is recommended to sell those at Rome, N. Y., and Vergennes, Vt., and a new arsenal is required at Omaha.

The Bureau for Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, has been kept up through the year, but there has been considerable reduction in the number of officers and agents, and arrangements are in progress to put an end to all its functions, excepting those of collecting claims for colored soldiers, and organizing and supporting schools for the freedmen. Treasury certificates and checks, for the settlement of claims of colored soldiers and marines, have been collected by the bureau to the number of 17,000, having a total value of nearly $3,500,000. During the past year transportation was furnished to 6,418 persons; 150,000 received medical attendance; and 2,802,478 rations were issued, affording subsistence to an average of 16,000 persons daily; 27 hospitals have been closed and 21 still remain; but efforts are made to turn over the charge of the sick, the infirm, and the insane, to the civil authorities. The number of day and night schools in operation was 1,831, with 2,295 teachers, and 104,327 pupils. The aggregate number of Sunday and day schools of all kinds was 4,026, with 241,819 scholars; $942,523.66 were ex

In Africa.-Cape Town (metropolitan), Mauritius, Grahamstown, St. Helena, Orange River State, Central Africa, Natal, Sierra Leone, Niger region.

In Australia and Polynesia.-Sydney (metropolitan), Adelaide, Melbourne, New Castle, Perth, Brisbane; Goulburn, Tasmania, New Zealand (metropolitan), Christ Church, Nelson, Wellington, Waiaku, Dunedin, Melanesia, Honolulu, Grafton, and Armidale.

In America.-Montreal (metropolitan), Toronto, Newfoundland, Fredericton, Nova Scotia, Huron, Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Rupert's Land, New Westminster, Jamaica, Barbadoes, Antigua, Nassau, Guiana.

The following table gives the names of the dioceses of the Church of England, the (total, not Anglican) population of the territory over which the diocese extends, and the number of the clergy and parishes in each:

[blocks in formation]

No. of parishes.

584

272

930,216

744

858,095

351

245

266,591

827

1,248,416

598

1,679,326

601

385

1,103,394

630

52,469

45

444
31

370

of New York, north of the southerly boundaries of Columbia, Greene, and Delaware Counties), and one from the Diocese of Western New York. The election of the Rev. C. F. Robertson, as Bishop of the Diocese of Missouri, was confirmed, and two missionary bishops, the Rev. B. W. Morris for Oregon and Washington Territories, and the Rev. O. W. Whitaker for Nevada, were appointed. A canon was passed in regard to the formation of new dioceses, the main provisions of which are as follows: 1. Satisfactory evidence is to be submitted to the General Convention that adequate provision has been made for the support of the episcopate. 2. There must be within the limits of the new diocese at least six parishes and as many presbyters who have been canonically resident in the diocese at least one year. 3. There must be left in the old diocese at least twelve parishes and twelve presbyters. 4. There shall be but one bishop in any city. Dioceses existing within the bounds of any State were authorized to establish for themselves a federate council or convention, to decide and deliberate upon the common interests of the Church within the limits of their State, provided the powers they propose to exercise are approved by the General Convention before determinate action is taken. The canon on parochial boundaries was amended by adding to the second clause of the sixth section the following words: "But nothing in this clause 857 shall be construed to prevent any clergyman of this Church from officiating in any parish church, or in any place of public worship used by any congregation of this Church, or elsewhere within the parochial cure of the minister of said congregation, with the consent of the clergyman in charge of such congregation, 694 or, in his absence, of the churchwardens and 459 vestrymen or trustees of such congregation, or a majority of them." The eleventh canon was repealed, and the following substituted in its place: "No minister in charge of any congregation of this Church, or in case of vacancy or absence, no churchwardens, vestrymen, or trustees of the congregation, shall permit any person to officiate therein without sufficient evidence of his being duly licensed or ordained to minister in this Church. Provided that nothing herein shall be so construed as to forbid communicants of the Church to act as lay readers." The clergymen of the Church of England in Canada were recognized as admissible to all the rights and privileges of their brethren of the Church in the United States. With reference to propositions for union with other branches of the Church, the House of Bishops were authorized to appoint a committee from among their own number, which shall be an organ of communication with the other branches of the Church, and with the different other Christian bodies who may desire information or conference on the subject; the said committee to be entitled "The commission of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the

[blocks in formation]

20,209,671 17,667 12,539 The Triennial General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States met in the city of New York, on the 7th of October. The new Diocese of Nebraska was admitted after considerable debate on the use of the word "council" instead of convention in the journal of its diocesan convention. The resolution of admission was, however, unconditional, making no reference to these terms. Four new dioceses were erected, one from the Diocese of Maryland (embracing the Eastern Shore of Maryland), two from the Diocese of New York (the one embracing Long Island, and the other the nineteen counties

United States of America on Church Unity." The House of Bishops subsequently appointed Bishops Mellvaine, Whittingham, Atkinson, Clark, and Coxe, the committee upon Church Unity. The joint committee on intercommunion with the Eastern Churches reported favorable progress for the project, and the committee were continued, with the power to correspond with the authorities of the Russian and other branches of the Oriental Church, for the acquisition of further authentic information, and to report the result to the next General Convention. A committee of bishops was appointed to confer with the Metropolitan and Patriarch of the Russian Church in regard to the Russo-Greek Diocese of Alaska and its proposed intercommunion with this Church, and also with the Anglican Bishop of Rupert's Land in regard to the transfer of the communicants of the Church of England in Alaska to the jurisdiction of this Church. The convention continues the recognition of the Protestant Church of Sweden. The following canon on divorce was adopted: "No minister of this Church shall solemnize matrimony in any case where there is a divorced wife or husband of either party still living; but this canon shall not be held to apply to the innocent party in a divorce for the cause of adultery, or to parties once divorced seeking to be united again." A new canon, similar to that for the trial of bishops, was adopted on the trial of ministers. Provision was made for the correction of typographical errors in the Prayer Book. A new canon on assistant bishops was adopted. They may be elected in case of disability of the bishop, and succeed him if they survive him, and may vote in his stead in the General Convention, but can have no additional vote if he is present. A commission of laymen, presbyters, and bishops was authorized to revise the version of the psalms and hymns, and report to the next General Convention. The preparation of Prayer Books in German, French, and Swedish was directed. Increased solicitude was expressed respecting the missionary work among the freedmen, and practical measures were recommended to advance it. The convention declined to act definitely on the subject of ritualism. The subject was referred to the House of Bishops, who were requested to set forth, for consideration and adoption by the next General Convention, such additional rubrics to the book of Common Prayer as in their judgment may be deemed necessary. It was resolved that, meanwhile, in all matters doubtful, reference should be made to the Ordinary, and no changes should be made against the counsel and judgment of the bishop.

The most important event in the history of the Church of England was the resolution of the House of Commons in favor of disestablishing the Anglican Church in Ireland and its appointment of a Liberal Ministry pledged to carry out this policy. The House of Com

mons adopted, on April 28th, the resolution prepared by Mr. Gladstone, by a majority of sixtyfive votes. The proposition was rejected by the House of Lords. The Bishops of the Established Church were unanimous and the Anglican clergy almost unanimous in their opposition. The Presbyterian Church of Scotland, which is the state church of Scotland, and the Irish Presbyterian Church, which annually receives from the state government a regium donum (a royal present) of £30,000, likewise passed resolutions against Mr. Gladstone's bill. The Wesleyan Connection were non-committal. All the other religious denominations of Great Britain strongly supported Mr. Gladstone and the Liberal party. At the election of a new House of Commons, in November, the Liberal party had a majority of over 110. The Conservative Ministry resigned, and Mr. Gladstone formed a new Liberal Ministry, which is pledged to carry through the disestablishment. Previously the report of the royal commissioners on the revenues and condition of the Church of Ireland had appeared (the report is dated July 27, 1868), and recommended important reductions as to the benefices of the Írish Church. The report is signed by the Earl of Meath, as chairman, by Earl Stanhope, Lord de Vesci, Sir Joseph Napier, and Messrs. Shafto Adair, John T. Ball, Evelyn Shirley, George Clive, and Edward Howes; and it forms, with summary, tables, and schedules, a bulky volume of more than six hundred pages. The report is replete with interesting information on the Irish Church. It states that the total revenue of the Irish Church from all sources is £613,984; 1,319 benefices have a church population of over forty, and extending to 5,000 and upward. The bishoprics suggested for abolition are Meath, Killaloe, Cashel, and Kilmore. The majority of the commissioners are in favor of leaving one archbishopric only, that of Armagh. All bishops are to receive £3,000 a year income, and an additional £500 when attending Parliament. The Primate is to get £6,000, and the Archbishop of Dublin, if continued, £5,000. The abolition is recommended of all cathedrals and deaneries, except eight. With a view to a rearrangement of benefices, it is proposed that ecclesiastical commissioners shall have extended powers to suppress or unite benefices. All benefices, not having a Protestant population of forty, to be abolished. The estates of all capitular bodies and of the bishoprics abolished are to be vested in ecclesiastical commissioners, and the surplus of all property vested in them to be applicable at their discretion to augmentation of benefices. The Ecclesiastical Commission is to be modified by the introduction of three unpaid laymen and two paid commissioners, one appointed by the Crown, the other by the Primate. The management of all lands is to be taken out of the hands of ecclesiastical persons and placed in those of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. The commissioners expressly state that they

« ZurückWeiter »