Report from Mississippi Secretary of State James D. Lynch to Mississippi Governor James L. Alcorn; 1870

Documents
Report from Mississippi Secretary of State James D. Lynch to Mississippi Governor James L. Alcorn; 1870

Document Network
Document Metadata

Each transcribed document contains links that connect it to other documents on the same topic in the collection.

People

Alcorn, J. L. (James Lusk), 1816-1894 Ames, Adelbert, 1835-1933 Atwood, William Dilworth, Andrew Boyd Hewson, H. F.Lynch, James Matthews, Joseph W.Musgrove, Henry

Events

Political Office--Appointment to office Political elections

Organizations

Mississippi--Commissioner of State Lands Mississippi--Department of State Mississippi--Executive Department Mississippi--General Land Office Mississippi--Legislature Mississippi--Military Districts. 4th District Schools Universities and colleges Universities and colleges--Mississippi. Jefferson College

Occupations

Adjutants Clerks

Places

Mississippi--Calhoun County Mississippi--Chickasaw County Mississippi--Choctaw County Mississippi--DeSoto County Mississippi--Itawamba County Mississippi--Lafayette County Mississippi--Lee County Mississippi--Lowndes County Mississippi--Marshall County Mississippi--Monroe County Mississippi--Oktibbeha County Mississippi--Panola County Mississippi--Pontotoc County Mississippi--Tallahatchie County Mississippi--Tippah County Mississippi--Tishomingo County Mississippi--Tunica County Mississippi--Yalobusha County

Page 1

[note] ~~Dec 23—1869~~ [1870?] [/note]

To his Excellency,J. L. Alcorn, Governor.

I have the honor to make the following statement to you in reference to the department of Secretary of State, to which I was provisionally appointed by Brevet. Maj. Gen. Ames, Comd'g 4^th Military District, Dec. 23, 1869—

Change of officers

So frequently have changes been made in the Chief of this department the year past, that what might be a reasonably expected efficiency of administration was not clearly apparent.

Land offices

By existing laws the duties of a land officer devolve on the Secretary of State. While such duties do not add too much to the labor of the Office, it would be well that the many acts of legislature in reference to public lands of the State be made a subject of special consider-ation that a more uniform and efficient system be adopted for their disposal. The public lands of the State are as follows:

State lands

Area of the State	30.179.840 acres
,, Chickasaw Counties	6.283.804 52/100
Sixteenth sections Donated for School purposes	663.778 76/100 acres
Chickasaw Grant in lieu of Sixteenth Sect	174.550 12/100
For Jefferson College	640
Total Donated for School purposes	838.968 88/100 acres
For Internal Improvement	500.000 acres
Swamp lands patented to State	2.681.383.16
Total	4.020.352 04/100 acres

Page 2

The most of this land has been disposed of by sale and lease, it is only by long and expensive investigation, with perhaps doubtful results, that a correct Know-ledge of the amount realized for school purposes and in Internal improvements from these lands, could be hoped for.

I have information, the correctness of which I have no shadow of doubt; that no report has been made by the Secretary of State since Nov. 25, 1851. The report made at that time contains these significant passages:

"The special legislation upon this subject has virtually repealed the law providing for a general system of Common Schools in the State. On examining the various laws upon this subject, repeals and re-enactments, special and supplemental laws, the subject is thrown into such a state of confusion that it is difficult to tell what the law is—

In December 1849, my predecessor made an elaborate report to the Govenor in which he states that in his previous report he was able to report from one-fourth of the Counties in the State, and regrets that, in his present report he could present the condition of schools in only eleven Counties.

And I now have to report that during the last two years returns from three counties only have been made to this office. This is owing to the special laws passed for

Page 3

the most of the Counties, which are not required to report the condition of schools to the Secretary of state. It is not so much my purpose to make a report upon schools, as to show why I have not done so: and also to show due respect to those counties who have made their reports."

Maps.

The sets of Maps of said lands are in possession of this office, and I have every reason to believe are complete. This is

Record of Sales

true of Records of Sales. As it has not been the custom to make Annual Reports

Annual Report

of sales it would require more time than has been at my command to ascertain the exact amount of public lands re-maining unsold—

Chickasaw lands unsold

Calculating from the only data at hand the amount of Chickasaw School lands remaining unsold is about thirty thousand acres. The Secretary of State is charged with the duty of

Apportionment School fund

apportioning the amount of interest due the several Chickasaw Counties,

The amount of the Chickasaw school fund is $813687,62—

The last semi-annual apportionment of interest on the same, is as follows:

Page 4

	Area	Semi-annual Int due Nov 1. 1869—
Tishomingo	738.678.46 acres	$3826.04
Tippah	682.669.88 ,,	3535.95
Pontotoc	384.341.49 ,,	1990.73
Lee	377.265.87 "	1954.08
Itawamba	384.321.49 ,,	1990.61
Marshall	585 916.07 ,,	3034.80
Lafayette	457 025.20 ,,	2367.20
DeSoto	613.398.36 ,,	3177.15
Tunica	342.911.50 ,,	1776.14
Panola	422.900.84 ,,	2190.45
Chickasaw	444 324.47 ,,	2301.42
Monroe	261 429.58 ,,	1354.10
Calhoun	328.776.88 ,,	1702.93
Yalobusha	146 089 59 ,,	756.68
Oktibbeha	36 750.17 ,,	190.35
Lowndes	57.577.40 ,,	298.23
Choctaw	17.462.49 ,,	90.45
Tallahatchie	1.966.68 ,,	10.19
Total	6.283.804. 52/100 acres	$32.547 50/100

Page 5

Record of official acts of Governor

It has long been the custom to have a record of the official proceedings of the Governor, kept in his office, instead of that of Secretary of State, by his private Secretary. Thus information that might be contained in this report is not in my possession. Though this custom may be properly continued, I suggest that it be so modified as to make this Office one of the places of Record of the official acts of His Excellency—

The Revised Code of 1857 gave the office of Secretary of State a more important relation to the Commonwealth than is held under the present laws, as modified by Act approved March 8, 1865.

Duties of office

I anticipate no difficulty in performing any duties that may facilitate the ad-ministration—

Improvements needed.

Much improvement is needed, in addition of books, blanks and other appurtenances to insure a more efficient system of doing business—

Election returns

The Official Reports of ^the^ late Election consisting of fourteen large cases, turned over by Lt W^m Atwood, A. A. Gen. of the 4^th Military District are now in my possession.

Inventory of property

As no inventory of property belonging to this office (though requested) has been furnished by my immediate predecessor, I cannot say how well the archives of the office have been kept.

There were issued by Maj. Gen. Ames

Page 6

Comd'g 4^th Military District. Military Governor of Mississippi.

Commissions issued

Commissions to officers in the State 1.427.
Commissioners to take depositions in other states. 136.
Total number of Commissions issued, 1563.

Salary of Clerk

The Salary of the Clerk of this office, as only one is allowed by law, is a mere beggarly pittance, and an increase is earnestly suggested as a matter of Justice.

Condition of office

The end of the Capitol building in which the Office of Secretary of State is located is so unsafe as to imperil life. The furniture of the office neither meet con-venience or ordinary taste; with but little expense these sources of annoyance might be removed.

Very Respectfully,
Your Ob'dt Servant

James Lynch.
Sec't'y of State.