Letter from J. M. Eckford and W. H. H. Tison to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; April 4, 1874

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Letter from J. M. Eckford and W. H. H. Tison to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; April 4, 1874

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People

Ames, Adelbert, 1835-1933 Barrett, Fred Eckford, J. W.Tison, W. H. H.

Events

Taxation Taxation--Mississippi Weather and Natural Events--Fires

Organizations

Jails Mississippi--Executive Department Mississippi--Legislature Mississippi--Legislature. House of Representatives

Businesses

Railroads and Railroad Companies Railroads and Railroad Companies--Memphis and Ohio Railroad Company

Occupations

Legislators Secretaries

Places

Mississippi--Itawamba County Mississippi--Lee County. Tupelo Mississippi--Pontotoc County Mississippi--Union County. New Albany

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171 S. B. 192. An act entitled an act to change the boundary lines of Union county. County Affairs. lies over.

[note] 4/4/74 [/note]

To His Excellency
Adelbert Ames Gov. of Miss.

We the un-dersigned members of the House of Represenatives from the County of Lee would respectfully rep-resent and show unto you Excel-lency that in the creation of the County of Union in the Spring of 1870 these were taken from the County of Lee all of Range four within the limits of said County of Lee and given to the Counties of Pontotoc and Union and in addition thereto forty eight Sections in Range five was taken from Lee County and give to Union Co. Further upon the petitions of at least four fifths of the inhabitants of the said forty eight Sections the said forty eight Sections were at the last session of the last Leg-islature returned to Lee County. Further that at the present ses-sion of the Legislature a bill has passed again taking about nine-teen Sections in Range five from Lee County (being a part ^of^ the said forty eight sections returned to Lee

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County by the last Legislature) and giving them to the County of Union. We State upon our honor as Rep-resentatives the following facts.

1^st

Many, if indeed not a majority of the people residing in the said forty eight sections, were on the petition praying the Legislature to form Lee County out of a portion of the territory of Itawam-ba and Pontotoc Counties.

2^nd

That the people residing in the territory, which the bill passed at this session proposes to take from Lee, transact all of their commer-cial business at the depots on the line of the M. & O. R. R. in Lee County of which Tupelo the County seat of Lee County is about the Rail-road and commercial are too; and if the bill herein referred to become a law the people of the territory sought to be given again to Union County will be compelled to do their commercial business on the M. & O. R. R. and their law business at New Albany, the County seat

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of Union County, which is thirty miles distant from most points on the rail road in Lee County and which, while a little nearer in some instances to the people living on said nineteen section, yet much necessarily be reached by private conveyance while said people, in going to and returning from the county seat of Lee County, can travel the greater part of the distance on the said M & O. R. R. thereby saving the expence, of keeping their stock and conveyances at the county seat, to said people.

3^rd

That there was no petition from the people inhabiting the said nineteen sections in range five, which the bill herein referred to, takes from Lee County and give to Union, asking this Legisla-ture to make the change, when it was only last year that the people by petition prayed the Legislature—

over

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to return them to Lee County which prayer was granted by the Legislature and approved by the governor.

4^th

That if this bill becomes a law the political complexion of neither county will be changed while great injustice will be done the inhabitants living on the nineteen Sections which the bill herein referred proposes to take from Lee County and give to Union County.

5^th

That during the last canvass the under signed met the people at two different places in said forty eight Sections at both of which places large crowds were in attendance and the matter thor-oughly discussed and the under-signed were beseeched to pre-sent any change in the county boundaries of Lee and Union—and we state that a very large majority of the people to be ef-fected by the change contemplated

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by this bill ^are^ oppose ^to^ the same.

6^th

That the bill passed the House on Sat-urday the 4^thday of April 1874 when there was great confusion in the House and under ^the operation of^ the previous quesitons by virtue of which dis-cussion was cut off and that a full, fair discussion of the matter would have resulted, in opin-ion, in ^a^ different vote upon said bill defeating it—

7^th

That the people of said nineteen sections have paid taxes in Lee County to assist in building a Jail, Court House and other pub-lic buildings and that while the Court House in Lee County has been destroyed by fire they assisted last fall in paying a tax of five thousand dollars to help build another court house and are perfectly willing to pay whatever their prorate may be ^to^ complete a new Court House in Lee County whereas they are unwilling to be again transferred to Union County or further contribute to its revenue

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when said tranfer will work such great hardship and in-convenience to them.

For these and other good rea-sons we ask your Excellency to veto the said bill.

Or if you can-not consistently do this to with-hold your signature until such time as the people living on said forty eight sections may signify their wish to your Excellency in reference to this mat-ter by petition—

J. W. Eckford
Mem House from Lee

W H H Tison
Mem House from Lee

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A Petition to be considered in the S. B. 192

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EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.

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SUBJECT:

A petition to be considered with—Senate Bill 192—An act entitled an act to change the boundary lines of Union County.

ADELBERT AMES,
Governor.

FRED. BARRETT,
Private Secretary.