Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-12-01
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

ton will be heard before Judge Withers at Cham
bers at Camden to-day, Saturday. -. .-..
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Gentlemen ofthe Senate and
Houseof Representatives:
IL After year Of unprecedented health, and the
enjoyment Of many blessing from the hand Of
benefcent Creator, you, the chosen Representa-
tives of the people, have assembled to deliberate
on the affairs of the Commonwealth, and to enact
such laws as you may think conducive to her
welfare. In discharging this important duty en-.
trusted to you by your constituents, you should
invoke the aid and counsel of One whose Judge
ment is unerring, and who rules the destinies OF
States as we'll as individuals No people who dsre-
CARDS the divine commands can be prosperous and
happy. An implicit confidence in God alone can
give you the wisdom to plan, and the ability to
execute, and upon this must ever depend the sue
cessful administration Of our public affairs.
There are certain cardinal principles which
should, in my opinion, govern your legislative ac-
ton, to wit: To collect no more taxes from the
people than are absolutely necessary for an eco
nomical administration Of the government; to
avoid as much as possible creating new, and to
provide for the extinguishment Of the present
public debt, 80 that our people may not be forced
to emigrate to avoid the burdens Of taxation, and
thus depopulate the State. A public debt in this
country is not regarded as public blessing, and
to entail heavy one upon posterity would be
shrinking from the responsibility of taxing our
selves, and doing the greatest injustice to them
The individual who would leave his estate to his
children covered with bonds and mortgages,
would not be regarded as prudent and thrifty
parent, and what would be unwise in an individ-
ual, applies equally to an aggregation of indvid-
uals, called the State Although our taxation Is
not as heavy as in many of the new States, 1t
must be remembered that they have virgin soil,
and from the ability to make better crops, are
better able to bear taxation. And many persons
are kept in our State who would emigrate, If with
less ability to pay, the burdens were as heavy as
elsewhere. Although the crop of this State is not
large one, and particularly the provision crop,
yet by prudent Management and q wise economy,
our people may be able to get along without the
importation of much grain, until the harvesting
of the next crop. The great scarcity Of corn in
some of the Upper Districts, was in part brought
about by the numerous distilleries IN operation,
thus converting the staff of life into a slow but
sure poison. And while our Legislature has been
tenacious of the rights of the people, in pecunia-
ry point of view, by refusing to repeal the usury
laws for fear of leaving them prey to specula-
tors and usurers their health and lives have been
unattended to, by allowing their food to be con-
verted into ardent spirits to encourage depraved
and vitiated appetite. The tax on stills should
amount to prohibition of their use, atleast high
enough to raise an income sufficient to support
the paupers they manufacture.
FINANcE.-The Report of the Comptroller will
exhibit the financial condition Of the State in all
its details, and to it refer you for information on
that point The Banks, so far as can learn, are
in sound and healthy condition, prepared to
discharge all their obligations, and furnish
sound and staple currency for the State. With
out being disposed to question the wisdom of the
Act of the Legislature in relation to keeping
certain amount of specie in their vaults, I would
respectfully suggest, that while it would fail to
remedy the evil of suspension, (the Banks fre-
quently suspending with much less specie in their
vaults than is now required it is an unnecessary
tax upou them, without any great public good
growing out of it, The Banks, however, should
not be exempted from o strict accountability;
but it seems to me the best plan would be to put
them imme lately in liquidation upon the suspen-
sion of specie payments, and compel them to close
business until new charters are obtained, open to
all who may choose to subscribe, as when the
Banks were first chartered. If this is deemed too
severe penalty for suspending, something mil
der might be substituted that would tend to pre-
vent suspension, except under the most pressing
necessity.
CENSUS OF THE FREE WHITE INHABITANrs.-T
Act of the last session requiring q census Of the
free white inhabitants of the State to be taken,
and returns made on oath ut the Secretary of States
Office in Columbia, by the first of August last, has
been carried out with the exception Of the Parish
es of st. Thomas and St. Dennis. Samuel F.
Martin, the census taker for those Parishes, hav-
ing failed to make a return, appointed George
P. Harmin, who has necessarily made return
after the time required by law, but in all other
respects in conformity thereto. The Legislature
having omitted to provide for printing the books
necessary for the census takers, authorized the
State Printer to prepare them. The returns are
filed in the Office of the Secretary of State, sub
ject to your inspection and disposition.
REsoLUTIoNs.-Ths several resolutions requi-
ring the action of the Governor, has been attended
to. Amilitary Commission, consisting of thirteen
persons has been appointed and will report to you
at the present session. A commission consisting
of three persons has been appointed for the pur-
pose of investigating the healthful condition of
Bulls Island, with especial reference to its suita-
bleness as Quarantine Station. The commission
consists of Hon. Charl Macbeth Hon. VIM. l.
Bull and Dr. John L. Dawson, who will also re-
port to you Under the Resolution "authorizing
and empowering" the Governor to have the laws
relative to the powers and duties Of the Commits
sioners of the Poor collected and printed, &C.,
appointed Edmund Belinger, ESQ.,, who has dis
charged the duty in a satisfactory manner, and
been paid out of the Contingent Fund. b. f.
Arthur, ESQ.,, was employed to record sThe cor
respondence and documents of the officers of the
Palmetto Regiment" and the papers were put in
his possession for that purpose; butt seems that
he entertained some doubts Of his powers, and the
construction to be given to the resolution. He
saws in q letter to me Gall the papers which l
deemed Of value have been recorded, but the vol
ume will not be bound or indexed until instruc-
tions are received from the Legislature" The
accompanying letter will more fully explain the
difficulties, and refer you to it for further infor-
nation.
NEW STATE HoUsE.-By reference to the re-
port of the Commissioner of the New State House,
it will be seen that the whole disbursements for
the last fiscal year, for the building, amounted to
the sum Of three hundred and forty-eght thou
sand forty-four dollars and twenty seven cents,
(348, ,044 q, and that ON appropriation of four
hundred thousand dollars will be necessary for
the present year. Whatever difference Of opinion
may have existed as to the propriety of commen-
cling the work, no doubt can now be entertained
of the necessity of its completion. The work is
evidently progressing with as much rapidity as
practicable, and the beauty, elegance and dura-
bility of the structure, will commend itself to
every one, and cannot hesitate to recommend
the desired appropriation. By resolution of the
Legislature, the Commissioner was, authorized
and directed" to have the records removed to the
New State House as soon as the temporary
shelves were completed but in the exercise of
wise discretion, he declined removing them on
account of the dampness of the vaults, which
would have seriously injured them, and rendered
them almost as useless rs if destroyed by fire
In order to protect the State House from fire, l