The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1863-04-15

The entire subject is commended to
your earnes, consideration, and ,rus,
You will devise some means BY which the
undae disl'lla,ion of the cereals (snd |
would add molasses) may be, for the
present, etfectual!y suppressed. The enor.
mouse profits on whisky stford. appa.
ren,lv, An irresistible inducemept TO distil
grain and the snwillingness of the ci,i.
zens and officials to give information and
! prosecute is sach that the consumption Of
grain by dis,ilation, w,hou, any permit,
IL great evil. All supplies which the
country affords are needed for our armies
in the field and our peop's at home
There is no limit to the capacity of the
Confederate ST. es now to produce every
\ thing requisite to carry or the war for An
| indefinite period. While our soldiers are
proving themselves equal to tho enemy
everywhere, we a, home may ruin our
canse By al unwise failure properly to
develop our resources and preserve our
supplies. The two great questions with
US are our finances and our supplies
The Confederate Government is endeav.
oring TO regulate the former--,he latter
the State Governments aud the people
themselves must regulate, and upon them
rests a heavy responsibility.
The Act 10 supply negro labor for coast
de'ences. experience has shown, cannot
be made efrctual for the accomplish
ment OF it's objects. have ascertaineJ
from The United States Census of 1850,
an abstract Of which is herewith trans
mitted. that each division, as now ar
ranged by the Act, contained then at
least i've times rs MANY road hands as
are called for by the Confederate General,
and at this juuc;ure, doubtless, contains |
m,re. Not over ole hal. Of the road |
hands Of any one division has heretofore |
been sen. 10 the coast. Il, therefore.
each division would furnish one half Of il. |
force heretofore cent do~n-thn is. one
fourth OF IFS whole force--it would sff,rd |
largely more than the numter called for. |
But the second divisicn-,hs only on.
whose time, SO lar, has arrived 10. res
pond 10 the call for it's hslf-has furn. |
ished !ess than one fifth Of The number
called Tor bv the Confederate General
While a dIs.rust as TO the treatment of
the nsgros, and also as to thsir aromp,
return, deten some from sending their
portion Of the labor, tho fine is to, light
to compel any. II ,h~. were adequate,
the process o: collection is too slow each
fine, by law, having to be sued for in the
Court OF Common Pleas, after being As
sessed and imposed hy the Com nmission.
ers. And when collected, there is still
no authority for the Commissioners to
pay the sum 10 The State Agen., who
might there~ith procure other labor
Some more rxpeIuious mode for procu.
ring the labor, and imposing and coI'ec
ting the fines, will have 10 be adopted.
to secure the succes. Of the scheme.
Some Commissioners have doubted
whether less than n quorum "f the Board
can 6ll vacancies. MANY Commissioner.
being i" the armv, il may bs we'll cor the
Legislature ut It's present session, for tbs
m ~ Ip m nlar a.
and so to amend the Act that one or
more Commissioners may appoint the
number requisite to constitute a quorum,
the vacancies to be filled from among
such rs are exempt from road duty, If
necessary.
| herewith transmit copy Of a recent
correspondence with Colonel John S.
Preston, Commnndant OF Conscrip,s for
South Carolina, upon subject which
presume will give rise 10 no embarrass
ment. Ny action in the premises, as the
Executive OF :he State, has 5eeg taken in
accordance with The dictates Of my be.,
Judgment ; but rs some members OF the
Legislature entertain views differing
somswha, from my own rs to the con
struc.ion to Se placed upon your recent |
Act Connected With be subject. ! lave
deemed it.proper to lay the matter before
you, for such action as you may consider
advisable.
Upon your own deliberations. and nv
humble efforts 10 carry out your decis
ions, invoke the blessings Of the Al. !
mighty. NJ l.. BoNnAM.