Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1863-04-08

This entire subject is commsudedto your enrnest
consideration, and I trust ynn win devise s,,no
means by which the undue distillation Of ihe;cc-
reals (aad would add m%olass.,) smny be, for the
present, efectually suppressed. 1.-The enormoas
profits on whisky aaard, apparen.lY an irresistible
inducement to distil grain, aud the; unuillingncss
Of tho citizens AID ufivlals TO giyo information
aud prosecute is such that tho consumption Of
gr'iu by di.tillation. without ahy permit, is
great evil. all supplies which ,heoonn.ry affords
arc neeiod fur our armies in The ield and our peo--
pie at home. There is no,limit to1he capacity of
the Confederate States now to produce everything.
requisite to carry on the war for an indefinite pc
ri"d. While our soldiers are prosiag themselves
equal t.. the enemy everywhere, Ee mt home may
ruin our cause by AN unwirs failure properly to
develope our RESOURCES and preserve our supplies.
The two great questions with us are our finances
and our supplies. The Confederate Government
is underwriting to regulate tho former-the latter
the State Governments and tho people themselves
must regulate, ind upon them rssfs. IA heavy re-
sponsibiity.
The Act TO snpply.ncS laborfor coast defen-
ces, experience has SHOWN, cannot he made efFectu-
al for the accomplishment of t ~'ohjccts. I have
a,cortainsd, from The United States Census of
1850, An abstract of which is herewith transmitted,
that each division, as now arranged by the Act,
contained then at least FIVE times us many road
hands a. are called for by the Confederate General,
aud at this j%uucture, doubtless, contains more.
| Not over ore.hnlf Of the road hnnds of any one
division has heretofore been sent to the cnast. If,
therefore, each division would furnish one-half of
its force not heretofore sent down, THAT is, cne-
fourth of its whole force, it would afford largely
moro thun the number called for. But tho second
division, the only one whose time 60 far has arrived
IN respond to the cal for its half, has furnished
less than ons.6fth Of the number called for by the
Confederate General. While a distrust as to the
treatment Of the negroes, and also as to their
prompt return, deters some from sending their
portion OF the labor, the fine is too light to COM
pei any. Ii that were adequate, tho process Of
collection is too slow each fine, by Inv, having
To be sued Tor in the Court Of Common Pleas, after
being assessed and imposed by the Commission
ers. And when COLLECTED, thore.i is still no authori-
ty for tho Commissioner to pay the sum to the
State Agent, who might Herewith procure other
labor. Some more expeditions mode Tor procuring
the labor, and importing and collecting the fines,
will have to be adopted to ascurs the success Of
the scheme.
| Some Commissioner hsro doubted whether less
than a quorum of the Board c.n fill vacancies.
Mnny Commissioners being in the army, it mny
be well for the Legialature ut its present session,
for this particular purpose, to FIJI the vacancies
and 30 to amend the Act that one or moro Com
missioners may appoint the number requisite to
constitute a quorum, the vacancies to be filled
from among such as IRE exempt. from road duty
if necessary.
t. herewith transmit a copy Of q recent corres.
pondence with Colonel John S. Preston, com.
mandxnt Of Conscripts for South Carolina, upon q
barrassment. Ny action in the premises, as til,
Executive Of the State, has been taken in accord
apce with the dictates Of my best judgment; bu
as some members of the Legislature entertain
views differing somewhat from my own as to sh'
construction to BIO placed upon your recent Ac
connected with the subject, Ihave deemed it prop
err to lay the matter heforo-y ssor such-action al
you may consider advisable.
Upon your own deliberations, and my humble
efforts to cnrry out your decisions, I invoke The
blessings of the Almighty.
NJ. L. BONHAM.