Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-12-07

otate, mat one OF our Eost important State er
terpriscs, tho Card Factory, was recently seriou,
ly embarrassed By the Threatened withdrawal; b
the Confederate authorities, of the operatives i
it, though there .werezbut three; subject to con
seription. Although not strietIy State officers,
. folt it my duty, in orderto prevent a. suspension
of the work, to; claim their exemption, upon th
; ground that they are necessary to carry out til
8 laws of South, Carolina. I might well. hay
: claimed, and perhaps should, deputy sheriff il
eaoh District, bot did not do so, except uher
felt it to be absolutely necessary, In con1ee
tiou NTH this subject Transmit an interesting
I report furnished me, at my request, by Maj. Mel
ton, Commandant Of Conscriptse for this State
It will bo gratifying to sea that thesStata:h :ha
done her whole duty TO the Confederate Goyorn;
| ment. srgi ss,sis- So. =. =
The State Works, at Greonvilfe, tits believed
| by the intelligent Superintendent may be made
profitable, although they have mot thus far prov.
ed SO. The wantof coalis seriously felt. since
theloss Of the Chattanooga Coal Mines, and
4 now recommend, as I have heretofore done, that
these works be removed to Columbia, and placed
on the canal, where they may be run by water
powcr, and be much nearer, the iron, which has
| now to be shipped to them by reilroad. Their
gradual removal, it is believed, may be effected
without suspending entirely The work, and the
increased advantages obtained will, moro than
compensate for any EXP ense incurred. Phe I'D
ditionnl security afforded by their being placed
within the corporate limits Of this city, lis no
small consideration. Ono difficulty in tho way
Of their being made profitable arises from the &c.
ton of the Copfedcra.eeu authorities, who hayeas-
sumea control of the mines in, this State, and
take the iron Mt schedule prices, whilst tho State
has to pay the market price. have been una
bio to make any satisfactory arrangement upon
this subject since the matter has been brought
to my attention, and do not know that itis,prac-
tioablo to do go. The eminent domain boipg in
the State, and the State having chartered the
companies, recommend that.an Act be passed
authorizing the Governor, in tho. event On ar
rangenent cannot be hisde by which tho State
shall obtain iron at the same price at which the
Confederate Government obtains it, to take pos
session of the MINIS, 90 as to Secure, ut least,
just proportion of the iron rLoduced.. The report
ofthe State Auditor, and the communication of
the General Superintendent upon the subject of
these WORKS, accompanying this message, con-
tain much interesting information, and many VAL
liable suggestions. The views of the Superi6ten-
dent of the Small Arms Factory are worthy of
your careful consideration, and ifthe State do.
termines to continue the works; i earnestly re-
commend the manufacture Of as many Of the
Morse Carbine, annually, as can be put up. It
is tho best weapon foT mounted Infantry yet in
vented, and by putting them On the market, and
selling them as they are emanufaetured, bolievo,
from the statements of those in charge VI the
works, that with the she'll that may be cast,
(ssficicntircn being obtaiaed,) the agricultural
implements which may be made snd sold, ana
tho carbineS which can lie reh6ily disposed OF to
the citizens Of tho cetntry, thus greatly ;ncreas-
ing hcir facilities for tho defence ef their hor1ps,
the works where theS ngY are maybe mado not.
only to pay expenses, but tven profitable.
b. re.ereucs to, The QaarttTmaSte r G GcncI al's
report, full account Of, toe operations Of the
Siate Card Factory will be- found. Tia card
making machines we're not put into operation so
readily as could have been wished, on account Of
tho difficulties met with by the Quaritrmostor
General, especially in procuring timber. Che
results attained rc. howcv6r, lighy a;isfsctory,
and the machines have been nut into operation
in most sk;l:fnl rpapner. Inc State has ex-
pended no money 10 better advantage than that
appropriated for this establishment. The sum
not being saGlcicnt. to Pay the purchase money
and othc. expenses, ], was enabled to supply tn,
deficiency from the proc,e Is Of one hundred bales
Of cotton which had slipped abroad through |
the liuc-aiity OF the importing and Exporting
Compuny. jest te:c-e the last session Of the Log
isiatu-c. 4 hGndseno balance was lefs 20 the
credit OF the State, Fifty other bales, which |
had rurchastd Tor the .rqc prupo'c, I was not
saaLleato ship, ia sDasyeuc.ceef the claim short
" a!tersscds . rtod Cy the Confederate Gov
ernmea: tn cns-salf The capacty Of all vcsseis
running the blockade.
The 'LssiSla'ure.. at their last session, passed
IAN A5s tn proouys supplies and iurnisD tic i'm
plemrnts Of agricultural and manufacturing in
austry for Tho snlaisrs people of the Statn. By
n union Of the State with tho Importing and E.
porting Cunpray. of South carpliua," .y rhict
it was proposed that the Stat. should become
3ut IA rnrt owner of the vessels OF thst company.
u.,on suuh erms as the Gorcrpnr sni tie Presi.
dent OF the Bank Shouts. pTr..ve. At tie s,me
ses.ioa. tie legislature pas'a the following res
olptiop q
Resoivee, That his EScoIlerey tao Governor
be requc<ted to correspond with the -aulh"ri;ies
as Richmond, urgiss the.a to fo.eso the right
heretofore csercisc5 ofshipring csttcn md bring
ing freight on the boats owned i.y the INport;rg
and Reporting ConapnJ, in consequence OF the
by tho State OF part,of these beats,
and that he set Sortb the great @ants Of our SOL
Iiers aud citizens which the shipment Of cotton
and other produce, and the impcrta ton of sum
plies and Tho IMPLEMENTS Of agricultural and
manufacturing Industry alone car relie'e.
This d:l; but'so far fre:n roliuqu:shing its
claim to third of said vessels tie Confederate
Gorornmen: soon after, undsr anAct of Congress,
claimed and is now using oun hhlf their capacity.
OF course, the negotiation failed. I,wuuld hsyv
been Far betior to hayc aaop.ed the alternative
suggestion nade at the last session, that the
state should purchase vessel Of her own; end I
now recommend that the Governor he authorised
to purchase vessel in Europe, to he paid for by
tho Shipment of cctten or otherwise, a.s may be
deemed mos. advisable. il order that the State
may furniah clothing to her soldiers in the acid,
anu agricultural implcments..to her people at
home. other States have, through thcir own
ships, furnished their troops with supplies of
clothing and shoes, and their citizens, measure
bly,, with agricultural implements; and one of
them, etleast,s has over and abofo large fund
to her credit in Europe. South Carolina, h6wev-
or, daring the pendency Of negotiations andcr tho
above Act, did obtain the right from The Govern
mcnt to ship several hundred bsles Of. cotton.
This, I regret to say, has not yet been done; but
the President of the Bank, wa has had charge
I of the purehase, informs me that he has compile
ted it, and hopes at. o. favorable oroxtunity to
make the shipment. I transmit an interesting
report Of the Quartermaster- General of tho State
Of Georgia. which contains q section cf an Act
of that State authorizing the Governor to issue
clothing, shoes, hats, caps and blankets to tho
Georgia troops in Confederate service: re-
commend the passage of, q similar Act,.'neluding
provision for the sick and wounded in bospi-
tais;as vol as for thoso in the field. This State
can supply her troops with similar articles with
hut l:ttle expense should tha suggestion TO prir