The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-11
, CITY FINANCES,

la. .zuI
At the; last meeting Of City Council, Alderman
RAvENRL, Chairman Of the Committee Of vays am,
Means presented the following Report and Resolu.
Lonss which were adopted + 7t 's.,r .,
COMMITTEES os wuys and MnsaTs, iii submit
ting TO Council o bill Intending the Ordinance fo1
raising supplies for the year 1867 respectfully ash
- It is now eighteen months since the presen,
Council was inaugurated. The task Of reconstruc
1on; ;of municipal affairs was commenced with al
ed and impoverished The tirst effort was to re-
store: confidence and the city credit The public
9nidnga were dilapidn ted, and rapidly falling inte
Rairs-the streets imPerfectly and but PARTIAL,
lighted, and in bad oder as we'll as file sidewalks
and gutters-ttidnl -and other drains requiring
cleansing, and the Health Depart rtnent, impera,
lively demanding energetic measures; without re.
gard to icost-the Fire Department in want Of
m1ch, TO render it as efciont it had been and
policeito be established for the protection Of fifty
tive miles OF streets IN Charleston proper-the
maintaining Of the charitable institutions ct the
CITY, which were filled with persons impoverished
and unable to support themselves. These things.
and many Others al required immediate action,
and much money. tst3..St "A. r.. IS. II ~.
The first importaItact OF your admin on was
70 pass the Tax Bill to misc supplies for the year
1856. Large amount of these taxes was paid in
aSSta6nas. dtS 6ls " Which although reducing the
GeDteoness of the city, werc unavallins to the
Treasury, as by law these bills could not be re-
issued, although b und to receive them for ali
dgss2f taxes, 4, &e:, to the, CITY, This, Of course
although much pressed your Committee could not
suggest to Council IN Increase of taxes to q bilj
asgaay s,aTs Considered !4 BY many as onerous, and
lively necessary. Under circumstances of en-
Darrasament, your Committee asked and OBJ
money. which they accomplished at q high
rate or interest; but it could not be avoided,
as It was deemed e1pedient to do this rather than
its good faith. 8 Large accommodations Of arreara-
ges OF mi crest due to the holders of city stocks
ana bonds, pressed heasily on Council, and public
OPINION called loudly that this just claim should
nave It's earnest -consid Council therefore
passed bill directing that the said interest should
tsan 9e and We are glad TO that most Of
On the first of April 1866, Just i've months after
she reestab blishmentl Of tho city government we
na M the satisfaction Of paying the quarters inter
est dueo on that day the city debt. This, as we
had hoped, at once created confidence reassured
our citizens, and impaired IN availability and value
70 10 ciSy securities Which no other corporation in
. Our city was proud; and justly so, Of having set
So SO 5000 an example It was STRONG and iznpor-
at once to begin the work Of reconstruction.
and. that N, good earnest It has been alleged
lnat Council was prelnat in paying its inter-
estI1 thus vas fault, it is certainly -pardouable
as il enabled many persons to meet. pressins Oh,
4eatons and to provide for their Immediate wants
~ caused the ;clrcuiaion of money, and Its whole
state that to their sense Of popriety md Justice ia
Council indebted foIthe means with which they
achieved a9l this desirable end. They responded to
the call on them Tor taxes, when they had Tbnt
slender means, showing thus strong evidence
that they supported Council In its efforts to- fulfil
its obhgadons. We IRE happy to state that the in
terest was al! paid promptly each succeeding quar-
Ter. amounting in all to about three hundred
lhgusand m dollars. But, unfortunately, we have
had pressure on u.s. which, for the moment is dis.
couIag1ng but we must nerve ourselves and
rene#our energies in this our hour Of tlificuIty
rety1ng On our honesty OF purpose and tho support
r<nkfl
OF much reflection, and only AFTER the exhausting
OF every expedient Shat your Committee
syal oeq5ra ggS ths ATT eRthoEIze his
et.!.cssss OF indebtedness to meet the last quar-
ters interest," But it WIS either to do this or to
oepraye tne holders OF city securities Of any way
With 9 floating debt of fifty five Thousand dol.
!ars Ct an interest Of one and q half per cent. 8
horroI we ies asf not right OF prudent to
1t had been possible to obtain it. -.
we deem It It best to state frankly the financial
sense Of our community Would sustain nus us. 80 soou
In passing the Tax Bill it must be confessed that
council was actustsd by ,lenity; and q desire to
and extended the time Of final psyments to 29tR
June NEXT and should any be delin quent then, that
N @ atefest y S at the rate Of per cent per annun
necessities; which required that the last day Of
payment should have been LIST April On ali
subjects OF taxation, except those provided by
est, II the. tax was not ~ paid then. e ahouid %
he made commensurate with that current
The bil! we are about to submit purports pnttins,
1t on thus footing. Council must not FORGET thaf
tne nnancaat changes in our State have been very
great since our Tax Bill was passed.
Ihe repeal OF the Dsury Laws has made money
iysl1tnauy z commodlt, and its value enhanced or
depressed according to the demands for it, There
Iofe, our c1tizens must expect to meet the change
ana CONFORM to the result effected by it. II
Il may be said that rate Of interest higher than
seven Per cent ls hard and ruinous to those citi-
must examine the subject fearIessiy, Wir1 sn Me
termination to do Justice alike to all The tax
payer, who responds promptly, demands at our
hands, as his right that aliwho enjoy the advantar
ges and protection Of the city should be made alike
with himself to 4 bear portion of the public
It has been alleged thets Council had been too
indnlgent to delinquents. 1t is true Council
always leans on the side Of mercy, and has extend
ed at times, under circumstances OF peculiar dis
1mperahvely to demand. It is due to the public to
say that the arrearsges Of taxes during the war,
and the taxes OF the last year, have been paid
almost beyond our expectation, especially whom
=s consider the pc'es.y Ct cc- people.
lS ls almost unnecessary that We should urge on
ministration Of its affairs. Our actual wants are
more than we can manage with comfort !. e.
In n'conclusion we have only to say that all OF our
efforts to manage With success the finance Of the
city will be unayaling, unless sustained by the
conntenance and support Of our citizens.
E. W.. MARSHALL.
Ss;. sa&38 sa q. B. OAKES. .E
JACOB SMALL.
,% a5E p. c. GAILLARD, Mayor
BILL TO AMEND AN ORDINANCE TO RAISE SUPPLIES
FOB TEE YEAR 1857, AND FOE OTHER P :iRPosEs.
] f0rSf{v no1 JNt.