The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-07-24

L
Neagle offered a resolution instructing the
Committee of Ways and Means to report the
number OF negroes who have not paid the capr
tation tax, and the amount of executions pend
inc, the object being to remove the obligation.
FURTHER BY MAIL.
WARM TIMES IN ooLUMBA-sIx DOLLARS DAY
THE WORK GOES SLOWLY oN-THE BOND
BILL AND IT'S OPPORTUNITIES.
COLUMBIA, July 22.-Old Sol with all his torrid
penetration has no more influence over the
South Carolina Legislature than upon an ocean
iceberg. The thermometer may mark 1Oo de-
prees fahrenheit in the shade; you may oron
a beefsteak on the curb stones; it may be posi-
lively, comparatively, or superlatiVely, not
hotter, hottentotist; yet, with remorseless ais-
regard of all the proprieties Of life, dead 70
every feeling of self-respect, blinded bv per-
sniration. and bent only on being patriotic to
the value Of six dollars o day, the newly
pledged representatives and senator's Of the
State do pertinaciously insist on meeting at
the inssne hour of twelve o'clock, high noon,
and steaming through q three hours warm
bath Of memorials, resolutions, petitions, bills
and verbosity. Cotton umbrellas are in de-
mand, fans futter tempestuously, and busi-
ness drags. DeLarge raises points OF order,
to allow his friends to go out for julep. Les
lie gets into an elocutionary passion to enjoy
..cooling off," and to secure time to cut water
melons, one has only to coll for the yeas and
nays.
That the work Of legislation progresses
slowly, is best proved by the statement that
thus far the only bill which has passed both
Houses since the opening hour is heact ac-
cepting the donation Of public lands for agri-
cultural schools and colleges. From the daily
notices of bills introduced, however, and the
measures projected, you will see that large
amount Of work has been cut out, and that
much remains to be done.
Fortunately, the debating power in the
House is confined to o few, and, however I'M
portant scheme may be, it is not likely to
have the plumb line OF more than half q dozen
orators dropped into it's depths.
Much talk has resulted from the persistent
opposition OF the Governor to The transfer OF
the finances Of the State from the hands OF
Major Hood, the old treasurer, to the care OF
Captain N. G. Parker, until the latter furnishes
satisfactory bond. Indeed, party small,
but bitter, has already sprung into life, which
proposes to protect ''party" man at all haz.
ards, and they have introduced the following
bill in the Senate:
| A bill to fix the amounts Of the official bonds OF
certain public officers, and to impose penal
| ties on embezzlement.
Be 1t enacted, by the Senate aud House OF
Representatives Of the State OF South Carolina,
now met and sitting in General Assembly, and
by the authority Of the same:
SECTION /. That the official bonds OF the fol-
lowing public officers shall hereafter be e1ecu-
ted in the following amounts, that ID to say:
or the Secretary Of State, ten thousand dollars;
| of the Comptroller General, ten thousand dol
lars; of the Treasurer, forty thousand dollars;
of the Attorney-G General, five thousand dollars;
of the Solicitors, three thousand dollars; OF the
| Probate Judge Of Charleston County, ten
thousand dollars; Of the Probate Judge OF each
OF the other counties, five thousand dollars; OF
Escheators, one thousand dollars; of the Coro-
ner OF Charleston County, five thousand dol
lars: of the Coroner OF each Of the other coun-
ties, two thousand dollars; Of the Clerk OF the
Court OF Common Pleas, for Charleston Coun-
ty twenty thousand dollars; Of the Clerk of the
| Court OF Common Pleas for each OF the other
counties, ten thousand dollars; o. the Sheriff
of Charleston County, twenty thousand
dollars; and of the Sheriff OF each OF the other
counties, ten thousand dollars.
SEQ. 2. That the bonds OF all other public
officers shall be executed for the same amounts
as now required by law; and all acts, or parts
Of acts inconsistent with the provisions OF this
act be and the same are hereby repealed.
SEC. 8. That if any public officer shall, by
virtue of his Office, receive the moneys OF any
person or OF the State, and shall fail to account
for and pay over the same on proper demand,
he shall be adjudged guilty. OF felonious em,
bezZlement, and upon conviction thereof, shall
be fined, in the discretion Of the court in a
sum not less than double the amount embez-
zled, and be imprisoned in the penitentiary fol
g term not less than six months, nor more
than five years, the discretion Of the court to
be exercised with reference to the amount anc
circumstances of the embezzlement And IN
any indictment therefor, it shall be sufficient
designation Of the felony to charge that such
officer did ''embezzle the money" OF such per-
son or of the State, as the case may be.
A bad man, under that bill, might loan State
funds at one and half per cent. month, and
make fortune, and he could not be punished
In fact, rumor already has it that the State
| 1l6deuy NOUiO ulLhO SOO0 wy u0fuAOSo tbdi
might be made by individuals to further the
election Of DR.. A. g. NJ, or to endorse the bond
Of the chosen incumbent. But to 81 this spec
ulation and depreciation oD the public funds
Governor Scott decidedly objects; and should
the above bill pass in it's present shape it vii
be vetoed as surely as the sun shines. Toe
much of the success of the present admins
tration depends on firm credit abroad-a
credit established by protecting the public
purse-for the Executive Of the State to yield
to the blind behests Of small party who may
be stimulated by the hope of plunder.
1t hos been determined to fit up the premises
on Arsenal Hill, recommended by Governor
Orr, as the Governors Mansion. The total ex-
pense of repairing the ruins and neatly furnish
ing the official portion Of the building will not
exceed fifteen or eighteen hundred dollars.
The canvass for the supreme judgeship
| crows warm, Judge Moses has arrived from