The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-01-29

1 least was unoer5Goou 70 Do tne oplniOn oI Oeu.
Scott. Should this effort to establish q civil
government, however, fail, Congress would OF
| course provide for the emergency.
On motion of Mr.. BooZer the two reports
were ordered TO lie over until tomorrow at
| o'clock, and he made the special order OF that
| hour.
RESERVATIONS.
The President read the letter of resignation
of John Z. Terry, of Colleton, as q member
thy with the purposes Of the convention, but
stating that official duties compelled him to
absent himself permanently from the sessions
of the body.
A member stated that Mr.. Terry was con-
nected with the Internal Revenue Bureau. HIS
resignation was accepted.
The President also read telegram from the
recently elected sergeant-at-arms, thanking
the convention for the honor. conferred, and,
for family reasons, declining the same.
Propositions were made to supply the vacan-
CIV, but, on motion Of N. 6. Parker, the services
of sergeant-at-arms were dispensed with, anu
the financial business of the convention e.
trusted to the Finance Committee.
PRINTING.
D. q. Chamberlain (white), OF Berkeley
offered resolution that one hundred and hfty
copies Of the journal should be printed and
laid upon the tables of members every morn
ing. ,
the proposition on the ground both OF un.
necessary expense and uselessness. He could
see no reason for printing, when IN nme cases
out of ten the convention voted that 1t was un-
necessary even to read the Journal especially
when it added so greatly to the expenses OF
the people. ~.
J.J. Wright (colored), also argued that the
daily publication proposed was not only un,
necessary but ridiculous. They had journal
and reading clerk, and every day could De IN
formed of the proceedings OF the day previous,
expense, and not TO derive any benefit from 1t,
he thought it entirely unnecessary.
MIR. Leslie again urged that this thing ought
TO be demolished. II the people were 30 full
of money that they could afford to spare
portion Of it for publiahing the proceedings OF
the convention, he thanked God for 1t; Dut,
nevertheless, did not believe it would be either
prudent or popular measure.
g. Q. Bowen said that having elected
printer, although he was opposed to him, he
thought it was due to that printer that ne
should have as much OF the work OF the con-
vention as was his right, and this being an or
dlnary practice OF legislative bodles, ne Ia-
vored the proposition.
The question being taken, the motion was
agreed to. ,....a
sion which decided this very important subject
cost the State just 5000, according to the
closest calculation; or at the rate OF ten dol
lars minute. m
J. NJ. Runion (white), Of qreenville,. moved
to strike out the "entire dog" tax, alleging that
the people were not able to pay it.
MI. N. G.. Parker (white), Of Barnwel, Chair
man Of the Committee on Finance, replied that
the tux on dogs was expected to yield ten tnou-
sand dollars, and If it was removed the conven-
tion would be obliged TO increase the Tax on
| 0f rrOpartv in order I'm
DIV the deficiency. he, however, moved that
the tax of fifty cents be levied on every dog in
excess of one to each family. MIR. Parker slso
suggested that many verbal errors had occurr-
ed in printing the ordinance, to which ne called
attention, and changes we're made accordingly.
W. McKinlay, Of Charleston, supported a
motion to recommit the ordinance to the FL
nance Committee, but it was not agreed to.
J. z. Jlllson moved that one dollar per dog
be imposed as tax.
MIR. Rutland, Of Fairfield, raised the question
whether ,gs were property.
Alexander Bryce (white), OF Pickens, wanted
to know whether the gentleman would not be
willing ssto take dogs for the amount OF the
tax" [Laughter.I r
Tne question was taken on the motlon OF
Runion to strike out the dog TAX, anu decloeu
in the affirmative.
E.W. M. Mackey moved to strike out the tax
OF two and half cents on every hundred dol,
lars Cf the value of buggies, carriages, gold and
silver plate, &C., and insert ten cents.
The amendment was laid upon the table.
B. F. Whittemore urged the proprlety OF IN.
sertng tax OF nifty cents on oil oogs except
one in q family
A long and rambling discussion followed as
TO the correctness of the several amounts nam
ed as taxes, and it being evident from calcula-
tions made by various persons, both delegates
and outsiders, that o serious error existed In
the ordinance, the whole subject was recon-
mitted to the committee, with instructions to
report tomorrow.
THE PER DIEM OF MEMBERS.
The next subject in order was the ordinance
reported by the Finance Committee regulating
the pay Of officers and members.
T.. j, Robertson, Of Richland, thereon made
speech, in which he demonstrated that there
Tss no national currency in the treasury that
| II the members were to be paid at all it must
be in bills receivable; that although the bills
| receivable we're at present at discount OF
twenty per cent, the endorsement Of the con-
yention would in all probability cause them to
appreciate in value; that the AMOUNT M St OF taxes
greatly in excess Of the issue OF these bills,
Of which only $685. 900 are outtanding, and ae-
cordingly that by or before the middle OF April,
when the first payments we're all made, they
would be absorbed.
The per diem named in the ordinance was
/ nine QOuarB, DuU Iut BULL w po Pdiu w SeSn
delegate was in reality only about seven dollars
and twenty cents, there being at present dis
oo11nt upon the money. There was, however,
no other available means of paying the e1-
penses Of the convention. It had been pro-
posed to issue bonds, but he had consulted
with the most prominent financiers in the State
| and fell satisfied that no bonds authorized by
that convention would be worth ten cents on
the dollar. Consequently they must fall back
on the currency Of the State, and by their own
action i'm pledging the faith Of the State for
their redemption, make them good.
Gilbsrt Pillsbury (white), said that whether
three or FIVE dollars was the per daem ne wanted
Mr.. Robertson said he would give the
speaker five dollars in greenbacks for his bills
receivable.
Mr.. Pillsbury, however, did not accept
the Offer and proceeded to say That II ne
worked for pay he wanted something definite
much or little, he wished to know the sum
of his earnings in money that he could use.
| he thought, furthermore, that any action OF
the convention with reference to the currency
would be prejudicial.
N. g. Parker strongly and forciby insisted
that the bills receivable of the State could be
made available for the purposes of the conyen-
zion, although temporarily at q discount. The
| taxes to be paid, the income of the State to be
| secured under the orders of General Candy,
would more than balance the small outlay of
$4,000 required by the convention, and the
outstanding amounting to less than
e10n mn He therefore saw no valid reason