Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-07-16
able means Of the Treasury y.......-......' .4s4,fs

able means Of the Treasury 4sfS' III n
The total expenditure during the period has been s
Leaving, on the ls day Of May, cash bnlapce In =,
>. the Treasury so,Sso ."
This amount will be very materially reduced dp.
ring the month of May, by the presentation ;Ot
claims against the Treasury for payment before the
expiration Of the term Of the present administra-
ton. .'!.h&. J.. H.. '' ".'' !,'In -''-
It will be observed, from the report Of the Treas
urer that the; Convention levied tax which 1t
| was supposed would realize the sum Of $75 900.
Sufficient returns have not been received from the
various tax collectors of the State to enable him to
say whether the calculation will prove correct The
actual sums drawn from the Treasury, by order Of
Major General Candy, to defray the expenses OF
the Convention amount to $4,000, which is an
expenditure of $35, 900 more than was provided
for BY the tax bill of the Convention, assuming
that said bill raised the estimated amount. '''@
By the Act of December, 1865, authority was
given to the Treasurer and Comptroller General to
issue $500, 900 of Bills Receivable, These officers
found that it was not necessary to print more than
were embraced in the. first contract with the en-
gravers, to wit: $39O,0OO. Ofthis sum only s222,-
Treasury On the lst day of May. 1868, there
was outstanding and in circulation of these Bills
Receivable only $l356S7.
.... =. TAXES AND TAXATION. 'a aa!s''
No duty is ever devolved upon t!.o legislator in
yolving such delicate and ramifed interests as that
which looks to the creation of just and equitable
system of taxation. It isan accepted truth in po-
lftical economy that in levyng taxes upon the peo
ple it should be done in manner which will ena-
bic them to pay the same with the greatest facility
and without unnecessary oppression. The sudden
change in the system of labor which has prevailed
m South Carolina for so many years; the destruc-
ton of more than one half of the estimated wealth
of the State by the abolition of slavery; the de.
vastation Cities towns, villages farms and home.
steads, by the ravages Of war, and by invading and
retreating armies; the disastrous drought which
existed throughout the State in 1866, cutting off
almost entirely the cotton and greatly reducing the
provision crop, thereby rendering it necessary to
purchase large supplies from abroad for the subsis
tence of the population the great reduction, in
many sections of the State; Of the cotton crop of
1867, by the spoliation of the caterpillar and the
boil worm and the pressure of debts contracted
credit was so essentially different from that which
exists at the present time, admonish US that the
people of South Carolina are unable to bear bur-
den of taxation which, prior to the accumulation
of these misfortunes, would have been deemed
moderate and inconsiderable. Whether, there
fore, you look tothe contentment Of the population
or the material prosperity of the State, it is the
dictate of wisdom that you should exercise the
most rigid economy and reduce expenses By cur
failing salaries and dispensing with all appropria-
tions not absolutely necessary to the administration
of the State government ="
The taxation of the present and preceding year
has been subject matter of great complaint. The
large number of tracts of land, as well as other
property, levied upon by Sheriffs in the various
Districts, for the non-payment of taxes, unmstak-
ably eyinces the extreme difficulty encountered by
citizens in raising money to meet this demand OF
the State Whenever taxation becomes thus op-
pressive upon population, its influence cannot
but prove disastrous because it tends first to de-
moralizaton, to dishonesty, to the making of false
returns; and secondly, it is calculated to drive
ty, to seek other localities where the remuneration
oflabor and capital is not parayzed by such heavy
burdens. "..
The expenses of the Convention, and Of the
present session of your Legislature whose labors
cannot, in justice to the various changes proposed
in the new Constitution, be terminated short of
four months-will, of themselves add to the ex-
penses of the State not less than $250,000. The
judiciary system, which you are required, under
the Constitution to put into operation, will prove
much more expensive than that which now exists
and add to these burdens.
To illustrate the expenses of grand jurors for
the city of Charleston and for the country, assu-
ming that they are occupied but three days at each
Court of Sessions three terms for city and country
assuming an average of five daysper term $5l $40.
For petit Jurors for Courts of Common Pleas, city
and country, two terms, five days per term, 1884,
$50; making total expenditure for jurors alone,
under the new Constitution, of 1892
The whole expense for jurors and constables tor
the year ending lst October, 1867, land this in
cludes them for the District Courts,) amounted to
only $42, 292, ,ss; showing necessary increase Of
expense for this service alone of $50, 93l.l2.
This evil may be obviated to some extent by
modifying the law so as to provide for panels not
exceeding eighteen in number for grand jurors,
and twenty-four petit jurors, with authority to
supply the deficiency at the term Of the court,
should there be any, by drawing tales jurors.
The expense of dieting prisoners will not be less
than $4,000; for continuing the construction Of
the Penitentiary and for guarding and subsisting
convicts not less than $4,000; for salaries, &C
cording to estimates, $4,000; for contingent ac-
counts, $50, 900 for public printing, $4,000 for
contingent fund of the Executive Department,
$40, 900; for the Lunatic Asylum, $20,00O for
the University, $I2 1000; for claims against the
State, $4,000; for other expenses, ordinary and
extraordinary, $4,000; making a sum total Of
$476,2 ,224; to which add for expenses Of the Leg
islature, $l50,O00; for deficit the present year
under Gen. Canby tax order, ending October l,
1868, 100000; and 1891 ,4l4. 59-being the in.
terest on the State debt due 1st October, 1868
and the amount to be raised by taxation will reach
the enormous sum of 81, ,057 ,63s59, without one
dollar being appropriated for free schools.
To redeem the Bills Receivable, which may be
outstanding on the 1st day of October next, to pay
the interest upon the State debt which may be due
at that time, and to furnish sufficient funds to
carry on the operations of the State government
until the taxes may be collected in the spring of
1869, I recommend that 81, 900, 600 be borrowed
by the State upon bonds, provided the bonds can
be disposed of at no greater discount than twenty
per cent.
1t is now believed by the financial officers Of the
State, in which opinion | concur, that the tax or
der of Gen. Candy, together with the tax levied by
the Convention, will not realize to the Treasury
more than S375, ,OOO There is one striking and
even alarming fact with reference to the pecuniary
and financial condition of the State, to which it is
here proper to advert. Notwithstanding the or
der of General Candy, providing for more par
ticular and accurate assessment OF real estate the
present year, than has been made heretofore,
a revision of the assessments shows very con-
siderable decline in the value of all real estate
and town property Lands in TIE country are
worth from fifty to one hundred per cent less
than they were on the lst of September, 1865
Nearly as great depreciation exists in the vii
lages towns and cities of the State, especially
where the lots are not yielding rents. The above
estimate, which it will be necessary for you to pro-
vide for, embraces only the ordinary expenses of