Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-10-01
wALnALLA, S c, FRIDAY, OCTOBER /, 1869


closed in the course of official action and dis.
cussion recently. From these it may be
inferred that in his report Mr.. Dclano will
not recommend an increase of tax on spirits,
but will favor either decrease in the sum
now collected per gallon or the continuance
of the existing law.
In this particular, information comes that
on effort is to be made by dealers in whiskey
to dcfeat the commissioner, and by formidi.
bio organization of tho lobby to convince
members of Congress that the tax should bc
increased, the figure named being one dollar
Secretary Boutwell,, it is known, will favor
the continuance of the present law on the
subject. Experience has shown that mate.
rial modification of tho tax laws should be
inadn and the burdens in some directions re.
moved, while in many instances the tax should
be increased, md this will form the great
features of Commissioner Delapo's report
In view Of the growth of population and
multiplication of commercial transactions, an
immense revenue can be raised hy sometimes
doubling the tax on deeds, mortgages, prom
issory notes, checks, 60, which represent
capital, ond corresponding reduction may
be nude on tax on articles of food and cloth.
ing of daily consumption, hy poor and rioh
alike The list suggested for this increase
will surprise all who hnve not given the sub.
jcct close study, and tho amount of revenue
to be derived from things of constant use and
occurrence, ahd representing capital, is aston
ishiug 1t is, however, not only in these
ways that the fevenue can be increased, but
likewise in the adoption of contrivanoes for
the prevention Of frauds upon government,
that charges are nuued Ono of these is tho
prevention of the frequent use of the same
stamps by removing the cancell alton.
The foregoing includes some Of the promi-
nent points TINT will be discussed and recon-
mended in tho forthcoming annual report of
the Commissioner of Internal Revenue.
Negro Debts
! The question of the validity of negro dobts
was before the Court last week. The action
was on a note dated in 1862, one thousand
dollars of the consideration of which was tho
purchase money Of negro slave. The prac
ticc of tho court heretofore has been to con-
tinuc all such Gases pending tho decision of
tho Supreme Court on cases now before it,
! But this case counsel wished to dispose of,
and it was therefore agreed to leave it to the
jury under the instructions of Ills Homer.
Judge Thomas stated his opinion and the
reasons therefor fully and clearly. Ho pre-
missed by saying thut Chief Justice Chase,
wise and good man, had avoided giving his
opinion on this vexed question but that, he,
feeling it to be his duty to give tho jury the
benefit Of his reflections, and hsing unwilling
to avoid any official duty, would lay before
them the result Of tho earnest attention he
had given to this matter.
The question to bc determined is, can obli-
cations based upon the purchase Of negroes
be enforced in the Courts Of this State? The
answer depends upon the constitutionality of
the Ordinance Of the Convention Of 1868,
ordaining that ull contracts the consideration
of which was the purchase of slaves, are hero.
| by declared null and void and Of no etfeot !;
aud no suit either at law or in equity shall be
commenced or prosecuted for che enlargement
of suoh contracts On this point Judge
Thomas ontertans great doubt but being
as he is an officer under the Constitution ere.
atcd by that same Convention. he is bound
to resolve tho doubt in favor of the State, and
regard tho ordinance as not violative of the
/! Constitution of the United States and there.
fore US the supreme lsw Of the State.
As the Judge expressed it, thore are vari.
Gus grades Of law in this country the Con
stitutions Of the States hold an intermediate
position. AS to tho relative superiority of
these two grades he did not express an opin,
ion.
In support Of tho position that the Ord-
nance of the Convention Of 1868 is Of binding
force and effect US the supreme law of the
State, His Honor cited the we'll known legal
proposition that the State has the right to
interfere with an immoral contract aud set it
aside. Slavery was never right. The world
has always held slavery wrong. We eheld on
to che institution long tune thinking we
wore doing the slave great good. The ne
gro and the world did not agree with u.s.
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