The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-24

caAed-Press-ure-Mo h
but Honest.-The Judges-Stray Items.
sIFRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBIA, December p
THE TOWNSHIP ACT.
>-1u the Senate, to-day, Hayne called up the
bill repeating the township act. Coroin did not
object to the bill being brought up, but he did to
its passage. The General Assembly, said he, did,
one year ago, pass the act providing for the sys-
TEN OF townships, and now the members are try
ing to repeal the act even before 1t has had fair
trial. In many counties the townships have not
been organized. All OF the objections that have
been made to the system have been met In the
bill which has been offered to amend the town
ship act. The main objection urged, was thSt
many OF the townships were spsrsely settled. In
such places do not apply the system, but wait
until they are populated; that Is the way
they do out West. There are many townships
out there inhabited only BY the fox and
the buffalo; but in time they will be settled
by emIgrants, and then the system will be en-
forced. Let all the Objectionable features be
stricken out OF the act To repeal it, because there
are q few Objectionable features is to do as fool
ish q thing as man who had more money than
brains once did. He built fine mansion, but did
not like the cornice. Instead Of fixing the cor
nice alone, he had the entire building pulled down
and built new one with cornice to suit. There
must be some system which will give the people
good roads and schools, and the township sys-
tenn, as amended in the bill recently offered, Is
about the only way to secure it. Cain had great
deal to say. He was not exactly certain that the
act should be repealed; anyhow, he wanted more
time t61 thiRk over 1t. 1t was generally under
stood that the Republican party was the
friend OF the poor man, but some OF It's
measures-the workings Of the township act for
one-were at variance with the general opinion.
Under its provisions the poor men did all the work
: and the rich men stroled or rode around enjoy
ing themselves. But II the act were repealed the
county commissioners would have more author
ity, more opportunities for stealing; yet when he
came to think about 1t, they would steal anyhow,
and 'twos best to give them as much to do as pos
sIble as set OF against their stealing. Leslie had
great deal to say about the county commission
ers generally, but those Of Barnwell County, and
the other officers OF 1t also, in particular The or
dcers under the Democratic rule were bad enough,
but those unUer the Republican rule didn't seem
to be much better. After some further discussion
motion to postpone tae consideration OF the bill
was made, and much to the surprise OF many,
carried. "
THE PHOSPHATE MONOPOLY.
The opponents OF the "bill TO grant certain per-
sons therein named the exclusive right to dig anu
mine in the beds OF the navigable streams ana
waters of the State for phosphate rocks and pnos-
uhatic deposits,r made use Of every measure
known to parlamentarians," }" as Calm calls 1t, to
preyent 1t being considered today but all In 7ain
About twenty minutes past two O'Clock motion
to consider the bill'was carried by small ma
jority. After some little sparring, Coroin deliv-
cred himself Of speech, OF which he has been
full for several days past
coRsIN's SPEECH.
Mr.. President-I shall endeayor to show, IN the
few wozSs an about to utter, that the measure
before us is lawful, just and wise.
This State, in common with many other South
ern States, has but just emerged from terrible
and exhausting civil war-a war which mas ue.
stroyed q large portion Of her substance, reduced
her people to beggary and left the state ourdened
with debt and taxation. Sad, sad indeed, IN thls
respect, Is the condition OF our adopted stare
This being true, 1t needs no argument 10 snow
: that the policy Of the State Government should
he while it must be honest and Just to its credit
ors, to tighten the burden OF the people so iar as
lies in its power.
I'm the course OF human events 1t has been dis
covered that in the low lands, in the swamps and
marshes and beds OF some few OF our navigaole
streams a phosphate rock or phosphate deposit
lies buried The genius, enterprise and capitai Oh
a few of our citizens have developed the fact that
this deposit Is valuable, that 1t oan be utilized
and made to serve an important purpose In the
conduct Of human affairs.
Such q discovery having dawned upon us, 1t
becomes important to inquire, how can the state
best realize benefit from itf
The uublic lands OF the State were long since
uarted with. The navigable streams and waters
TO the extent that they are navgabe, are all that
ia left to the State of its wide domains, ana
these as highways for nterconlmunication
and for commerce, must remain, by our constitu'
tion. forever free With this restriction the state
owns, and may dispose OF, the lands forming the
beds of its rivers The right to do so has never,
and can never, be doubted or successfully ques.
toned There is hardly State in the Union tha'
has not ssserted, in some form, qualified prop
erty In them. Sufficient for present purposes,
then, is it to say, that the beds OF the navgaole
streams within the jurisdiction OF the State are the
property Of the State and subject to the disposal
Of the Legislature, with the proviso that the
gowa:ers shall continue to now forever over them'
unobstructed and unopposed.
81 Let us now inquire how can the State best real
ize Its property in these phosphate deposits. The
Textent and ultimate value OF the deposits is en-
stlrely speculative, and can never be known till
. industry, labor and capital have searched them
ont Sufficient only Is known OF them TO approXi-
mate to their value, and this is mainly measured
nv the demand for them on the one hand, and
the labor Of obtaining them on the other. Thus
far IL has been ascertained that the phosphates
in their native beds upon the lands where they
! lie near the surface are wsrth about fifty cents
per ton. Those who own the most favored beds,
/ favorable to mine, are dlsposing OF them at this
rate.
Now let us consider the policy OF the bill before
us. 1t may be regarded in two aspects;
~ Capital is required to successfully work and
develop these beds.
ts.) To realize anything from their develop
ment. the work must be put into the hands OF
responsible parties
CAPITAL.
Capital is required to successfully wOrA anu
develop these beds. think the bare statement