The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-15
4 nUGE MONuPOLr
i'iic Phosphatcs Ina tn" Bed OF our Nv
iGnbIc Streams. =

A correspondent oi Inc Corm "a Phoenix
calls attention 10 an exceedingly cullen; morsei,
il. the shape OF b before the senate in the
following words:
y bill 20 grant 10 certain persons therein named
the exclusive right To dig aud mine in the bells Of
the nnvisa!ie streams and waters Of the STATE,
Tor phosphate rocks AMI phosphate dciosits.
De IL c""cts4', &c.. That the state o! Sohth Car
ing named persons. to vii George W. Williams.
James II. Taylor, Joseph Z. Robertson, i.lwim
Willis. Acxan.lcr X. Chi-o!m. W. l.. RrSd,.y, and
Char!eS c. Coo, AMI Such other persons az thcy
may associate with ihcn. The exclusive right 10
dig mine. AMI remove I: nm the beds of the navi
rti'ln streams and wat.:s within I've jurisdiction
Of ;he State Of South Carolina, the Phosphate
rock and phosnhat. deposit; IiOc;6Pi that tic
persons named, aud their associates, stnii nu. in
any way interfere with Tile ircc navigation of th.
nav-a6!e str.ams ard waters o! the state or
the i,rlv.,r ,Eii,G Of any citizen citizens rel
'iG upon The banks of .iic said naTisa,lc !, ,As
and waters OF the State.
SEC. : r,a: this gift an, grant Is made ..i.a'.
eNpte:S conhi;ipm that said grantees shall ,ay
tic sta" o: South Carolina III cs,;:n Uftwcn,y
phosphate dei;csi; dug, mined, or removed from
t,c said navisabic rivers ana waters OF The state.
Tie rG;:niX c1rrcspc: zen; ?c,Gari;s
Tile phosphate hcd OF S"nih Caro'ina l. known
10 extend from the wan',o River 10 the s.,van-
nah. lis value depends enun tS rroNiin.,y to The
surface. and Tic iictv with S!;ch /, ,un bc co;i-
vcyed 10 navlgabe waters. ani thence 10 tie
markets az the world. throughout the section Of
ethc State between the Wan'io anb lie Savannah,
the channels OF the intervening rivers cu through
the phosphate he'd and III, uios ;iliaic was",. on
iis earthly incumbfancr. lies at the bottom oi
or their chnnnc.s. ami can hc lifted hy drc,iacs
and scows in condition ready for the market,
nn,l worth. Mt least. lno per cent. more than in
localitcs where II is over!aid by from Fxn four
feet or earth. ami where i, has 10 70 through the
manipulation OF washing machines aud iranspor-
tatiOn TO the bauks ni a river 1t is worth, there.
fore, oh e'ard of The sc"S. at least. from SIX Ia
c2ht doiisro per ION, for ~hich this bill proposes
To pay the STATE twenty cents por ton. The grant
above proposes that the favorel individuals named
shall have the exclusive right "a lake the ;ilos-
pilates from the hcdS OF all the nay.aole streams
and waters, embracing the hays and inlcts along
the coast. comprising Il: least, 9000.ouO Of acres
OF surface. and each acre may he calculated Oh
for from 800 Ia 1890 tons OF phosphate, making an
aggregate OF l.i2i.00 Of tOns. Compare the diff
ference between this immense quantity Of phos-
plate nj twenty cents per ton. The price proposed
to he paid 10 The State and the four 10 six dollars
per ton, what Il is worth 10 the individuals namcd
la the grant. For be IL rccocctctl. that this i'm
mense treasure IL now the property of the State.
and II may be asked is she In condition TO di
vest herself OF Il for the benefit OF few favored
individuals? II this franchise disposed Of III
public salc IL would relieve SOnth Carolina OF her
entire State debt i'll n single year.