Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-09-09
The Land Commiesion.

Ihe radicals lay great stress on tho bene.
fioiont provisions made by tho party for the
poor negro. Chief among these is tho Land
Commission. However humane the original
designs oftho creators of this Office may have
been, certain it is that it's present manage.
ment is source of ruinous expense to tho
State, without any benefit to the negro. Its
charitable purposes have been converted to
the enrching Of 3 few, Of The leaders Of the
ring. Without regard to the provisions of
the law, lands hayo been purchased at three
times their market value. Is it a kindness to
require him to pay more for lands, through tho
commission, than he can buy it at from tho
citizcns2 All the lands owned by the State
in this county have been bought by an inter.
mediate party from the original owner, at an
average of ono.third the prico paid by tho
State to the party. Tho negro must pay for
these lands Tho cost price, ard in SC doing
must give 81 extra for cach acre, as a profit
to a radical jobbcr
Section 2, of can Ordinance to create
Board of Land Commissioners" gives author.
ity to the Land Commissioner to purchase
real estate at public sale or otherwise, under
regulations provided by law: Provided, That
tho rate at which any purchase shall be made,
shall not exceed rs per cent. of the value of
the land so purchased, &C. What are the
facts as to purchases made under this law
From all parts Of the State we read .Ss lands
sold to tho, Commissioner at from two to i've
fold their malkot value. Each county has,
within it, the evidence Of this hcartcss spec,
ulation on the State under the nominal claim
of charity. Lands in this county have been
purchased by the State at Sc per acre which
but few mouths previous were sold at 81
per acre. The interest on Sc for three years,
at per cent, is sl.26, and on 81, for the
same timc is Fl cents. Buying from the
State, the negro at the end Of three years,
will have paid 81 26 interest, and will still
owe the original purchase money, when if he
had bought from the native land owner he,
for $l,2l, would have had fee simple title,
that amount being the market value per acre,
with interest added. The truth is these
will never be sold for the cost price, or if sold,
will never be paid for. We do not object to
the commission nor it's purposes, but to the
manner in which it is conducted in violation
of law and good faith.
Again Section 3, of an amcndatory Act,
page 3S6, Acts of 1870, provides, "That no
purchase shall be made without the certain
knowledge Of the Commissioner that he will
be able to sell the same without delay" We
have heard of no sales in this county by the
State. All tho legislation on the duties and
powers of this office appears fair and just, and
if properly executed might benefit many poor
persons without material injury to the Statses
Lauds purchased at three fourths their alue,
sold promptly to actual settlers, on the con-
diton of fair proportion being put in cul
tivation the first year, the interest to be paid
annually, and the title to remain in the State
until the entire price is paid, could result in
no loss to the State. That the Land Commits.
sion is not SO conducted is chargeable to SCoTT,
NEAGLE, PARKER, CARDoZA and CHAMBER.
LAIN, who constitute the Advisory Board. l.
AS proof of this, see Section 2, of the Act,
page 1856, which reads, "The Land Commits
sion shall be subject to the acti IN If major
ty of the Board, and any purchase or sale of
property, made without their advice or con
sent, shall not be VALID From this claim
it is manifest that majority of this Board
must have known and asscnted to every pur-
chase heretofore made, the gobblng up of
800 900 in one transaction included
A Noble Benefaction.