The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-07-27
The Land cornmlsston.

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The Constitutional Convention, in March,
1858, adopted an ordinance "to create
!'.Board Of Land Commissioners, which made
it the duty of the General Assembly to pro.
vide for s'the establishment of q board, to be
"known and designated as Commissioners
''of Public Lands" Of which board the
| Comptroller General should be member.
| The commissioners were authorized to pur-
chase real estate to be sold to actual settlers,
4 with the proviso "that the aggregate
.arnount of purchases made in any fiscal
t.year shall not exceed the par value Of the
''public stock of This State created and ap-
s'propriated by the General Assembly for the
purposes contemplated" in the ordinance,
and With the proviso that ''the rate at which
'sany purchase shall be made shall not e1-
l>"ceed seventy-fve per cent. Of the value OF
;.'the land (and improvements) 80 purchas-
ssed, and with the. further proviso that ''the
s'public stock (aith whose proceeds the lands
| s".Should be,boaght) shall not be negotiated
cat q rate less than the par value thereof" !"
The ordinance, as will be seen, is carefully
| drawn so as to limit the discretion Of the
commissioners, and to secure, as far as
practicable, a faithful disbursement Of the
funds entrusted to them.
The General Assembly, in March, 1859.
passed an act ''to provide for the appoint
'tment of o Land Commissioner, and to define
''his powers and duties" This act provided
that the Advisory Board therein created
should appoint person to be known as the
Gland Commissioner Of the State of South
Carolina, who should hold his office cat
sghe pleasure of the Advisory Board" This
Advisory Board was to consist Of the Cover
nor, (R Z. Scott J Comptroller General, u.
| E. rNeagle,) State Treasurer, (Niles G. Par
ker, J Secretary OF State, (F. L. Cardozo,) }
and Attorney General, ID. b. Chamberlain }
and 1t was provided that sin all the duties
|. imposed upon him. the Land Commission.
er should be governed by the instructions
sand advice OF the Advisory Board. The
Advisory Board was also to determine the
price to be paid for such lands as might be
purchased; ''not to exceed in the aggregate
e"amount, In any one fiscal year, the par
'svalue OF the public stock" created for this
purpose. And the, State Treasurer was au-
thorized to issue bonds OF the State, ''in the
..tsum OF two hundred thousand dollars" to
be so used in thepurchase OF lands.
It will be seen that the General Assembly
at the start disregarded the organic law
which authorized the creation Of the land
commission. The ordinance required that
body to provide for the establishment, OF a
Board Of Commissioners Of Public Lands, +"
and required It furthermore, ''to provide, by
claw, for the security OF the funds in the
s'hands Of the Commissioners Of Public
Glands, and for the accountability Of such
| .tsof1cers, and that it should 'srequire bonds
ssto be given therefor" Instead Of this, the
General Assembly appoints ''s Land Com
missioner who is required to give bond
sior the faithful discharge OF the duties OF
,4..his Office: This. official is, in name, res
ponsible to the people, but is mere puppet
Fin the hands of the Advisory Board, who
control all hisacts, and regulate the price
to be paid for lands, but who give no bond
whatever for the security Of the funds In
their hands. The Land Commissioner is the
scape-goat, who bears the burden Of the
sins of the Advisory Board. This illegal and
1nconstitutional Junta is uncontrolled 'ano
uncontrollable, and yet alone is RESPONSE
'ble for the expenditure Of the monies appro--
prlated to the use Of the Land Commission.
The Land Commissioner may receive the
bonds, and may parcel out the lands when
bought, but, in handling OF the money and
purchasing the lands, he must be absolutely
governed by the instructions and advice
| of the Advisory Board. This inference,
drawn from the act under which the Land
Commissioner Is appointed, is fully borne
ont by the following statement made by
Senator @ P. Leslie, the late Land Com.
missioner, printed in the Columbia Guar
diana few days ago. Mr.. Leslie in general
denial Of the charges made against him as
Land Commissioners, says:
1. never bought a foot of land in South
Carolina as Land Commissioner.
2. never had one dollar of the Land Com
mission money In my hands.
8. The Advisor, Board never bought one
foot of ground on my recommendation.
d. Inever was Land Commissioner, only in
name.
S. never drew an order on the land funds.
6, This statement, until it is contradicted,
throws the whole responsibility ii the Land
|. Commission upon the Advisory Board. In
their appointment the General Assembly
violated the constitution. We shall see
whether, in their administration of the funds
entrusted To their care, the Advisory Board
have not. committed, ,hagra-S violations Of
Law, and played ducks aud drakea with the
money Of the State. - ~
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TIE Lancaster Herald reports that one Of
the members Of the Lancaster Union League
"a white man, tits presumed-spoke of the
whites in that body In most abusive terms,