The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-01-12

on Incorporatlons was equal to the task; 1t was
now burdened with too much work. This remark
aroused Arnm who Is chairman OF said commit
tee He was opposed to the motion to commit
the bill to any committee, and In concluding his
remarks, took Corbin to task for some statements
lie had made in his big speech on phosphatcs, pre-
vious to the recess saying that the distinguished
illegal senator" (Corbn had, in the first part of his
speech said there was very small amount oil
pbosphates in the beds Of the streams; and in the
latter part said that thousands of tons were being
stolen from tile streams annually.
LESLIE on PHosPHATES.
Leslie had more to say on phosphates to-day
than he has ever before said, perhaps on any SUBJ
iect: and he was less erratc than usual. His re-
marks were substantially these: "As soon as any
bill OF importance is brought up and any interest
Is taken In 1t by any one, all seem to suspect that
that one was specially interested in 1t, and re-
marks, such as show much is he going to get,"
were heard. This phosphate business is knotty
question. Every one OF US here desire that the
State should get as much as possible from this
source of wealth In her borders. The opinion Of
the public seems to be in favor OF the State
letting those parties dig phosphates who
shall pay the most for the privilege.
Ever since the world began and the devil
got into it he has been roaming around, and now
he has gotten into these phosphates, and also into
these good men who live around Charleston, who
have been stealing and selling phosphates for
long time, and never once thought about paying
ANYTHING for them until Geo. W. Williams and
others, II suppose Geo. ". Williams L Co. would
do), proposed to dig for phosphates and pay the
State something for doing 1t. Forty cents per
ton has been offered; but most everybody says
that amount is too small. Suppose we say 81
DER ton; but that might be too much; In fact,
there is no evidence OF what would be O fair,
honest charge for O ton. The Senate should, In
It's action upon this matter, place itself before
the country as having shown desire that the
State should receive the highest price possible for
her phosphates. Suppose bill was introduced,
putting up these phosphates for sale at an auction
to the highest bidder, what thenf Even the
highest bidder MIGHT be the men named in the
present bill. There will probably be as much
rascalty In that matter 1t is said there Is In this.
Suppose we have bill granting license to every
one who desires to dig phosphates; WE'LL then
there will be as much stealing. In fact, there
would be stealing anyhow; the world is dishonest.
know this not from what see of carpet-bag-
gers, or senators, or Republicans, or Dem ecrats,
but from all. The newspapers say 1t Is SWIM
ding bill, yet thosc In the bill are mostly Demo-
Gratis. l have no interest In the bill; some may
not believe it, but have none whatever. Sup
nose wecharge Sc per ton for the right; well, half
of the phosphates dug will be stolen; SO we will,
virtually, get only one dollar per ton anyhow.
Some say put the price per ton so low that all
can he honest. II We do, how will we tell how
much Is dug, or how can we prevent any one who
does nss pay from dggngP This subject should
properly bc referred to the Judiciary Committee,
but it would be better for special committe TO
take 1t In hand, investigate it thoroughly and re-
port On tnIs committee should be the two sena-
tors from Charleston, who are supposed to know
something about the subject. The Committee on
interpretations is teo small; while there are five
senators on 1t, there are only two who do any
work." After warning the senators to their
duty to the people and the State, Leslie sat
down.
DIR. SHEPARD TRADUCEp.
Haync desired to have the subject postponed
until the Governor could report what the State
inspector of guanos, tDr Shepard,) had to say in
response to inquiries made OF him by the Govern
or, under instructions embodied In resolution
adopted by the Senate before the recess. [Leslle,
Interrupting: know humbug when see him,
and Dr. Shepard is one; he has been seen before
this; he is In the ring: he has been swallowed]
Haync, continuing, would like to know what Is
the value of crude phoSphates per ton before
voting upon this matter; the State should know.
I do not, like others, fear that II this bill he
referred to the Committee on interpretations, 1t
will never be heard from, never see the light
again. This question, as the senator from Barn.
well says Is knotty one, and II this bill be pass
cd 1t will he knottier still. know ofa man who
has leased a tract of land with considerable
marsh lands on which there is phosphate de-
post, yet, If this bill pass, he will not be
permitted to 60 Off OF his main land into his marsh
to get the phosphatcs which belong to him. The
whole subject should be referred to the Commit
tee on Incorpomtlons, and they should not be re-
quircd to report until after the Governor hears
from DR.. Shepard
Leslie took occasion to repeat that DR.. Shepard
was a humbug, and that his report, If he made
one would not be worth two cents. This whole
matter started with George ". Williams & Co.,
and ends With d. T. Corbin, although l don't
know about the latter After saying that lie sup
ported the administration as lie should. .nd re-
incidentally that he didn't think he
would care two cents for the opinion OF the Gov
ernor on phosphatcs, Leslie said he could name
committee which lie thought could he trusted,
whom the people and the senators would trust
seven would be sufllcent-nve Republic ans and
two Democrats Now would take J. A. Raincy,
r. II. Cain, D. T. Corbln, S. A. Swails, ]. X JILL
son, and Bieman or Foster or Buck. lin calling
the names Of all, excepting Corblu and Cain,
Leslie made some complimentary remark about
their honesty and justice, &C., belng tile
cause OF their selection. Corbln and Cain lie
selected "because they were from Charleston.
Some people might draw an inference from this.
what was doubtless an oversight on Leslic's part.l
After this selection Leslie argued about the pro-
prlety OF having general license bill or bill to
sell 10 the highest bIdderln pretty much tile same
style as in his 1rst Speech during which lie said
the subject should not be referred 10 the judiciary
Committee, for 1t looked as II II took some inter-
est In The bill already. That committee had made
4 favorable report upon the bill Of Which lie "a
member of lt) knew nothing, and he would ven
.urc to say neither did the president pro ten,.,
who was also member
CAIN or rnospHATEs.
Cain started long argument by saying that he
had always noticed when men began digging in
graves there was trouble. Here were bones,