The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-03-03
HE pHosPHArE MoNoPoLY BILL.
VETO MESSAGE OF GOVERNOR SCOTT.
. plea for Free Trade In Phosphatcs.


Plea for Free Trade In Phosphatcs.
The following is the message of Governor
Scott yetoing the Phosphate Monopoly bill:
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
COLUMBIA March !, 1870.
Tn the Senate of South Carolina:
GENTLEMEN or TIE SENATE respectfully re-
turn to your honorable body In which it orlglnas-
ed an ACT TO grant to certain persons tnereln
named. and associates, the right to dig anu mlne
in the beds OF the navlgabe streams anu Ma.e.s a;
Of the State Of South Carolina lor pnosp,ae
and phosphate deposits, Wlthout my sisna'uAs'
with my reasons therefor. .,o oo+.
Tie following are the provisions OF the act:
SECTION l. BE It enacted by the senate sdnii, anu
House Of Representatives OF .ne nsroT Ssse u sSem.
bly. md by the authority Of the same, that Lns
State OF South Carolina does hereoy give unu
grant unto the following persons, TO VII: Geoise
w. Williams, Charles c GGg, xn iaeS p1aas Willian vi I.
Bradley James Bridge, Jr., William BRINE, anu
such other persons as they may associate Will ,.a
them. the to dig, mine anu remove, ioI tue
full term OF twenty-one years. from tne oeus .,a vi
tho nayipable streams and waters wlLhln tne
inrisdctioR OF the State OF South Carolina, the
phosphate rocks and phosphate deposits; pro
vlded, that tie persons named, ana thelr asso.
clates shall not In any way lnterielc WIN nS ,ns
waters of the State or the private rights oi any
citizen or citizens residing upon or Owning tne
lands upon the banks OF the said navlgable rivers
and waters OF the State.
the express condition that said grantees shal pay
to the State of South Carolina one dollar per lon
fOr every ton OF phosphate rock anu pnoSphatG
deposits dug, mined ana rehoyeu a. irSI Sta. .ne omI
further, that said grantees snail pay ilto snS
treasury OF the State the sum OF nVe n~unuIea ~
dollars rs license fee before commencing Dusi'
ness under said grant .,,,or
authority OF This act, said grantees anu tlleir
associates shall 1le, or cause to be hled III klle
Office OF the State auditor, BOND IN the peLui
sum OF lfty thousand dollars. connitlohea t,i.ts
said grantees and their associates shall make
true and faithful returns to the sold state auditor
Annually, on or before the first day OF OCTOBER,
and ortener, lr required by the State and!sor, ol
the number OF tons OF phosphate rock ana pnos.
phatic deposits dug, mined and removed 0y them
from the beds OF the naYlgaole streams aEu WI.
ters OF the Stute, and shall punctualy pay 70 tne
state treasurer, annually, on the nrst day oi oc-
tober, one dollar per ton for every ton OF pnos'
phate rock or phosphate deposits by them Gug,
mined and removed from the beds OF tile navlga-
bile streams and waters OF the state turing tne
wear preceding. Said bond to be renewed anmu-
ally, aud approved by the Attorney General. Ihe
books Of said grantees anu tneir associa.es'
shall he open to the inspection OF the State audi
tor or agent duly appointed by him LOT that
purpose. ,,u,,,,,oor,,on
this act proposes naked grant by tue Statc 10 u
few individuals OF most valuable franchise, es'
tlmated rs worth many millions OF dollars, the
consideration for which Is q contingent one ansi
may easily he evaded altogether. upon eXaml,
nation it Will he found that there Is NOT Single
guarantee or stipulation that tue corporitors WIN
;t any time rennve solitary ton or phosphate
deposits, or phosphate rocks from tne Deus Oh tne
navlgabe streams and waters OF the State, anu
consequently they could not he requirea 10 pay
one cent into the treasury; WHILE by the privilege
conferred upon them, they could prevent all
other persons from doing so, thas deprlvlne tue
State Of large amount OF revenue, anu tIle coull'
try OF the advantages OF the vast heposlts Oh ler
tilizing material, 10 essential u tne ueVeiopient
of our agricultural resources. That there IL
strong tempt alton to such policy Will De aumc-
ted when lt Is recollected that several Of the cau-
ing c0rporntors In this act have already large IN.
vestments In phosphates, by inc pnrchase ana
lease OF lands containing phosphate deposlts.
and the erection OF buildings and machinery lot
their prepara ion, which would ne greatly ulinlil-
sled i'm value II the immense quantltes Oh these
submarine deposits were brought into compeIl-
tion with Them. The interests Of The corpOrators
would be as completely subSeryed NY permitting
or conuclIing them to remain lille and TN.
developed, Instead OF incurrlng additional
expense in working them, aud, by bringing more
of The material into the market, endanger the
STABILITY OF the present highly relnuneratiYe
pricps of fertilizers Such policy has already
had an Illustration In this State, In an almost
paralel case, IN which company from one VI
our Northern cities acquired the exclusive right
to mine an extensive deposit OF manganese OH
the Dorm estate, IN Abbcrille anu EuGeheln Conn.
ties the condition of which grant was, that theJ
would pay u valuable consideration LOT every TON
OF the material mine, and removed; Dut tue les
sees were the pr0prietors Of another mile IN one
OF the Northern States. the prodlct VI winch was
abunllantly ample for the supply or the market
ut existing prices, and Of course there was no ne
cessty OF avang themselves OF their souIn caro-
lima resources, Which could only entlanger exist
ing prices and profits; anu having secured tlelr
object In Obtaining the control u1 tile deposHs,
and thus preventing competltlOn lroiil lithI
source, the mines were permitted 10 remain iuie'
not ton Of manganese was reillopct, anu ltos
dollar Of revenue was received by the owners 0[ hs
valuable property. The ACT under coLSiucIa'lonl ~
so uncauliouSy drawn as 10 ali0rd ample looln
for another illustration or tile danger OF confer
ring privileges without adequate provisions 10
spcIre colnpliancc III gsod faith with tile promls.
cd eunivacnts. Caution Is the more necessary lh
the present case, where the property Is so iin'
mensely valuable To the State, anu IFS defelop-
mcnt so essential TO the success 0l us llnillccs'
and TO The prosperity of It's agricultural interests
The temptation to restrict the supply nl lcrtiilZ-
ing luutrrials to such proportions rs VIII eiiilule
those who now have the control Vi tleili w IUin
mand their own valuation, Is almost TreslslIoie,
cspecially when it Is rcc0llected how nlilch more
deSrable Us well us profitable. 1t Is 10 derive lign
priceS from moderate sales, tl:ln u NC coipelieu
To take me derate prices. however abundant may
be the sales The interest Of those VINO produce
the material and those Of the consumers Of II. rs
well as of the general community, are, therefore,
untavnistic lud It Is Neither the part ol patriot
Ism or sound policy, to throw the Wclght vi gov
crnment influence, or government PATRONAGE itl
tr scale of the first named. There Is little doubt
ihat fair competition in the production OF tle
nnosplates would reduce the price OF iertiilIers
from sixty and siXry-lve dollars per TON, us iit
nrrsrnt. 10 tlirty.iVc or furty dollars, WHICH
pwonl,I afford an abundant profit to the manulac,
turer and render essential relief to the FARMERS vi
T hr State by enabling them TO compete. on lilelI
imnoverished soils, with those oi more la'oEe''
sections. .,, ,u,,, 4, .,so o,er
tionablc. am aware that the word exclusive"
wos stricken from the bill during its c0nsitlera-
liar by which it was pronosed to dlyest it OF tne
nIium of being IL monopoly, but TINS was couil'
terartpd hy tile defeat OF other ollls WHICH pro
nnsrd to throw the business open to competitloh,
ind pI especially to individual competitors, VINO
wnulu comply with tile prescribed regulations.
The defeat OF these bills was In my opinion, uI-
fortunate. and left the cOrpOrators unuef tle pre-
sent ACT rs the only persons authorized TO dig
and mine for ph0Spbatcs in the navgaoie streams
and waters OF the State. All others must be con-
Sidere,I trcspasserS liable To arrest, anu punisha-
lie by fine and imprisonment. And II tile state
10. fba rfrht TO confer this grant, 1t may be GALL