The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-12-06

who who had been driven from their
homes on account of their political
opinions, and it became tho duty of
the General Assembly to provide
means for their support. While this
may be true, and that it may have de-
volved upoli the State Government to:
provide some means for their protec-
tionand support, yet q very unusnal
and expensive modo of extending
that support was adopted. :. It might
Fhave been but justice to have made q.
regular appropriation and levied It
upon the Counties from which these
men were driven; thus the victims Of
political prejudice would hare been.
provided for and the actual perpetra-
tors Of these outrages made to feel,
that it was on expensive way of con-
trolling political opinions. ~.
TIE coDIfYING COMMISSION. i
|l.rThe commission to codify the laws
has been,in existence for nearly three
years. and has cost the State about
fifty thousand dollars (s5o, 600, and
its work is not yet completed. II
It.; is tho; opinion Of some of the
best legal minds of the State that
this work could have been. done thor.
loughly at cost Of not moro than
FIVE thousand dollars. would, there
fore, recommend that. this standing
reproaeh to tho State Government,
and unnecessary drain upon the treas.
fury, be removed without, delay, by
abolishing: the code commission and
employing a competent jurist to- CON-
plete the codifcation Of. our laws. !:
TUE OFFICE or LAND COMMISSIONER
Iorecommend that the Office Of
land commissioner be abolished, and
that tie duties Of the Office be deyolved
upon the Secretary of State. ns5yr. 4
THE SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS. ,
The thirty-ope school commission
crs, at their present salaries, which
are exceedingly large for the amount
of service that they render, cost the
State thirty.one thousand FIVE hun
drcd dollars per annum. I, there
fore, recommend a material reduction;
in the salaries Of school commissions
ers, so as to reduce the expenditures
on this account to sum not exceed
ing ten thousand dollars per annnm..
GENERAL REDUCTION OF SALARIES.
There is great and instant need
for the reduction Of the salaries of
State officers, and for q decided. di-
minution Of the clerical force employ.
ed in many Offices of the Executive
department. In somo cases the
State is paying clerks TO- perform
duties that; should be, and can be,
discharged by the officers themselves.
Tn my opinion the salaries of all off,
GERS, except the judges, should be
reduced one third. -,
:, ADJyrANT-GENEnAL's OFFICE.
lTheofRce of assistant.adjutant gen.
eral should be abolished, and the ad.
|jutant-general should be required to
perform tho duties of bis Office. 80:
= STATE AND COUNTY. AUDITORS. "ii.'
The office of State auditor should
be abolished, and its duties perform
ed by the comptroller general. i"
The Office Of county auditor can
be dispensed with without injury to
the public service, and the duties of
that office devolycd upon the county
treasurer, thus effecting saving to
tho State Of not less than fifty thous-
and $50, ,0O0) dollars per annnm, and
securing even increased efficiency in
the collection of taxes. -ga..
TRIAL JUSTICES. r
invite your early attention to the
recommendations Of my last message
in regard to trial justices. The ag-
gregate cost Of this, class Of officers
IS very near one hundred and TWEEN.
ty til ousand (12o,00O) dollars annu.
ally. Tie trial justices in the City OF
Charleston alone entail upon the
county an expenditure Of about thir-
|ty-fve thousand (35, ,OO0) dollars a
year. 1 would, therefore, urge, in
addition to my former recommends
ton on this subject, that the office
of trial Justice be abolished in the
Citv of Charlestoa, and that, in lieu
thereof three police Judges be created
to tho State of the sessions Of the
General Assembly, as compared with
for that city, who shall receive 'ade-
ouato salaries, and shall exercise the
jurisdiction vested in TRIAL justices. I
would further recommend the ap.
pointmont of one police Judge in each
of OR principal towns, dispensing
with trial justices therein, and vest
ing in such judges the judicial powers
now exercised by the mayors courts,
as, under existing acts, the mayors
and intendants Of our cities and
towns may crowd our jails with pris-
oncrs sentenced for triaing offences,
thus incrcasing the expenses Of the
several counties.
RECORDER OF TIE CITY OF CHARLES
TON.
recommend that the Office Of Re-
corder of the city of Charleston be
abolished forthwith. This is State
Office created by Act of thu General