Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-12-07

| hope that the present session of th,
Legislature will be short and eco
nolnical one, as the financial condition
of the State will not admit of any
unnecessary expenditure of money
All the influence of the Executive o.
the State will be exerted in accom-
plishing this end, and he trusts that
he will rave the active sympathy and
cooperation Of each and every mem
Der Of the legislative department. ID
The large amount Of money paid
to the attaches, such as clerks, mes
sengers. porters, &C., is without a
parallel in the history of Legislative
bodies. 1t was claimed at the time
by the members that most of these
were men who had been driven from
their homes on account of their po-
litical opinions, and it became the
duty of the General Assembly to
provide means for their support.
While this may be true, and that it
may have devolved upon the State
Government to provide some means
for their protection and support, YET
a very unusual and expensive mode
of extending that support was adoft-
ed. 1t might have been but justice
to have made regular appropriation
and levied it upon the counties from
which these men were driven; thus
the victims of poitical . prejudice
would have been provided FOR and
the actual perpetrators Of these out
RACES made to feel that it was an ex
pens,ve way OF controlling political
opinions.
The CoDIFY1NG COMMISSION.
The commission 70 codify the laws
has been in existence for nearly three
years, and has cost the State about
fifty thousand dollars (S5O000,) and
it's work is not yet completed.
1t is the opinion of some of the
best legal minds OF the State that
this work could have been done
thoroughly at cost OF not more than
five thousand dollars. l would, there
lore, recommend that this standing
reproach to the State Government,
and unnecessary drain upon the treas
ury, be removed without delay, by
abolishing the code commission and
employing q competent jurist to COM
plete the codifcation of our laws.
THE OFFICE OF LAND COMMISSIONER.
recommend that the Office of land
commissioner be abolished, and that
the duties Of the Office be devolved
upon the secretary Of State.
THE SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS. 49,
The thirtv-one school commission
ers, at their present salaries, which
are exceedingly large for the amount
of service that they render, cost the
state thirty-one t tbousand five hun
dred dollars per annum. |. there
fore, recommend materia! reduction
in the saaries Of school commission
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
ior the reduction OF the salaries Of
State officers, and Tor a decided di-
lninution Of the CLERICAL force employ-
ed in many Offices Of the Executive
department, In some cases the State
is paving clerks to perform duties
that should be, and can be, dlscharg-
ed Ivy the officers themselves. In my
opinion the salaries of all officers, e&-
ceps the Judges, should Le reduced
onc-t third.
ADJurANr-GENEEAL S OFFICE.
The office of assistant-adjutant
general should be aboli, he'd, and the
adjutant. general should be required
TO perform the duties OF his office.
STATE AND COUNTY AUDITORS.
The Office of State auditor should
be abolished, and It's duties perform
ed by the comptroller-general.
The office Of county auditor cali be
dispensed with without injnry to tile
public service, and the duties of tlla:
nG;cn ,lcyolypd uuou the county
treasurer, thus cAectins saving to
the State OF not less than fifty thou
sand (5o,000) dollars iier "nnum, ard
securing even increased efficiency III
the collection Of taxes.
TRIAL JUSTICES.
Invite your early attention to the
recommendations OF my last message
in regard to trial justices The ag-
grecate cost of this class Of officers is
Very y near one hundred and twenty
thousand (l20,000) dollars annually.
The trial justices in the City OF
Charleston alone entail upon the
county an expenditure Of about thir-
ty-tive thousand (35,000) dollars n
year. l wonld, therefore, urge, in
addition to my former recommends
tons on this subject. that the Office oil
trial Justice be abolished in the City
OF Charleston, and that, inlieu there
of, three police judges be created for
that city, who shall receive adequate
salaries, AMI shall exercise the juris-
diction vested in trial justices. 1
would further recommend the ap-
pointment of one police judge in
each Of our principal towns, dispens.,
ing with trial justices therein, and
vesting 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
prisoners sentenced for trifiing Of
fences, thus .sing the expenses
of the several counties.
RECORDER OF THE Cry OF CHAR
LESION.
l recommend that the Office Of re-
corder OF the City Of Charleston be
abolished forthwith. This is a State
Office created by act of the General
Assembly mapy years ago, but it has