The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-03-15
THE WATCHNIAN
WEDNESDAY, MARCH Is.
A. A. GILBERT :. EDITOR
THE Sun,ter Watchmas has by
far The largest circulation (espe-
cially IN the surrounding cou'atry)
of any paper published IN Sumter,
and aeas established IN 1850.
A SPECIMEN OF OUR LEGISLATION


for the per diem and mileage Of the
members of the Legislature, sent in on
the last day Of the late session.
The statements made by Gov. Scor1
disclose a most extraordinary transac-
tiou, even, we should say, for the pre-.
sent day Of demorolization, official pee
ulatiop, bribery and corruption.
1t seems, from Gov. ScorT's state
ment, and from that of members ofthe
House and Senate made to him, that
the amount to be appropriated by this
bill had been uno6icially tampered with
Or, in other words, had been changed
between the time Of its passage and
that ofits going into .he hands Of the
Governor Aud changed from one hun
dred and t,oenty 6ce thousand dollars to
tuo hundred and sirty fve thousand
Changed, without the passage upon it
of either house, BY the addition Of one
hundred and forty thousand dollars
This is the plain English ofthe matter,
if we take it from what Gov. SCOTT says,
and from what members of each house
said to him. What must, or what must
not be, the character of men, and still
occupying the high and responsible po-
sition of Legislators, who could perpe.
trate such an act as this? What is there
here of remaining sense Of shame, un.
der public scorn and rebuke, Of honor
or of honesty, or ofregard for the pub
lie interest? A branded convict, noto-
rious through all the county, and turn,
ed loose from his prison cell, with no
expectation Of his reform in the public
mind, or hope or desire for it yet ling
eripe in his own bosom, could not have
exhibited more insepsibility than We
here find. We do not esteem the parallel
strong one, since it could but be ex-
pected, even with the present surround
ings, that such an act must be discover
ed and us authors exposed. And sure
" such will be the case If there be
an honst man on the Committee IRON
which this bill was reported, or on that
through whose hands it passed or was
transferred to the executive Office, he
owes it to his own reputation, to make
the whole matter plain before the pub
lie.
In the years 1865 and '66 the esti-
mates and appropriations made by the
Legislature for the whole expense of
the State Government, for one year,
amounted to about four hundred thou.
sand dollars. And now it is proposed
to ezpcnd that sum in paying the mem.
bers for services at single session Of
the Legislature. What can there be
ahead Of US but bankruptcy aud ruin if
this condition Of things continue!
Here ore the remarks Of the Governor
accompanying his veto. and statement
of how the matter was disposed Of in
the Senate:
First. l regard the expenditure Of the
money already appropriated during the
session, and the sum included iu this
Bill, amounting in the aggregate to four
hundred thousand dollars, as simply en-.
ormous for one session ofthe Legislature.
1t is beyond the comprehension of any
one how the General Assembly could
legitimately c1peud one-half that
amount Of money. l cannot refrain
from expressing the opinion that there
must have been some secret agency in
fixing tho sum at that amount, as .
number Of the members, both of she
House and Senate, have expressed ,heir
surprise at finding the appropriation
from one hundred aud twenty
Eve thousand dollars, as it was believed
to have passed, to that Of two hundred
and sixty Eve thousand dollars. re-
gret the necessity Of returning the Act
without my approval on the last day Of
the session, but to do otherwise i feel
that would be recreant to the duties
imposed upon me, BY becoming q party
10 wrong, by which the whole people
would be made to suffer. l might give
many other eogent reasons why this Bill
should not become Q Law but time pre-
'ep,s my doing more thar giving it my
unqualified disapproval, beliexiog thai,
he members of the General Assembly
zill themselves correct an error that
nust haze crept into this Bill clandes-
inely 10 its enrolment. .s
Upon the reto being read to the
senate, a very spicy debate sook place
n that body on the question Of pssSing
he Bill .over che yeto. The Seuate,
loRever, refused to do this, and 90 thej
Bill fell through. The effect ofithis
ziA. be to make Q howl abont the ears Of
Ills :Excellsuey that will not be the I
uest pleasant 10 the world The nen.l
'ers Nheshnve not already t,ax ss,sfsI
SHAVED s4lrissssqs os ri
heir pay certificate, win teys " sspI