Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-12-08

March %, 1862 entitled IAN act to provide
the net of March &c, 1869, entitled 'An act
of South Carolina, in the City Of New York,
and for other purposes
The three first named acts authorized the
borrowing Of two million five hundred thou.
sand dollars on coupon bonds. Owing to the
constant and increasing depreciation in the
value of the bonds, 1t was found necessary,
in order to carry into effect the purposes of
these several acts, to issue much larger
number of bonds. The act for the conver.
sion of State securities, giving authority for
more available and uniform class of bonds
than the one which had, in the first instance,
been issued under the several acts referred
to, the remainder of the bonds required to
raise the amounts of money authorized by
the several acts, we're prepared, in accord
ance with the act for the conversion of State
| securities, to the amount above named.
The Indebtedness Of the State being as
above stated, the State authorities now hope
to be abc to retire the bonds in New York,
and to save the securities now hypothecatcd
from sale. 1t is also intended to discontinue
designate some banking institution us the
public debt.
| THE CoDIFYING COMMISSION.
The commission to codify the laws has
been in existence for nearly three years, aud
has cost the State about fifty thousand dollars
(So0 00U,) and its 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 Mt u cost of not more
than FIVE thousand dollars would, there.
fore, recommend that this standing rcproach
to the State Government, and unnecessary
drain upon the treasury, be removed without
delay, by abolshng the code commission and
employing competent jurist to complete
the codiicaion of our laws.
EXPENDITURES OF TIE STATE GOVERNMENT.
While holding the political opponents Of
the State Government responsible for the
great depreciation in the markc, value of our
sccuritics-a depreciation directly due to their
conspiracy against the credit Of the State
- AIN bound by my sense of public duty
to expose to the reprobatiou of the pcu pie
the improvident expenditures incurred by
the General Assembly, and the eXtravu.
giant and illicit disbursement of the State
moneys, to which the Legislative department
has given either its express or implied sane,
ton. In SO doing, [ do not wish to be con,
sidercd as wanting in due and proper respect
to Il co ordinate branch CT the State Gov.
crnment, but desire to appeal, in plain and
earoest language, to the sober Judgment, the
decent selfrcspect and the public spirit OF
each member of the General Assembly, to
give lls active aid in effecting an instant re.
form in this direction for the whole people,
with united voice, demand it, and the condi,
ton of our finances, and every :nstinct of
self preservation, require It at your hands.
1t would scarcely have been possible for
the men who combined to destroy the credit
of the State to have executed their purpose
80 successfully had not the General Assembly
leut them its practical co operation by ex.
hausting, through its extravaganza, the funds
in the treasury, thus leaving the State with
out any reserve bulance to meet the financial
exigency.
instance the following among many other
items of extravagant expenditures The mon
cy drawn upon the orders of the presiding
officers of the two Houses during the las
session for current printing amounts to S6S,
004 90. In addition to this large sum, $50,
600 were appropriated for current printin.
for the previous session, making total O
$98.9O4 80 expended on this item alunc.-
There was further drawn from the trensur,
aud disbursed by the clerks of the Senat,
and House, for printing the laws, &C., tht
sum Of Sl03, ,55l.44. These figures show
tho enormous aggregate of s202, $50 81 OK
, pended on printing alone during and incideu
to the lust session of the General Assembly
3 while large CLAIMS for public printing are still
outstanding. In addition to these expcndi
lures, the sum of S28,8l4 05 was drawn up
n on the orders Of tho President Of tho Senat
and speaker of the House for purposes no
D very we'll defined, but designated as "contin
gent expenses and repairs" making an ag
gregatc for the above specified objects 0
1892, ,370 39--a sum startling in its magni
D tudo for one session of the General Assembly
: and which may we'll bid the Legislative dc
0 partment pause in the path that it has beer
D pursuing
: The appropriations including those vcsoe,
8 by the Executive, aggregate total of $3.50,
!. OO0 TO this is to be added tho amount o
4 $l03, ,451 A, as shown above, drawn upon tn
certificates Of tho clerks OF the two House
/ Of the General Assembly, on account Of prin
4 ting the laws and the grand total Of expen
4 ditures, on account of "egislative expenses,
E amounts to S5S3, ,651.4
;. AS an evidence of tho pernicious consc
n quences Of permitting this "money order
}. system on tho part Of tho presiding officer
'. ~. c....o "a IJo.o r ..c,. ~