Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-29
SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Ku-Klux Trials-Reyerdy johnson.
ScOtts' Message to His Legislature.

CHARLESTON, Nov. 2S.-In the Ku-
KluX trial at Columbia, to-day was spent in
discussion of the manner of selecting the
jury-the District Attorney moving that
pannel be summoned from the body of the
district, and Reyerdy johnson contending
that according to the constitution the jurors
must be selected from the judicial district in
which the alleged Offense was committed.
The court sustained the District Attorney,
johnson reserving his objection. The
court adjourned until Friday, allowing As
hours for summoning the panel.
The General Assembly met at Columbia
to-day, when Gov. Scott's message was
read. The Governor states that the whole
public debt will be S11,994, ,90S, which
statement he knows from severe personal
scrutiny to be correct, nothing being sup
pressed. He argues that the depreciation
of the State credit is due to the persistent
threats of Reputation made by individuals
and the press for political purposes, without
which the debt would not exceed $10,000,-
600. He is confident that the State will
pay all her obligations to the last cent. He
recommends that the Legislature prohibit
the borrowing of money or the contracting
of a debt to meet OeTent expenses.
He condemns extra sessions of the Legis-
lature, without which the attacks of the op-
position could not be successful. He urges
the Legislature to make the session short
and economical, and recommends that
fixed salary instead of a per diem, be given
to members of the Legislature, and that nu-
merous offices be abolished; that the Sala-
ries of all official except Judges, be reduced
one third; that the tax on real estate be
lessened: that the license system be adopted,
and that rice, cotton and railroad tonnage
be taxed; that the bonds of the State be
taken at par in payment of land bought at
tax sales on title being warranted by the
State; that the public lands to the value Of
one million dollars be sold, and State bonds
taken in payment.
He reviews at length the causes which
led him to ask the suspension Of the writ of
habeas corpus, as under the Ku-Klux law
he claims that Cancellation proved useless, and
the courts would not 8ct,and that the whites
miStOOk magnanimity for weakness. He
declined to call out the militia because it
consisted of negroes, who would have been
slaughtered, and the people led to believe
that the conflict was between the negroes
and whites, instead of between the friends
of the government and its enemies. As late
as last spring many prominent citizens
promised him their cooperation in the sup
preston of the Ku-Klux, but they effected
nothing, and the civil power being exhaust
ed, the Governor applied to the National
Government to protect the State against
domestic violence.
He approves of the principle of a minor
ity representation, and advises changes of
the election law so as to prevent fraud, and
urges the Legislature to avoid all unneces-
sary appropriations, and believes the Legis-
latiire will so act as bo prove that Republi-
canism and good government in South
Carolina are not, as is falsely alleged, in
consistent with each other.
The message was made the special order
for Monday. A number of bills will be III
troduced looking to retrenchment and re-
form. but none on the subject of repudia-
| ton.