The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-11-29

State Government Responsible LOT Ln0 great
depreciation 10 the market value of our securt-
spiracy against the credit Of the State| am
bound by my sense Of public duty TO expose
| to the reprobation of the people the impr0vt-
dent expenditures incurred by the General AS
| sembly, and the extravagant and Illicit dis
burs .fnent of the State moneys, to which the
legislative department has given either lis ex-
press or implied sanction. In 60 doing, 1do
not wish to be considered as wanting In q due
| ana proper respect to coordinate branch Of
| the State Government, bat ! desire to appeal,
| in plain and earnest language, to the sober
| Judgment, the decent self:respect and the pab.
| lie spirit of each member Of the General As
sembly, to give his active aid in effecting an
instant reform In this direction; for the whole
people, with united voice, demand 1t, and the
condition of our finances, and every instinct
| OF self-preservatioD, require 1t at your hands.
Itwould 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
lent them Its practical CO operation by ex-
10 the treasury, thus leaving the State with.
cut any reserve balance to meet the financial
Pexigency. 81;
items of extravant expenditures: The money
drawn upon the orders of the presiding off-
for current printing amounts to S6s,SW 30,
In addition to this large sum, $50, 900 we're ap-
propriated for current printing for the same
session, making total of S98,904 80 expend-
ed on this item alone. There was further
drawn from the treasury and disbursed BY
the clerks of the Senate and House, for print
Ing the laws, &C., the sum oil $l03, 3,651 AZ.
of s2O2,556 81 expended on printing alone
during and incident to the last session Of the
General Assembly, while large claims for pub
lie printing are still Outsta aiding. In addition
to these expenditures, the sum Of $29.8h 05
was drawn upon the orders OF the president OF
the Senate and the speaker OF the House for
purposes not very we'll defped, but destgna-
ted as contingent expenses and REPAIRS"
making an aggregate for the above specified
objects of s2S2, $40 ga sum startling IN ita
magnitude for one session of the General As
sembly, and which may well bid the legisla-
tive department pause In the path that 1t has
been pursuing.
The appropriations, Including those vetoed
by the Executive, aggregate total OF
$50. 900 To this IL to be added the amount
of slO3, ,651 A., as shown above, drawn upon
the certificates of the clerks OF the two houses
of the General Assembly, on account Of print
ing the laws, and the grand total Of expendi-
lures, on account of Legislative expenses"
amounts to $5s3,651 A.
As an evidence of the pernclous conse-
quences OF permitting this "money order'
system on the part of the presiding officers Of
the Senate and House, refer to the fact, well
known to the members OF the General Assem-
bly,, that during the past year, upon the order
of the speaker OF the House, an alleged Ia
bIlity against the State was contracted to the
amount of $sl, 500, for furniture for the State.
house. This was entirely without warfan. Of
law, and II the principle Is admitted that
moneys can be thus drawn from the treasury,
or debts contracted without "appropriations
made by law" then all proper safeguards OF
isterlal officers in the State may mortgage its