The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-06-07
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA. lime =
way to be unlawfully in possession
OF moneys of the State.

a way to be unlawfully in possession
: OF moneys of the State.
oI A committee on the part of tn,
Legislature is now in session i,
this city charged with the inyssti
CATION Of the transactions of som,
: OF the State officials. Your com
inittce recommend the appoint
ment of a committee of three b,
the President of this Convention
!, whose duty it shall lie as repre-
sentativcs of a large BODY of tin,
. tax payers Of the State, to tender
} their services and cooperation t.
tho Legislative committee, i'm al,
of the investigation now going
on.
Your committee no. having tho
authority of law to press their en-
Fqniry into the numerous alleged
frauds and corruptions, to a salts,
factory conclusion, and recognizing
the occasion as one of too much
gravity to be hastily and mad,
visedly passed upon, have declined
to be influenced in this regard by
the unsworn statements of individ.
nals. The foregoing rccomenda.
tions, however, if carried out, will
test the sincerity Of those who have
the authority for investigation, and
lead to a publication Of tho body
polite.
The adoption of the following
suggestions is respectful recon-
mcnded for the consideration of
the Legislature at it's next session,
with a view to the enactment and
modification of certain laws.
1. Increase the revenues Of the
State by additional legislation in.
suring the full and faithful pay.
nent of the royalty on phosphate
deposits dug and mined, pursuant
to the terms of the charters of the
respective companies. This may
be effected by the appointment OF
reliable bonded inspectors or
weighers, who should be required
to determine by weight or measure
ment the number of tons mined by
weight or measurement the mum.
Der OF tons mined before sale or
shipment, and who shall receive
for compensation, a reasonable
commission on amounts secured
to the State through his office.
Your committee are advised that
large proportion of tie public OK.
penscs might be met from this
sS,nrce, W,,,, It properly H., collected. Q I ted
lars have so far been paid into the
State Treasury.
2. Repeal or prevent in future
acts vesting valuable franchises,
the right to dig and mine phos.
pilates, etc., ETC., in companies, all
or a great part of whose corpora.
tors arc members Of the Legisla
ture at the time of the grant.
8. Stop the drawing of money
from the Treasury for alleged cur
rent legislative expenses or the
order OF the Speaker of the House
or President Of the Senate, IN ad.
vance of any appropriation, which
practice is in direct violation of
Section %, Article Q of the Con-
stitution, which, provides That
"no money shall be drawn from
the Treasury, but in pursuance of
an appropriation made by law"
4. ALI appropriation bills
should specify items under each
general head. For instance, the
practice is to cover, under head of
Legislative Expenses" the pay
m ents to alleged employees,
clerks, messengers, etc., of the
General Assembly, who, as your
committee are informed, outnum-
Der the members thereof.
5. Reduce the number of State
and county officers, by blending
the duties of two or more offices
in one, and reduce the fees of
Coroners, which are excessive.
6. Enact a law limiting each
session of tho Legislature thirty
days. 20 -
z. A law should be enacted, or
the present law modified, prollib.
iting County Commissioners from:
issuing any check until the ac.
count upon, which it is alleged to
be based, is first audited and ap
proved by the County Treasurer
or some other independent officer,
and requiring tie Commissioners
to publish quarterly a statement
in tho nearest newspaper, of all
amounts collected and paid by
them, from whom, collected, to
whom paid and on what account.
8. Let the old law regulating
the fees of solicitors be snbstitu.
ted for the present.
8. Repeal the act granting a
salary Of $500 per annum to the
1.okoof naua,oE IT, o13oo "a q