The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-08-05
part to1ask your consent to the appoint
m61t OF committee TO investigate the

part to;ask your consent to the appoint
msnt Of committee TO investigate the
hfairs OF youf6HHe: s
E:.Surely no c9mhent in odr present
condition is needed. whsn public ssf-
want: thus defies t6e autlI1rity 81 the Go
vernon aud the fsegislhtpre, abd insults
the Taxpayers ofthe State, for fdarioe to-
inquire what he hos done with the pub
lio money.
In thesecond place, as If not satisfied
with my want Of authority, you nnder-
take to.pfove thnt your Office has been
repeatedly examined and always found
correct, leaving it to be inferred that
there was really nothing for my commit.
tee to do, and to that end, ynu quote the
law requiring you to exhibit your tank
book to the Governor aud the Comp
troller onoe mouth or oftcner, il re.
quircd. and providing fora mn annual ex-
committee of the General Assembly, who
shall report ut the next session; ana yon
refer ME 10 the several reports of those
committees for tho last tl,rco ycnra, in
conformity with the law, and highly
com plimcntnry to the administration of
your office. These examinations, you
declare, wrro something never before
done in South Carolina" Yet, strange
to say, the Legislature was still not
satisfied with the reports and certificates
OF its own committees, 80 fnr rs regards
your otiice; for yon go on to iuform me,
thnt ''in addition to, this. the Legislature.
mt its last regulur session, appointed u
committee. consisting of two on the
part uf the Senate, and three on the
part Of the House of Representatives,, 10
mako a thorough examination of MI the
books and vouchers OF every description
in the Treasury, from the dute Of my in
dnctiou into Office, mud report tho result
to the General Assembly ut it's next SEES
sion"
Now what does this imply, but total
want of confidence III. You aB an officer,
and iu tho correctness Of these annual
reports? Bear in mind. too. that this
Legislature is composed almost entirely
Of your political friends, who know you
better than any ono else does, and are
interested in concealing your delin-
quencies, whilst they arc at ull tolernble.
Andif they discredit these reports. by
calling for further Investigation. how
can you expect the taxpayers to receive
them as sufficient and satisfactory? Yet
you offer these reports, rejected aud con-
demned by your own party, as the only
information we are entitled TO. After
the reception Tint the Convention met
with from you and other State officers,
you Gun hardly; conceive the disappoint-
ment Of General Wallace and myself at
this result. We had made up orr minds
that it would bem agreeable and far
less expensive than going to the springs,
to spend two or three months (the longer
the better) in the apiepdidiy furnished
rooms at the State House, enjoying the
hospitality of the Treasurer aud pnrtak-
ing Of the good things 40 abundant there
last winter, some Of which might posi-
bly, be found in the holes aud hiding
places of your Office. We almost ina
gihed ourselves seated at table, with you
at the head. wo on one flank. Dennis
and Whittemore facing us, and Joe
Crews at the other end, drinking death to
the Ku Klux, and pence aud prosperity
to the glorious old State which we all
love 30 much, though not exactly for the
same reasons.
With our joint endorsement Of the
annual reports. your character would
have been completely vindicated. and
the ugly rnmor> floating on every breeze
that blows from The capital, put forever
at rest. But now yonr enemies may in
sinuate, that by refusing, you confirm
their worst suspicious aud pronounce
your own condemnation. Yours, re-
spectfully. EDWIN J. SCOTT. 4
p. S.-Your communication having
appeared in the Union newspaper on the
day it reached me, send this to the
PHOENIX for publication.
e--.-A
THE LAST CAR Nj MURDEn-Two roughs,
drunk, jumped on Second avenue car,
on Sunday evening. and commenced at