The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-12-06

embarrassed by the practice, on the
part of the treasurer, of drawing up
on the agency for funds to meet the
current expensesaf the State; in the
interim between the periods fixed fol-
the payment of taxes thus. creating
q floating debtconstantly in advance
of the revenue. ! do not mean. to
oensure the treasurer for this course,
as he doubtless thought it warranted
by the exegencles of the treasury
but the practise is a bad one, and !
would recommend that it be prohibit.
ted by proper legislation, which
should at the same time provide that
hereafter no money shall be. borrow
ed or debt contracted to defray the
current expenses of the State Gov
ernment, but let all those. to whom
money is due from the State await
the collection of the taxes, retrench-
ment, will soon lift tho State abore
all present financial embarrassments,
and prevent their recurrence in the
future. 49, .,,ar.f,'.. IL.
For q detailed statement of the
transactions of the financial agent, I
refer you to his report to the comp
trollor-general, for the quarter ending
September 30, 1871. 81 ~ }l
OF STATE GOVERNMENT.
While holding the political oppo-
nents of the State Governments re-
sponsible for the great depreciation in
the market value of our secu,ities-a
directly due to their con.
spiracy against the credit Of thefState
Il am bound by my sense of public
duty to expose to the leprobation : OF
the people the improvident expendi.
lures incurred by the General. Assem.
bly,, and the extravagant and improp-
er disbursement Of the State moneys,
to which the legislative department
has given either its express or implied
sanction. In SO doing, I do not wish
to be considered as wanting in o due
and proper respect to q coordinate
branch of the State Government, but
I desire to appeal, in plain and earnest
to the sober Judgment, the
decent selfrespect and the public
spirit Of each member of tho General
Assembly, to give his active aid in
effectin an instant reform in this di.
rection; for the whole people, with
united voice, demand it, and the con-
dition Of our finances, aud very in.
stinct of selfpreservation, require it
at your hands. g.
1t would scarcely have been posi-.
Bile for the men who combined to de.
stroy the credit Of the State, to have
executed their purpose so successfully
had not the General Assembly lent
them it's practical co. operation, by ex
hausting, through it's extravagance
the funds in the Treasury, thus lsav
ing the State without any reserve
balance to meet the financial exigen
cy: TT IL - 'Hi'2' 81. = ','s'.,' -:
i instance the following, among
many other itemsof extravagant ex
penditures: The money drawn upor
the orders of the presiding officers. o
the two Houses during the last ses
sion for current printing amounts .te
sos, ,904.90. In addition to this large
sum, 100000 wero appropriated fol
current printing for the same session
making total Of S9S, ,904, go expen
ded on this item alone. There was
further drawn from the Treasury, and
disburscd by the Clerks Of the Senate
and House, for printing the laws, &C.,
the sum of s1O3,65l.44, These figures
show the enormous aggregate ofs2o2,-
556.34 expended on printing alone du'
ring and incident to the last session
of tho General Assembly, while large
claims for public printing are still out,
standing. In addition to these ex'
penditures, the sum Of $29,814.05 was
drawn upon the orders Of the Presi-
dent of tho Senate and tbs Speaker OF
the House, for purposes not very well
defined, but designated as contingent
expenses and repairs" making an az
gfegate, for the above specified OBJ
iects, Of 1921, ,370.39-a sum startling
in it's magnitude for one session Of. the
General Assembly, and which may
we'll bid tho legislative department
pause in the path that it has been
pursuing: j., -
Tho appropriations, including those
vetoed by the Executive, aggregate q
total. of $4eO,QoO. To this is to be ad7
ded the amount of $lO3,65l.H, "as
shown above, drawn upon the certif,
Gates of the Clerks Of the two Houses
of the General Assembly, on account
Of printing the laws, and the grand
total of expenditures, on account OF
expenses amounts to
S583. 651. A. p
AS m evidence of the pernicious
consequences Of permitting this "mon.
ey order" system on the part of the pre-
siding officers of.the Senate and House
I refer to the fact that during the past
year, upon tho order. Of the Speaker
of the House, an alleged liability
against the State was contracted, to
tho amount of 91,5O0, for furniture
for the State House. This was en-.
tircly without warrant Of law, and ii
the principle is admitted that moneys
can be thus drawn from the Treasury,
or debts contracted without "appro.
priations made by law" then all
proper safeguards Of the Treasury are
broken down, and few ministerial
officers in the State may mortgage its
revenue in advance, or deprive it at
will of the means of meeting its legal
liabilities. ,a... .. .... ...... : ,,.
TIE PAY OF MEMBERS OF TIE GEN.
.. ERAL ASSEMBLY. ,,,.s,.,.
MI. . G.,o@ ;,,oNortopf m oocuro ne ra.