Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-12-07

GOV. SCOTrS MESSAGE.
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 7
H. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
COLUMBIA, Nov. %, 1871.
Gentlemen of the Senate ana House q
Representatives
You have assembled for the fourth
time since the establishment of a
system of free government in South
Carolina. Pursuant to the constitu-
ton, it is the duty Of the. Governor
to "give to the General Assembly
information Of the condition of the
State, and recommend to their con-
sideration such measures as he shall
Judge necessary or expedient. y
The present financial condition Of
the State especially demands a rigid
and unshrinking compliance with the
constitutional requirement, in order
that the General Assembly and every
department of the State government
may unite in a common effort to cor
rect such evils as are rcmediable, and
prevent their recurrence. In this,
the last annual message that [ shall
transmit to the General Assembly,
l propose to state my views frankly
upon the chief matters of public in
terest, and to give all the facts within
my knowledge, without reserve, as
alike due to the people, and imposed
10y my official obligation. [ will thus,
l trust, be enabled to correct gross
exaggerations that are being diligent-
" circulated in reference to our f.
nances, and the entire administration
of the State.
In performing this duty l shall moi
shrink from charging upon others
any just share of their responsibility
for evil consequences Of their acts.
and will not hesitate fully to admit
my own.
The STATE DEBT.
Gov. Scott here appends a lengthy
exhibit OF what he calls the "actual
! debt of the State. This exhibit is
the work of Treasurer Parker, and
the Governor says he knows it to be
full and correct. The mountain Of
figures piled up by Treasurer Parker,
we omit. Very few would care to
read them. But we gi1e the grand
sum total:
Old debt, s 6 453, ,9OS.9S
Amount of new Bonds
sold 8, 54l 10000
sll, 994, ,9oS.9s
This is the entire public debt Of
the State according to Scott and Par
ker. And against this we have the
official evidence that the issue OF
Bonds is considerably more than
twice the States debt.
TAX LEVY, TAXES COLLECTED, AND
DELINQUENT TAXEs.
Many and extravagant statements
have been made reca! ding the assess
ment and collection Of taxes, and
those not familiar with the actual
facts, when compared with collection
of revenue for the same purposes il
other States, are doubtless frequently
led to believe that taxation is extrav-
agant and unusual. | undertake to
say that not State IN the Union has
collected less tax in the same length
OF time in proportion to its population
and resources. The following is a
correct exhibit of the appropriation
of moneys, the levy OF tax, collection
of revenue per annum, and the de-
linquent list tor the years 1868, 1865
and 1870:
STATEMENT OF AMOUNT OF TAXES LEV
JED, AMOUNT CoLLEcTED; AND APrRo-
k1'RIATIoNs MADE, DURING YEARS 1865,
: 1869 AND 1870.
Total taxation for
1865, rate of~tax- ~
alton, State, ~ .>I,@s
mills M,o3S, ,f4Z.l9
Tetal amount col
lected 63,Oo3.2S
Delinquent SlT5,6SS,9l
Total appropria-
tions for the year
1868, exclusive of
interest on public
debt, forwhich no
appropriation was
made SSH, ,9Gs..s
Total taxation for
1869, rate, State,
mills, Sl,Ol4,9ol.sS
Total amount col
iected, 766, ,736.0s
Delinquent, s24s, ,l65.75
Total appropria-
tions for the year
1869, includingin-
terest OH public
debt, $1,l0l, ,SO5.09
Total taxation for
1870, State, 9mills 1,67O,O63.CG
Total amount col
lccted l,l4G, ,c37.g6
Delinquent S52i, ,02G.60
Total appropria-
tions for the year
1870 81 ,604, O53.54