The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-03-10

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
EXECUriVE DEPARTMENT..
Columbia, March >, 1871. }
Gentlemen oJ the Senate:
| respectfully return, without my sig
nature, the act which originated in your
body to compel county lreaSurcrs 10
receive county checks or warrants IN
payment for county taxes ana othcF
purposes. And ] do this the more re-
luctantly, because | recognize IN us
provisions some sa!utary restrictions on
the amount of checks or warrants TO De
issued, which I have here rccommena-
ed, and which | deem essential to the
safety of the funds and the security oi
the credit of the State. The approprl'-
ton bill directs that county trraurcra
shall receive, in payment OF taxes, bliis
receivable Of the State, United states
and national bank notes. gold and silver
coin. and coupons of certain state bones:
and vet without repeating this clause OF
the appropriation bill, the act under
consideration proposes to compel them
to receive en- unlimited amount ol
county checks or orders, without any
provision for discriminating between
fraudulent and genuine, and this "nlic,
in some Of the counties, Investigations
arc now in progress in which ceNaln
county commissioners are charged wan
having sur.ci,;;tiOusly put in circiia!nh
orders to 4 large amount, for Whlcii tiiI
county has received no compensation
or equivalent. These orders III all prob
ability, would he the first presented IN
payment OF taxes, and the passage OF
this act would be to place beyond the
reach of legal investigation any proceed
inus or acts of the county commissioners
violative OF iaw In the issuing OF county
checks or orders. Without giving any
bonds or security for the faithful per-
formancc of their duties, these commits
sioners are authorized to issue an un-
limited amount Of checks or orders,
for which the county is held RESPONSE
bic. One of the effects Of the law would
be to largely increase the labOrS or the
county treasurerS, rs in the great ma
iCrity Of the cases TIE checks or orders
would not be the precise amount called
for by the taxes, cntailing endless trou-,
bic in efforts to make change, Or, on the
other hand, in doing SO, enabling the
treasurer, in making up his accounts,
to charge the State, in legitimate cur
rency. much which he has paid OF III
checks. The depletion Of currency by
the cti!ux in the treasury of this paper,
which would be valuelcss for the gem
eral county purposes, such as the pay
ment of Jurors and witnesses foes, the
construction Of roads and bridges, DC,
would to a great extent, paralyze the
county treasures, by absorbing III their
redemption large amount Of their
current revenue; and this is the more
probable when, it is well understood
that in some of the counties there are
warrants and orders already issued be-
Eond the amount OF the assessments for
the current year.
I regret that the necessity Of with
holding my approval of this bill may
work with seeming severity on those
persons holding orders issued for lcsiti-
mate purposes, and who are justly enti-
tied to payment, and trust that the
Legislature, in its wisdom, may devise
some method by which, while justice
may be done to the honest creditors of
the State, its credit may not be impaired
or jeoHardiZcd.
Very respectfully,
ROBERT X. SCOTT,
Governor.