The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-11-30
't.aI Lime.
900 BARRELS Of LIME, for sale low by
HOO JOHN AGNEW d SON.
Gov. sco,s'. Annual Message, oou,,n NED.


lOO JOHN AGNEW & SON.
Gov. scott's Annual Message, Oontinusd.
invite yonr early attention to the re-
commendations of my last message in
regard to Trial Justices. The aggregate
cost OF this Glass of officers is very near
$l2O. 900 annually. The Trial Justices
in the city OF Charleston alone entail
upon the County an expenditure OF
about $35, 600 year. would therefore
urge, in addition to my former recon-
mendations OH this subject, that the
office OF Trial Justice be abolished in the
city OF Charleston, and that, in lieu
thereof, three Police Judges be created
Tor that city, who shall receive ADEQUATE
salaries, and shall exercise the jurisdio-
tion vested in Trial Justices. I would
further recommend the appointment of
one Police Judge in each Of our princi-
pal towns, dispensing with Trial Justices
therein, and vestiDg in such Judges the
judicial powers now exercised by the
Mayors Courts, az. under existing Acts,
the Mayors and Intendunts of our cities
and towns may crowd our jails with pri-
soners sentenced for trifing offences,
thus increasing the expenses Of the seve-
raj Counties.
- AoOOh1LCd0 tdoO Tue OluC0 OF lt9~
corder Of the city of Charleston be
abolished forthwith. This is a State
office, created by Act of the General As
sembly many years ago. but it has for a
long period fallen into utter disuse.
Although the Recorder receives salary
OF ~, QUO per annum, and has O clerk at
$500 per annum, payable by the city, I
Am credibly informed that he has not
held more than two sessions of the City
court, for the trial of criminal and civil
causes, during the past ten or twelve
years. 1t ls O mere excrescence on our
Judicial system, and the people of
Charleston should no longer be taxed to
sustain it.
would especially direct your atten-
ton, IN this connection, to the propriety
OF reducing the salaries of the Clerks of
the. Senate and House. Taking the
number OF days On which these officers
are presumed to be employed, their COM
pensation Per diem, respectively, is more
than i've times greater than that re-.
celved by member of the body in
which they are subordinates, while the
annual salary of each equals the highest
received by any officer in the State, ex-
cept the Ohief Justice. This is an ans
maly without precedent in any other
State, and unw&franted by the present
condition of the State Treasury.
recommend that the present system
for the public printing be changed with
ont delay, and the great drain upon the
treasury, caused thereby, checked at
Clerks OF the Senate and House, in re-
gard to the printing. should be rescind-
ed, and proper safeguard, and rigid
system Of accountability instituted, to
insure the striotest economy in this very
considerable branch Of the public ex-
penditures. It should not be left to the
discretion OF subordinate officers of the
General Assembly, however honest and
]udicious they may be in the discharge
OF snch trust. The existing system has
Involved an expenditure for printing so
great as to have proved real calamity to
the State. 1t has certainly eventuated
in contract for the public printing
which is fragrant fraud upon the Trea.
sury, and should be instantly annulied.
1 have asoertained that the company
with which the printing contract has
been made, to wit: the Republican
Printing Company, neither owns nor
control' any journal or printing estab-
lishment, and is even without legal ex-
istence, but has the work executed in
this city at the regular market rates, aud
thus derives Rn immense profit from the
Treasury of the State. without any out
lay on their part.
STATE REVENUES.
Under existing laws for the assessment
and collection of taxes, real estate is
made to bear I'm undue proportion Of the
burdens of taxation. For the purpose,
therefore, of raising Il sufficient revenue
to defray the current expenses of An
economical administration of the State,
and meet its obligations to its creditors,
whilo at the same time lessening it's tax
on realty, I make the following recon.
mendatione. Theso recommendations,
If judiciously carried out, will secure the
payment OF taxes on GLASSES of property
hitherto practically exempt from taxa
tiOn, and tend to utilize all legitimate
sources Of State revenue. The bulk of
the cotton and rice is shipped from the
State or sent to market in the interreg-
mum between the annual assessment Of
taxes, and is thus practically exempted
from taxation, contributing but q small
share to the amount of revenue derived
from the tax on personal property. A
tax on these important and valuable pro-
ducts, such as they may reasonably bear
without checking production, and ao-
cording to vaiue, should be especially
provided for, and the necessary measures
enacted to insure its collection with GER
tainty.
THE PHOSPHATE DEPOSITS
This vast natural source of revenue
has not yet beeu utilized, but comps-
ratively small revenue having thus far
been derived from it by the State. re-
commend that some proper officer be
designated by law, whose duty it shall
be, by actual inspection and measure
ment, TO ascertain the number of tons of
nhQanhata halonoincx To thu Sta4o 4hat