The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-11-29

nated as contingent expenses aud re.
pairs. " making an aggregate. for the
sbovelspeclaed 1bjscts. of $685.. 879 89f~
sum startlingin il imaginable f6f one
seseton, ofAt4eaG General Assembly, and
which may ,wellbid tbe legislative depart
mont pause in tho path that 4 has been
The appropriations, including th ,se
vetoed by the Executive, aggregate a
total OF 8480. 600. To this, is to be
added the amount OF $lO3, ,65l. A., as
shown above, drawn upon the certificates
OF the Clerks Of the two Houses OF the
General Assemly, on. account Of printing
the laws, and the grand total Of .expendi.
lures, on account ,os Legislative ex.
| penses." amounts TO $588, 651. Al.
As an evidence 'of the pernioious con-
sequences OF permitting this .'money
order" system on the part of the presid.
Ing officers OF the Senate and House. I
refer to theofsctic we'll known to the
members Of the General Assembly, that
during the past year, upon the order of
thei Speaker Of the House. an alleged lia-
bility against the State was contracted.
to the amount OF $91, 800. for furniture
for the State House. This was entirely
without warrant OF law. and II the prin..
ciple is admitted that moneys can be
thus drawn from the Treasury, or debts
contracted without appropriations
made by law" then all proper safe
guards OF the Treasury are broken down,
and few ministerial officers in the State
may mortgage it's revenue in advance. or
deprive it at will of the means Of meeting
its legal liabilities.
THE PAY OF MEMBERS OF THE apNERAr
The first important measure of re-.
trenchment demanded by our financial
condition, is. q great reduction in the
amount received by members of the
General Assembly for their services.
The Constitution provides, (Article
II, Section 23.) that "each member OF
the first General Assembly, under this
Constitution, shall receive six dollars
per diem, while in session, and the
fr..he. scm Of twenty cents for every
mile of the ordinary route Of travel in
going to and returning from the place
where such session is held, after which
they shall receive such compensation as
shall be fixed by law; but no General
Assembly shall have the power to in
crease the compensation of its own mem
bers." L would recommend that. in lieu
OF q per diem, each member shall receive
an annual salary, to be fixed at such a
rate es will greatly diminish the cost to
the State OF the sessions of the General
Assembly, as compared with the amount
now paid under the system of per diem
compensation. It will also enable the
General Assembly to provide an assess
ment for the amount required for the
pay OF its members, and will enable them
to obtain their Pay with certainty. I
am satisfied that q moderate, yet ade-
quate, salary could be provided by law,
and a great saving be thereby effected to
the state Treasury. You would thereby
also greatly diminish the incidental ex-
penses Of the General Assembly. by de-
stroying what might offer great induce
ment to many members to prolong the
cannot refrain from expressing the
hope that the present session of the Le
gisiature will be O short and economical
one, as the financial condition OF the
State will not admit of any unnecessary
expenditure OF money. All the influence
OF the Executive of the State will be ex-
erted in accomplishing this end, and he
trusts that he will have the active sym
pathy and cooperation of each and
every member Of the Legislative depart
ment. 'H"'.,..t
The large amount of money paid to
| the attaches, such as clerks, messen.
gers; porters, &C., is without q parallel
In the history OF legislative bodies. It
was claimed OF the time by the members.
that most of these were men who had
been driven from their homes on ao.
connt OF their political opinions, and it
became the duty OF the General Assembly
to provide means for their support.
While this may be true. and that it NAV
have devolved upon the State Govern
ment to provide some means for their
protection and support, yet a very
unusual and expencive mode of extend
ing that support was adopted. It might
have been but justice to have made re
gniar appropriation, and levied it upon
the Counties from which these men were
driven; thus the victims of political pre-.
ludice would have been provided for
and the actual perpetrators of these out
RACES made to feel that it was an expen-
slye way OF controlling political opinions.
Ihe commission to codify the laws has
been IN existence for nearly three years,
and mas cost the State about $50, 900,
ana It's work is not yet completed. It is
the opinion of some of the best legal
minds OF the State that this work could
have been done thoroughly at q cost of
not more than $4,000. I would, there
fore, recommend that this standing re.
proach to the State Government, and
unnecessary drain upon tho Treasury,
be removed without delay, by abolishing
the Oode Commission and employing a
competent jurist to complete the codifi-
cation of our laws.
recommend that the office of Land
Commissioner be abolished md thot as,
duties OF the office be devolved upon the
Secretary Of State.
GENERAL REDUCTION OF SALARIES.
The thirty.one School Commissioners.
at their present salaries, which are ex.
dad NIL lo,a L.. l..