The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-12-20
SeIf-Convicted Robbers.

IW The special committee OF the House OF
H Representatives, whose report was adopted
Y by the House on Monday, as the first step to
the introduction OF resolutions for the i'm
peachment OF Governor Scott and Treasurer
Parker, is composed OF FIVE members, all OF
them pronounced Radicals, viz: Messrs. G.
C. Bowen, Benz. Byas, F. 81. Frost, P. ].
OConnen and w. d. Jones, Jr. Their
leader was Mr.. Bowen, who, being the So
licitor OF the Joint Investigating Committee,
appointed last session, knew pretty well
where to strike the Ring with the most dam
aging effect. But when the committee was
appointed the public we're chary OF giving it
their confidence. 1t was feared that this
was only another black-maiiDg operation,
which would end in q reconciliation orfthe
Radical rogues and. the Radical reformers,
and this feeling obtained even after the
presentation Of the report OF the COM
mittee That report made the following al
legations:
/. That the whole bonded debt Of the State.
on the 3lst October, 1865, was S5,4O7,-
aO6, and that the bonded debt on the
3lst October, 1870, was s7,665, $50,
which, with s2,2OO,OOO of bonds, in the
hands OF the Financial Agent, made the
total outstanding bond debt 50, S65, $50.
2. That OF the debt Of 65,s56, only
s3,2OO,0 900 were new bonds-while the
State Treasurer makes affidavit that
there are now sigued and outstanding
s9,5l4. 900 Of new State oonds, the dit1sr-
ence Of s6,3l4OOO, between the two
amounts, being an over-issue.
After presenting these facts, the commit
tee show that there was no authority in law
for the excessive issues OF bonds, and they
show, besides, that the Governor has signed
and delivered to the State Treasurer 81, ,7O0,-
900 OF conversion bonds for the absorption OF
the land commission bonds and the bonds
for the relief OF the treasury, while nearly all
OF these bonds are out as part OF the in
debtedness of the State. These are the
main statements OF the Bowen Committee.
The public now look upon them as beng Sc
rlously in earnest, and their charges are sus-
tanned by abundant direct and collateral tes-
timony.
According to the official report Of the
Comptroner-General the to:al debt OF the
State, on October 81, 1870, was S7,G65, 9OS
or, with the hypothecated bonds, s9.S65, S56
On September 20, 1871, the total debt oil Il e
70 n iol
report to the Ku-Klux Committee, was
S9,52S,564. And on October 81, 1871, the
total debt OF the State, according to the
official reports OF both Governor Scott and
Treasurer Parker was SIS 767, 9OS. There
was, therefore, an increase in the debt OF
SIS, ,052 between October 81, 1870 and
October 81, 1871, daring ,chich period no
law ,cas passed authorizing the addition OF
a single dollar to he puJlic debt Of The
State. Nor is it difficult to show, from the
official reports, how this fraudulent increase
OF aebt was contracted.
The Act of March %, 1869, so provide for
'the conversion Of the State securities" de-
cares First. That no conversion bonds or
stock shall be issued except upon the sigma
ture OF the Governor (R. X. ScotD and
counter-signature of the Treasurer (Nlles G..
Parker.) Second. That no bond or stock
shall be thus signed, countersigned or
issued, except upon the application OF some
person holding stock or coupon bonds Of the
State OF South Carolina, and for the purpose
Of taking up the same, by the issue OF a like
amount OF conversion bonds or stock.
These are plain and unmistakable provi
sions. How have the Governor and Treas
urer obeyed the law which they are sworn to
administer faithfully? Their official reports
show that ss, 10000 Of conversion bonds
were printed under the act OF March 23l.
But they also confess that only 81, ,260, 500 Of
these bonds were issued in effecting conver.
sions under the law. And they acknowledge
that SIS, s65, 900 OF the conversion bonds were
placed in the hands Of the financial Agent,