Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-05-26

or be requested to direct the Attorney Gene
al to enquire into all cases of alleged frauds
upon the Treasury, that may be brought to
his notice; and to make suitable provision
for the remuneration of infor.ners, and to the
| compensation Of additional counsel, which
| l"ay be necessary. Tint the ATTORNEY Gene.
raj be Instructed, i found necessary or expo.
dIent, to attach the property Of persons ascer.
taned to be in default to the Treasury. or in
any other way to be unlawfully in possession
OF moneys Of the State
a committee on the part of the Legislature
is pow in session in this city charged with
the Investigation of the transactions of some
of the State officials. Your committee re.
commend the appointment of committee of
three by the President of this Convention.
whose duty it shall be as representatives of q
large body of the tax. payers of the State. to
tender their services and CO operation to the
Legislative committee, in aid of the ;oycsti
CATION now going on.
Your committee not having the authority
o! law to press tleir enquiry into the NJ.
merous alleged frauds and corruptions, to a
satisfactory conclusion, ard recognizing the
&C ;ns'on as one Of too much gravity to be has
thy and inadviscdly passed upon, have declined
to DC influenced IN this regard by the unsworn
statements Of individuals. The foregoing re.
Communications, however, if carried out. will
test the sincerity of those who have the au-
thorlty for investigation, and lead to puri(i.
cation of the body polite.
The adoption of the following suggestions
Is respectful recommended for the consdcra
ton OF the Legislature at it's next session.
wlthn view to the enactment and modifica.
on of CERTAIN laws.
L. Increase the revenues of the State by
additional legislation insuring the full and
faithful aynent of the royalty on = h ,sphato
deposits dug and mined, pursuant to the
terms OF the charters of the respective compa-
MES This may be effected by the appoint
mcnt OF reliable bonded inspectors or weigh
ers, who should be required to determine by
weight or measurement the number of tons
mined before sale or shipment, and who shall
receive for compensation, reasonable COM
mission ON amounts secured to the State
through his Office.
prop"Piofn" 81 pafS daEi7aaab sthat erSSs IS
met from this source, if properly collected,
whereas, but - thousand dollars have so
far been paid into the State Treasury.
2. Repeal or prevent in future acts vesting
valuable franchises, the right to dig aud mine
phoSphatcs, etc, etc, in companies, all ora
great part OF whose corporators are members
of the Legislature at the time Of the grant
3. Stop the drawing of money from the
Treasury f,r alleged current legislative expen-
scs on the order of the Speaker of the House
or President Of the Senate, in advance of any
appropriation, which practice is in direct VIC
latlon of Section %, Article of the Consti-
tuition, which provides: That ono money
shall be drawn fro'n the Treasury, nut in pur-
suancc of an appropriation made by law
/. All appropriation bills should specify
items under each general head. For in
stance, the practice is to cover, under head
of "Lcgslativc Expenses the payments to
alleged employees, clerks. messengers. etc,
of the General Assembly, who, as your com
mittec arc informed outnumber the members
thereof
S. Reduce the number Of State and county
officers, by blending the duties of two or more
Offices in one and reduce the fees of Coroners.
which are excessive.
6. Enact law limiting each session of tho
Legislature thirty days
Z. A law shonld be enacted, or the present
law modified, prohibiting County Commis.
sioncrs from issuing any check until the ac-
count upon which it is alleged to be based, is
first audited and approved by the County
Treasurer or some other independent officer,
and requiring the Commissioners to publish
quarterly a statement in the nearest news
paper Of all amounts collected and paid bv
en-, from whom collected, to whom paid and
on what account.
8. Let the old law regulating the fees
of solicitors be substituted for the present.
8. Repeal the act granting salary of ST..
500 per annum to the Adjutant General
The Office is nero sinccure. It's practical
duties can be performed by clerk, to be ap-
pointed by the Governor, acting as Assistant
Adjutant General
TO- Limit each public officer to one salary
or compensation, for the same service wide
Lieutenant Governors pay.)
IL. Abolish Commission to codify the laws.
1t costs tho State $4,000 aud does no duty
which cannot be discharged by clerk.
The duties of your committe, Mr.. Prcsi-
dent have been delicate and arduous, and the
time within which they were expected to dis
charge them, too limited to permit such
thorough investigation of the matters commit
ted to them, as they justly deserve. They
have had to rely upon statements voluntarily
furnished by the officials themselves, and the
evils sought to be corrected may not find i'm
mediate redress. They trust, however, that
such information as they have been able to
procure, may lead to other and further inves-
tigation by the committee above recommended.
and that the suggestions and remedies which
they have had the honor to make, NAV result
in good to the whole people of the State.