The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-12-31
'CClIiIJl lMBIA;, IS. c..
Tues lay lnorninx, December 81, 1872.

Tuesday lnorning. December 81. 1872.
Ths Lesl.l.tlve Talure.8 !. &
The General assembly will reconvene
one week from to-day. Such of its
members as give study and thought to
their legislative duties have had good
long tins for,reAection, and for arrange
ment in their minds of the matter and
Information pertinent to them. Those
who easily reaped at the Senatorial cleo.
tion have had the opportunity and the
temptation to spend just as freely. Light
come, light 60. Whoever carried home
pluma to pnt in their Christmas pie we're,
ne,doabt, duly edited in the eating. but
itsmsy admit Of doubt whether they
can truthfully say, with little Jack Hor.
ner, $40 f,:.
"Hsputi in hi. thumb and took ont plum.
And said what good boy am l."
Wehope that the Legislature, when
IL meets again. will go earnestly to work,
and pass sucb bills upon it's calendar as
the public interests have indicated to be
necessary and salntary. and u.e like de-
spatch In throwing overheard those
which cannot stand the test OF scrutiny
when measured by the same standard.
We have had the Satisfaction Of approx
Ing certain measures now before it.
Their intrinsic merits arc suoh as to in
duoe their early adoption. Besides those,
there were introduced before tue recess
two bills in reference to County matters
which we think are good, and may have
useful effect. The more checks the bet
ter. provided they be duly applied. One
of the bills to which we alludo was in
troducsd by Senator Hayne, OF Aiken.
It's to make the. Office of County Trea-
aurer elective. .,,.t
sit provides that there shall be elected
by the. qualified voters of the several
Oou1ties;ln the, State, at the next gene
County Treasurer for each County,
who shalt hold his Office for the term of
--y years, and shall perform such duties
as now are, or may hereafter be, re-
quJred by law. The bill also provides
that the Tzeasurers shall give bonds for
the faithful discharge OF their duties" "
The ether, introduced by Representa-.
tiye Tholnag, OF Colleton, is even more
Important. It is entitled:
ga bill to regulate the disbursement
Of the public moneys in the several
Counties OF this State, and provides that
it shall'be the duty of the County Audi
tof'in every County. in addition to the
duties now imposed upon him, and with
out : any additional compensation, to
audit all bills, checks, accounts and
claims Of the County Commissioners and
County Treasurer OF his County once in
everX three months. and that record of
such, accounts shall be kept in the Audi.
tors office. Immediately upon the pas
sage ot the bin. the Auditors shall pro
oesd to ascertain the amount OF out
procsed to register them. The Clerks of
the: Courts of the various Counties shall
then receive and consider all claims
againAt his County presented to them,
and, shall approve such as are correct,
and upon his approval they are to be
paid. Any person dissatisfied with the
finding OF the Clerk upon his claim,
may prefer q petition to the Court of
Common Pleas, which shall refer the
case to jury, whose determination
shall be Anal The bill also provides
that no money received under the tax
levy OF one seal year shall be paid out
bn.any claim which accrued n any pre-
vious fiscal year, unless there is at the
time in the treasury o surplus OF money
over and above what may be necessary
to meet all the claims upon the treasury
arising in the current fiscal year. The
County Auditor is required to make
quarterly returns to the Comptroller.
General of 80 much Of his report as per.
tains to the interest OF the State, to
make quarterly returns of all claims and
disbursements pertaining to the County
to the Court of Common Pleas therein,
: which returns shall be laid before the
grand Jury, who shall present the same
to- the public during the term of the
said court. The penalty for any viola.
ton of the provisions of the bill is fixed
at $500 for each and every offence, and
dismissal from Office"
The Legislature. when it re. assemblies,
will find something to do, and great
deal more to let alone. The Comp.
tsoller's report and accompanying doou.