The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-12-05
A Good Beuinninq at Retrenchment.

last week, tuesday ana wednesday. 1huio
day was Thanksgiving's Day, and both Houses
adjourned over until Monday last. The busl-
ness before the General Assembly, however,
was prompt and decisive enough in favor OF
reformation and retrenchment in legislative
expenses, which has heretofore swallowed up
SO large proportion of the taxes.
The Senate began the work on tuesday Dy
abolishing the Office of Chaplain, which has
been a sinecure position, whereby SIX dollars
per day was expended for ten minutes Of devo-
tional exercises albeit few of the Senators were
ever present or paid the slightest attention to
the prayers offered by the regular Chaplain
1t was decided to rely upon voluntary services
from the ministers of the different denomina-
tions. This action Of the Senate was followed
on Wednesday by 81 report from the Finance
Committee as to the number of attaches re-
quired during the session, limiting the number
to fifteen, at daily expense of $45. When we
consider that the employees last year numbered
about fifty persons, costing the State not less
than 5000 per day, we can form an estimate Of
the amount saved by this new arrangement
The recommendation of the Finance Commit
tee was adopted unanimously. - 30 :
The action of the House of Representatives
was even more significant and gratifying, as
the abuses and prodigacy in this respect had
been far more reckless in its past history than
in that of the Senate. After the organization
of the House on Tuesday, resolution. was in.
troduced by a colored member, authorizing the
Speaker to appoint the attaches, but restricting
the number to thirty-fve. Mr. John R: Coch-
ran, of Anderson, moved to amend this resolu-
tion by reducing the number to fifteen, which
would be amply sufficient, in case the persons
employed were competent and trustworthy.
But this daring innovation upon previous
usages and customs met with strong opposi-
tion, and after considerable debate the question
was postponed until Monday. The friends of
retrenchment were not satisfied, however, and
on Wednesday morning it was moved to recon
slider the action of Tuesday, which was debated
at great length and finally carried. The fol-
lowing resolutions were then offered by James
A. Bowley, (colored, of Georgetown, and were
adopted by the House, viz: r III
Whereas, the expenses of the last House of
Representatives were allowed to reach a very
large sum, by reason of the employment of q
great number of persons as attaches; :!sand,
whereas, it is deemed altogether unnecessary to
employ more than certain number o. persons
to perform the various services of the House,
and it is believed to be unwise to make the
appointing power unlimited; and, whereas,
the Republican party stands pledged to the
people of the State to reduce the unnecessary
expenditures of the State government, and In
augurate retrenchmeDt and reform therefore,
be it ,8,.zrie
Resolued, That the following officers and en-
ployees be appointed by the Speaker: One read
ing clerk one assistant reading clerk; two
solicitors; one clerk to the committee on ways
and means; one clerk to the committee on
privileges and elections; one clerk to the COM
mittee on claims; one clerk to the committees
on education and public lands, jointly ). three
assistants in the clerks office; one doorkeeper;
two assistant doorkeepers one janitor; seven
messengers; five pages seven laborers.
Resoiued further, That the Speaker be re-
quested to appoint none but steady, reliable
and competent persons to the aforesaid posi-!
tions, and that the clerical force be required to
report daily to the clerk of the House, and
that the other employees be required to report
daily for duty to the sergeant-at-arms, and any
officer or employee neglecting to report. or abb
senting himself without leave from said office,
shall be Immediately dismissed. T.,
Rcsolved, That the committee clerks be ap-
pointed upon the recommendation OF the CHAIR,
men of the committees which are allowed
clerks, and that the assistant clerks be appoint
ed upon the recommendation of the clerk OF
the House.
Resoived, That the committee on ways and
means be authorized to fix the compensation OF
all officers and employees.
Resolved, That the clerk of the House be in
structed not to issue any pay certificate for
services claimed to have been rendered as an
officer or employee other than has been named
in this resolution, without direct authority from
the House. a
Rcsolved, That no special co,Amittesghsll be
allowed per diem, or be allowed to incur any
expense, unless by special authority OF the
House. y S..
Resolued, That no account for contingent OF
legislative expenses of the House be paid un-
less the same has been passed by the auditing
committee of this House.
It will be observed that the first resolution
provides for the appointment of thirty-hVe
persons, but this was subsequently reduced to
twenty-four, which motion was adopted by the
decisive vote of 92 to 81. The members voting
against the measure were chiefly colored Re-
publcans, who were members of the last Leg
islature. The Democratic members voted
soldly in favor of the proposed reform, but
the credit is mainly due to the Republicans,
white and colored, who urged the measure from
the beginning. The amounts to be paid for
services are not fixed by the resolutions, but
that point is left to the Ways and Means Com
mittee, and we are confident that the sum total
will be moderate and reasonable, as compared
with last year. An expenditure of SIS per
day is really too much, We know, but. the stri-
king difference between that sum and the esti-