The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-09
THE COMING TAX LEVY.
FIRST MESSAGE OF GOVERNOR MOSES
TO TEE LEGISLATURE.
Am explanatory Letter from the Ne"
state Treasurer.


fsrxo1AL T11KaRAH TO THE NEwal
COLUMBIA, g.. c., December 8.
The following special message from Cove
nor Moses will be transmitted to the General
Assembly tomorrow:
Gentlemen of It's Senate and House OF Repre-.
sentatiues:
From official conference with the chairmen
ofthe committee OF ways aud means of the
House of Representatives, and OF the commit
tee on fnance of the Senate, respectively,
have learned that the General Assembly is
about to enter upon that department OF
legislation, which is specially connected
With the levy and collection of taxes IN
order to raise the moneys which may be deem
ed necessary to meet the expense Of the pre-
sent fiscal year, and to provide for such def
cieneles as pow are, or may hereafter be, de-
mandlng early settlement.
Believing 1t my duty, as the Executive OF
the State, to place before your honorable
bodies, and through them before the people.
all the Information In my possession which
may have a bearing on this important subject,
Ihasten, at the earliest practicable moment, TO
transmit such official data as / have been able
&c collect during the short period which has
elapsed since my Inauguration Into ONCE, to
the end that the people OF the State, may un.
derstand the nature of the necessities which
Will govern us in the collection and dlsburse-
ment of the taxes which they will be called
upon to pay into the treasury. Let us In the
beginning understand each other, and let not
the attempt be made to cover up from their
view any of the financial difficulties which are
pressing upon Us as their representatives.
Our dealing between ourselves and those
whom we represent should be OF that candid
and manly character that will carry convic.
ton nome to the minds of our constituents,
and persuade them that for the future we can
safely trust one another. Each and every tax
payer of our State has the undoubted rightto
know the true condition Of the treasury, and
to understand the nature of all the claims
against It, and the manner IN which 1t Is pro.
posed that those claims shall be met. No.
where else can they better receive this know
ledge and understanding than In the frank
and open conduct of the Legislature. In our
present situation, prompt and firm action Is
above all things necessary, and we shonld
waste no time In unavailIng regrets for the
past and vain expectations for the future: but
at once proceed to an earnest guardianship OF
the public interests, but have a care that that
guardianship shall be at once 30 vigilant and
30 tender that the chains which you may
riyet around the treasury of this State may
not enter into the hearts of the people. There
Is no money In the treasury with which to
meet either the current expenses of the State
government or Its large and outstanding liza
blities. The necessities of the several chari-
which have been 80 extremely urgent for
many months past still remain unsattsfed,
while the collection Of taxes which
were relied upon as the whole source
Of relief have been suspended by judi
dial procedure. The collection OF all
taxes levied, or to be levied, under authority
OF the joint resolution OF March Is, 1871, was
temporarily enjolned on the 18th ultimo, by
hishonor, the Judge Of the Fifth Circuit, on
the application Of the present State treas
urer, the treasurer cleo. That injunction was
made absolute on the Esd ultimo, his honor
holding than the joint resolution 10 question
Is In violation Of section 8, article 8 of the State
Constitution, which provides that
ssThe General Assembly shall provide for
an annual tax snficientto defray the estimated
expenses of the State for each year; and
whenever 1t shall happen that such ordinary
expenses OF the State for any year shall e4-
coed the incometof the State for such year,
the General Assembly shall provide Tor levy
Ing q tax for the ensuing year sufficient, with
of the preceding year, together with the esu-
mated expenses Of the ensuing year."
The said Injunction also rests upon other
grounds which will the more fully appear In
the special report of the State treasurer,
which report I have, requested for your In
formation In the premlses, and herewith
transmit. In compliance with my request /
have also received from the State treasurer
an official report embracing q statement of the
deficiencies and claims that exist against the
State, and which will require to be paid out of
the tax about to be levied for deficiencies, &c.
The valuable Information which I have de-
rived from this report, and which I now COM
luunicate to your honorable bodies. has ex-
bited to me the very gratifying fact. that
Rough our new State treasurer has been
a week In Office, during which time he has
q surrounded with macy difficulties initial
his term, he has already acquired a full
knowledge of the varied minutis which are
Involved In the performance of his arduous
duties. I congratulate the State on the prom
ise thus given of his being q thorough and
efficient public officer. He reports that the
deficiencies on his predecessors books under
the general appropriation act of March ID,
1872, are almost 100000 They are composed
OF the following items:
EXPENSES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING
NOVEMBER l, 1871, AND ENDING OCTOBER 81,
1872.
Salaries. .sls5, 900
Contingent accounts. ............ -. 1889
Lunaiic Asylum $500. 67,l70
Penitentiary. 65,4l6
OuaraHiine. 5000
Keeper of the LaZaretto.. 400
Repairs on The Lazaretto. 600
Miiitia. 1863
Orphanhouee. 1850
School records. 6 975
UniverHity repairs. 6,S71
Deaf, Dumb and Bind Asylum. 10000
Supreme Court l,OU0