The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-12-19
FIRST MESSAGE OF GOVERNOR HOSES
TO TIE LEGISLATURE.
Gentlemen of the Senate and House Of Repre-

II
TO TIE LEGISLATURE.
Gentle1aen of the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives:
From official conference with the chairmen
of the committee of ways and means OF the
House of Representatives, and of the commit
tee on finance of the Senate, respectively, l
have learned that the General Assembly is
about to enter upon that department OF iegls-
lation, which is specially connected with the
lew and collection Of taxes in order to raise
the moneys which may be deemed necessary to
meet the expenses of the present fiscal year, and
to provide for such deficiencies as now are, or
may hereafter be, demanding early settlement.
Believing it my duty, as the Executive OF TN, tne
State, to place. before your honorable Dodles'
and through them before the people, all the
information in my possession which may nave
q bearing on this important subject, L hasten,
at the earliest practicable moment to transmit
such official data as have been able to collect
during the short period which has elapsed since
INV Inauguration into Office, to the end that the
people Of the State NAV understand the nature
Of the necessities which will govern us in the
collection and disbursement of the taxes which
they will be called upon to pay into the treas
ury. 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 difficult
ties which are pressing upon us as their repre-,
sentatives. Our dealing between ourselves and
those whom we represent should be OF that
candid and manly character that WILL carry
conviction home to the minds OF our constltu-
ents, and pursuade them that for the future we
can safely trust one another. Each and every
taxpayer of our State has the undoubted right
to know the true condition of the treasury, ana
Al of oil thQ
AGAINST it. and the manner in which it IS pro-
posed that those claims shall be met. Nowhere
else can they better receive this knowledge and
understanding than in the frank and open con-
duct of the Legislature. In our present sltua-
tion. prompt and firm ssction is above all things
necessary, and we should waste no time IN un-
availirg regrets for the past and vain expecta-
tions for the future, but at once proceed to an
earnest guardianship of the public Interests,
but have care that that guardianship shall De
at once so vigilant and so tender that the
claims which you may rivet around the treas
ury 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 liabilities. The necessities OF
the several charitable, educational and penal
institutions which have been so extremely ur-
isfied. while the collection of taxes which were
relied upon as the whole source of relief have
been suspended by judicial procedure The
collection of all taxes levied, or to be levied,
under authority of the joint resolution of March
l3. 1871, was temporarily enjoined on the 18th
ultimo. by his honor, the Judge of the Fifth
Circuit, on the application of the present State
treasurer. the treasurer elect The injunction
was made absolute on the 23rd ultimo, his hon
or holding that the joint resolution question Is
in violation of section 8, article OF the State
Constitution, which provides that
saThe General Assembly shall provide for an
annual tax sufficient to dcfray the estimated
expenses of the State for each year; and when
ever it shall happen that such ordinary exPen-
ses of the State for any year shall exceed the
income of the State for such year, the General
Assembly shall provide for leyying tax fo'
the ensuing year sufficient, with other sources
of income, to pay the deficiency of the preced-
ing year, together with the estimated 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 have requested for your information In
the premises, and herewith transmit. In COM
pliance with my request 1 have also received
from the State treasurer an official report EN-.
braciug O statement OF the denclencies anu
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 have derived from this
report. and which now communicate to your
honorable bodies, has exhibited to me the very
gratifying fact that although our new state
treasurer has been but week in office, during
which time he has been surrounded with many
difficulties initial to his term, he has already
acquired full knowledge of the varied minu.
tiae which age involved in the performance of
his arduous duties I congratulate the State
on the promise thus given of his being a tho
rough and efficient public officer. He reports
that the deficiencies on his predecessors BOOKS
under the general appropriation act OF March
13. 1872, are almost 100000. They are COM
posed of the following items:
EXPENSES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR COMMENCING
NOVEMBER /, 1871, AND ENDING OCTOBER
81, 1872. .,o- mn
Gont;ngent accounts unts.................. 1889
Iunat;c Asvlnm m............... 67,170
Penitent;ary 65,416
0msrs min. 5000
Taa,er of tho J,azaretto. 400
Repairs On the LaZaretto. 6OU
M;t;t;o 1868
Ornbanhouse .................. 1850
SebooI records. ............. 6,975
I1n;vers;tv nena;rs 6,S77