The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-07-12
THE PUBLIC PLUNDERERS.
THE ENG OFFICIALS At LAST
DRAGGED BEFORE THE COURTS.
to be Compelled to Show his
Accountable Revenue Bond Scrip
How tho Game was Played-The Blue
Ridge Case--Atrocious Purposes OF
Grant In Regard to South Carolina,
So.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE NRws.l
COLUMBIA, Thursday, July IL.

COLUMBIA, Inur6uay, July IL.
Judge willard returned yesterday, and to-
day commenced the hearing Of the arguments
In the first case of 1.-THE State ex relatione
Edwin F. Gary, state auditor, vs.. Niles G.
Parker as State treasurer and others, county
treasurers," or what Is now familiarly known
as the revenue bond scrip case. Messrs. Pope
and Haskell, Chamberlain, Melton, Judge
Mayrath and Mr.. Corbin were present as
counsel. Only Mr.. Pope and Judge Magrath
spoke to-day; the others will be heard to-
morrow. Mr.. Pope made very strong argu-
ment against the validity of the scrip, and
Judge Willard intlmated very clearly that he
held the act to be unconstitutional as author
izIng the issue of bills of credit, which the
Constitution Of the United States prohibits,
and also upon other grounds, sucn as want
Iot consideration to the State for the ,OOo
of scrip which the act authorizes to be Issued.
The affidavit which mentioned In my dis
patch yesterday as having been made by Par
ker does not refer to this case, but to that OF
T. and Il. NJ. Gibson and others, creditors,
against Parker, which will follow this, and In
which he will have to give an account OF bis
receipts and expenditures as treasurer. In
this bond-scrip case Parker has made an an
swer in which he alleges that the bonds of the
Blue Ridge road, to the amount of So 1884, 600,
have been received by him to be cancelled
under the act, and that he has already Issued
scrip to the amount Of l,796,823 So In lieu
thereof. There Is, therefore, still outstanding
s604, of the bonds which are pledged In
New York as collaterals, and 1t will require
something over $500, 900 more of the scrip to
take them up, making In all an Issue OF scrip
of over S. 100 900, instead Of ST. SO0, 900 as has
been generally understood. %he act evidently
contemplates only the latter sum; but Parker,
by fancy construction of his own, upon the
second section, has made this Increase of
$300, 900, which, 1t Is significant to notice, lc
Just precisely the amount said to have been
used by the benefciarles of the bill TO bribe
the Legislature to secure Its passage.
A specimen of the scrip was produced In
court to-day, and strange discrepancy was
discovered upon Its face, the evident Intention
being to avoid, by this subterfuge, the appear
ance of being bill Of credit. The act e1-
upon its face that the sum mentioned therein
is due by the State of South Carolina to the
bearer thereof. This is not done, but the
scrip simply says on its face that it Is receiVa-
Eble for taxes for certain amount, acknowl
edging no debt whatsoever, which latter,
according to Judge Willard, is necessary to
the creation of q bill of credit.
The case of John Mackay vs. the President
and Directors of the Blue Ridge Railroad Com.
pany, comes up before Judge Melton to-mor-
row.
hear that the prosecutions under the en-
forcement act are to be pressed with unpre-
cedented vigor and severity In the upper
counties. There is pile of warrants for ar
rests in Union County alone a foot and q half
thick. Not dozen citizens Of the county, Of
Saxon blood, will escape. W. J. sartor, very
estimable young man of Union county, who
married a short while since In Lexington
County, was torn from his bride on Monday
last by Grants minions, and Is now lodged in
,ail here. Our VIvE.