The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-06-01
COLUMBIA, s. dC.|
Sunday Morning, June l.. 1873.
Comp.rol,er IIog.'. Return.

ouuaay moTulHS, June y 1900.
Comptroller IIogo's Return.
Oomp.roller.Ge General Hoge made his
return on Friday to the order OF the So
preme Court, which required him to
show cause, why writ of maaduaus
should not Issue against him, as prayed
for in the petition Of Morton, Bliss s.
90. It was that he should be compelled
to order levy to pay the interest upon
certain bonds hold by these parties. The
return, which our readers will find in an
other place, seems to us to be overwhelm-
ing in the number and force of the rea-
sons given for declining the task sought
to be imposed upon him. The third, to
the effect that the bonds upon which
payment OF interest is demanded by the
petitioners, do not constitute valid obli-
cations Of the State, because the bonds
authorized by Act Of the Legislature,
February 10, 1859, OF which those hold
BY MoEtoE. Bliss & Go. compose part.
were not hypotheoated and sold in con-
formity with the requirements of law
therein e1pressed; and besides that, q
large portion of these bonds have been
returned to the State Treasury, and 60
redeemed and paid. and no longer capa.
BILE OF being issued, appears sufficiently
conclusive against such order. The
sixth and seventh arc even more 80. II
it be the duty of the Comptroller to or.
der levy to pay these bonds as part OF
the State debt. it is equally so to order
one to pay the whole State debt. This
cannot be done, because that is an inde-
finite quantity, and because the aggregate
amount of suoh debt. according to Trea-
surer's report, October. 1871. is dis
pnted, and charged to be s7,191, 700 in
excess OF the true amount. The eighth
is still more cogent The General AS
sembly' has directed registration of all
outstanding bonds and stocks to be made
by certain agencies. Pending this regis
tration. which. it is to be presumed, is
going on, and concerning bonds not yet
registered in accordance with the Act,
the return urges the incompetency Of
tive court, through ita writ Of ,nanclamus,
to direct inquiry as 70 the true amount
Of the valid public debt: This it would
have to do. before the Comptroller could
be instructed by it to levy tax to pay
interest upon any bonds constituting an
alleged part of it. tA
We have read this paper with no little
interest. The Attorney General, speak
ing in it by authority of the present
State Government, declares that the pub.
lie debt, which has been put by the pre-
ceding administrati- n at $l5, 1851, 1927. .35,
is less that amount by 7,1ol. 700. Here
is real vital issue made for the first
time in an authoritative way. Whatever
the court may determine as to its iuris.
.1iction in tho premises, and whether the
question in its public and important as
pect, which lies behind the application
OF Morton, Bliss & Co., can be got at in
the court now or not. it is matter of
congratulation that tho administration
has thus publicly and openly committed
itself to opposition and hostility to the
ooOA AAOuo LSAo ooOGs IL uo ~ uAlI
done who has we'll begun, we feel justi-
fed in considering the matter of the
public debt as fairly on the way to solu.
tion and reduction. Hitherto, the OBJ
stacle has been the official ring. who saw
their interest in keeping the debt in
doubt and darkness. This policy-as
least, as to the debt-seems to be sban.
doned. II the will exist In the admins
tration TO sift and separate the valid
from the fraudulent, it can and will be
done, and the opportunity will be found
or made.
Europe seems to be running away from
itself. France is in fermcnt, Spain in
an uproar, England agitated by reform,
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