The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-11-07

Mr.. ED1roH; sIs ths DAitI PnadnssIExI. adnssIExI
lat, ,81st plt.. ssSsaf tf1ds .teem tAa
qharlsston Nsvs, iA Nhiek ths aHbstanos
Of anintelview held bylts cefsespond.
ent.with ths present Eaat g Treasure ssis
given. Nappears from SSkis ihtesyisw
that thers 70 q disposisi1n oi Tie part of
the Treasurer to favor The patting into
circulation, for special 3puxpQsss, ot 8
small amount of what is known as
bills receivable Of the State. Some.
body, which I suppose to be the public
at large, thinks there are 5000, 900 Of
said bills in the treasury that might be
used in an emergency, but does not
know whether this 5000. 600 are signed
or unsigned. The amount seems to be
definite. It is always spoken of as The
5000, 900 of bills receivable. The Trea-
surer cannot fnd that amount either
signed or unsigned; and, as she knows
nothing OF any being there himself" he
coDjectures that destroyed them on re-.
firing from Office at the close of Gov.
Orr's administration. I wish to correct
such an impression. destroyed noue
of this money. In order to show the
bearing Of the statemen. 7 make below,
1 will copy part of the interview in
question::
"His idea (the Treasurer's) was, if
necessary, to put out the 5000, 600 (bills
receivable); one-half to be devoted to
the legislative and printing expenses OF
tho session, (present extra session, and
the other half to few OF the unpaid sp-
propriations of the present fiscal year,
such as salaries of officers, warrants for
supplies furnished the Penitent,ary and
the Lunatic Asylum, &c. In this way
he (the Treasurer) thought the $2cO, QUO
OF bills receivAbh might be advanta-
geously used to bridge over the forty or
sixty days before the taxes of the next
fiscal year will have come in; and the
scrip can be redeemed just as we'll, and
at no moro cost, than the deficiency
which they used to meet could be paid.
The Treasurer infornls me, (the cor
respondent.) too, that it is a mistake
about there being $500, 900 of the bills
receivable on hand, signed or unsigned,
in the treasury. He thinks they were
all destroyed by Treasurer Hood when
Orr's administration ended; and, at any
rate, knows nothing of any being there
himself"
The Act of December, 1865, author
lied the issue of $500, 900 of these bills
receivable by the Treasurer. When,
however, the American Bank Note Com
pany had printed $500. 900 of them, it
was found that that amount would be
.m2le for the purposes intended by the
Act. and the printing was directed to BIZ
stopped. The balance of SI10, 600 was,
therefore, never printed. OF these bills
l signed and put into circulation, as NO.
cessity required, during the years 1866,
1867 and part of 1868, 1929, 900, leav-
ing balance of $169, 900 unsigned, and
which were turned over to N. &. Parker
in the transfer Of the treasury Office to
him in the summer of 1868.
10 show that I am not relying on
memory for figures that might escape it
in the five years that have elapsed since
these transactions occurred. will quote
section from the receipt of the then
incoming Treasurer, N. G.. Parker, to
NE for property and balances turned
over to him September 8, 1853. Among
the items enumerated are: "Unsign.d
bills receivable of the State of South
Carolina. prepared under authority of
an Act of the General Assembly, passed
in December. 1865. entitled An Act to
provide for the issue of bills receivable
in payment Of Indebtedness to the State,
to the amount of $500, ,OOO,' to wit: of
tho denominations OF S5 and $40, mum
bered from 5000 to 10000, inclusive,
making 3400 sheets, each sheet con
tanning $40. two S5 and two S1O,) and
amounting in all to Sl02. 900; and of the
denominations Of 81 and So. numbered
from 1000 to $4,000. inclusive, making
200 sheets, each sheet containing Sc,
two 81 and two S2.) and amounting in
all to S66, 900; making total Of SlG9,-
00O'' of unsigned bills passed into the
hands OF my successor. The amount
put by me into circulation will be seen
BY multiplying the numbers net in
oluded, VIZ:
Sc. 600 by $50. .S19S, 900
81, 600 by Sc. .. $4,000
Making. as stated. -. 1922 900
Part OF this 1920. 900 was still out in
circulation, and part in the treasury,
and counted as cash in the transfers. If
these bills have come in since, as i'm
agine they have, seeing they were pass
ing at discount, and redeemable in
United States currency, they, together
with tho unsigned ones, should still be
in the treasury, unless they havo been
destroyed by authority of the Legisla.
turo sinoo September, 1868
WILLIAM HOOD