The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-20


Blue Ridge Scrlp-Holders Disheart'
ened-No Decision Expected for Some
Dnys-salutary Effect OF the Vigor.
GUS stand Taken by the Attorney
General and the Comptroller and
Treasurer-Thc Work OF the Lesisla-
ture.
[FRoM oUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBIA, JANUARY IL.
1t will be remembered that an intimstion
was given last month In this correspondence
that, In addition to the effort that was then
expected and has now been made to compel
the levy Of tax TO provide for the Elue
Ridge revenue bond scrip, an effort was to be
made to compel the payment OF at least
psriion of the interest now overdue on the
bonded debt of the State. This effort, IL was
expected and stated, was to take tbs shape oi
an application to the Supreme Court for
mandamus to require the levy Of "a tax, In
addition to all other taxes, sufficient to pay
the interest on The bonds" as required by the
fourth section of the validating act OF last
winter. The parties that were TO institute
this proceeding were 10 large extent lne
same as the ones who have just made lne
fight in the Supreme Court III favor Oh the
Blue Ridge scrip, and 1t has been understood
that the question OF attempting the movement
for the payment OF Interest was 10
be determined according to the sue
cess or failure of the scrip scheme. IL Is
now stated confidently by those VINO nave
every opportunity for being thoroughly m
formed that the effort to force another tax for
the payment OF interest Is to be abandoned,
the parties who were to have led this fresh
attack upou tie treasury being disheartened
by the prospect now presented 10 tnem OF
complete failure of the scrip scheme. The
movement in the Supreme Court 10 favor OF
the scrip was In Two actions, the one being a
suit for mandamus to compel the levy OF Tax,
aud the other an appeal 'front.' Injunction OF
ex-Judge Melton forbidoing the reception of
the sci % in The payment OF paolic dues. The
first named of these ls the one which has been
argued during the past ten days by Messrs.
Campbell and Chamberlain on the part OF the
applicants, and Attorney-General Melton and
the Hon. G. G. Memminger for the re-.
spondents. The sg,na, arguments Tho by cora1i dhe
tulionality of the scrip act and the legality OF
the proposed tax have been, in The opinion of
every legal gentleman with whom have con-
versed upon the subject, considered conclu-
sive and overwhelming, and although the De,
cision of the court has not yet been rendered
and may not be- for some days yet, there Is
now but little doubt in the mind OF any one
who has followed the case that 1t will be
refusal TO grant the mandamus. The parties
who have been engineering the application
land by these parties do not mean the gen-
tlemen whose names appear as the petitioners
in the case, nor the very able counsel en-
pleyed by them, but ]. l.. Neagle and one or
TWO others who have stood behind the scenes,
although they each own more ofthe scrip than
all of the petitioners put together,} have
practically acknowledged their defeat 10 the
1lrst named case by their action In regard to
the second. When they started into
the fight they were confident oil success
in both, and announced that whichever might
be taken up first and decided by the ccurL 1t
would be Instantly followed up by the other,
so that the victory which they expected In The
one case would be Immediately supplemented
by similar triumph In the other Now,
however, they are very for from being In any
haste to take up the second of the Blue Ridge
cases, and it has therefore, with tneir co con-
sent, been postponed until April. They
foresee their defeat in the one Just argued,
and they do not court another Waterloo until
they shall have had time TO recover from lhe
first blow, and as for the proposed mandamus
for tax to pay interest on the bonds, they
have abandoned that altogether. The I'M
portance of this defeat of the raiders upon the
public treasury can hardly be overeslimateo.
OF all the corrupt and rascally laws passed by
the last General Assembly The Two ac:s known
az the validating act and the Blue
Ridge scrip act were recognized at the
time as being absolutely The worst aud
most shameless. They were both parts
of one systematic scheme OF plunder. and as
was notorious at The Time the ''marglu" that
was given In the ecrip act was To De USED IN
part, and was used In part by Messrs. Patter-
sou. Neage Ct al in britirg the validating
bill through tIe two houses. However, the
bottom appears likely 10 fall out OF the whole
scheme, in consequence OF The stand taken oy
Comptroller. General Hoge and Altorney-Gen-
eral Melton, in refusing to carry out what
they and the whole people, except Messrs..
Patterson, Neagle ct al, believe to be brace oil
rascally swindling and unconstitutional laws,
aud of the probable refusal of the Supreme
Court to declare that they are innocent, neces-
sary and legitimate measures.
This stand against the enforcement OF the
Blue Ridge scrip act and the validating law
Ia the first important executive act oil the new
administration, and 1t must be conceded that
in this respect they have thus far faith
fully observed the pledges OF the plat
form upon which they were elected. The
next important step which Is promised by
them Is an Investigation into :he merits and
dement's of the fifteen or twenty million dol
lars of bonds which were Issued under the ad-
ministratlon of Governor Scott. The present
State officials say that they owe 1t to them
tication, and they were about perfecling
pisn of operations when measure was intro
tiuced in the House looking TO an invesliga' lon
10 be made BY commission OF three dlsinte.
rested citizens. This was in the shape OF the
following Joint resolution which was offered
last Monday by Nr. o. R. Levy, OF Charleston:
Belt resolved, That the Governor be en-
powered 10 appoint commission oil three
persons of character, Integrity and business
capacity, to Investigate the amount and valid
ity of the State debt, who shall enter upon the
discharge OF their duty at the earliest practi-
cable moment; have power to send fer per-
sons and papers, be vested with authority TO
examine into the books, accounts anc vouch-
era of the State treasurer, comptroller gene
raj spd financial agent in New York, and be
furnished with such Information from the var
ious State departments as the said commits
sion shall from time to time require. That It
shell be the duty Of the said commission to sit
at Stated times, 10 be advertised in the papers
OF the cities OF Charleston, Columbia and New
York, and shall cause the number denomlnat-
ing the act under which 1t was Issued, and the
name OF the person, association, corporation or
firm presenting any bond, coupon or certificate
OF Indebtedness, TO be registered in books, to
be kept by the said commission for this pur-
pose, and when said commission are fully sat-
isfed of the validity Of the same, to aftlX an
official stamp, to be provided for their espe-
cial purpose. Provided, That no charge shall
be made to the holders or parties presenting
such bond, coupon or certificate of stock for
such registry. And il shall be The further
duty of such commission TO report the pro-
Lot- {o,, t1oft oin