The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-11-27

Mr. John r. Cochran, who is the author Of
the substitute bill, rose to explain his position
He desired. he said, to place himself upon the
record as not fayoring levy at this time. The
House had called upon the committee for q
bill, and in obedience to the request of the
House he had reported the substitute as best
suited to the purpose designed. He did not
nation was received as to the new assessments
Hurley opposed an immediate levy also, and
moved that the bill be recommitted Both
motions were lost, and the bill was put upon
its second reading. One mill was taken from
the four for deficiencies and set apart to pay
the claim of Hardy Solomon. An amendment
was offered in regard to the tax for county
purposes, proposing levy of FIVE mills instead
of three for Greenville, Pickens and Charles
ton Counties. Artsop moved to strike out
Charleston. Pending the discussion of the
motion the House adjourned.
COLUMBIA, November 20.
Every day but develops more fully the weak
ness of the government and its incapacity to
grapple successfully with the complicated
financial Issues which previous ill-advised and
corrupt legislation have preciptated upon the
State. The extra session was called to adjust
the bonded debt, and to provide for a levy of
taxes to meet the expenditures of the fiscal
year commencing November1. No final action
has been taken with regard to the bonds, and
as to the levy of a tax the pertinent inquiry
arises, can any intelligent movement be made
in that direction until the debt has been ad-
justed, and the new valuations of property
made known2 1t is patent that if there is to
be any bona 6de adjustment of the debt it must
be made before the levy of the annual tax, so
that the interest upon the adjusted debt may
be provided for. Under the constitution there
can be but one levy made per annum con-
sequently if the levy is made before the
amount of the bonded debt is fixed and the
annual interest known there cannot possibly
be provided any fund to pay the interest," and
without this no matter at what figure the seal
ing may be fixed it will amount to nothing,
for the regularity and certainty of the interest
is the only rational inducement which can be
given to the bondholders to surrender the
! bonds which they now hold for other bonds of
| less face value.
fix O rate per centum for taxes, as the General
Assembly is proceeding to do, without knowing
| what is the taxable basis upon which the tax
is to be collected No member of the Legisla-
ture, nor does any one outside of the Legisla-
| ture, unless it be Comptroller Hoge, know
| what the taxable property of the State is. In
the year 1870, when Neagle made his first re-
port as comptroller general, the taxable prop
erty of the State was estimated at S184, 100000.
This was before the bonds had deprecated,
and when the credit of the State was compare
lively good. Now it is maintained that there
is an assessed value of only $3.50 000, 900, which
makes a difference of some S34 900, for
which discrepancy no adequate explanation has
ever yet been made. There has been no gen.
eral reduction Of assessments since 1870, and
where one piece of property has been returned
at lower price, there has been at least one
one other proportionally increased 1t is ru-
mored now that the assessments have been
considerably advanced, and surely the least
that the General Assembly could do before
making levy would be to ascertain precisely
how the figures stand. The comptroller is not
required by law to make his report until the
regular session of the General Assembly con-
venes, and get it from pretty direct source
that he is intentionally Withholding the amount
in order that the General Assembly may be
forced, as it were, to make the levy upon
basis of $3.50, 100000, and thus give the State
or the treasurer and the comptroller general
much larger amount of money than might be
intended.
The bill to raise supplies, or the levy bill, as
second reading in the House to-day. An
amendment providing for the levy of five mills
for county purposes in Grecnville and Pckens
Counties was adopted. Charleston, which was
in the original amendment, was stricken out.
An additional mill was also put upon Spartan
burg County to pay for bridges heretofore
erected. J.P. Moore, CONSERVATIVE ofGreen-
vile, offered an amendment which was adopt
ed providing for the postponement of one-half
the tax until June 1st, and that the penalty
upon the latter half shall not attach until after
the first of August Hurley got in an amend
ment making the coupons upon the expected
funding bonds" and the certificates of indebt-
edness authorized by the General Assembly
receivable for taxes. On motion Of Mackey
"bills receivable" were stricken from the Sec
taxes are to be paid. After the supply BILL in
the House, the bill to provide for the payment
of certain claims was taken up, and, after con-
siderable debate, Sections and were passed.
The bill, which I have explained heretofore,
provides for the payment in money from the
treasury, or, in case that cannot be had, in GER
ti6cates of Indebtedness, of $4,000 to Phineas
F. Frazee for pay-certi6cates and bills payable
of Parker held by Frazee. Bills payable is
the name given to sundry notes negotiated by
Parker under authority of joint resolution Of
the session of TIP for the purpose Of raising
money to meet legislative expenses There
seems to be no end of them, and they are scat
tered in every direction. This is the fourth or
fifth bill or joint resolution which lie under way
in the General Assembly to pay such claims,
and, if the thing keeps on, there will be moth
ing soon left for any one, and enough of GER
ti6cates of Indebtedness will be put upon the
market to pay all of the incoming taxes.
The committee of free conference appointed
at the last session of the General Assembly,
agreed upon and reported the bill to aid and
encourage manufactures in the State. There
are various amendments recommended by the
committee.strikipg out internal improvements
railroad enterprises, &c. There is considerable