The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-12-21
e'ULUMBIA',- s. C:
sunday Morning, December 81. 1878.
The ia. Bin.

IlOHys 6ud A1Vuoo taA OAu WAS tahou
up and passed, with amendments. We
have already given the amounts agreed
upon in the irst three sections OF the
bill, one and quarter for the executive
aud judicial departments, one and
quarter for the penal. charitable and
educational institutions, and two mills
for common schools. In the fourth seo-
tion, one anil half mills tax was
levied to meet appropriations to defray
the expenses of the General Assembly
for the extra session Of 1873 and the
regular session beginning November 25.
1878. The. amount appropriated for
public printing is one mill; three aud
one fourth mills for deficiencies or un-
paid appropriations for the year oom-
msncing November l.. 1872; three
fourths of q mill to pay the claims OF
the South Carolina Banking and Trust
Oompanyss fonepmill; ID q new section,
TO pay Tie e.ipteres: on the public debt,
and three. Amills for County pprposes-
amounting. 9 in all. &, to fifteen, mills.
There was . fixed purpose to place the
tax at this figure. and all parties seemed
to dread the consequences Of going be-
yond it,. - ~ -
There was some discussion upon the
!amonnt to he appropriated for tue sup
port aud maintenance OF public schools,
Mr.. Dunn having moved to substitute
one and three-fourths mills in place OF
the two mills in the bill as it came from
the House. He was supported in this
reduction by Messrs. Whittemore and
Hope. They showed that. under the
new assessment Of property at $l70.-
O00, 600. or $l76. O00. 600. that an amount
would be raised very nearly equal TO
that usually voted. But it passed at
two szi!!s. Some difference of view was
also entertained Of the expedienoy of
raising sum by taxation to defray the
interest on the bonds which would be
presented to the Treasurer for new
bonds, in accordance with the provisions
of the measure to reduce the volume OF
the debt. Some gentlemen on the Con-
servative side did not think IL advisable
to raise any sum for this purpose and
place it in suoh dangerous place as the
treasury, in advance OF any actual sur
render made by bond-holders. Not
Wishing to gain a mill for this purpose.
they adhered to the distribution OF the
tax as presented in the bill, and voted
the two mills for public schools. This
is the meaning OF the vote of Messrs.
Duncan, Wilson end Jeter for two
mills free school tax, which the Union-
Herald 10 pleased to call ''signi6oant."
They cannot justly be charged with any
unwillingness to reduce taxes.
While we cannot say that we are salts
fed with this result. il is, 80 fur, better
than ~e expected. The shadows of
coming dissatisfaction rest heavily upon
the minds OF members. and the spectre
Of gathering troubles haunts their duly
and nightly visions. They have to
steer with great c-ution, and their up.
prehension Of r. cks on the one hand,
and wbirpools on the other, has made
them study the virtue Of moderation.
They WOO it, however, only at dis
lance; they say it is fair to view; but
they are far from heartily embracing it.
II they were in earnest, they would pro-
reed to cut down hundred extrava-
canoes. and put their officials on short
commons, reducing them ut least one
half in nnmber, and ourtailing their
sinecures in the same ratio. They
would look seurchingly into institutions.
y" called, which arc only easy cushions
for those who are only nominully con-
n"cted with them. Some of them are
mere shells, with no life in them useful
to the country. or even to the Republi.
can party. They would address them
selves particularly to reduction of the
printing and legislative expenses.
Printing, when ordered and done,
must, CT Course, be paid for; but there
arc thousand things printed which
are utterly worthless and are never read.