The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-01-30


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In the House OF Representatives, yes.
terdny, the spepial order was discharged,
and the House resumed the consideration q
of the amendment BY Mr.. Myers. of
Beaufort. to strike out So. 800 and SUBJ
atitute 81 ;0o0, rds the contingent fund OF
the Comptroller General. Mr.. -Myeru,
having the floor; said, that the Office OF
Auditor had been abolished, and its du-
Ties, devolved on the Comptroller: To
appropriate So, 500 to this officer as his
contingent fund, would be virtually to
restore the Office OF Auditor to life. again.
at least in expense. The object of the
consolidation Of the two offices was to
save money; but if the Comptroller
should receive salary Of s.. 900, his
ckek clerk $500. for extra clerical SER
vice 1000. contingent fund So. 500. and
$50. .e0Qah additidnF should be foted for
tho nivil contingent fund, hevould like
to'kn6w where the economy of the az
rangement could be found. He did not
believe the House ready and willing to
vote 40 large sum in the present de-
pleted condition OF the Treasury. Even
tie dHeknh4 of ths Compistee ofways
and Means, who reported the bill, could
not sustain suoh large demand. and he
was sure that the people OF the State
wore unwilling to pay it. When the
present. ,QomptrpIler was : candidate for
thiS office before the State Convention,
he knew that the Office OF Auditor was
abolished, and was anxious togtake the
office, he sought with all Its additional
labors:: < He conceived it to have been the
duty of the Ways and Means Committee
to have reported more reasonable sum.
It cannot ba defended upon any strong
ground OF necessity or propriety. and, if
it be said that custom points in that d.
reotion, haiwould say thassit was ! bad
custom, and it was time it was changed.
II consolidation OF the offices meant
anything, it was that the expenses at
tending, them, when combined. should
be much less than when they existed
separately. It was imperative upon the
Legislature to reduce these extravagant
sums; and other departments asking
similar e1orbitant amounts, ought to re-
ceive their prompt attention. The pub.
lic' officers, from the Governoy down to
the lowest, must learn to keep within
reasonable bounds. They must hot make
fictitious demands, or call for sums in
tended to cover up luxurious indulgenoes.
And they must learn furthermore. to
content themselves with tho amounts
specifically appropriated.
In reply. Mr.. Bowley said that the
committee had to rely upon their own
Judgment. nnaided by the report Of the
Comptroller. They had to work in the
dark. They thought it their first duty
to ascertain, as correctly as possible. the
amount necessary to run The Govern
ment successfully and oreditably. Their
idea was to report just what was needed
to DO this-no more and no less. They
had written to the Comptroller upon the
subject and received his figures. Their
report WAS for less sum than he called
for. He asked for SO, 900, and they
had reported $50, 900. He thought tina.
the committee had been moderate in its
recommendations; as much so as would
be consistent with the effectual working
OF the departments. He denied that the
appropriations proposed for this year
exceeded those Of the last year. He
conceded that they exceed the amount
OF the tax levy, but it is to be remem.
bored that the levy is upon an inaccurate
estimate Of the taxable property OF the
State. To question of Mr.. Crittenden,
desiring to know what claims were to be
paid out of this fund, Mr.. Bowley said
that he did not know specifically what
they were. He supposed it was to be
used partly as surplus fund. Officers
OF the Government, especially during the
recess Of the Legislature, are often COM