Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-11-13
-, oeonders and the roads and bridges

ish offenders, and the roads ard bridges
will be put in good order without any
additional tax.
DIR. Barker also introduced the follow
Ing resolution, whict;was adopted:
Resoiped, THAT the committee on ways
and means be requested TO submit, by
bill or joint resolution, aremedy to meet
tho financial embarrassment created by
the recent decision Of the United States
Supreme Court, relative to the bills of
the Bank of the State.
In the House number of bills were
to the regular session, which
looks us ii an adjournment was oon'em-
plated.
The Blue Ridge scrip bill, the bills re-
ceivable bill, and other such jobs seem
utterly paralyzed in view of the danger
which is apprehended from the bills oil
tie Bank of the State.
RI the Senate, Thursday, the 6sI,
II ,,t,,, ri Aiken. introduced his Dix L"
r.pudiate six million four hundScd and
t1ncec thousand dollars of conversion
bonds. The printing bill, introduced by
Whittennore, was made the special order
for Tuesday, llth. The two phosphate
bills were laid on the table. The follow
ing were passed and sent to the Houses:
\ bill t. punish persons for removing or
secreting property levied on by the sher-
;fr. bill tt, amend Chapter 73l, Part i,
Title OF the General Statutes; bill to
rccharter White Hall Ferry, in Beaufort
County. The concurrent resolution, in
troduced by Andrews, relative to the
bills of the Bank of the State, was, after
a long discussion, referred to the COM
mittee on the Judiciary. The bill to ex-
plain or amend the act to entitle aliens
to hold property, passed second read
ing.
In the House the scaling bill was in
sroduced by the committee of ways and
means. 1t ignores entirely the fraudu-
lent conversion bonds. and purposes To
scale the balance OF the funded debt,
stocks and bonds at the rate of forty per
centum of their face value and interest
up to January, 1874. This would reduce
the debt at rough estimate down to
about FIVE millions. There Is no differ
ence wi atever made between old and
new bonds or stock. The bill levies an
nually q tax of three mills on the dollar
to pay the interest upon the proposed
new bonds, and providesa sinking fund.
+ 1t also appropriates ten thousand dollars,
to be drawn upon the order Of the Gov
ernor, to carry the act into effect. Not
word is said about the floating debt.
The committee of ways and means al
so introduced bill to carry into effect
the decision of the Supreme Court in re-
lation to the bills of the Bank of the
State. 1t proposes commission to call
in the bills and examine them, stamp
the genuine ones as receivable for taxes,
aud set aside the balance; and appropri-
ates five thousand dollars for the eX-
psnses of the commission. String
speeches were made in the committee OF
the whole upon the bills on the Bank OF
the State by Hurley, Humbert and Rob-
ertson.
From the Phoeni1 we extract the fol-
lowing synopsis of the speech of the
Hon. Mr.. Hurley, the immaculate Tim,
on the Supreme Courts decision in refer
ence to the Bills of the Bank ofthe State
Tim knows whereof he speaketh, and we
commend his remarks to the attention OF
his Radical compeersin particular, and OF
the people in general:
Mr.. Tim. Hurley next obtained the
floor. and delivered very good speech
indeed, dealing in hard facts and stern
figures, and bringing the lamentable
condition Of the country into strong
view. He said that IS, 900, exclusive
of interest, were necessary to run the
State Government on the schedule which
had been adopted-tive times as much,
that is, as it required in old times. After
itemizing the different deficits. he came
to consider the tax which would be need.
ed 70 raise the required amount, and
SQOH6O LudL ~ COulu 1OV o0 SAo11S ohoSA
the present assessment. The value OF
the personal property in the State has
shrunk 81. .25n. 900. We had here state
or rn1ngs unparalleled IN any otner coun-
try. The difference between the majorl-
ty, who were consumers, and the mi
nority, who were producers and tax
PAYERS, was greater here than anywhere
else. The burden of tax falls upon less
than one-fourth Of the people. The prop
erty is not here to tax in the measure
which many desire, and the tax falls
with crushing weight upon the few who
have it to pay. To 80 OH. then. i'll the
same ruinous way, We have either to in
crease valuation of property or the as
sessment, and one wes about equal to the
other, and neither feasible or proper
remedy The State expenses have in
creased regularly every session forty per
cent. Why do these deficiencies con-
stantly turn up? The most liberal ap-
preparations, even in excess OF the
amounts asked, are regularly voted, but
they always fall SHIRT. The practical
question had forced itself upon every
one, what guarantee is there that money
granted would be honestly applied to its
proper uses? The universal feeling is
that the Republican administrations have
been shamefully corrupt, and 1t is daM-
rerous to trust them any longer II
officials proceed in the usual way to levy
a tax of 50, ,000, ,0DO, the amount needed to
cover past deficiencies, and provide for
the other expenses on the usual scale,
there will not be dollar Of it paid The
citizens will and should refuse to stand
it. And no power can 60 into mans
house and collect a tax in excess of a
proper valuation of the property upon
which it is laid He said that, for his
part, he was neither Republican nor
Democrat when it comes to such ques-
ton as this Men were obliged to take
care of themselves. He drew picture
of universal corruption, the Legislature,
Executive and Judiciary all having
hands stained with plunder. At this
very moment we are more indebted to
the Supreme Court of the State than to
any other cause for our pitiable condition.
He didn't care about these fellows or
fear their frowns. When no mans prop
erty is safe. it is time to be serious and in
earnest. d help South Carolina! she
was in dire distress. There were schemes
to be brought here so e1travagant that
s., ,O0O, 900 tax will only be drop in the
bucket. He knew of one claim that had
been bought in Charleston for S22s or
1926, which was to be presented here at
the valuation Of $4,000. Rascalties in
Vulnerable were on the tapis. Under
the circumstances he was in favor of
levying no tax at all, but to rely upon
certificates of indebtedness to come in
competition with the bills which were
now to be resurrected and brought into
circulation. There were many expedi-
ants h,y which dalav cou1d be nroduced