The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-12-18
From the State Capital.
nee of the Charleston Ne,ps and Couri

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COLUMBIA, S. c., Dec. 13.
There has been another little recess of the
General Assembly until Monday evening next,
for the want of something to do on the part of
the House, and from want of knowing how to
do what they wish on the part of the Senate.
If the latter body were willing to accept the
House bills in relation to the adjustment of the
debt and the fixing of the tax levy for the cur.
rent fiscal year there would be an end to all
the difficulty, so far at least as present egsla-
tive action is concerned, and the General AS.
sembly might complete all necessary work and
adjourn sine die by the time of the Christmas
holidays. But the bond-holders and the Blue
Ridge scrip-holders and the holders of the
countless pay certificates, bills payable ard such
like claims, do not favor the House bills, and
they rule the Senate. One thing is very plain,
and that is, if there is to be any arrangement
of the debt and an exchange of new bonds at
q discount for those now outstanding, it must
be determined and settled before the tax levy
is fixed If there be not tax levied to pay
the interest upon the liquidation bonds," it
will be useless of course to pass any measure
for the issue of such bonds. There can be,
under the constitution, but one annual levy of
taxes, and it follows, therefore, that the amount
of the levy for the interest must be first fixed
before the general tax levy is passed, and in
order to fix the amount of interest the aggre-
gate of the principal of the new debt must be
ascertained. In other words, the debt must be
arranged before the tax levy, for otherwise it
can not be done at all.
The probabilities seem to be that the two
houses will never be able to agree upon the
question of the debt. The House, from all
can learn, is not disposed to recede from its
bill to scale the bonded debt at the rate of
forty per centum, and to leave the floating debt
out altogether. This measure, whatever may be
its defects, has the merit of having no job in it,
and this will prove an insuperable objection to
it in the Senate. 1t is likely, therefore, that
the General Assembly will not agree upon the
tax levy until some time in January, and the
taxes will not be paid in until about March.
If such be the case, what are the members to
do for their pay? They cannot remain here
until March and heap up legislative expenses
against the State, at the usual outrageous figures,
for next fall the elections occur, and woe be to
him whose record shows that he has proved ut
terlY faithless to his promises Of retrenchment
and REFORM Indeed, the difficulties and en-
barrassments of the present government are
numberless and I cannot see how they are to
be successfully met. We had tax last year
Of fifteen mills, one mill greater than was ever
levied under Scott's regime. It is now pro-
posed to levy at least sixteen mills, and yet the
present administration went into power under
the most solemn pledges of reducing expendi-
lures and lowering the rate of taxation. From
year to year since reconstruction, our govern
ment has been growing more and more eXtrav-
agant and reckless, and there seems to be no
hope of securing change for the better short
Of an utter collapse of the present party, and a
revolution in the political affairs of the State.
In the House, nearly all day was spent in
the discussion Of the bill to repeal Sections IS
and IS of Chapter 120 of the General Statutes,
or, in other words, the agricultural lien law.
The bill had been defeated on its second read
ing. Col. Crittenden introduced q resolution
that the vote, whereby the bill had failed to
pass, should be re-considered, and upon this
the debate arose. Crittenden supported his
motion in few terse remarks, showing the
disadvantages of the lien law as it now exists,
which robs the landowner of FL security for
rent, and operates at the sal..e time injuriously
to the tenant, RS he is forced to pay two or
three prices for the provisions, &C., necessary
to carry on his farming operations. Marley,
colored, of Clarendon, opposed the repeal Of
the law upon the ground that it was the only
means by which the small farmers, with but
little property, could secure necessary advances
to make their crops. Fraser, colored, of Col
Teton, made an earnest an capital speech
He maintained that the law was not compul-
sorry. A man could give lien upon his crop
for advances or not Just as he saw proper. If
he thought it injurious he might leave it alone !;
but if it afforded advantages, as he knew it did
in many instances, he wished to give the peo-
pie the benefit of securing those advantages.
There were ambitious politicians, he said, men
of considerable means in the various counties,
who wished the law abolished that they might
be able, instead of the merchants, to put the
farmer under obligations to them, and thus
increase their political power, and he did not
propose to subject the poor people of his coun-
ty to any such quasi slavery. ANY honest
man who secured advances would, in his judg-
ment be willing to give lien to secure the
payment of the debt so contracted. 1t was
only the rogue who did not wish to pay, that
would object to giving proper security. Dr..
Barker OF Edgefeld, Nilsson, of Sumter, Ham
ilton, of Beaufort, and Others spoke up to hour
of adjournment without result The indica-
tons seem to be that the law will not be re-
pealed.
In the Senate, some debate arose upon the
resolution, which was finally adopted, to ad-
journ to Monday 18th, ct P. NJ. Smalls
opposed it, as he wished to consider the bill to
reduce the debt, and the tax bill. Once
through With them, they might adJourn SINE
die, if they thought necessary.
Mcintyre thought the best thing was to ad-
journ till Monday, and then take recess till
Thursday. There were no reports in on which
they could act ntelligenty on the matters re-
ferred to by the senator, (Smalls.) The bills
to raise supplies for the fiscal year commencing
November l, 1878, and 10 alter and amend the
law in relation to the collection, was reported
upon favorably. 1t is the House bill, OF
course, and fixes the rate of levy at sixteen
mills, apportioned out to the different objects
eff expenditures. The committee recommend
several amendments, among which is that the
provision of the House bill, which makes the
coupons of the bonds issued to reduce the
volume of the public debt receivable for taxes
be stricken out. The bill to reduce the volume
of the public debt and to provide for the pay
ment of the same, which is the House forty
per centum bill, was also reported favorably,