The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-12-02

practice. n contingent fund il cum OF
money which public officer is allowed to
draw and e1pend without tho usual &C.
necessary TO tntrust certain nHiccrS with Il
iund commonly called the ''sccrct service"
iund, which may be expended for objects
which might DO defeated by publicity. 1
confess am wholly unable to imagine any
such objects in Snutil CaroiinE. think the
people Of this State should be able to trace
every dollar Of the public funds to the pre-
else Object on which it ia expended. This
cannot be done under our present aystem
OF contingent funds. l recommend. there
.orc. that the practice of appropriatin. con
tingent funds to he drawn und expended !v
different officers of the State without the
nsual accountability for euch OK cxpenditureu
bc wholly discontinued. l recommend, in
place Of that system, that distinct appru.
priaiions be made for all public objects
! Which can be anticipated or enumerated,
and then, that II small sum, not 20 exceed
ten or twelve thousand dollars, il Ao much
be necessary, be appropriated for contln-
gent expenses, to be paid in specified
amounts to the several officers who may
require 1t, upon the warrant of tho Conn.
troiier.Oeneral, drawn upon vouchers 10
be hleu with the Comptroller General by
the officers obtaining tho warrant. The
records OF the expenditure of this fund will
thus be placed with tho Comptroller Gene
the people, and liable at any time to exam
ination and publication. Tho reduction
or public expenses by this system will not
be inconsidcrable. while the ain to fticial
morality by tho removal OF opportunity for
questionable uses of public funds will be
great.
Another subject demanding our most
prompt and energetic action is the retluc.
ION OF the expenses OF tho General Assem-
Dly. lcannot believe that any difference OF
OPINION Will exist upon this subject. The
public within aud without the State have
united III pronouncing the expenditures
heretofore made for legislative expenses an
intolerabie abuse. Since 1868 six regular
anu NO spccia sessions Of the General As
sembly have been held. The total cost of
tnnse sessions has been s2,lt7 ,430 81. The
average cost Of each regular session has
been $500 ,405 1G. The lowest cost OF any
reSniar session was that Of the regular sce.
sion OF 1863 CO, amounting to siGJ 00j 20;
anu the highest cost we2 that Of the reglI-
iar session OF 1S!l-12, amolu;n% to about
stli 231 .l0. Besides these amoints now
specified, there are outstanding OF bills
payable Issued on account of Legislative ex.
penscs during the same period, sl32 .275 IL.
these figures render comment supe1fuous
inc problem IL to reduce these expenses to
an economical limit. The first and most
obvious measure of reform is the shorten.
lDG of tho length of tho sessions. l Iind
the average length OF TIE regular sessions
since 1868 has been los davs. L, s clear
THAT no public requirements viii warrant
SESSIONS OF such length i'll the future. All
aware that this may be regarded az 4 mat
sef ho peculiarly within the discretion us
tho General Ass"mh!y ~ Ia make anv re-
Communications OF mine inlpertincnt. Bat
my convictions of publ: duty upon this
point arc too clear to allow me .ur uIv
cause 10 withhold tho free tI0:eseiUn of MY
views. cannot see at pres e-l.t any reasnu
III pubic natuln which can REQUIRE 81
session oil more than thirty dM:4 /! .his
dencrul Assembly could SGT the example Of
Il return to the former rule in this State of
final adjournment before the Christina.
holidays, l am confident ,ha, they would
receive tho hcarticst approval OF al! our
people. l know OF no services which could
be rendered by remaining. in rnason g
longer period, which would be held an
valuable by our constituents ~ The cAani-
pie OF return to rigid economy in this
respect.
One cause OF louG scasio.:~, wheel. ] fee;
bonnd to specify, has been tho passa"e of
an iuoi dinatc number of special Acis oi in
corp"ration. Whoever viii examine the
Acts OF the General Assembly during the
last six years, will bt convinced q! the
waste oi time arising from this cansr. rhc
remedy ls obvious. Let Il general iucorpo-
ration Act be passed. DT Il! he prcaent
Acts he duly revived and perfected, and
then let ali ordinary Applications for cor
slons of such Acte. Thc.rcoEC nlca asi,rc of
retrenclment in Legislative expenses which
l urge, ls a reduction Of Tie t.l.icr uf sub.
ordinate officers and attaches of the Ge
neral Assembly. Upon thi. point a m hap.
py ia speak III c0innIondntioH q! hn Act
passed by the las. General Assembly. By,
that Act the total number g. subultilust
officers and attGchcrs in bo;l! i,.u";.,s ,t
the General Assembly il limited ;e Egty-
seven. trust vDur attention Will be given
10 TIL. subject. ana that il, upon "raiiinA-
ton. the number therein provided tor is
iound to be the lowest nuinD,! uGisistca;
with the proper transaction q: bua:urss,
the law Will remain Endisturbcd. The third
anu most important means OF reducing
Legislative expenses WILDE found III cutting
on the gross abuses which have heretofore
existed under the name .! Contingent or in
cidcn,al legislative sXpenacs an.unabl.
% OBTAIN astRteIue ut ut tie prcc..c amount
expended during the last aiI year. under
this head find, however tia. ,hc ave.
rage expenditure at each regular .cssion
sIiler 1868. for attnchees and cun;:hgrnt oI
Incidental expenses. has been hbuu: 1855
IA e.. ~ this amount | estimate tSt No;
less than ti90, 900 have b.cn cIpcn led iut
contingent Legislative e1 pcnscs q; each re-
guial session. Ii these figures do no, ,ca /:
their own lesson, then argument w,uitl Le
idle Let il be- borne i'll nini, also, that
! the amounts now stated rcpresen, onl, the
actual payments made. There remains
still vxst amount OF unpaid claims u tho
form or legislative UAy certificates, esti.
mated At not less than fJ0O, 600 III seeking
| remedy FOR these startling grievances, /
am convinced that nothing il 20 essential
as the establishment OF proper system OF
q N a " k,ax ~,