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

r-sc!:cc. contingent fund ia smn, @!
nancy which q public officer is allowed to
draw aud cxpend without tho usual ac.
countatlity. Some govarnnirnte deem il
necessary to cntrust certain nn.cerS with Il
lund commonly He'd the 'accret service
fund, which may be expended far objects
whlCh might DO defeated Lv publicity. 1
confess am wholly unable To in,aSin" aHv
s'ich objects i'll South Caroline. think The
people OF this State should bc able To trace
every dollar Of the public fund.- TO the pre-
else c.ject on which it il expended. .rhis
cannot be done under our present +ys tenn
of contingent funds. rec lmmenh, there
:oIc, that the practiceo! anpropr;at.r:, con.
tingrni funds To he drawn and expended hy
"nl"reht officers OF the Sat: witl:nnt the
n7ual accountability for such cx pcnGiturrs
DC wholly discontinued. l recommend, in
''iacc" "f that system, that dis:inct appru-
p,iA':ons be made for all public Objects
Which can be anticipated o. enumerated,
| and then, that small sum, no. -, exceed
ten or twelve thousand dollars, II 80 much
he necessary, bc appropriated fo. contn-
gent expenses, to be paid in specified
amounts to the several officers who NAV
require 1t, upon the warrant Of the Comm
,Fo;ier, uenrral, drawn upon vouchers to
be HE'D with thH Comptroller General by
the officers obtaining, the warrant, Tic
records Of the expenditure of this fund will
thus be placed with tho Comptroller- Gene
rnl, where they will remain accessible to
The people, and liable at any time to exam
inat!on and publication. Tho reduction
OF public expenses by this syAtcm will not
be incon-iderable. while the gain to G;cial
morality by tho removal ot opportunity for
questionable Uses of publc t;nis will be
great.
Another subject dc,aaniin. our mo.t
prompt and energetic action i the rt.!uc-
tion vi the expenses y: he General Assem-
bly. cannot believe tia: any difference OF
opinion will exist upon this subject. The
public within aud without the State have
united III prOnorncin;, Tie cIpcud.tur,e
heretofore made for Legislative expenses
lntoler1bie abuse. Since l>GS six regular
anu two special scssi.,is Of the General A.
scmbly have been held. The total cost Of
th'te SESSIONS has been $2,li1 .i}0 o. The
average cost OF each regular SESSION has
Deeu :32o, ,i01 IL. The lowest cost of any
regular Aessinn was that Of the regular sce-
SION o! lSiS G3, am mounting 10 :.6i 00j ~;
anu tae highest cost w, that Oy the recr1-
lar srsson OF ISL -, amoiiu:in. To about
s6li 23i 10. Besides these amounts now
Hpecihnd, there arc outstanding OF bills
payable Issued on account of Legislative ex-
PcnSes during the same period, $I32.215 IL
These iigulca render comu:cn. supe1lilous
Ihc problem Is to reduce theso expenses to
an economical limit. The Irs; and most
obvious measure OF reform is the shorten
ing of the length of the scss:ons. i:nd
ia" average length OF TIE Regular -essioIs
since lStS has been I05 DAYS |; il c.ca.
that hn public rcIuirencl.,s Wiz warrant
srsa!"ns oi siIciI !cigtii i'll Ike :C,,.rc. al
aware that this nay be regarded - MAJ;
'cr 10 peculiarly wit!.;n ii!.. q -rr,i.n q.
the General Assembly IL tu niahc any ri:-
Communications OF mine iMprrt!ncu.. i:u:
my convictions Uf plhi. dut: upCn t!!;s
point arc too clear tu allow M. .Ar ;.Iiv
canst 10 Withhold the free -. .l:rs,!.. d! NY
Vltws. cannot see - pee IL ANY rcaH,,.:
cs Il pnb.ic nature whi.n can r.iuirc /.
session uf more than thirty ua;-. /: :h.1
Gcncrul Assembly could sci :hr ,:.inpiy II
return To the former lr.c III ,:... :: .ltc Of
linni adIoiIrnElrnt before III" Chris il.4
hol!uaya, | am cniiiicn, tia, they wcU!i
receive the hcut'icst approval az al. our
people. | know Ot !iu s,lv.ccG wi:i.!. could
be rendered by rcInain!n:. in o-.:on g
longer period, which would hc Lc!t! 81,
EaluAb by orr constituents "i,l.c "AAn.-
PIE of return To rigid ""pl.,Inv ii ,h!s
reArcct.
One ransc uf Ion. ---s ~, w:. u! t.,;
bonnd 10 specify, has l,-rl, IN. r,as.a.. ot
RI iioi dinatr nnmbcr q! s.c..:ai Ar;s OF IN
c"iptIation. Whoevc: vii! ex.min th..
Acts ut the General Assembly drrin" lhu
last xix years, will b." convinced! q: the
waste Of time arising :fom ;h:- carsr. rhc
l"incdyls obvious. Let Ii general i,icurpo-
ration Aci bc passed. g.. e.. ia, present
Arts he duly revise: and pc.:,-.cd, and
thcii let All ordinary nrIn!cailp;- Tor cor
P"'"'' t'"'iT oc ilcu'' '.Utl''! ii!t EiOE!-
SONS of such Acts. Tie :rcoi.C n.raeurc ut
retrehchmtnt III Legislative :pr.rc. which
urge, lie a reduction os lii. I.,:i..icr uf sui.
ordinate ntliccrr ant: aitachces uf She Ge.
neral Assembly. Upon THE pnin, an hap.
py to speak III cJInmondat;aI a.. h: Az,
passed by the las General AreeIn' - ilv,
that Act the total number q. suuolG.uat
nfliccrs and attEch,,.s in bon i!.E.;.a 81
the General Assembly il l:M:;,'. Sc E!t,.
seven. trust vnnr attention WI. rc given
10 thl- subject, and thai II, nr"r ",n.!ina-
ton. the nnmhcr therein provided iur is
found TO be the luwesi nutnu.. t.Gii.istc..;
tho law Will rcmain EndisturLcd. ;'hr third
and most important mcans o. reducing
Legislative expenses wiiihc .oI::d IL cutting
hf the gross abuses which have hprct O Tor,
existed under the name o.. contingent OF i'll
cidcH'al Legislative tApeEsrs an.unnE!.
To obtnin aetattIhch1 ut Tie y! rc.-.a amount
expended during The last 4i1 yrmI. nnder
thir head find, hnwev"t. ti.A: ,hc ave-
rage expenditure al each regular recession
aiiirr leGS, Tor Attnchccs ana .;r:,: .l.;,,nt oI
incidental expenses. has been AbDu i.jH
"a a. ui TIN. amonn. estimate t:.At u.,
less than 40 900 have been cI;,.! led !u,
contingent Legislative ex ptilec- a: each rc-
Huiai session. II these iiyurc- do M. :ca /.
their own lesson, th"L xlSunirn, w,uii b-
idle Let II be borne III mind, also that
tic amounts Do| stated iCi. sosc Il. .;;i.; ;!:;
actual payments made. There remains
still vxrt amount OF unpaid ella inns II tho
form or legislative I,ay certiIic ates, estl.
mated at not less than 800 ,0QO In seeking
remedy forthcse startling grievances,
am convinced that nothing il 20 essential
as the establishment or u proper y. st EN- Of
accountability in the pavmen, OF legislative
Y ftrtr II.