The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1874-01-14

and half mills, the Legislature de-
elarod that tho extra highway tax
should not 10 levied. This action
gave tho present County Commits,
slonors only half as much as they ex.
Peoted, about soven thousand dollars
Tho Commissioners, wo believe
ev'nccd both honesty arid economy
But tho expenses of tho County are
hoaVy. Tho County now pays all
court expenses, inc 'uding jury tick
cts, No, be ssiacs providing for inter.
n"l lmprovements Notwithstanding
;no ECONOMY of tho Gnnnty Commis.
siohd:t, there i, a d.Ii.it # several
thousai:l do::a.s. T., ui"ct this, u
Dill VA" INTRODUCED in lie Legislature
TO lcv5 dcGciancj tax If one aud a
half mills to pay outstanding &C.
counts. But ocr Solons in Columbia
"oro too u'nch ongrosscd in passing
fraudulent printing bills to attend
to just debts, and this bill was not
passed.. Thore wns every prospect
Of this deficiency remaining over an
other year, and q remedy was sug.
gos'od. Of this remedy We will
speak. Among other creditors, Mr..
d. r. Fionnikcn has all account Of
twelve hundred dollars for provis ions
furnished the poor house. This is a
bill that by al means should
DO paid. Credit was granted tho
County in behalf Of charitable in
stitution, and tho creditor should not
suffer. Mr.. Flcnnikcn, through
counsel, applied to Judge Mackey for
mandamus TO compel tho Comm
s'oners to levy the highway tax, al.
leg'ng that the highway expenses
will be paid from the three mills
tax, levied for ordinary expenses,
and ns the sum levied will bo ins,uf-
ticicnt to pay all indebtedness, his
cloim will bo projudiced thcrehy.-
Judge Mackey refused, for legal rca~
sons, to grant the mendamts, stating
that tho levy of highway tax was
discretionary on the part of the
commissioners, and also that other
remedies existed that could be mado
use OF by the plaintiff, among others
that no could bring action for debt
against tho County. Judge Muckey,
however, gives his opinion that the
commissioners could levy this tax if
they desired. They lcYicd it, but we
hear that tho Treasurer, by advice of
counsel, refuses 70 collect it for fear
of rendering himself liable to indict-
ment under the las. tax bill. Hero
the matter stands for ;hc present..
Tho programme seems to be this
The commissioners wish to loyy tho
highway tax, 80 that t. surplus will
romHin in the treasury, onA from this
they propose liquid ating tho eoficiou.
cy. Wo have very grave doubta
whether such action ia Permitted !
The Attorney General, y. Fl. Cham.
berlain, q lawyer of acknowledged
ability, decided last year that the tax
OF one yoar could not be applied to
pay the deficiency of the year pie.
oeeding, and this decision caused tho
tho mucdlo last year in the school
funds. We learn from private SOURCES
that the Legislature ha, just passed
an act declaring that this years. tax
cannot be applied to last years do
foienoy. What then will be tho result
if this tax be collected The county
tax will be II mills and will realize
about $4,000. Tho current cxpen
'es will DO about $1,000, and there
will bc surplus of $4,000. But
where will that surplus so7 Under
the la" it cannot be paid out on the
dchcieLcy account, but must go over
to next year. A heavy tax will then
have been collected from an impoy.
crushed people usclossly, and the
orodi,oro w!!l be es far from receiving
their just duos as ever. 1t seems to
US that tho onl y way in which these
accounts oah bs legally paid is by
having That deficiency appropriation
passod through tho legislature. This
question should be decided At onoe
Tho crcdittrs ne cd thoir money and
wish to know how to proceed to not
1t IT, II tho question bo not soon
settled, tho legislature hay adjourn,
and afer that, tho creditors may find
too late that the legislature alone
can holp them. The Legislature Ger
t"'nly has tho power to levy this tax.
1T is not certain that tho con,e,;ao;o.,