The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-02-25
THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY "a, 1874.
SENATE-

SENATE.
The Senate met at IL M.
Mr.. Dunn presented the petition OF
e. B. Wesley, citizen of New York,
praying repayment Of moneys advanced
| by him for the use of and on the faith
Of the State. The petitioner states that
in March, 1872, he paid out and I'D
| vanced for the State of South Carolina
u large amount of money, the benefit Oi
which has accrued to the said State, aud
presents his application for relief for the
reasons: That for the use and benefit OF
the State of South CaroI!na, he has ad:
vanced and paid certain large sums Of
money; that such advances were made
to relieve the State from its obligations,
because of its guarantee of Tho bonds Oi
the Blue Ridge Railroad Company; that
ny such advances, So, 400, 000 of the
bonds Of the sid real SO guaranteed
have bden redeemed from the pledge by
which they were held aud surrendered
back to the State; that by such surren-
der, not only was the guarantee Of the
State discharged, but the bond also OF
the Blue Ridge Railroad Company aud
the statutory mortgage given TO protect
the said guarantee; that the petitioner
has given back.to the State all the secu-
rites which had been held in pledge,
and now holds iu other than the tren-
| sury scrip. which the courts of the State
have decided is in conflict with the Con
stitution Of the United States, aud
! therefore null and void; that the poti.
toner made such advances. surrendered
the bonds SO guaranteed by the State,
and received as M undoubted security
the said treasury certificates, upon the
good fuith Of the State, and without any
reasons whatever to suspect that the Be-
curity he had received was doubtful in
it's character, or would bn held in the
courts of the State null and void.
The House returned, with concur
renee, resolution to lesson the expenses
OF public printing; report of Senate
Committee on Claims on the claims of
A. Palmer.
The President laid before the Senate
q communication from Attorney Gene
raj Melton, showing the necessity of an
adequate contingent fund to his depart
ment IF the Government, in which he
freely quotes from his former commune. =
tion to the General Assembly, and from
which we make the following extracts:
have indicated that it is best to
place the fund of this Office under my
own control. take it for granted thnt
the committee will not suspect me OF
any purpose to appropriate the public
moneys to my own use, or to any use
other than TINT for which. they ure in
tended. T am under obligation to cxhi-
bit vouchers, the propriety of which will
not be questioned. If do not. my
bond will answer for me. 1t is impossi-
bic, of course. to estimate the amount
needed It will not fall short, however,
of S25. 600. Ifit does. need not repeat
that no more will bo drawn than is ne
cessary. II more be requisite, just that
much Of loss to the State must bo the
result.
Refer, for moment, TO the Land
Com mission frauds. Must they go un.
noticed? How long can the Republi-
gard of the rights and interests of the
people?
Upon my return from Charleston, in
IN int"rv'Aw with Mr.. Bowlev. Chair.
man Of the Committee Of Ways aud
Menus, I was lformed that my commu-
! nioation had been laid before the com
mittoe, and that they had determined
TO permit me to drnw from the civil con-
tluBcUC luuu 10 Tue cAteuL OK Sf,0UU.
10 my earnest protest. the chairman
answered that the tax levy for these pur-
poses would not produce sufficient funds
to authorize the expenditure of IL larger
amount in litigation. This, when the
committee hud agreed to report an ap.
preparation of Sll5, 600 for the support
OF the PeniteEtiary, an institution which
shold be self sustaining. aud ought not
to add one dollar to the public burdens;
and whom, upon consideration by the
House, this sum was, without additional
estimates, increased to $1,000 The
contingent fund of tho Governor has
usually been charged with the e1pendi-
tA-cs nf the Attorney General. depart
ment. From this it is now relieved.
This, too, when nn appropriation OF
S25, 600 is made for the Executive con-
tingent fund. when one.half that sum
would be sufficient to meet every possi-
bio contingency! Must there not be
come other reason why the business OF
my Office is thus to bo embarrassed aud
thwarted, and that, too, Mt such hazard
to the best interests Of the State?
1t is with profound regrc. that find
myself compelled 10 disclose the trans
actions OF my department, which should
rnther be kept secret. Since the date oi
my communication, the General Assem-.
| l~l. L. -. La. 4