The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-03-02
the law, But la the next pisca it is mani.
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the law But ia toe NEXT piscs, C is mani.
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my csisast 40 ehscks % the st Ssss sssasares,
sha Saly duty OF The ban,c Is sor,asy theu,,S
'dut 81 Tie sists ianhs ID it's possession. Il But
it seems to be imagtued by the comu,ttee that
because Istiave on occasions drawn money
lying in the bank, SO that the whole amount
in bank was less at particular times than the
amotint to the csedis OF tho Interest fund on
my books Ishate thus diverted the funds
from their lawful purpose The plain answer
iss chat there are no moneys existing in specie
ut any time which belong 10 the interest fund
or to any other fund.- These funds are simply
credits on the books In my Office. I drew no
funds marked as Interest funds. simply drew
State flnds In so drawing, ana under the
circumstances set forth III my testimony, the
State fluids In bank were not equal to the
credits on my BOOKS to the interest fund.
Thus 1t may happen q hundred times in tho
year, at particular moments, that there may
be less funds in bank than the credit on my
books call for, but the next hour or the next
day the receipts Of taxes may enable me to re-
store the equilibrium, and meet every lawful
demand made on any particular FUND THUS
it was on the occasion referred to in my test-
mony. In a certain sense, borrowed from
the interest fund in anticipation of the coming
in OF other funds to replace the amount bor-
rowed. In stricter sense simply applied
the State funds then in bank to the payment
of the claims then made upon the treasury,
and Immediately thereafter I applied other
funds to the credit due upon my books to the
interest fund. At'no moment have been
uDatle in any sense 70 pay the last dollar due
to any fund when called for. 8 i93'
1t is perhaps possible to imagine such a
conjuncture of circumstances as would result
in my failure to pay a particular claim on a
particular fund when called for. If such
case should arise, I should be amenable to
censure, and should be responsible upon my
official bond. But until B,,ch an event shall
occur submit there can be no diversion of
funds, nor any application of the interest fund,
for which it was intended.
But the committee declare that if my con-
struction of the law is correct all restraints
and directions are a dead letter (page
Is this true7 What was the object of en-,
acting the specific levy system, or Of enactng
that the interest fund should be kept separate
and apart? What was the evil to be rene.
diedP 1t was to prevent the state treasurer
from deptiviug one object of public expendi-
ture Of the funds raised for that purpose The
evil to be remedied was the practice of paving
one appropriation In full to the exclusion of
allother objects. Tho present law, under my
construction and practice, has cut OF this evil
root and brasAb,
defy the Committee or general assembly
to point TO a single instance under my ad.
ministration Of this law in which any fund
has failed to receive every dollar raised for it,
or in which any fund has received one dollar
more than was raised for it. No restraint
has been removed, no safeguard has been
broken down, no statute has been derided or
made dead letter by any act of mine. awe
To-day, and on all days, I can point with
honest pride pride of which no committee.
however studiously and maliciously packed,
can rob me-to record of the administration
OF the State treasury for the past year, where
in'no one public object has been deprived of
one dollar due 70 it, nor received one dollar
more than was due to it.
IF such conduct is to deride the law" or
make "dead letter of our statutes" then
those termA will hereafter have a new eipnifi-
cation.
Inow submit the following correspondence:
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
OF1CE OF STATE TREASURER,
COLUMBIA, s. O., February "a, 1875.
G. d. 1elson Esq:
DEAR SIR-I have the honor to make the
following inquiries ofyou, and to request an
answer to them:
l. Do you recollect the interview we had
some time last winter upon the proper con.
struction Of the "specifc tax levy act" in
which informed you Of the two constructions
placed upon the act-the LITERAL by which no
money could be paid by me on any account
unless that account had a credit balance and
the reasonable, which was that each class Of
objects for which the levy was made should