The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-01-13

regard to forfeited lands.
DELINQUENT COUNTY TREASURERS.
1 call special attention to the fact, as
stated by the comptrollcr-general at page
Is, that the sum of $470, ,C9O. 20 remains
!charged against county treasurers on the
books Of his Office; that amount being
about Is per cent of all State taxes col
lected since 1868. While only a part,
possibly small part, of that sum is ac-
tually due to the State, yet no reason of
which am aware exists why this entire
sum should not at once be accounted
for" /, therefore, join with the comp
troller-gcneral in asking stringent laws
providing severe and prompt punish
mcnt" be enacted to prevent such results
in the future, and also that the attorney
general and solicitors be directed to use
jail existing legal means to compel an i'm
mediate settlement Of all unsettled ac-
counts of county treasurers, and the re-
covery Of the amounts found due, by suits,
lif necessary, against the suretics.
CLAIMS OF THOMAS W. PRICE COMPANY.
The comptroller general has called the
attention Of the general ASSEMBLY to the
character of the claims Of the Thomas
wv. Price Company, Of Philadelphia, for
books and blanks furnished fUr the use Of
county auditors and trcasurcrs for recciv-
ing tho returns and assessing and collect
ing the State and county taxes
There is also an unpaid claim of the
same company on account of work done
for the superintendent Of education, as
stated at page "a Of that officers report
for 1873. amounting to S4,530.35, which
lis equally mcritorious
! The work of this company was superior
| in quality, was done at the lowest prices,
and under circumstances which cntitle the
company to our grateful consideration. |
transmit herewith copies of the CORE
lspondence relating to this matter, and
trust that the general assembly will not
fail to give it prompt attention.
BONDS OF COUNTY AUDITORS AND TREAS
URERs.
transmit with this message copies of
a circular letter issued by the comptroller
general and approved by the governor,
fixing the amounts of the bonds of county
auditors, and also requiring oil county
trcasurcrs now in Office to comply within
thirty days with the requirements of law
Prospecting their official bonds. The gov
Icrnor is authorized to fix the amounts of
the bonds of county auditors, and I have
IcndeavOrcd to exercise this power in n
manner which will secure the public in
tercsts.
r OBSOLETE ACCOUNTS
The comptroller- general, at page Is of
his report, calls attention to the fact that
the books of his officc-and the same is
true Of the books the trcasurer's Office
are burdened with certain accounts which
arc really obsolete, representing values
which do not now exist. These accounts
must be annually carried forward until
Authority is given to the comptrollcr-g
cral and the treasurer to close them. For
obvious reasons, as we'll as in accordance
with numerous preccdents in this State
and elsewhere, join with the comptrol-
ller-gcneral ! in recommending that author
ity De given by the general assembly to
finally close all such accounts.
! VACANCY IN THE OFFICE OF COMITROI.-
; LER-GENERAL.
! The comptroller general has called at
tention to the vacancy which will arise ON
the fourth of March next in the Office of
comptroler-gencral, occasioncd by the
ELECTION of the present incumbent MS a
member Of the forty-tourth congress.
need not do more than to remind the gen
cral assembly that it will be necessary to
provide some mode Of filling such va.
cancy. INSURANCE DEPOSITS.
In my inaugural address l venturcd to
say that, in my Judgment, good policy
dictated the repeal OF the present laws re-
quiring deposits from insurance compa-
MES not incorporated by this State.
Further examination and reflection con
firms me in that opinion. The supposed
security to policy-hollcrs from recurring
such deposits is fallacious If Il company
lis sound, there is not tho least difficulty
i'll recovering any loss by process of law,
and if it is unsound the fact of deposit
being made in this State would afford
very little protection to our policy-hollcrs
in case of disaster to the company. 1t is,
,morcoycr, a serious legal question whether
these deposits can beso sc1ucstratcd from
the general assets of a company as to pre-
vent their becoming n part of the general
fund applicable to the payment of all
creditors in case of the insufficcncv of
lother assets. The general effect Of re-
,auiring such deposits is to exclude the
best companies and admit the weakest,
except in cases where the sacrifice of with.
drawing from the State ovcrbalanccs the
injury to the company by scattering its
funds in the manner required.
i transmit herewith letter addressed