The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-03-18
The STATE IA: :!:!z.. LE!a.sLATURE. :,
"WEDNESDAY. MARCH II, 1875.
IS SENAfrE 4s,s - 4 2

oAdIN n ALL ? -
The House returned, with amend
ment, bills to charter Greenvilla end
Cumberland Gan Railroad Company;
to incorporate Railroad Rolling Stock
Manufacturing Company, OF Port
Royal; to declare certain legal holi.
days. Ooncnrred in aud titles changed
to Acts.
Mr.. Nash presented claim of B.
Visanska. :
Mr.. Nash introduced bill to amend
an Aot to incorporate town of West.
minister, in County Of Oconee.
A resolution to employ q steno.
grapher to take proceedings iu case of
Hon. F. l.. Oardozo. was ordered to
lie on table.
Bill to provide for filling OF aay va.
canoies that may occur in certain State
offices, received it's third reading and
ordered enrolled.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
A resolution to adjourn sine die was
discussed, amended and sent to Se-
nnte, which refused to concur.
A message was received from the
Governor. disspproviug OF IAN act to
provide for tho settlement and re.
demption of certain claims against the
State" He says: In refusing to ap.
prove this Act, it is proper aud neces.
sary that should state certain faots
connected with the history of the Aot.
When entered upon my present
Office, it was my purpose to oppose
any and all plans for the present settle.
ment OF any OF the various olusses of
claims which constitute the 80 called
HnQkInn inhohto2 o<,fk
oept the bills of the Bank of the State,
This latter GLASS of claims having been
judicially declared by the Supreme
Court of the United States to oonsti.
tute valid contract with the State,
capable Of enforcement by the courts,
and actually enforced in the cases be.
fore that court, 1 regarded it as disho.
nest and scandaIous to delay longer to
provide for nesting these obligations.
This class of claims were Likewise
pressing by legal means upon the
State, and seemed certain in the near
future to produce disaster unless time.
~ provision was made for their gra.
dual payment. With reference to all
other GLASSES of claims was persuaded
that the State had the right, and that
her condition justly warranted her in
postponlng settloment until she could
recover In some degree from the effects
OF q long course OF extravaganza and
prohigaoy In the expenditure of public
funds and the contracting of public
obllgations-at least, until we should
be able again to pay our current ex.
penses during the year in which they
arose. l was convinced that the peo.
pie should not be taxed for the present
year to an amount beyond the actual
requirements OF the public service,
conducted on on honest and eoonomi.
Cal scale. My efforts were. therefore,
mainly directed to the work and duty
OF stopping all unnecessary expenses
and restoring our government to
cash basis in it's transactions, leaving
the past unsettled claims against the
State to await the better times which
the course indicated would surely
hasten. Especially did I regard this
as the only admissible policy to be
pursued towards these classes of in.
debtedness, which are covered by the
present Act, because they were be.
lieved to be- largely tainted with lille.
galty and frands. 1 was, however,
strongly pressed to consent to come
measure looking to the .adjustme ent
OF the lust named classes of claims.
Finally, being convinced by my own
observation that some plan would be
adopted, I turned my attention aud
efforts towards securing the adoption
OF plan which would afford the bsst
protection to the State, and be- least
bnrdensome to the people. In modi.
Tying my policy in this respect, 1 had
the counsel and advice of the best
men of both political parties, who
agreed with me that under all the cir.
cumstances it was wise to endeavor to
secnre the best possible measure. Act
ing with these aims and views, I gave
my consent to plan which embraced,
first, the appointment by the Governor
OF a commission of three, with power
to audit all claims of the Glasses re-.
ferred to. rejecting in whole or in part
any claim presented upon any grounds
satisfactory to them; second, the re.
duotion of all claims thus approved BY
the commission to one.half of their
nominal value, and third, tie payment
OF the claims when thus reduced In
four equal annual installments.
Persuaded as was that these claims
were largely fraudulent, 1 regarded
that feature of the measure which pro.
vided for the appointment OF the com.
mission as by far the most vital one.