Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-03-25
VETO OF THE sBONANZA" BILL.

lhe Dill Tor the HqulOatlOn OF tne uoaCluS
debt of the State, in which is included vast
amount of fraudulent pay certificates, as we'll
as other fraudulent evidences of Indebtedness,
and which from its nature was christened the
"bonanza bill" was passed by the Legislature,
but on being submitted to the Governor for
approval, met his unqualified disapprobation,
and on Wednesday of last week he promptly
returned the bill with his veto.
In this matter, the Governor seems deter
mined to make good his pledges given dur
ing the campaign last fall, and in his veto
message he says the response given by the
Legislature to his efforts to enforce policy
of rigid economy does not meet with his ex-
pectations. The passage Of the legislative
appropriation act and an unlimited amount
of questionable claims, and the failure to pass
the bill to reduce salaries, have rendered it
impossible for him to consent to add one dol
lar to the weight of taxation which now op-
presses the people, and he would regard the
approval Of this act as an act Of unpardona-
BILE injustice to all those whose interests he is
sworn to protect. The aggregate taxation is
now without precedent and without justlica-
ton. A vast majority Of the claims embraced
in the bill are unpaid legislative certificates,
which have been made to cover vast frauds.
These claims as a whole do not, in his opin-
ion, constitute valid obligation of the State,
and the commission as whole, he is reluc-
tantly compelled to say, does not command
his confidence for the work assigned them nor
the confidence of the public. Regarding the
commissioners named in the bill, the Govern
or says:
"But if could overlook all other objec-
tions to the Act, there remains one objection
which would, under any circumstances, for
bid my approval of the Act. | mean the
character, as WHOLE of the commission named
in the Act. Upon this point speak with re-
luctance which all just men will appreciate ;
but am a public officer, bound to discharge
an imperative public duty, and, while | speak
with reluctance, must speak with perfect
plainness. The commission named does not,
as a whole, command my confidence for the
work assigned to it. am equally confident
it does not, as a whole, command the conf
dence of the public for that work. The du-
ties required Of the commission demand the
highest character for intelligence, honor and
incorruptability which the State can furnish.
By no fault or agency of mine am forced to
declare that, in my judgment, the commission
named in the Act does not meet that demand.
The amounts involved are too great, the frauds
believed to be involved in the claims to be
examined are too widespread and pervading,
the temptations to collusion and bribery are
too powerful, to allow me to consent to pla.
cling these duties in the hands of any man
whose circumstances and associations excite
the faintest doubt of his infexible determine
tion to stand as an insurmountable barrier to
the further advances of corruption and fraud"
For the foregoing reasons, among others,
he withholds his approval Of the bill. A
long and angry debate followed the reading
of the message, in which Leslie, the carpet
bag representative from Barnwell, was con-
spicuous joined by several prominent colored
representatives, all of whom we're bitter in
their denunciations of the Governor.
Pending discussion Of the question of pass
ing the bill over the Governors veto, the point
was raised that the Governor had failed to
return the bill within the time prescribed by
the Constitution, which point Speaker Elliott
decided to be we'll taken, whereupon the bill
was referred to the Judiciary committee, and
on Friday the committee reported that they
were unable to agree upon the status of the
bill, and asked to be discharged from its
further consideration. The report of the
committee was adopted, and the ruling of the
chair was then sustained by the following vote:
Ycas-Allman, Barker, Bates, Boston, Brabham,
Brayton, Bridges, Bright, Coker, Coleman, Col
Inns, Crews, Couch, Davies Davis, Dolly, Dun
can, Farrow, Freeman, Gather, CAN'T, George,
Graham, Greene, Guffin, Hayne Henderson, Har-
rott, Holland, A. II. Howard, Hudson, Humbert,
Hunter, Jackson, Jefferson, A. H. Jones, Paul +.
Jones, Jordan, Keith, Leslie, Milton. Morgan, &
ardson, Richmond, Rush, A: Simmons, II; SIM
mons, A. Simkins, P. Simkins, j. A. Smith,
Steele, Sumpter, Thomas, Vanderpool, Weldon,
Williams, Wolfe, Wright, Young.63,
Beatty, Bomar Bradley, Burckmeyer, Cannon
Colt, Copes, Gosgrove, Crittenden, Ferguson,
Gailiard, Gibson, Goggins, Grant, Green, Hamil-
ton, Hirsch, r. G. Howard, Lewis, Livingston,
Meetze, Miller, Muller, Myers, Orr, Peterson
Redfearne, Robertson, Scott Sessions Simons
Simpson, Sloan r. M. Smith, Spencer, I!nsiey,
vandver, Wallace, Wideman, Willis,
This renders the bill law, and will bring
the question into the Courts, the point to de-
termine being whether the Governor, in re-
turning the bill, complied with the constitu-
tional requirements, an adjournment of the
session having occurred pending his conside-