The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1875-12-09

tloh feIeflnS TO the county tax, au-
.thorizihg the County Commissioners
in a majority of the counties, to lovy
special tax to pay the past indebt-
edness of tho counties. Last year
had an amendment incorporated in tho
tax bill (the ono vetoed by the Cows
ernor0 authorizing the County Com
missioners of Pickens County to levy
special tax of two mills to be applied
exclusively to the payment of the past
indebtedness of the County, and this
Same provision was incorporated in
tho present bill whom presented to
the House, but in as much as l had
just introduced joint resolution, in
accordance with the express desire of
the mass meeting held at Piczons G.
H., authorizing the Comfy Commits
sioners TO levy special tax of three
mills annually, until the entire debt
was liquidatod; and to avoid tho me-
nessity of future legislation on tho
subject, had tho provisions stricken
out of tho bill. The JOINT resolution,
[ appended, will get through in due
time to have tho lovy made at The same
timo tho other lovies arc mado. Tho
bill, as | above stated, is in accord
| anco with tho recommendation made
by the Governor in his veto message.
1t will bo romomborod that the Gov.
ernor eliminated certain items from the
bill vetoed, and recommended that
they be permitted, or required to take
their place with tho floating dobt OF
the State. Agreeable to this recon-
mendation, tho Committee of Ways
| and Means has introduced s'bonanza"
bill No. l, which is untitled, GA bill
to provide for the payment of certain
indebtedness Of the State" T his bill
makes a lovy of one and fivo-oighth
mills, and covers claims passed for
tho fiscal years, 1S73-74, ETC., otc.-
Thcre arc another class Of claims in
existence, Moses pay certificates, etc.,
said to amount to five hundred thous~
and dollars, and to mako provisions
to meet them, "bonapza" bill No. 2
has been introduced by the samo COM
mittee. This bill is entitled "a bill
tor tho settlement and payment Of
certain claims against the State"
and provides that within ten days
from the passage of the act, the Gov
crnor shall appoint throo commissions
ers, who shall constitute o commis>
sion on claims. Tho commission is
required TO audit and adjust the
claims, but not to cXcocd five hun
dred thousand dollars, and report tho
result of thoir labors to tho Comptrol>
lor General, who upon the presenta-
tion of q certificate Of State indebtcd~
noss, signed by the commission, or
majority of them, shall issue TO tho
claimants four warrants, numbered |,
2, 3 and 4, respectively, each Of them
for cne-cighth of tho amount of the
certificate Of State indebtedness. and
which arc TO bo paid in l, 2, 3 and a.
years. This allows the claimants one
half of tho amount of thoir original
claim, and is on the same scaling
principle rs that of tho bonded debt
of the State. This act also, lovys one
half Of ono mill, and is in accordance
with tho suggestions Of tho Governor.
All those lovies arc to be made this
year, and aggregate twelve and five.
eighths mills, only throo cighths of
mill less than tho bill vetoed; and it
will be remembered that the levy in
"bonanza" No. l continues for two,
and in No. 2 for tho space of four
years, This is reform with ven>
gcnce. 1t the tax lovied in "bonan>
"a" bill No. |, alone woro put in one
year and added to the regular tax
bill, it would exceed that lowed in the
vetoed bill
Bills to repeal tho hen law and to
establish n usury have been intro>
duccd, and from present indications,
| think Will pass.
In the Senate to day, short dis,
cussion took place on tho bill to re-
,,.I l.