The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-09-12
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
.ABBEvILLE COUNTY.
IN THE COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS

S1StAI VI W.
ABBEvILLE COUNTY.
IN THE COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS.
SEPTEMBER TERM, 1877.
Presentment of the Grand Jury.
To His Honor Judge i. c. Northrop:
Tie Grand Jury would respectfully
make the following presentment. We
congratulate our fellow citizens upon
the many evidences of an increased and
growing fraternal feeling between the
two races comprising the citizenship Of
our county and would most earnestly
recommend that, as the interests Of the
two races are identical, the prosperity
of the one depending to a large extent
upon that of the other, all feelings Of
luminosity or distrustshould be dis.
PEELED, and when occasions arise re-
%quiring the exercise of the great pre-
:rogative of American citizenship,
the right of suffrage, that it be
done by each as citizens of Abbeville
county, with an eye single to her best
interests, and not as a member
of any particular race or party. This
being done, we predict that ere long
.Abbeville county will resume her an
cicnt garb of peace and prosperity.
In the discharge Of our duties We
have visited the several county offices,
and with some few exception, were pleas
ed with their management and with the
reports made by the incumbents respec-
lively. We found that of the tax levy
of s~lG,126.95 for the current expenses
of the county for the present fiscal year
S6,O69.s6 have been collected, of
which amount s5,002.74 have been dis.
bursed, leaving a balance of S977.12
in the hands Of the Treasurer to the
credit Of the county. We were impress
ed with the inadequacy of the pay of
this officer, in view of the services to be
rendered, the responsibility to be incur,
red and the very excessive bond requir-
ed. Weare of,the opinion that his CON-
missions should not be less than $1,000,
instead of 500, which is all they will
reach the present year, and that the
bond be reduced to not more than $4,000
instead of s37, 800 as now required.
The Auditor reports fair progress
in the matter of the assessment Of the
taxable property of the county. He
informed us of the fact that there was a
crying demand on the part Of the'tax-
payers of the county for a re, assessment
of the real property of the county that,
Us it now appears uponthe tax books, it
is, in the majority of cases, tar in ad.
vance of its real value, snd greatly in
excess of the valuation put upon SINH
lar property III the adjoining counties
of Anderson and Edgefield. He also
suggested that, in view of the scantincss
of the pay of the Auditor for the SER
vices required Of him, the present form
of the Auditors duplicate be simplifed
and that, instead Of each item Of per-
sonal property, with its value, being
entered separately, only the aggre-
gate amount be used, thereby dis
pensing with the necessity of making up
a very large and expensive book that
by retaining the present form of blanks
and filing away the original return in
the Auditors office every purpose
would be subserved that now is and the
expense and labor Of getting up this
immense book largely dispensed with.
The Grand Jury, %concurring in these
views, would suggest that our represen-
tatives give this matter their considera-
ton.
We found the Offices of Clerk of the
Court and Sheriff, so far as We were able
to judge, conducted in conformity with
law. We are sorry that we cannot say
as much for the Office of School Com
missioner. On being Intercepted as to
whether he had visited the various
public schools, as required by law, he
said he had not, and that he did not
intend to, unless his salary was increas-
ed; that he had put in more time,
without visiting the schools, than he
was paid for, &C., &c. On his being
requested to inform US in what way he
had consumed so much time, he inform
ed usthat it was in registering the school
claims and examining applicants for
certificates to teach. We learned from
him that the aggregate number of
claims registered did not exceed five
hundred and fifty and the number of
teachers examined was about one hun
dred and thirty-fve or forty. The
Grand Jury are of the opinion that the
registration of these claims need not
have occupied, in the aggregate, more
than II day, and the examination of
this number Of applicants for position
as.teachers more than ten days so that
we are at a loss to see wherein the Com.
missioner has put in more. at the out
side, than fifteen days. AS he is author
lied to draw pay for one hundred days,
if SO much be required in the perform
ance of the duties imposed, and as he
has already drawn pay for nearly, if
not quite, that number of days, we are
of the opinion that he has been grossly
derelict in duty in not rendering at
least a formal compliance with the law
in the matter Of visiting the public
schools. The Grand Jury have felt
o,l1od ,nop 70 d,rol1 tb,c lonrtb;l,