The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-05-03
date, OF January i, 1874, and the annual
@ sax provided by the act for the payment

eaA pIOVkQeu Uy the act fOr the pavmeDt
OF interest on the entiro consofidsted
debt has been regularly levied every year,
ana the amount unexpended for interest
should be in cthe treasury to meet the
past due coupons of fheae bonds, as ssosa
= isiusd; ]. haEe no reason, however, to
oeneyS Fpat there is any such unexpend-
ed balance ayailable for this purpoae,
fiita 4 tne c0nyerEop Or the debt into con-
soldated bonds continues aa provided BY
rhe exmtingi act, it will be necessary to
provide by legislation for theae arrears of
,nlerost. suggest for your cnuaidera.
tiea tha,propriety Of funding thess arrears
up TO the. time of eonyerson, in new
oonds, payable ut ouch time,; and under
sqch conditions as in your Judgment shall
Pc equitable It to the State and to its cred.
cannot too earnestly urge upo1,. Won
the rEeeeakity NJ reducing the eSpsnsas, or
every department of the government to
fhe most economical scale Consistent 1ish
the;dignity and .eecurity of theT State,
Hou will find many offices which ere not
only expensive u.s.. useless; and othen,
which, while necessary, can be veil filed
tor compensation much less than Is ncy
paid, 1t is, I am sure, only necessary to
invite your attention to this subject to
eectife your syise and cordial cooperation
In tightening the burthen which have go
greatly suppressed tho energy and indue-
w. OF our people. But after the most
figid seduction, the expenses of govern.
mcnt, funds for the common schools, and
70 meet the interest or the gablic debt.
must be provided, and This can only be
done. By q tag on the real and personal
property of the oitiZens. It is one of our
gravest difficulties that we have come
into control of the government after the
PERIOD at which taxes can most easily be
paid, Curs is essentially an. agricultural
continuity; onr products are harvested
in the latter part Of the year and sold In
the earlier and the yrule which has al
ways obtained of calling for the taxes In
January and February had its origin not
In the arbitrary will of the Legislature.
but was the natural outgrowth of an in
dustrial system. The late political strue.
gle has been protracted until the proceeds
OF the past years crop have been ex.
hsastd, and the present crop ia not .sufii-
clentIy advanced to enable the farmer TO
realize anything upon 1t. Every ayaila-
pie dollar of cash or Of credit, in the con-
trel Of ;tha farmer, is already applied to
the growing crop, aud the levy of O tax
payableat An early day would seriously
embarrans not only the agricultural but
every other interest of the State. The
money is not in the country; it could
only be raised from loans to the farmers
by bankers or merchants; end it is ques-
:tionable if it could be raised even in this
way It is, therefore, incumbent Oh you,
while reducing the tax to its minimum,
to's:.sGgc for it's collection az such times
and in such manner as will tighten the
burthens of the people az much as posi-
Bile. A portion of the tax absolutely
NECESSARY ooiiladd bo oaii5dd fTor III June,
and the residue. which should be the
larger portion, in October, when the pro-
,ceeds of part at least of the crop will be
available for the payment of taxes.
By the resolutions of the House Of
Representatives, adopted at the last ses.
sion, !! was authorized to call for a con-
tribution not exceeding twenty-five Per
last year, Under this authority call
for voluntary contribution of one-tenth
OF the.e loupt of the last tax was issued,
and was responded to with an alacsi.v
and patriotic zeal most honorable 20
our people.
AS an evidence Of their confidence in
my administration, this response was as
gratifying as it was unprecedented.
With view to the proper care and dis
'hurBenlents of this fund, directed TINT
ALI amounts collected should be placed
ip the hands of Gen. johnson Hagood,
requesting him to serve as Acting Comp
troller General and Treasurer; and no
appropriation has been made except
upon his check, counsersigned by myself.
His devotion. to this work, his activity
and his great financial ability, have
proved of fncalculable assistance to me.
: Et-e net receipts from this contribution
and from Office fees amounted to 1885,.
88e !48 !; and the. disbursements. es viii
appear by the books of Gen. Hagood's
Office, on account Of the educational,
penal and charitable institutions OF the
State, and for tho Legislative, executive
and judicial departments Of the govern
n,ent, amount to $76,661. .09-leavihg y
cash balance ON hand of $59,178.39. = Z.
By the report of the late Treasurer,
dated. October '3lst, 1876, there were itii
the treasury Mt thst time $25S,020.S7 /;
but what portion of this amount Is now on
hand am not aware The use Of these
spnds has been enjoined' by the courts,
and tho officials in whose charge they
are win doubtless account to- the Legis-
lature for them. ',
. In addition to the funds named, the
phosphate royalty should yield from thir-
ty to forty thousand dollars; and there
will then be quite d large amount at the
command of The Legislature sufficient,
Ihope, to meet the demands Of the State
until q. porfien of the taxes is collected.
While on the subject Of tho finances, I
beg to call your notice to the bills OF the
Bank OF the State for this question pre-
sents q difficult problem, There is o
widespread belief that considerable
amount OF those bills will be found miss4
ing from the treasury, having been re-
Issued ia place of being cancelled or de.
ssroyed. It is we'll, therefore, at this
jnEcture, TO consider whether. or not these
bills should be receivable In payment of
taxe3. Before receiving them for the
taxes, the most rigid Investigation should
be had, with view of ascertaining the
amount for-,Which- the Stateajs solaarly
rlihble, and what portion Is tainted with
fraud, in order that suitable provision
may De MADE nc vne next session of the
Legislature, for the redemption OF the
former snd for the protection of the State
against the latter. ~. i. ,i,,.,.s, i.,n
- The penal, charitable and educational
Institutions of :he State demand, and
,s3ubtless will receive, yosssszE .aaAEefti com
siagrafion and your fostering care Every
dictate OF enlightened humanity, every
ptecspf Of soniid polioy. require that thess
|fiustitutions should be well regulated,
pfopeEiyi supported and ably managed !;