Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-01-31


salaries of Circuit Judges at $4,000 year.
The University bill came up as the sun6n-
ished business of Saturday, and was finally
ordered for third reading by vote Of AZ
yeas to 33 nays. ~, ....s"
The report of the Committee Oh Agricul-
ture, on the memorial Of the State Agricultu-
raj and Mechanical Society, asking that all
existing fence laws be repealed, was taken up
and the bill ordered for y third reading
For the Yorkville Enquirer
THE INDEBTEDNESS OF YORK COUNTY.
The Hampton Herald of January 18th,
contains the report of the commission ap-
pointed to investigate the Indebtedness of
York county. " ''.'l .'.''n pz''.'.'@.''4iH J"
There are some matters that do not sppear
in this report, as also some matters thatasdo
appear, relative TO the bonded debt of the
county, that warrant more extended notice
than the subject appears to have received.
will notice, FIRST, certain facts not appearing
in this report, forming part Of the history Of
the transaction. -n"iieely1 Yajbss'9rs.EE
/ The subscription in bonds was poted by 1.-The
county commissioners, unanimously, on the
morning of April Sth, l873-the, day after
the public meeting at the court house, allnd.
ed to but the bonds were never iss,Ied until
after the court had finally decided that the
subscription was authorized and valid. The
county commissioners were present at the
public meeting, where the subject of subsorip,
ton was fully discussed. The meeting was
held on sales-day, and on the opening day
of the spring term of court Every section
Of the county was represented in that large
and intelligent meeting, and every shade u
political opinion was represented In the dis.
cussion. Not voice was raised against the
county making the subscription. r If any one
there opposed it, be either failed to vote, Or
voted, upon the call of the question, aguinG
bis conviction for as the report correctly
states the resolutions were adopted without
objection" "..g.4;ifyl,i9 81. q z.at ,nsW 44..
g, It is not surprising, then, when it had been
stated in that meeting that "the county COM
missioners had the right to vote the subscrip-
ton" without referring to vote Of the Peo.
pie; when this statement was not denied;
when the excitement and interest in favor Of
the scheme was 1T fsver heat and found no
opponents, that the commissioners should
have been led into the policy of, doing at
once, and directly, what the county had de-
manded by popular vote should be done.
And this is still more natural, when it Is Oh!
served that no provision existed BY law, dns
der which popular vote could be- had. No
one-not even this report-charges the! ceun-
ty commissioners with wilful misconduct IN,
this particular. z5t,q,.a s....f, y s.,.c..
I believe the county commissioners did
II 81 noSu haunnd ouoatson hot fhov
had legal authority to vote the subscription
directly, the courts and the Legislature both
under Republican and Democratic rule,
having 80 asserted. Butithe authority. exer..
cised was. q dangerous. one, and should never
have been conferred. ....f... ..-..., ,...,
After the subscription had been voted, the
public were informed through the press.
Delay in issuing the bonds was had, to give
any one opposed, the opportunity>of contest
ing in the courts A suit. was instituted to-
enjoin the issue, and the. plaintiffs in that &C.
ton sought the aid of the very Judge Who
had publicly asserted the right of the county r
commissioners to vote the subscription, know
ing at the time, Gas his speech was published)'
what we're his convictions. In justice to
Judge Mackey it must be said that he did
not seek the case, but it sought him. The
plaintiffs might have gone before another
tribunal if they had wished.
The plaintiffs in that action embrace many,
of the same persons who petitioned for this
investigation, and who have evoked this re-
port now denouncing the oracle whose coun.
sells they then voluntarily sought. an 81.
The circuit and supreme court both deci.
ded in favor of the validity of the subscrip
ton ;and it was not until after this had been
done, and the judgment of the supreme court
filed in the circuit, that the bonds were actual-
are now held BY innocent parties, (thoug h,
this report does not state that fact in half 4,
dozen different States who have bought on
the faith of these facts and their subsequent
ratification by the Republican Legislature of
1875, and of the Democratic legislature of
1877. r.rir. ,:4@ a.. b"os ,yiG1sai III
The county has already received the ben.a
eft of this subscription. l beg to copy here.
from recent communication in the Colum-,
bia Register, evidently written by one who
had taken the pains to inform himself whereof
he writes: '.'"..- 80 '''7'',
"The benefits which have resulted from the is-i
sue of these bonds to the counties Of York and
Chester, are incalculable. It has given another
outlet to the North by tapping the Airline at
tions of the Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta
Railroad. A friend Of mine has furnished me.
with the statistics of the savings to the people Of
the two counties in treights during the past year.
"Amounts saved the counties of York and.
Chester in freights during the year 1877: ..... p
CHESTER.
$1,000 bales cotton, at $l.5O per BALE e$M. 900 90
843 800 hs bacon at As cents per 100 lbs. 1894 90
800 tons fertilizers, at g. per ton,..-.. 1900 90
Estimated on other goods ............... 5000 90
YoRKvILLE. " asH tr-'sE
5000 bales Of cotton, at $225 per bale,. 49, 500 90
7S0 tons fertilizers at IS 90 per ton,...- $3.50 90
40 900 bs bacon at As cents per 100 bs... 1870 90
Estimated on other goods ....."......... 1000 90
Rock HILL.
5000 bales ofcotton, at so cents per bale, 1900 00
800 tons fertilizers, at $500 per tor, ,-.. 900 90
10000 lbs bacon, at SO cents per 100 bs. 1900 90
Estimated on other goods 900 90
$ss,ss4 90
"Thosc figures may be considered as official.
Now, wnun we come to consider these matters Of
ssn ssen T 3 J Seyond s aspas sse s by ss
opening Of the Chester and Lenoir Railroad, and
the consequent reduction Of freight, cotton has
ranged, in Chester and York, at least 3c. higher,
and all goods and supplies have been greatly re-
duced In price,"
Whether the" assertion and exercise Of q
dangerous power, lawfully conferred upon the
county commissioners, was right or not, the.
fact that it has resulted in liberating our peo-.
pie from grievous monopoly, and is saving
annually, to both producers and consumers,
many fold the amount Of the tax, cannot be
successfully contradicted. "" ''. iDd
Further, Mr.. Editor, this report, as it ap-a
pears in print, is not the report of the COM
rniaainn annointad hv the Gnzarnnr II ia