The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-05
FROM COLUMBIA.
OUR EDITORIAL LETTER.

OUR EDITORIAL LETTER.
Since its organization, the Legislature
has been industriously engaged at the
work before it with q view of effecting
an adjournment before Christmas, and
the prospect for accomplishing this result
is good, since both Houses have passed
the concurrent resolution fixing the 23rc
of this month as the date of final adjourn
ment, and it cannot now be changed
without consent of both the Senate and
House of Representatives. The date was
fixed thus early in the session, in ordel
to stimulate the members to work rapid
ly, so that short session might be Sc
cured and the wishes of the people car
ried out. IF this date had not been fxee
thus early, the introduction of bills, reso'
lutions, &c., would have continued, and
instead of adjourning before Christmas
we would only have taken q recess and
returned for an indefinite period after the
holidays, while by the course pursued il
is expected to wind up with a session o.
only twenty-eight days.
THE WORK
to be done in the time allowed is con-
siderable, and the financial portion of il
will be very embarrassing. There are
deficiencies from last year which will
have to be paid off out of the next tax
levy; the Bills of the Bank of the State
are still very troublesome problem to
deal with; the report of Commissioner
Colt upon the floating Indebtedness Of
the State presents little over million
dollars of Indebtedness after scaling it to
fifty cents on the dollar, which must be
provided for, and then comes the ordi-
nary expenses of the government. The
session has not progressed sufficiently to
tell what will be done with the Bills of
the Bank of the State, or the floating in
debtedness, but, of course, the de6cien-
cies of last year and the expenses of the
government for the current year must be
met in full, and unless the present Leg
islature makes very material reductions,
the rate OF taxation will of necessity be
very much increased. The present body
rot only is embarrassed by the expenses
of the government during their own
term, but will also have the additional
burden of clearing up the arrearages of
last year. The members of both Houses
have addressed themselves assiduously to
the task, and in addition to the short ses-
sioo, there is every probability that the
per diem will also be cut down. DR..
John Wilson, of our delegation, has in
troduced bill fixing the per diem of
members at
THREE DOLLARS PER DAY,
and there is very little doubt that it will
be adopted, and thus the Legislature
having cut down their own compensa-
tion, will be enabled to curtail other e1-
penses without subjecting themselves to
criticism. Three dollars a day is small
compensation, but it is sufficient to Sc
cure the services of as good men as can
be procured at higher salaries, and there
fore it is all that the State ought to pay.
The reduction will make the position a
more honorable one than it would be
with high salary. for the experience Of
every State has been that high salaries
for members of the Legislature brings
into competition for the Office class Of
aspirants who care more for the money
than for the honor of representing their
constituents. There are number OF
arguments which will be adduced in sup
port of this bill if necessary. 1t is, how
ever, useless to occupy the time of our
readers in recounting them, for nine
tenths of them. are fully satisfied that the
reduction should be mad9, and it is this
well-known public sentiment which will
secure its passage. DR.. Brown, of our
delegation, filed g protest against one
Hastings CAN'T, who was elected to the
House of House of Representatives from
Beaufort, on the ground that he is dis
qualified to serve as member because
he is known to have accepted
BRIBE FROM PATTERSON
in some of the legislation concerning the
Blue Ridge Railroad. The protest will
result in expelling CAN'T, and, although
another Radical will be elected, the
party will learn that it is useless for
them to continue electing their corrupt
men to Office, for they will not be admit
ted to seats in a body which will in
future be controlled by gentlemen. Mr..
Murray has introduced, among others, a
bill to employ convicts sentenced to
County jails upon the roads and streets
under direction Of County Commission
ers, which, if passed, will utilize set of
criminals who have hitherto been bur-
den without any benefit to the County.
Last session of the Legislature there
we're fifty charters granted by the Legis-
lature which could have been given by
the Clerk of the Court in each County,
and these charters at moderate estimate
cost the State twenty thousand dollars.
The same thing was begun again this
session, but has been checked by indef-
nitely postponipg the first one presented.
This motion to postpone was made by
Mr.. Murray, and a spirited debate Of