The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-04-08
THE ACT FOR A SPECIFIC LEVY
OF TAKES AND nIsBrTRsEM ENTs

OF TAXES AND DISBURSEMENTS
THEREOF.
1t seems strange now that this
Act and all its provisions should
not have been the general law
before the time of its adoption,
embracing as it does the true prin-
ciples of taxation and disbursement
of public funds.
propose to give a short history
Of the difficulties which intervened
and retarded its final passage. That
it worked a complete revolution in
the administration of the affairs Of
the State government and effected
reforms and reductions in expendi-
lures far beyond the hopes and ex-
pectations of the originator and
friends of the measure cannot now
be denied. Previous to its passage
the General Assembly had for years
incurred expenses and actually paid
out and disbursed sums of money
largely in excess of all taxes col.
lected for legislative expenses, and,
in addition to this, had squandered
other large sums received from the
sale and hypothecation of State
bonds. Even that collected for
free school purposes, the amounts
appropriated for salaries of officers
and to support and maintain the
penal and charitable institutions of
the State, we're fraudulently and
wickedly diverted from legitimate
purposes by the Legislature, thus
leaving the school teachers unpaid.
the convicts to be pardoned and
turned loose to prey upon the COM
munity or to be starved, and the
poor, unfortunate inmates of the
Lunatic Asylum without sufficient
means for their support. After
much thought and reflection upon
this deplorable condition Of things,
I saw but one practical and availa-
bic remedy, viz, to confne levies Of
taxes and appropriations consequent
thereon purely and entirely to and
for certain named specific purposes,
and to punish severely any depart
ure from this law when adopted.
A Bill embracing my views was
submitted to the Committee on
Ways and Means Of the House Of
Representatives at the regular ses.
sion of 1928. 1t was rejected
by the Committee as imprac'
ticable. I yielded then, but my
Judgment as to the feasibility and
necessity of this measure was not
changed or weakened. At the spe.
cial session of 1873 I again pro-
posed such plan to the Committee.
Again it was voted down-seven
against it to two in favor-the
Democratic member, Hon. R. M.
Smith, voting with me. Finding
my efforts before the Committee to
effect this great object were una.
vailing, Mr.. Smith and myself made
a minority report in favor Of the
measure proposed. [See House Jour
nal, special session 1873, page AL
Among other reasons set forth, we
presented as follows:
First. That the Bill presented by the ma
jority provides simply ageneral levy for the
State deficiency, educational penal, charita-
BILE and County purposes-making no provi-
sion whatever for keeping separate the taxes
arising from the different levies, and would,
as has been shown by the experience OF past
years, leave the different appropriations at the
mercy of expenses incurred indiscriminately
been @ % provided in the Bill Itself: fhe practical
operation of similar Bills which have been
passed by the. General Assembly heretofore
demonstrates the necessity of keeping the dif-
being due on last years appropriations large rg
lieve that had the same provisions been incor-
porated in the Bill for the levy of last year as
in the one we now present requiring the State
Treasurer to keep separate the taxes arising
from the different levies and to pay, out such
taxes for the purposes for which they were
levied. we would not to-day have list of de-
fciencies similar to the ones referred to in this
report, nor could these deficiencies nave
arisen. The Bill we now submit (if passed.
will in the future secure to the different State
and Court officers and their clerks their saia-
ries, and provide for the maintenance of the
different State institutions for penal. charita-
BILE and educational purposes. We further
submit that in making lovies for specific pur-
poses. parties lsboring for the State and enti-
tied to their pay would BIZ made secure IN the
hawking their claims for such services, which
necessity alone forces them to sell at great
All Of which is respectfully submitted to
: Z, isisHsd' ''e JqHN gR7 n: B. shffH!y HGqHRAs'
The contest over the majority and
minority reports was protracted and
bitter, but the minority report and
Bill accompanying it, submitted by
Mr.. Smith and myself, were adopted.
My Democratic colleagues from this
County, Mr.. ]. G. c. Featherstone
and DR.. John Wilson, after the
passage Of the Bill, Joined me in
presenting the following, to be en-
tered on the Journals as in part our
reasons for supporting this mea-
sure
I'VE. the undersigned, members Of the House
of Representatives desire to enter upon record
of the Journals the reasons That induced US to
vote in the Affirmative upon the Bill to raise
supplies for the fiscal year commencing No
yember !, 1873, and to alter and amend the law
in relation to the collection of taxes.
First. In doing so We disclaim any desire
to impose a heavy tax upon an already over
burdened State.
Second. Wevoted for the Bill presented by
the minority of the Committee Of Ways and