The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-12-01

In October, 1877, the amount of
claims outstanding against the school
fund of The several Counties was
S209 ,S4G.66. At that time orders Oh
the school fund rarely brought in the
market more than twenty-five cents
on the dollar, and often could not b"
sold at any price. Now they are paid
in full each year by the County
Treasurers, while the past indebted
ness CT many Of the Counties has beer
entirely liquidated. Reports frolu
some of the Counties have not yet
been received, but statement show
ing the exact condition of the il
debtedness will be submitted to you
during the session. By the end OF
another year, the school fund Of all
of the Counties, except three or four,
will be free of debt.
The Superintendent makes the fol-
lowing recommendation for the cou-
sideration of the General Assembly
l. That an act be passed prescrib-
ing the manner in which average
attendance shall be estimated, and
regulating the mode Of apportionlug
the school fund
,. That an appropriation be made
in aid of normal Institutes from the
same fund from which the expenses
were betrayed last year.
3. That authority be granted to
the faculties of State Normal Insti-
tutes to issue certificates of quall6ca-
tion aad diplomas to teachers 10 pub
lie schools.
These recommendations, coming
from the source they do, are entitled
70, and no doubt will receive, your
careful consideration.
The fund donated by the United
States government for the establish
ment in the States Of agricultural and
mechanical schools is in this State ap-
propriated under the direction of the
trustees of the South Carolina Uni
versity to the maintenance of two
schools. The one at Orangeburg, in
connection with the Clafin College,
has been established for some years,
and is accomplishing valuable work.
1t is confined to the eolored youth Of
the State, and during the past yea
39Opupils received not only the tech.
nical instruction implied in the name
of the school, but also the advantages
of course in some of the higher
branches of education. The school
for the white youth at Columbia has
been more recently established, and
has yet not reached the full measure
of it's usefulness. It has opened the
scholastic year with SO students in at
tendance, and will, / trust, soon OBJ
tain leading position among the ed
ucational Institutions Of the State.
The State Military Academy at Char.
lesion has been suspended in its op:
Grafton since the late civil war.
This has been due to the fact that the
building known as the Citadel, in
which it had its seat, has been, since
the close of the war, in possession of the
United States authorities, and has
been used by them until recently as
military post. It is understood that
the general government is now pre-
pared to restore it to the custody of
the State. 1t is desirable that this
property be recovered and again de.
voted to the purposes of higher edu-
cation, in the facilities for which
our needs are greater than the sources
of supply. A measure Will probably
be submitted TO you at this session to
accomplish this purpose; and you will
permit me to say that in my judg-
ment, it is now practicable to reopen
this school and it should be done.
.., GENERAL LEGISLATION.
At your last session commissions
were created to inquire and report to
you at this session upon such amend
ments as were advisable to the rail-
road laws Of the State, the election
laws, the militia laws, the tax laws,
and also upon amendments to the Con.
stitution. These commissions have
had the subjects committed to them
under consideration, and will no doubt
report exhaustiyelY upon them.
There is another law, however, the
continuance of which has elected
much discussion, and will no doubt
receive your attention. I allude to
what is known as the lien law. 1t
had its origin Immediately after the
late civil war, when the farmers Of
the State were bereft Of live stock,
implements and supplies with which
to renew their planting operations.
In addition to this they we're gene
rally encumbered with debt, the lien
of which would attach to any crops
they might produce, with such credit
as they could obtain for the necessary
means of doing so. 1t was proposed
by the law then enacted and now un
der consideration to provide that
pricr lien might be created to protect
him who advanced supplies for the
making of the crop. It's object was
was to provide against debts existing
at tie time of its passage, the enforce.
ment Of which upon the products Of
the farm would have destroyed the
credit without which the plough
would have been idle in the furrow.
1t was to enable community of prac
tical baukrupts (for the land, their
only property, had then no saleable
value, to commence the struggle Of
life anew. This object was long since