The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-04-14
The Blue Ridge Scrip suIts.

.AC the present term OF the United
States Circuit Court the cases of Jno.
z. Southern and others. assignees of the
Blue Ridge Railroad, against the Comp.
troller.General and other officers of the
State of South Carolina, and Amos d.
Williams against the same, will come up
for trial. These suits are brought to
enforce the liability of the State ofSouth
Carolina for the Revenue Bond scrip,
issued under tho Act Of March 3,
1872.
The parties prosecuting the case un.
der the name of Williams are Edward
b. Wesley and Amos D. Williams, ban
kers, of New York City. These two
gentlemen advanced about 100000 at
the request of the State treasurer and
the president Of tho Blue Ridge Railroad
Company, to enable the State to redeem
its guarantee on very nearly $4,000,00O
of bonds of the Blue Bidge Railroad
Company, which had been guaranteed
by the State prior to March 2, 1871. By
the act of that date the State provided
for the issuing of $l,800,O00 of scrip
(styled Revenue Bond Scrip to take up
and retire $4,000000 of bonds of the
Blue Ridge Railroad Company which
had been guaranteed by the State and had
been pledged in Wall street with differ
ent bankers. Messsrs. Wesley & Will
liams we're induced to make the advance
mentioned OIL the faith of this Revenue
Bend Scrip. The Rlme Ride Railroad
bonds were taken up, with the exception
Of $500, 900, which wero in the hands Of
the State agent and were handed over to
the State treasurer and by him cancelled,
the Revenue Bond Scrip being left in
the hands of these gentleman as. collat-
cral security.
Sometime subsequent TO this loan
question was made as to the validity of
this Revenue Bond Scrip, on tho ground
that it WAS unconstitutional to issue it,
and the question was so decided in
another rcase by the Supreme Court of the
State; From that time to the present,
therefore, these gentlemen have boen
trying to recover their money, with the
interest due, which now, in the aggregate
amounts to nearly 100000. Various
legal proceedings have been taken by
them and by the assignee of the Blue
Ridge Railroad Company, which finally
resulted in appeals to the Supreme
Court of the United States. The cases
were argued by Mr.. Dennis McAIahon,
of New York, for Messrs. Wesley &
Williams and for the assignees of .he
represented by Attorney General You
mans.
In the case brought by Mr.. Williams
the decision of the lower Court was
affirmed with the liberty to the plaintiffs
to commence a new suit on the ground
that they had not made q demand
on the State officers for the amount
of their claim prior to commencing the
suit. The Supreme Court, at the timo
of this ruling, plainly intimated that if
Mr.. Williams had made his demand on
the State treasurer prior to the COM
mencement Of the suit, it would have
held that the legislation Of the State Of
South Carolina repeating tho Revenue
Bond Scrip Act after its issue was
| unconstitutional. The case brought by
assignees of tie Blue Ridge Railroad was
reversed and was sent down to the Cir
cult Court for now trial.
Mr.. Williams, in the meantime made
the required demand upon the State
officers and commenced new snit, and
both cases will consequently now be tr;;eeai
together before Judges Bond and Bryan
! during the present term on new and
| revised pleadings and additional evil
dence. The record will occupy 200
printed pages. The casesswilI be argued
by MIR. Dennis McMahon of New York,
Col. j. II. Rion of Chesterfield, and Mr..
Thomas s. Cavender of Columbia fer
the plaintiffs, and by the Attorney
| General for the State.
Messrs. Williams and Wesley with
their counsel, Mr.. Mcmahon, are in the
city, and say, that they lent the money in
good faith, and all they deaire is to get back
the principal with interest at seven per
cent. per annum. Through their agency
the State was released from liability utider
its endorsements of the Blue Ridge Railr
road bonds, and, at the same time, hGs
escaped, so far, from any recognition of
! tha Rayenlia Rend Scrip, on the eAcnri.y
| of which the money to redeem the bonds
was advanced.