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

TIE Ureetl c0nsOlS should, at Us carry d
date as practicable: be all converted
into Browu consols. This process is
going on steadily, but not as rapidly
as the mutual interest of the parties
would seelo to warrant It is worthy
CT your consideration whether this
should not be FASTENED oy some action
on the part of the General Assembly.
giving notice that interest, after date
to be fixed, will be paid ouly upon
! Brown cunsols
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.
The revenues Of the State for cur
rent expenditures are derived from
phosphate royalty and the general tax.
In the last year the royalty paid into
the State Treasury has exceeded any
previous year, amounting to Sl2l ,54l,
aud it is probable that the improved
condition of that Interest will continue.
I beg to call your attention to the we'll
] considered aud valuable report upon
! this subject Of the special assistant,
; Mr.. Z. L. Roche, forwarded with the
annual report Of the Commissioner Of
Agriculture. The report Of the Comp
troller General, to be submitted to
: you, will show that the usual and or.
dinary expenses of the State govern
ment not betrayed by the phosphate
! royalty can be met by tax levy Of
! but l 40 MILLS on the dollar. The
levy for Interest on the public debt, 2
$40 mills, is to be added, THIS making
general tax levy of 3 8 10 mills.
When these revenues reach the Treas,
ury they are disbursed in every case
under the sanction of your appropria-
tion by heavily bonded officers, with
elaborately provided checks one upon
the other, and a monthly exhibit is
made in the public press Of their
transactions. You will permit NE to
again call your attention to the singu.
lar contrast in the management of the
| County finances. The taxes collected
and disbursed in the Counties are the
constitutional school tax Of 2 mills,
the ordinary County tax of 3 mills,
and in many cases extraordinary taxes
for railroads or other County improve
ments, the total being considerably in
excess of the amount that reaches the
State Treasury. The County Treasu
rer collects and retains in his hands
these County funds, and is, in regard
to their disbursement, merely the
cashier of the County Commissioners.
In his annual accounting before the
County Auditor the order Of the
County Commissioners drawn in &C,
cvrdance with the forms of law, is his
sufficient voucher.
Upon the County Commissioners
rests the responsibility Of the faithful
and judicious expenditure Of the fund !;
and they are practically subjected to
little or no supervision. It Is true
they are required BY Law to report to
the Comptroller General detailed
account of their transactions to be
laid before the General Assembly, and
it is the theory of the law. For the
present wear but seven of the Counties
have forwarded their accounts in
time to be printed with the Comp
troller's report. Others will perhaps
be laid before you in manuscript dur
ing your session, and others will not
reach You at all. The General As
sembly does not, and necessarily can
not, efficiently discharge the duty iu-
posed, neither CAP any central State
auditing officer, should the duty be
transferred to him. Your experience
and judgment will find the proper
remedy. There can be no mere eff
cient supervision Of the management
Of public funds than that by those Of
the locality in which they are con-
tributed and in which they are ex-
pended. | renew the suggestion that
the grand juries Of the respective
Counties be charged with the duty
of examining and auditing the ac-
counts of the County Com nissloners,
and these accounts be published in
detail in the County press for sufi-
cient time before the session Of the
court to bring them fully to the at
tention Of the taxpayers. The Com.
missioners should afterwards forward
these accounts to the Comptroller Gen.
eral, to be by him, embodied in his an
nual report as statistical information,
and they should still be required, as
now, to submit to tie General Assem-
bly, estimates of supplies upon which
to base the annual County levy.
THE PENITENTIARY.
There can be little doubt that the
most desirable management Of peni-
teutiary is that in which the inmates
are kept within its walls, and employed
in industries which would at least
make them self:sustaining. The penal
and reforuatory discipline which
should adhere to the institution, as
we'll as considerations Of health and
humane treatment, would be thus best
subserved The present Board Of
Directors have kept this leading idea
steadily in view, and have made con-
siderable progress in that direction.
For the present, however, and for
some time to come, unless the main
tenauce of the convicts is to be a
charge upon the public treasury, the
employment of a portion of them be-
yond the walls is necessity. In this
event they must be utilized by the
State engaging in enterprises which
would pro6tably employ them, or they