Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-12-07
State Affairs~
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
The Governors Message as presented to botl
Houses of the General Assembly, isas follows
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER,
COLUMBIA, S. c.. November 20, 1882.
Senators and Representatives. beg leave tt
submit my annual Message.
THE PUBLIC DEBT.
The debt funded and being funded is S., l.,
S25. This is decrease of $40, 1876 on the
amount reported last year-the sinking funt
commission having retired by purchase ant
cancellation ST., 1863, and small amount o.
additional stock having been issued by joint
resolution of the last Legislature.
Of the public debt, the scrip Of the Agricul
tural Colleges, amounting to S19l 800, is per
manent investment; the deficiency bonds ant
and consols, amounting to $5,S7S, ,O33, mature
in 1888. The whole debt bears interest at
per cent. This is promptly met as it accrues
and is paid in Columbia, Charleston and New
York. If the holder of State stock desires it
and furnishes the treasury with his post office
address, the interest due is forwarded to him
upon each January and July. The securities
of the State are sold upon the market above
par. We have no floating debt. Current ex.
penseS as they occur are met with current
funds, and there is balance Of sos, ,017 in the
treasury awaiting your disposition.
The coupons of brown consolS are received
in payment of taxes. There is no good reason
why the coupons of deficiency bonds should
not be receivable in like manner. 1t would put
all the creditors of the State on the same foot
ing and as the holders Of deficiencies are
largely our own citizens, it would add to their
while it enhanced the value OF
this class of bonds. respectfully recommend
this measure to your consideration.
REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.
The revenues of the State for current expen-
ditures are derived from the net earnings of
the penitentiary, from the phosphate royalty,
and from the general tax. The penitentiary
paid into the treasury last year S40,0 The
phosphate royalty is steadily increasing; du-
ring the past year it amounted to $138, ,254,
being an increase of over 900 upon the
year.
BY the report of the mptroller-general, you
will see that the usual and ordinary expenses
of the State Government, not betrayed by
the phosphate royalty and the surplus in the
treasury can, without considering the income
from the penitentiary, be met by a levy of five
tenths of mill upon the dollar of the taxable
values. The levy for interest Oh the public
debt three and one-tenth mills) isto be added,
thus making a general tax levy of three and
six-tenths mills.
Interest upon the public debt is payable
before the annual taxes are fully collected.
To avoid subjecting any Of the public credit.
ors to delay in receiving their dues, the lIegls-
Lnr Gov, fha ocf f1rn Z
authorized temporary loan in anticipation OF
the taxes. The liberal action of the banks of
deposit in permitting over drafts and requir-
ing interest upon each only from date has
enabled the treasury to effect the accommo-
dation at trivial expense. Authority for a
similar purpose will be necessary for the next
and for each ensuing year. The eXpedient
answers well enough while the money market
is easy, but with occurrence of a financial
panic it might be difficult to accomplish. The
public credit is of too much consequence to
the welfare of the State to be thus jeoparded.
The debt will soon mature, and to refund 1t
at a more favorable rate of interest is an end
to be kept steadily in view. A failure to
meet promptly the interest under any circum'
stances would injurously affect this purpose.
Again, our taxes are paid sem-annually, and
the first payment is optional, the taxpayer
being charged interest if he defers payment
of his whole tax till the time of the second
payment. Uuder these circumstances, to re.
turn to collection of the taxes for interest
before the interest is due, it is necessary tc
make the first Semi-annual payment of taxes
compulsory, and then for one year to increase
the tax levy sufficiently to raise the sum fol-
which, in the experience of the treasury, ii
has been found necessary to make over drafts
upon the banks. We are experiencing period
of exceptional prosperity, and there will be nc
better time to accomplish this desirable end
If the measure commends itself to your honor
able body, the additional sum to be raised
this year will lie about 100000 and will ne
cessitate the addition of $40 mills to the
6-1O mills previously estimated. The whole
tax levy will then be 4-lO mills. The levy
for last year was AZ mills. 1t will still be
necessary for one year longer to authorize the
temporary loan, because the first payment OF
interest for 1884 will occur before any part OF
the tax you now authorize is COLLECTED, anC
will have to be met out of funds now in the
treasury, which are not sufficient for the pur
pose and at the same time to carry on the
government until the taxes of 1888 are col
lected.
PENITENTIARY.
On the 1st November, 1881, there were G9(
convicts in the Penitentiary. At the same
date this year the number was S24. OF these
77S were cOlored and 4G white. OF the S24
convicts, 224 were leased upon phosphate work
12l were leased upon railroads, % upon tho
Seegers farm, and 454 within the walls of the
prison. Of those within the prison 81 were at
work with contractor in making shoes, IN
at work on the Columbia Canal, and the re
mainder in various employments.
The convicts under lease are subjected to {
rigid surveillance by the authorities of tht
Penitentiary, and l am satisfied that during
the year, both within and without the prison
they have been we'll fed, properly cared for
and their sentences of penal servitude humane
ly executed.
A large amount of work has been done b.
convict labor upon improvements and eXten
sion of the Penitentiary itself. A number OF
hands have been worked on the Columbia Ca
nal and All examination of the superinten
dents report exhibits the following transac
tions A balance in hand at the beginning o.
the fiscal year of $21 ,190, earnings for the yea
S94, ,236 expenses proper of the Penitentlar.
$50, ,SS9, per diem and mileage of board of dl
rectors 81 ,2G7, paid on canal S,O96, paid int
State treasury $40 1000, and remaining in hands
of superintendent $l4 90l. The last amount
is in cash and baukable notes given for con
vict labor it's disposition awaits your direc
tion.
This exhibit contrasts favorably with TIN
management of the Penitentiary in the periot
from 1868 to 1876 Then, beside the earning
of the cOnvicts, it required an annual averag
annronriation Of $40 900 from the State treas