The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1882-12-02
TIE GOVERNORS MESSAGE


On Wednesday last Governor Fa-
good srbnittcd to the Legislature his
annual message. 1t is simple, buSi-
ress-like paper, giving fully and at Tie
same time succinctlv a statement Of
tine condi,;sn cf the different depart
lnents>-an institutions Of tile State.
We regret that we have not space to
publish it entire, and must content
ourselves with synopsis.
Beginning with t3e public debt, we
find it, funded and to pc funded. &c.
81 ,s25- being a decrease Of $40, 1876 on
: the amount reported last year, brought
abont under the operations Of the
Sinking Fund Commission. Of the
public debt, the scrip Of the A@ricul-
tural Colleges, amounting to Sl21 500,
lsa permanent Investment; the de-
1iciency bonds and stocks, amounting
to s5o1, ,922, mature in 1883; and con-
soils, amounting to s5,S7s,N55. mature
in 1898. The whole debt bears inter-
est at 6 per cent. This is promptly
met as it accrues. and is pa;,s in Co.
limbia, Charleston and New York.
The State securities sell above par.
There is 10 floating Indebtedness, cur
rent expenses are met as they occur,
and there is balance of S9S,017 in tile
treasury, awaiting the disposition Of
tie Legislature.
The revenues of the State for current
expenditures arg derived from the net
earnings of the peuitentiary: from the
phosphate royalty and from the gener-
al tax. The peniteutiary paid into the
treasury last year $4,000. The phos-
phate royalty is steadily Increasing;
during the past year it amounted to
sl3S,254 being an increase Of over
$4,000 upon the preceding year. In
order to dispense with the cxpedient
of borrowing money, liz advance Of the
payment of taxes, to meet the interest
ON the public debt, the Governor sug-
ecsts that the first seTi-annaaf pay
lnent of taxes be made compulsory,
and that 800, 900 additional be raised
Involving q State tax for next wear
off 4-lO mills. The levy for last year
was Il mifls.
In the penitentiary there were, on
the 1st of November, S24 convicts.
against 600 at the same time last year.
Of the former nnmber77S were colorca
and IS white. There were ga leased
upon phosphate work, l21 upon rail-
roads and 25 on the Scegcrs farm; tn"
remainder working within the walls Of
the institution. After" the paylncnt Of
all the expenses for the past fsca. year,
there remained in the hands Of tire
Superintendent tae handsome SUN Of
There Was ofcourse no a;p-s
opriaGon bt the latg:sffssss.
! The lunatic asylum contstins $50
White aud go colored patients. OF
these 525 arc supported by the State m,:a
tho Sier bSsth y e r:
their own neans. The Governor Sug-
gests that some plan be devised to de-
crease the number Of beneficiary ia
mates, and to receive pay from those
who do not actually need tie bounty
of the State. The appropriation asked
for Sac coming year is sl74,1s2. FIX
institution has been aanGrasiy a,aH-
aged.
The Department Of Agriculture COLI
tinuss to do good work. The tax on
fertilizers, collected through this de-
partment, realized for the last fiscal
year S23, ,704. The bureau Of imn,igra-
ticsS has been in succes$iuk operation,
and the Governor thinks that increased
facilities and Inducements should be
oaered to bring immigrants here.
On the subject of education :sie Gov
ccnor makes the following Interesting
statement:
The report Of tie State s,iper:rtanden Of
education shows gratifying improvement
in the public school system. During tie
last year there were in attendance upon
the public schools IS, $50 white and S0,575
colored pupils, making a total OF 1854.
This is the largest number Of pupils ever
enrolled in the public schools Of this State
in any one year. The average length Of
the school session was four months-a
Slight Increase over the sessions previously
repolt ted. The number of teachers en-
p!oyed was-white 2,12S; colored 1,2S!;
tstal 3,2I3-beiag aE increase since tile last
report Of 16i: Tie number of. schools was
S;183-an increase Of 126. The schoo; fund
has steadily increased since the adoption
Of tic amendment to the Constitution fela-
tive to the public school tax. The ftaGfor
the fiscal year 1882, the last year for
which full returns nave been made, was
S452, ,e65 41tEis amount being the largeSJ:
ever available in one year for the support
of public schools in this State, The public
school fund is now a.Iaost free of debt
The amount of the Claims! outstanding
against the school fund III October. 1877,
was S29s,eio IS. In nearly ali the counties
this debt has been iauidated. {,
The State Military Academy hss>
opened with very fattering prospects:
Thnre gre LIZ cadets of whom siYtr