The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-24
,ourt without incurring the expense incident

court WltnOuL mourning Ihc eAPehse ihcluehI
This Is n most important subject, and l
IL to your attention, In the conf
dent assurance that 1t will receive the care
full consideration which It's importance de-
inands, and that proper remedies will be pro.
vided for those evils which are now the cause
of great and just complaint.
1t may not be irreveient In this connection
to refer to the expense incurred annually by
the Counties in the TRANSFORMATION of con.
victs to the Penitcntiary; the Counties DO not
receive any portion of the income derived
from the labor of convicts, and should bear
the Peniteniiary. Besides, the Superinten-
dent, with his regularly employed and en-
perienced guard force, can very much more
cheaply convey prisoners to the Penitentiary
than can the Sheriffs.
applied to each hoard of County Commits.
slonerS In the State for u statement of the ex-
pcnse incurred in. transporting prisoners to
the Penitentiary. I thus asccrtained that IL
vict delievercd to the Penitentiary, aggregat.
ing in that County nearly Sl,4OO. A careful
estimate of the necessary cost of delivering
from the same County showed that the prl-
soncrs could have been delivered for S}'32, 50.
FROM another County the expense thus in
Cured amounted to $4,000 for each convict ;
and In another County said expense amount.
ed to S5l 80 for each convict. This Is Il great
wrong upon taxpayers, and should be rem
cdied.
| recommend the passage of an Act requir-
ing the Clerks OF the Courts, upon the ad-
tOurn ment of the Courts of Sessions, 10 noti-
fy the superintendent Of the Penitentinry OF
the numbcr OF persons sentenced to inipri-
III the Penitenttary. ana requiring
the Superintendent to provide for their trans
portation.
Revenue Bond Scrip.
The Supreme Court of the United States In
May last reversed the decrces Of the Circuit
Court of the United States which sustained
C.
sued under Act of March ., 1872, to relieve the
State from liability for its guarantee Of the
Bonds OF the Blue Ridge Railroad, directed
by the Act of September 2, lSt:S. and ordered
the state Treasurer to redeem the scrip, ana
to supply funds for this purpose, and the
Comptroller General 10 levy and collect \
special tax sufficient to pay the entire issue,
and the County Trcasurers to receive the
scrip in payment Of taxes, and cnJolninS
them from enforcing their collect ton other
wise in all cases in which tender had been
made.
The report of the Attorney General will fur.
nisll n full statement of the case. 1t would be
difficult to cxaggerate the Importance to the
State of this decision Of the Supreme Court oi
the United States.
lis direct and Immediate effect is to relieve
81 ,sOo. 900, which Originated in n bold attempt
by the late Republican Government to prac.
tice gross fraud upon the people OF South
Carolina.
Iut results more lINpOElAlEb lO IUc "tlLCt'
ing Of the State than this pecnniary relief
will follow from the principles established In
The Circuit Judge OF the United states as
and ordered its offt ters to act In direct contra
vention of the positive orders OF the State
which created them, and to which they are
ultimately responsible.
Had this bold uSurpation been sustained
the inevitable results would have been &c
food the Treasury Of the Slate Will fraudu-
lent scrip; to embarrass the administration
OF the Government: to burden our people
with onerous taxes for the redemption OF
fraudulent debt; to diminish the value OF
the recognized public securities, and thereby
seriously impair the credit of the State:
In addition TO these consequences, the at
tempt to enforce the decree would have inev
itabiy involved the State in q conflict with
the Federal judiciary, such rs has been so In
buriDus to the state of Virginia. ana whtel
would not have f;,i ell to embarrnss the State
and bring the administration Of justfte into
These disasters have been avortcd by tho
Attorney General ana his associate counsel.
1t is not the Official duty of the Attorney
General to r. present he State In theSupremt
Court of lie United States, and he Is erttilet
10 receive from the obligation fund.- nothing
more than his actual expenses. He ha'
Therefore. received for his services to tht
State IN these cases no other compensation
than that which he derives from the con
seriousness Of having rendered her most faith
flI and successful s:rvice In a most trouble
some and serious emergency.
feel IT, to DC my duty to present these iaeis
to the attention of the General Assembly
making suitable compensation 10 The Attor
ncy General and his distinguished associate!
for these very valuable professional services
of which the State has received the bcnef1t.
The Public Schools.
The Annual Report of the superintendent
of Education shows continued progress il
the remarkable development OF the ,puoIi'
school system. Notwithstanding the depres
sion naturally consequent upon several sue
cessivc years Of unrcmunerative crops, ther'
has been evident Improvement in all tht
main features of the WORK, except in the aV
eruge length of the session, which Is the same
rs the previous year. The enrolment OF pu
nils in the public schools amounted to ls3,9G6
an Increase Of 1913 over the previous year
The average attendance reached l?6,6 ,696, an In
crease of 4,6 3. This increase, botli IN enroll
mcnt and In attendance, being wholly anon;
the white pNpils, clearly Indicates that tht
white citiZcnSnf The State are taking more III
,crest in The schools than ever before.
Through the combined Influence oil exam
nations and Normal Institute instruction
the effective power and pfuttsstonul pride Q
the teachers have been much stimul lated ant
improved. No better evidence OF this i
needed than the fuct shown IN the Report
that, Notwithstanding their measer salaries
and without compulSIon; l,ioS OF the teacher' ~
we're willing to give up their vacation and In
cur.thc expenses of travel and board In orde
to attend the instructions given ut the Stal'
or County Institutes during the past SUM
mer.
Fund has had In tho great work OF popular
education In this State, and the spontancou
enlargement of Its ljberality for the ensuing
year, will, trust, receive from your DonGh
bic bodies some formal expression OF CRATE
flt ropOnnitiOn.
The Injurious effects upon the public
schools Of the low valuation OF property io
taxation, is matter deserving your seriou
consideration. 1t appears that, If ali the tax
es are collected this year, there will bo, nev
crtheless, In consequence of reduced valun
tions, u deficiency of at least Sll,U0 In tilt
School Fund, MS now required by laW 10 "
made In advance OF the listing OF propefl.
and of the collection Of taxes. INTRODUCE!
much con fusion in the financial affairs of tht
schools, and entails great hardshlps upon tht
teachers. Some remedial measures are dc
mandcd here. For reasons given NJ some
length In his Report. the Superintendent re
conilnentls the repeal Of Act No. 10, approved
December Is, 1855, "relating to the eXainina
ton Of teachers"
The Institution for the EeducatiOn o.
the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind.
The thirty eighth Annual Report OF this
Institution, with the letter OF transmittal o
the Board of Commissioners, will be laid he
fore you.
The Report shows an enrolment OF 9l pu
pills during the year. an increase of 0 over th'
year preceding. Notwithstanding this IN
creusc there remains of the appropriation FOL
the maintenance of the Institution an uncX
pended balance of 81 ,257.S5. This shows tina
the Supcrint cndcnt and Board of Commits
sioners have administered their trust faithful
ly and economically.
no meet the contingency of still further In
crease in the enrolment of pupils, the usua
appropriation should be male, notwithstand
Ing the balance on hand, that Is to say:
For sunnort Sl2, mo N
i,o. rsri re In hniliinrs and grounds 500 on
Enr inrurur 20 npon buiIdin rs .,. 3Sj On
Total .................. sl2,SS5 o.