The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-01-10

ceedings as he might deem proper to col
lee. any bonds or stocks, principal and
interest, which the General Government
holds against this State before any claims
on the part OF the State against the Cen
eral Government should be paid. This
communication was brought forth on ac-
count of the claims put in by this State
for reimbursement OF expenses incurred
in organizing volunteer troops for service
in the war with Spain. submitted the
letter to the State Treasurer and asked
him for statement. I submit herewith
his statement and ask for this matter such
consideration and action as in Your WIS
dom you may deem proper to take: I'm
pursuance of this prov sion Of law the
Secretary of the Treasury Of the United
States has notified US that theGeneral Gov
ernment holds certain State bonds to the
amount of SI25, 600, principal; and interest
tomatu-ity of SI25,7so, aggregating S24S,-
80, and requests payment OF the same.
These bonds bear interest at SIX per cent.
and were issued under Act Of December
10, 1855, for construction OF new State
House, issued January Ist, 1856, redeem
able January Ist, 1851. By reference to
the records Of the State Treasurers office
it is noted that there was some CORE
spondence had between this Office and the
Treasury Department at Washington In
November, 1851, and during the admins
tratiou of Governor Johnson Hagood, but
without settlement of the claim so far
as We know.
Under the Act of the General Assem-
bly, at that time Of force these bonds
principal and interest unpaid to Ist AN
uarv, 1850, were fundable in six per cent:
consolidation bonds at fifty per cent. OF
said amount. The consols being redeem
able on Ist of July, 1898. The Act OF the
Legislature of 22nd of December, 1898,
provides that all bonds and stocks hlth-
erto fundable N these consols upon their
surrender be exchanged for the new 20
40 years AZ per ,ent. bonds and stocks
| authorized by Act OF December, 1892, tor
the redemption of Brown Consols. These
coupon bonds now held by the United
States Government are fundable as above
stated upon their surrender, /. e., at 50
per cent. of principal and interest up to
maturity. The State, however, has Revolu-
tionary War claims to the amount IN
| round numbers OF S5So,ooo. In the in
vestigation OF this claim against the
United States Government theGeneral AS
sembly in December, 1885, passed reso--
luton authorizing the appointment OF
some suitable person to investigate and
prosecute the States claims as aforesaid,
and under that authority Governor R. F.
w. Allston appointed Hon Jas. 4. Black
agent for that work The said agent IN
corporated the result of his labors IN re-
port to the General Assembly, which was
ordered to be filed with Comptroller Cen
eral, which cannot now be found among
the records of his Office. There IS large
mass Of old papers now IN one OF the
rooms Of the State House, among which
this valuable report might be found If the
means were in hand to employ an etl-
cient and painstaking person or persons
to examine this confused mass of papers.
There are, in all probability, other claims
held by the State against the General
Government, to say nothing OF private
claims of large amounts amounting to
millions of dollars"
This is matter of very great iTnpor-
tance to our State. At your last session
YOU passed Joint resolution requesting
and directing the Governor and State
Treasurer to furnish all information avail
able to our Senators and Representatives
touching the claim of the State against
the United States for money advanced
during the War of 1872, and that our
Representatives in Congress be requested
to urge forward all legislation on the sub
iect. You also rescinded all outstanding
contracts if any should exist for the col
lection of this claim. 1t seems that the
Black Report made in 1858 and mentioned
by the State Treasurer embraces all the
testimony and facts relative to the States
| claim In view of the importance Of this
report recommend that you provide tor
an examination Of all the old records and
especially the old rubbish that IS stored
away in one Of the unoccupled rooms of
the State Capitol to see if this report can
be found It's recovery may be the means
of our getting a considerable sum Of
money from the United States Govern
ment and it is important TO put our Sena-
tors and Representatives in possession of
all the facts that can be obtained. As
| understand it, the claim of the United
States Government for the settlement OF
the sI25, 900 of South Carolina bonds be-
longing to the Indian Trust Fund and the
accumulated interest is just and honest
claim which we ought to pay and
which we could pay with our claim
against the United States Govern
meut and have balance to the credit of
the State if we can find the testimony to
substantiate the claim OF the State. The
matter was in process OF settlement when
the Civil War broke out in 1860, and the
State had Joined with other States in pro-
test against the unfair methods of the
United States in adjusting the claims an2
it was to sustain its contentious that
Black was employed to work up the
| States case. It may not be possible to
obtain the full amount claimed by the
State, but am informed that there is alb
solute proof in official documents that the
United States acknowledged that it owed
the State of South Carolina III 1851
| $4,000 and this with accumulated inter
est for hfty-nine years would amount to
about $3.50, o,ooo If this could be adjusted
without going into the disputed claims the
State could pay the claim the United
States Government holds against it and
have about SIoo, 900 left. Under the con-
solidation Act of 1873 the State Treasurer
can only refund old bonds at fifty cents
on the dollar, but if a settlement as sug
| 0aSteS coul6 be made with the United