The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-09-27

Entered ut the PoStotfce ct Manning as Sec
ono Class matter.
A DETAILED STATEMENT TO The COURT
BY THE COMMISSIONERS THROUGH
THEIR ATTORNEYS.
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
COUNTY OF CLARENDON.
COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS.
To the Honorable R. c. Watts,
Judge presiding at the Sep
tember (1905) term of court.
Thomas C. Owens, County Su-
pervisor. 3. P. Broadway aud
II. McFaddin Mcintosh, County
Commissioners of the said Coun-
tv, answering the rule issued out
of this court by the Honorable
r. O. Purdy. Presiding Judge,
on June {, 1905, requiring them
to show cause why they should
not be indicted for and on ac-
count Of the matters presented
against them by the grand jury,
in their lastregular presentment
to the Court, would most re-
spectfully show to the court:
/. In reply to paragraph = of
the rule. in regard to the rein
dexing Of the records, in the Of
fee OF the Clerk of the Court. we
would most respectfully say that
we concur in the recommends
tons OF the grand jury It is a
well known fact that numbers Of
the indexes are torn and badly
worn, and we think provision
should be made for the re-index-
ing of these records beginning in
1882. when the last general index
was made, and coming down to
the present time. In 1882, when
the general index was made, it
was done under special provision
made by the General Assembly
and with funds provided by that
tribunal. No PROVISION has since
that time ever been made by the
General Assembly for re-index-
ing these records. The annual
supply bill supplies means for
conducting the County's affairs,
and usually specifically directs
what funds and how much shall
be applied to special and partic-
ular matters, and the board of
County Commissioners have new
er had any funds in hand which
they felt were applicable to doing
this work. Further than that,
the County Commissioners have
never felt that they have been
altogether warranted or author
lied in going into another Office
of the county: particularly one
so important as the Clerks Office,
which contains all the public re-
cords. and making any changes
or revisions, without being au-
thorized so to do by the General
Assembly, or the members there
of from this County. We would
most respectfully state, however,
that we think this work should
be done, and whenever we are
authorized so to do, either by
the General Assembly or this
Court. and the means are pro
vided at our hands, we will take
up the matter and have all the
records properly indexed up to
the present time
II. Replying to sections 8 and
Z of the rule to show cause, re-
commencing that the Supervisor
pay the sheriff for fuel used in
the jail building, we would most
respectfully say that we do not
know Of any law requiring the
Commissioners to furnish any
fuel for the jail building more
than what is necessary to the
comfort of the prisone ers.
We infer from this recon-
mendatlon that the grand
jury thinks we should furnish
fuel for the entire jail, including
that to be used by the jailor and
his family. It has never been
the custom to do this, and we
know Of no law requiring it, con-
seouently we have never felt au-
thorized to spend the County's
money in any way beyond what
we were authorized or required
to do by law.
III. Replying to so much OF
the grand jury's presentment as
presents the Supervisor and
board Of County Commissioners
for not making an itemized re-
port Of the County's expendi-
lures. to the presiding Judge on
the first day of the first term OF
Court of the present year, we
would most respectfully state
that this report was made up and
ready to be presented on the
first day Of the term Of court as
required, but through the mad
vertence of the Clerk of the
board Of County Commissioners,
he omitted handing the same in.
We will state, however, that we
have always, in compliance with
the law. published complete quar-
terly reports, showing all por,
cnases made by US for all pur.
poses, and all claims audited and
approved, for the three, months
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