Year: 1875

ty of the County School Commissioner and
two persons selected by the County School
Commissioner. I recommend most earnestly
that the appointment of the latter examiners
be given to the State Superintendent of Edu-
cation. l do not wish to be understood as re-
rejecting upon all our County School Com
missioners by this recommendation, but IN
view of undeniable facts as to the incapaclty
of some of these officers, l am persuaded that
the mode of appointing the examiners should
be Immediately changed. That being done,
1 think this primary cause of ineficiency in
our school systematic incompetency OF
teachers-will be almost entirely removed.
also renew the recommendations made IN my


inaugural address, that high schools be pro,
vided for in each county. The amount OF
money required by the State Superintendent,
to carry on the school system for the present
year, is based upon school year OF nine
months, and is undoubtedly largely in excess
of the means available for that purpose. l
cannot recommend any appropriation under
this head in excess of our means. The home
ly motto, "Pay as you 60" is applicable here
as elsewhere. Even in educational matters
we cannot afford to make expenditures until
we have the means to pay. do recommend,
however, that the largest appropriation pos
sible, with due regard to our financial ne
cessities, be made for all our educational instl-
tutions. But what is quite as Indispensable
to the success of our school system, trust
that our fellow.citizens generally will take a
more active personal interest in the practical
working of the system. 1t is my purpose,
during the coming season, to make some per-
sonal inspection. of our schools in different
parts of the State, and to seek, in some public
and private ways, to call out and secure a
greater interest in our people generally on this
subject. In these efforts know I shall be
seconded by the State Superintendent of Ed
ucation, as we'll as by all those who properly
appreciate the relations of education and free
government


The State University, with its preparatory
school, the State Normal School, and the
Agricultural and Mechanical College at Or
angeburg, will each, 1 trust, receive the atten-
tion which they require at the hands of the
General Assembly.


REPORT OF THE ATTORNEY -GENERAL.-I
transmit herewith the annual report of the
Attorney General. 1t will be found to pre-
sent, with due fulness of detail, the labors of
that office in respect to causes in the courts
in which the State has been party, or had
an interest which required a legal represen-
tative. No one can examine the report with
out being convinced of the Importance and
variety Of the public interests to be represent
ed by the attorney-general. I earnestly urge
the perusal Of this report upon the members
of the general assembly. I think they will
agree with me in the opinion that the litiga.
tion conducted through the encouragement
and those employed by him, has not only been
extensive and most important, but that the
manner in which it has been conducted, and
the results attained, are such as to inspire con-
6dence in the fidelity and professional skill
with which the State has, in this respect, been
served The report of the attorney general
shows the amount obligation still unfinished.
1t is unnecessary to add that this unfinished
business, together with that which will newt
ably arise during the present year, will re-
quire that provision be made for the expenses
necessarily connected with such litigation. l
do not doubt that more than one private cor.
poration in this State has expended larger
sum in litigation during the past year, than
has been expended by the State. The pro-
fessional fees paid to those who have repre-
sented the State have not equaled in amount
those which are usually paid by private per;
sons and corporations for like services. call
attention to the estimate of expenses for the
present year, at page 1O3 of the comptroller
generals report.


COUNTY FINANCEs.-The financial condi-
tion of many, if not most, of the counties Of
the State is deplorable. The practice of ma
king expenditures, incurring obligations, and
issuing checks, warrants and orders in excess
of the funds provided to meet them, has pre-
vailed to such an extent as to produce state
of affairs which calls for the action of the gen.
eral assembly. Under the present law, no
part of the funds to be collected for county
purposes during the present year can be ap-
piled to the payment of any obligations in.
Cured prior to November 1, 1874. The re-
suit is, that no resource is open for the pres
ent payment of many of the most mertorious
creditors of the counties instance here, as
of that class, the jurors, sherifs and other Of.
fcers, who have felt compelled, or actually
been compelled by their public duty, to give
their time, or to use their personal credit to
maintain the public institutions of their coun-
ties. No juror could refuse to obey his sum-
mons to attend the courts; no sheriff could
open his Jail doors because the county treas
urers could not furnish funds to feed the pris.
oners. In this way it has happened, to my
personal knowledge, that county officers have
exhausted their personal means and credit,
and are left without hope of present payment.
To remove this injustice, authority should be
given to the County Commissioners, under
proper instructions, to levy taxes to gradually
pay past Indebtedness This should not be
done in one levy, but the tax should be dis
tributed over two or more years. The next
duty is to provide some efectual protection
against such evils in the future. The only
perfect protection is honesty and economy on
the part of the County Commissioners but in
the absence of these qualities, something may
be done, think, by legislation. To this end,
and as the result of my most careful examina-
tion of the subject, recommend that the sys-
TEN ofspeci6c levies be applied to county tax
es. I do not know that it will be expedient
or practicable to make specific levy for ev-
cry class OF county expenditures, out 10 re-
commend that the levies be made specific for
such objects as the pay of Jurors, the dieting
of prisoners, and other expenses which are of
such character as to be essential to the
of public order and government.
There scarcely any subject which calls more
loudly for redress, than our county financial
systems, and I trust the general assembly will
devise and apply the proper remedies


FLOATING INDEBTEDNESS OF THE STATE.
The floating indebtedness of the State pre-
sents subject so vast, underlined and compli-
Gated, as to require the exercise of our best