Year: 1875

This amount, together Win Lne apprOpTla-
ton of $4,000 for legislative expenses and
S25OOO0 on the public debt consolidated, will
make the bill up to one million forty-seven
thousand seven hundred and eighty dollars.


The sum total not looking much like reform,
Governor Chamberlain hassent to the Finance
Committee the following admirable message :


EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, |


COLUMBIA, S. c., February 5, 1875. !
Hon. W B. Nash, Chairman Committee on


Finance State Senate:


DEAR SIR: l beg leave to lay before you
and your committee some suggestions respect,
ing the pending appropriation bill, now in the
hands of your committee.


Before proceeding to speak specifically OF
this bill, l beg to call your attention to the
views expressed by me in my inaugural ad'
dress, on page I've of the printed copies,
and also in my special message, at page nine
Of the printed copies.


The substance of those views was, that 1t
was absolutely essential to good government
to keep our appropriations within our receipts.


am we'll aware of the increased difficulty
of a strict observance of this rule at the pres
ent session, growing out of the want of any
observance of it in the past. Itis hard and
ungracious task to cut down appropriations
when they have obtained the sanction Of usage.
1t cuts off the means of support of many who
depend upon them. But as understand our
duty-yours as well as mine-it is to keep
steadily in view the public good, and to disre-
gard all personal consideration in the dis
charge of this duty.


Certain it is, that we can never reform the
chief abuses of our past administration of this
State government until we pay heed to the
rule Of making our expenditures fall within
our income


Our embarrassment in this work arises from
the fact that the present tax levy was made
in view of an assessment Of property aggre-
eating the sum of one hundred and seventy
six millions of dollars whereas the new as
sessment under which that levy is collected
aggregates only about one hundred and forty
millions. This falling off in the assessed
value of the property of the State will doubt
less make it impossible to keep the appropra-
tions strictly within the receipts; but the duty
of coming as near as possible to that result
becomes only the more imperative.


In the case Of salaries which are previously
fixed by law, see no immediate mode of re-
ducing the appropriations. 1t is probably the
duty of the General Assembly to make the
appropriations sufficient to cover the salaries
now allowed by law.


am glad to learn, however, that bill is
now pending which proposes to reduce all sal
aries to limit which will bring them within
the present resources for their payment. Until
such reduction is made, we must, think, let
the appropriations stand as reported in all
cases where the amount of salaries is fixed by
law.


As the appropriation bill now stands, find
the amounts appropriated under the first sec
ton aggregate 1924, ,205.75. The proceeds Of
the tax levied to meet these appropriations
will amount to only S150,000 leaving de-
fcicncy Of S84205.


The amounts appropriated under the second
section aggregate S204,350. The proceeds of
the tax levied to meet these appropriations
will amount to only ,000-leaving de-
fciency of s54,350.


The appropriation made for public print
ing, under the third section amounts to $780,
900. The proceeds of the tax levied to meet
this appropriation will amount to only $40,-
O00-leaving g. deficiency of $4,000.


The aggregate of Deficiencies thus created
is s14S,555. Add to this amount the def
cheney arising under the legislative appropria'
tion bill, and we have an aggregate Of def
ciencies of S178,555.


No one will deny that it now becomes our
duty to endeavor to bring our expenditures
down to such an amount as will reduce this
immense deficiency to the lowest possible lin
it. TO this end l make the following sugges-
tions:


l. Strike out the appropriation made in