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The . erald. THOS. F. GRENEKER, EDITORS. W. H. WALLACE, NEWBERRY. S. C. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 3, 1879. A PAPER FOR THE PEOPLE. The Herald is in the highest respect a Fan 11y Newspaper, devoted to the material in terests of the people of this County and the State. It circulates extensively, and as an Advertisin- medium offers unrivalled ad vantages. For Terms, see first page. The Governor's Message. We give most of our space this week to the Governor's Message, a very full and able document, which will be of far more interest to our readers than any compositions of our own. The depot and stables of the Eighth Avenue Horse Car Compa ny, New York, was burned down the niglt of the 24th ult. One hundred horses were burned to death. Several firemen were se verely injured, and some lost their lives. Loss $250,000-fully in sured. There were four bills introduced the first day of the Legislature to provide for amending the State Constitution regarding the home stead-one in the Senate by Mr. Crittenden, of Greenville, and three in the House, by Mr. Murray, of Anderson, Mr. Cooke, of Green ville, and Mr. Bacon, of Richland. Something will be done to remedy the injustice of this law. Gov. Simpson declares that he will not be a candidate for re-elec tion. It is probable that he will be made Associate Justice of the Su preme Court. Su.ch a position would be very gratifying to him. All his ambition lies in this direc tion. Associate JTustice McIver will be made Chief Justice ; Chief Justice Willard will, no doubt, be left "out in the cold." Governor's Message. Gentlemen of the General Assembly : It is with great pleasure that, as the Executive of the State, I tender you kindly greetings upon your reassem bling for the purpose of entering upon the discharge of the high duties im posed upon you by the Constitution. I have no doubt that you have each come prepared to meet fully your re sponsiblities and to do all that you can for the promotion of the welfare of the State, and to this gd you shall have my most cordial ~eo-operation. My love for South Carolina, always strong, has grown with my growth and strengthened with my strength, until now it is one of the strongest feelings in my heart, and I assure you I am prepared to unite with you in an earnest effort to accomplish during this the last session of the General Assem bly of the present administration such results as may redound to her lasting prosperity, honor and glory,-and I earnestly hope that such may be its consummation. In addition to the ordinary and daily duties of the Executive, some of which have been difficult and perplex ing, the Constitution provides that the Governor "shall from time to time give to the General Assembly infor mation of the condition of the State, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge ne cessary or expedient." This Message is intended to meet this constitutional duty, to wit : to give you information as to the condition of the State and to recommend the adoption on your part of such measures as, in my judgment, may be promotive of the common good. In proceeding to discharge this two fold duty, you will permit me, first, briefly to call your attention, by way of information, to several matters which seem to me should afford abun dant cause for great congratulation, not only on the part of the General Assembly but of the whole State, and especially on the part of the General Assembly for the reason that some of these matters bate been the direct results of its previous legislation. First, you will permit me to con gra tulate you and the country on the evidences of agricultural industry which have come up from all parts of the State. Agriculture, as all under stand, is the most important of a peo ple's various interests-it is, in fact, the groundwork of all else. Let it languish, and everything else lan guishes ; let it flourish, and everything else flourishes. When in successful operation, it gives rise to all other im provements. It necessitates the build ing of railroads and the establishment of manufacturing enterprises. It cre ates commerce, and the extended ed ueational facilities are its legitimate results. During the past Summer this great interest was threatened at one time with serious and widespread dis aster by an impending drouth, but at length the showers came and the rains descended, and this danger, com ..rai+e;.4 nased off and our people, bave been more industrous, mort energetic and enterprising. in this department of industry during the current year than for many y.ars past, and I am rejoiced to believE that the new relations of labor an' capital which our sudden transform; tion has imposed upon us as a peopli are be ginning to adjust themselv.s more harmoniously ; we have c rtainly touched bottom and the rebouid has commencei. These reports f irther show that while cotton still forr,s the main product, yet that the people all over the State are beginning la gely to diversify their crops. More small grain, especially wheat and o, ts, has been cultivated and harvested, at least in upper South Carolina, diring the past year than at any period since the war, and greater attention is 'iegin ning to be paid to grasses and cattle, and the people are generally and wisely, I think, coming to the conclu sion that while their soil is well adapt ed to the production of the great staple cotton, and that this product should not be neglected, yet that their corn cribs and meat houses should be built on their own lands and under the pro tection of their own eyes. When this practice is more generally ze-estab lished and fully adopted, our future, agriculturally, I think, will become more secure, and, while affording all of our people the means of comfortable living, it will largely tend to relieve them from those fearful pecuniary dis asters which not unfrequently occur among every people relying upon but one industry and the cultivation of a si -le staple. in this. connection it affords me pleasure to state that the law known as the stock law, passed at the last session, has fully realized the hopes of its friends in those Counties where it has been put in operation. Of course a measure so radical in its character and so suddenly adopted would meet with some opposition, and, as was ex pected, some complaints were made against this; but this was immediate ly upon the passage of the Act and before the people had prepared them selves to meet it. Since then it has given as nearly universal satisfaction as any law ever enacted, and the con curring testimony from all quarters is that it is the greatest blessing to agri culture ever bestowed by the Legisla ture. It is for you to determine whether or not this law should be extended to the Counties not now embraced, upon such information as you may receive from the Represen tatives of these Counties It gives me pleasure, too, to state that the fiery elements of party con tention which have hitherto burned in our midst and kept our people apart, at least during election years, and whiich, on account of the peculiar composition of our body politic, threat ened serious consequences in the past, if not entirely extinguished, have been held in abeyance during the present year, and our whole popula tion, free from those discordant anta gonisms which seemed likely to occur, have united in a common good. There is apprehension, however, that in the near future all this will be changed, and that in the election of 1880 tur moil and party strife will again rise to the surface. I hope not. It is true in that election, involving as it will to a great extent, the future policy of the general government, and arousing, as it must, the unholy ambition of the political aspirant as well as the noble impulses of the patriot citizeD, some excitedient must ensue, and we may expect that every effort will be made for party purposes and success outside of our limits to keep this excitement stirred and burning- My hope, how ever, is that the citizens of this State are beginning to feel that we consti tute but one people; that our pros perity is bound up with each other ; that we are all Carolinians, and tbat, while we recognize the general gov ernment as supreme in its orbit, and, to some degree, affecting our interests, yet at last that our happiness as a popie depends chiefly upon the des tiay of our own State, and that we will not allow our internal and home in terests to be swallowed up in the mael strom of Federal politics I desire also to communicate, as a matter of most pleasing information, based upon reliable data received from the solicitors of the different circuits, concurred in and fully supported by the circuit judges, that crime has greatly diminished all over the State -diminished to the extent of at least thirty per cent. in this the third year of the administration of the party now in power, compared to any period previous to its inauguration. This, no doubt, has been the result of the fair and impartial administration of the laws which has taken place since that party has been in power, and the con fidene which all the people are gradu ally beginning to feel in the protective power and willingness of the govern ment under the control and in the hands of that party. These results it promised to bring about, and the statistics will show that its promises1 have been ~faithfully redeemed. This' is a most gratifying fact and augurs well for our future. There is room,1 however, for further advance in this direction. Among the other evils left in thei track of the late war there seems to have been engendered in the minds of the people a too great disregard of< human life-not more in our midst i than elsewhere, but in every part of the country, as is evidenced by the startling homicides reported in differ-< ent portions of the United States. This feeling is fed and stimulated by I that dangerous practice of carrying concealed and deadly weapons, and by I their manufacture and sale, which t prevails so extensively in different I portions of the country. It is not surprising that the people should to t some extent forget the value of hu- ~ ;hese instruments must eventually 14 produce in the winds of those who thus use them. < This evil is not more prominent wiih us than other communities-in rv. i an. gratified to believe that it prevails to a loss extent here than elsewhere, but still it exists here to too great an extent and slo,uld be cor rected if possible. If witliin the reach of le iha in. piur wisdom will find the remedy ; in additon to this, he good, the wise and the lovers of peace and order everywhere should combine to-rether and bring to bear upon it with crushing power that most poten tial of all influences-public opinion -and this I invoke. I do not know that amy additional laws upon the sub ject of homiJide are necessary. What is needed. perhaps, is a sterner en force ment, of those already it. existence; it is safe, however, to leave this to the Courts and the juries. Full information as to the opera tious of the financial departlnent, the public schools, the mili'ia, the !'eni tentiary. the Lunatic Asylum. the Institution of the Deaf and Dumb and other charitable institutions, the Sink ing Fund Commission, the Railroad Commwission, the Board of Health, the Fish Commiission and the Phosphate interests will be found in the reports of the several officers having these in terests respectively in charge, and which will be upon your tables. It would encumber this -Message unne cessarily to incorporate in it the val uable details found in these reports; I shall, therefore.,present only such prom inent points as I may think advisva ble, leading to you that full and thorough examination which the iu portance of these various matters will demand at your hands 'MEASURES RECOMMENDED. The primal object of government is protection-protection of the natural and absolute rights of the people-the right of personal security, personal liberty, and the right to accuiuulate and enjoy property. These important rights had exis tence before government, and came from a much higher source, and gov crnment was created and established for their protection But for the dan ger to these rights in a state of nature there would have been no necessity f-r government. Laws are the in stumentalities through which govern ment is brought in contact with the people and by which it accomplishes its great end. Such being the fact, it would seem that all wise legislation should be directed to the ends, first, of establishing and supporting the gov ernmental machinery upon as good and economical a basis as possible, and, seondly, of affording it just such means as may be necessary, and no more, to enable it to meet its funda mental purpose, that of protection. Having done this, legislation has ne complished all that it should se.ek to accomplish. In endeavoring to reach this result the tendency of most legis lative bodies in the past has been to over legislation, rather than to too little-to the enactment of to' many laws, rather than to too few. The General Assembly of this State has not been exempt from this tendency in the past, as our voluminous statute books will show, and you will pardon moe in warning you against too great in dulgence at this session. In addition to this, what is desired by all is an in crease of wealth, because as a people grow mnore wealthy within proper bounids they grow more powerful and prosperous and arc the better enabled to surround themselves with all the comforts and improvemen ts of a higher civilization. Now, national wealth is but the wealth of individuals-which at last is the creation of individual enterprise and energy. It would seem then, again, that the best and safest, and consequently the wisest, goverumnent is that which is content rather to pro tct than to attempt to create pros perity, since the former always pro motes and the latter never fails to impede the efforts of that individuality which makes wan industrious and en terprising and which produces the wealth of a country. Having these views, and l9oking it the State from my standpoint, I am impressed with the belief that but ittle additional legislation is now ieandIed by the wants of our people, and consequently Ishall have but few recommendations to make. What they want is not so much more laws as more political rest and a quiet oppor tuiity, through their own individual. anterprise, activity and industry, of building up and recuperating their) lost fortunes. FINANCES. As to our financial system, the pres nt scheme in operation for the sup ort and maintenance of the Govern ient stands upon as just a principle md upon as economical a basis as can well be devised. It rests upon the road principle that every citizen hould bear that proportion of the ecessary burdens of government which his ability and property shall iemand. This makes it bear equally ipon all, and all are satisfied. I am not aware of any improvement hat can be made in either the collect og or disbursing of that portion of he public money which is adminjis ered by the State Treasury. As now ~onducted the present scheme seems1 o afford absolute security both for he prompt gathering and the prompt md honest disbursement of this part1 > the public funds. But while this recurity exists as to that portion of >ubic money administered by the state Treasury, yet it seems to have et ogte htalreprino en fotaxe cletat is lectortino hetaxe purolles,ted is admilectedo y h ounty oes nissionisered the svrlCountiCmsiouters of hfeneverak bene pridou fnyr )f the County CommisRioners of the ' hirty-two Counties, so as to afford that 0 -heck which the magnitude of this t :)art of our financial scheme demands. t It would be better that these re Lorts shJuld be made to some local E iuthority, where the facts could be 1 more fully examined and the voucher3 more easily tested ; and for this better ecurity I recommend that these ie ports be required to be made to the Circuit Court in the several counties, to be examined by the grand juries under its supervision, after being pub lished in the county papers just pre vious to the sitting of the Court to which they shall be made. Nor do I see at this time any open ing for greater economy or retreuch ment in current expenses. Salaries have been reduced as low as it is wise to reduce them, and all the expenses of the government have been cut down as far as it is perhaps practica ble to do so. This will be seen more certainly by cofmparing the expenses of the different departments of the grovernment before the war and since. I refer to those expeuses which are paid from the State Treasury. In 1859 the aggregate of salaries of the Ex ecutive department amounted to nine teen thousand eight huudred and fifty dollars. During this year the sum required is thirteen thousand nine hundred, notwithstanding an addi tional office, that of Suporintendent of Education, with a salary of twenty one hundred dollars, has been created since 1859. Before the war most of the executive officers could live at their respective homes and discharge their duties by periodic visits to the capitol. Now their duties are largely increased and they are required to live in Columbia and attend daily at their offices. It is true these increased duties have cr!ied for an increase of clerical force, both in Dumber and qualifications, which has also increased the expenses of this department, which, when added to thle sum above mentioned, will bring these expenses to about what they were for merly. Yet, when the additional work imposed upon this department in con sequence of our changed condition is considered, it will be seen that the strictest and closest economy has been observed. In the judiciary department the amount required in 1.859 was $39,200 ; during this year this department has required $56,800-a difference of 817, 600. This difference, however, has not resulted from an increase in the salaries of the officers in this depart ment so much as on account of the fact that an entirely new system has been adopted since 1859. In 1859 the Supreme Court was not in exis tence, and the Solicitors were then paid principally from fees and costs derived from the cases proseented Now the salaries of the Judges on the Supreme bench amount to $11,000, aLd the Solicitors are paid $12,000 directly from the Treasury. In the legislative department in 1859 the entire expense, including pay of of members, solicitors, clerks, attaches, printing, &c., amounted to $46,550. Now the sum required is 46,145. All these expenses aggre gated during the year 1859 amounted to $105.600 ; now to $1 24,895-a.diff erence of $18,295, chiefly on account of the change in the judicial depart ment, which was important and essen tial, and which absolutely necessitated this additional expense. When we reflect upon the great change which has taken place in our condition, social, political and other wise, and when we remember that our citizenship has been more than dou bled by the emancipation of those of our people who were formerly our slaves, and the ruin which had been brought upon the cotry by the flagrant misrule and extravagance of those in power previous to 1876, all requiring new legislation, the appli ation of new principles and almost an entire rebuilding of our political strue ture, it is not only a gratifying but a surpising fact that our expenses have so soon been brought down to the level of that peaceful and quiet state >f things which existed in 1859, and it will ever stand as a monument to he patriotism and practical wisdom >f those who have conducted public affairs for the last three years, within which time this result has been ac ~omplished. This is still more striking when the ~xpenses of 1879 are compared with ~hose of the fiscal year comumencing Nvember, 1875 The expenses of 1879 in the legis ative, executive and judicial depart ments, as will be seen above, amounted< o $124,895, while for the fiscal year 875 the sum required was $351.000, i difference of $226,205. This corn-1 arison has only extended to the ap ropriations made for The legislative, ~xeutive and judicial departments for1 ;he years mentioned. If carried out vith the other appropriations, the ~ontrast will be found still more strik ng, and will afford abundant evidence f the vigilant economy of the Gen ral Assemblies of the last threet ears. u The road, then, which leads to the ightening of the people's burdens by eduction of taxes either now or ul- r imately, is not through an unwise i rithdrawal of proper support to the' lifferent departments of government inder the guise of economy, but byi hat increase of wealth and population ~ hich will certainly come from sta ility, effectiveness and vigor in these lepartments, imparted by a fair, just od liberal support, and by the -J wakening of our sleeping resources hrufteicesigids yn broughprte ofncreople, fodstred and oterprie byf just andsale, fostern- and roetdb js n tbl oen nent- b The building of the Spartanburg and Ashe- si 'ille Railroad and other similar enterprises; if he successful operation of the Piedmont and n '.wtv,npA,,,2?v, nun nth~r fgt~tAriP~ in the State: d 1:nistration o four laws--these are the agen- tw ies which will add to and increa,e the value hi f the property from which our revenue is to d( e derived. And inasmuch as the rate of ar axation will decrease as property increases, fu be surest road to permanent and substantial pt eduction of taxes is protection and encour- h< germent to enterprises and industries like ti hese, and to these ends, therefore, legisla- a ion should be directed. I invite your attention to the following o(idensed statement of our financial condi ion, gathered from the clear and able re )orts of the Comptroller and Tieasurer, vhich is herein incorporated so as to be in onvenient form for reference: ti 'onsol bonds and stocks fund ed to November, 1879........55,624,949 99 it .ess bonds retired by Sinking Fund Commission........... 36,000 00 S5,588,949 99 kmount to be con- n solidated.......$L,161,829 09 Equal to ......... 580,914 54 aurtificates of Rq:a to t]915 Caims Commis s i o n already it funded for defi ciency bonds and stocks, less $2, 672.26 of bouis retired by the Sinking F u n d Commission in 1879... ...... $557,645 c Certificates still to be funded...... 3,896 0 ---- 561,535 93 t -_ t $6,731,400 46 b yotal interest on all bonds and r certificates . $619,513 35 Less amount in Treasury....... 175,451 80 -- 444.054 45 Total debt and interest....... S7 175,454 91 r Bonds declared invalid by re cent decision of the Supreme Court, including interest con solidated, in gross $2,392, 770, equal when consolidated to .......................... 1,196,185 00 Total approximates...... ..S5,979,269 91 Bills of the Bank of the State supposed to be still out...... 400,000 00 This statement does not embrace the con tingent liability, if any, of the State for rail road bonds guaranteed. Taxable property of the State: Real Estate..... ....... S76.583,86 00 Personal property........... 36,574,858 00 Railroads........... ...... 7,392,900 00 Total.....................$120,551.624 00 One mill will yield (net).... S102.32C 00 ( Poll tax last year........... 102,000 00 s This,year................... 97,579 00 k PUBLIC SCHOOLS. t The present school system was organized by the passage of an Act entitled "An Act to t alter and amend the school law of South t Carolina," passed at the regular session of 1 1877. This system, thongh somewhat defective, was the best that could have been then de vised, and it has produced good fruit. Its defects are of a character which, perhaps, at I this time cannot be remedied on account of t our peculiar condition. A perfect school system would be one which, by its own machinery, would bring i into the school room all the youths of the ( State between the proper ages and subject i them for the greater part of the year to the t tuition of thoroughly competent and profes- i sional teachers-competent to instruct and discipline the mind as well as develop and discipline the character. This last being, in my judgment, as important, if not more im- I portant, than the first. The present system provides no special mode of furnishing the State with the classt of teachers suggested. The different Boards I authorized to license teachers are dependent I upon those who apply-many of them enter-( ing the work as a mere temporary business and for present support. The examinations 1 are necessarily to some extent superficial, and cannot reach fully into the higher quali-f fications of capacity--learning and character -required on the part of those into whosei hands the educational interests of the young of the State are entrusted. I know no mode of remedying this defect except the establish met of one or more normal schools to pre- 1 pare and fit teachers for th is important work. It may be on account of our depressed con dition that the State is not yet prepared to undertake a scheme of this sort and establish it on a firm basis; but the whole school sys-t tem depends in a great measure for complete I success upon the character of the teacherst employed, and we will be compelled, ulti mately, to adopt some better mode than ist now in existence to meet this demand. The other defect referred to, to wit, the I short period during which the schools are< kept open, is due not so much to the system as to the fact of deficiency in the sum appro- a priated for school purl:oses.C The schools are kept open to the full ex-f tent of the means appropriated, and, through g the energy and most earnest efforts of the State Superintendent, are doing all the goodt that can possibly be accomplished with thec limited means provided; and until the State e is prepared to enlarge its appropriation, either '] through State or local taxation, this evilt must continue, unless in the meantime pri- y vate effort can be combined in some way a w ith public aid to con tinue the schools after t: the public funds are exhausted. t This matter of public education, howevo., t is of the very highest imp.ortance and re- s uires the maturest consideration; and in a o government like ours, resting as it does upon a niversal suffrage, it is indeed the question t f questions. ( The time is coming, and is rapidly ap- r, proachig, when public sentiment will not C >nly approve, but demand, that education in d ill its grades, higher and lower, shall be free 1: to all, without money and without price. If a had the power I would hasten the arrival e )f that time, and would then rejoice it' the ~onsciousnless that I bad borne some humble s art in a work than which no greater can r< nak the history of any people. But you e: ire far more competent than myself to deal a, with this great subject, and into y-our hands si commit it, commending to your considera- s, ion the very able report of the Superinten- e, lent with the valuable facts and suggestions I c ~ontained therein. I It will be seen that this report furnishes C nuch important and interesting information el ,howing the growth and improvement of the di ehool system. The number of pupils at- l( ending the public schools during the last w rear was 122,463; of this number 58,368 were tI vhites and 64,095 colored. This is probably a he largest number of pupils that has attend- c< d the public schools in any one year. The improvement in the schools for the G ~olored race has been marked; it is worthy rc f note that since-1876 the average increase tt tf attendance of colored pupils has been more di han 45 per cent. greater than under the Re- te ublican administrations. Four of the Coun- w is, it appears, had not made returns of the p chool fund collected when the report of the ri uperintendent of Education was submitted, af mt enough is known to warrant the asser- di ion that the school fund for the fiscal year bt 878-79 was greater than for any preceding re The expenditures have been kept within n Tie receipts and the general management of ye he school fund deserves.especial commen- th lation. The heavy load of debt which was ha eft by the school officers under the Republi- fa an administrations has embarrassed greatly tu be working of this department, and the th hortness of the school session is due in some easure to this cause. I would earnestly recommend some legisla ion which will secure to teachers in the pub- pg ic schools the prompt payment of their sala- ol ies. The difficulties with which teachers di ave to contend because of delay in this og zatter are fully explained in. the report of th be Superintendent of Education. It will ot be possible to retain competent teachers fia E we do not make provision for paying to bem promptly for their servIces. tr: MILITIA. The condition of this department of public ra arvice will be found fully set forth in the re- St ort of the Adjutant and Inspector General, at 'his officer has been most untiriml im his ef- A yrts to place the militia of the 8tn -e upon a p roper footing, and the result of these ef- og >rts will be seen in his report. o The militia has been surrounded and em- TI arrassed with many difficulties, not the ce mnst of which is the scanty support given it ht y the Legislature. Notwithstanding this, a til 2lni ulu a enognzd hc,j encdirgnucula be e raieted to -chrj tetaltencsiiso h tt nti encourtaged, cout ld i e faisily extendued aito Tr - eet all the necessities of the State in this a .ni. hne if it fails in the future. as it er em to build up this system and make it an a inor to South Carolina. But they cannot p > this at their own expense. They need t ms and suitable equipments; let these be I rnished and they will do the rest. The re- v >rt of the Adjutant aid Inspector General, t )wever, will present the wants and necesi ,s of the systen, and I commend this report i id its recommendations to -our careful con- 1 deration and favorable action. BUREAU OF STATISTICS. Frequent inquiries have been made of me iring the year by parties outside of the tate seeking investments or new homes as the aIgricultural, mineralogical, inanufac tring and other resources of the State, with ich statistical information upon these sub csi as I might he able to furnish; but there ting no department in charge of these mat ,rs, with collected and arranged data from hich I eould draw, I have been unable to iee t these inquiries as fully as was desirable. here is no doubt about the fact that the tate abounds in resources of the character idicated-that there is a wide field here for ie immigration of the agriculturist and the ianuf"acturer, and that we have a belt of iineral resources running through the State s rich, if not richer, than any that have een discovered elsewhere. In fact, these atural resources are far more abundant and nportant than is geneially known to our wn people themselves, much less to out iders. if it is the policy of the State to encourage nmigration, to bring foreign capital into ur midst and to have these resources devel ped, nothing, I think, would tend more to ie accomplishment of these ends than relia le facts and data collected by some author red aud responsible agency and condensed nd methodized into statistical reports and .suits, so that the character of our resources ould be seen at a glance anud the valuable formation thus collected and promptly ttilized to the ends suggested. This is an age of rapid thought and move ients, and condensed information is of the ery highest importance, and nothing has layed a more effective part in the progress f other corimun ities than reliable statistics a reference to the various material interests pon which their growth depended, and what as been Tmade useful elsewhere can be made .eful with us. I therefore recommend this sub%ject to your areful consideration, hoping that some plan aay be adopted by which we may not only ie put abreast with other States in these atters, but also our valuable -resources irought to light in such way as to attract hat attention which they so eminently de erve, and may be made the means of protno ing a widespread prosperity. PUBLIC ROADS. "The roads of a country have been fre Luently said to be accurate- atd -certain tests I the degree of its civilization. Their con truction is one of the first indications of the mergence of a people from barbarism, and heir improvement should keep pace with he advances of the nation in numbers, vealth, industry and science, of all of which hey are at once an element and an evidence; hey are the veins and the arteries of the ody politic, through which flow the agri ultural productions and the commercial sup lies which constitute the life-blood of the 4ate, and upon their condition, sufficiency nd number depend, in a great degree, the iealth, life and vigor of the industries of he people." If our civilization was tested by this rule, fear that our position would not be as high n the scale as we are disposed to claim. )ur public highways, as a general thing, are n a .wretched condition, and one of the ne essities of our situation is a radical change n the road system. We have railroads now uning to most of the County sites in the tate, and, as a consequence, the County rillages have become market towns to the in tabitants of the Counties in which they are ocated, where their produce is sold, and from vhich they are mostly supplied with their :ommercial supplies. W hat an impetus would >e given to agriculture, to progress. and im rovemient in every way; if to these different Jounty sites, from the extremities of the re pective Counties, were running well-graded, evel and firm highways? -Every branch of dustry would thereby be materially bene itted, the exi5ense of carrying to market very article reduced, and the necessaries of ife greatly cheapened to thb consumer. The <difference as to ease and rapidity of ransportation resulting from improved high vays-improved by proper sitill and labor estowed in laying them out, leveling and eeping them in constant repair-is much ~reater than is usun.'!y imagined. As an illustration of this fact, I would re er to a statement made by one who has horoughly examined this subject, as fol ows: "In a road rising a hundred feet in he distance of two thousand, its ascending lope would be one in twenty. One-twentieth f the whole load drawn over it must be tually lifted up the entire height of one undred feet; upon such a slope a horse ould draw only one-half as much as he can pon a level road, and two horses, therefore. vill-be -needed on such a road to do the work f one if the road was level." If this be th.e act-in the matter of leveling and properly rading simply-the cost of carriage could i greatly reduced; and when added to this h constant repairs of the surface-which ould be kep t up by a judicious system-the dvantages woult be almost incalculable. 'hese advantages would not be confined to hose who trade at the market towns, but rould extend to. the towns themselves, en blig them to grow and expand indefinitely, aultiplying their population and increasing eir wealth. Our present system, if adhered > for all time, could never produce.these re uits. It is deficient in two essential partic lars-skilled superintendence and control d constant and'efficient labor. These can ot be supplied by the present system. Each ounty should have a practical engineer or and commissioner in sole charge of the ounty highways; his whole time should be evoted to the business. The necessary la ther convicts, commutatiotn tax, and such ther labor as mignt not be able or w:illing to ay the tax. And this officer should be held trictly responsible for the condition of the >ds. In a system of this sort, after a short Kperiment, I am fully persnaded thc people ould most cordially co-operate; and, be des furnishing employments for many de ring young men, and inducings scientific ucation in a direction much needed for the il development of' our resources, a patriotic valry would spring up in the different ounties, and with the different officers in large, which would soon work a most won rful change in the face of our country ading to the wealth and prosperity of the hole State. I most earnestly recommend us subject to your consideration as the one atter most needing attention in our present >nditon. Governor McDuffie, in his Message to the eneral Assembly in 1837, in discussing the sad system of that day, said: "The roads rough the State are in a much neglected con ton. I traveled through some of the WVes rn districts of the State soon after the crops cre laid by, and found the roads in many aces almost impassable by a wagon or car age. The citizen loses, ais it may be safely firmed., four times as much labor as is ren tred to the State, and the portion that is ~stowe<l on the roads is so injudiciously di cted that it seldom does any substantial >od, and very often amounts to a public isance.'' This was said.more than fifty ars ago, and is as appropriate now as en. Suppose that a more efficient system d been adopted then, and since that time ithfully carried out until nowv, a half' cen ry. The imagination coulds.:arcely picture difference.1 RAILROAD COMMISsIONER3. Under the Act of the General Assembly, I assed at its last session, creating the office a Railroad Commissioner,. and defining its ties, I appointed General M. L. Bonham, Edgefield, to this office, who entered upon 3 e discharge of his duties in January. The Act requires that the report of this of er should be made through the Governor t your honorable bodies, and I herewith < nsmit it. The salary of this officer and I e incidentai expenses, as provided for in ~ e Act, are to be borne by the several corpo ions owning or operating railroads in the t ate, according to their gross income, to be c. portioned by the Comptroller General. I the railroad companies in the State have o omptly responded to the assessments made on thema by the Comptroller for this pu,.-I se except the Sour I Carolina Railroad. I is company being in the hands of a Re- t iver, appointed by the United States Court, y s declined, as I am informed, up to this e ne to pay its apportionment, awaiting the c Jgment of that Court as to its liability. t a rprindeb hsra osiu e Cepooto u yti odcnttts very considerable part of the Commission- t s salary and other expenses, and, remain ~ pd to have paid to the Commissioner that ortion ot the expenses and salary which he South Carolina Railroad has failed to ay; and in taking action on this subject I ould recommend such lurther action be aken as will prevent iu future the iccurreuce if a similar difficliy, and I further reconh nend that the salary o this officer be paid nonthly, as other salatieS me pid. PHoSPIATE COX.MISSIONEr AND AGENT. By virtue of an Act of the Geeral Assem )ly en,titled "An Act to establish a system >f general rights," &c., &c., approved De :ember 24, 1878, 1 appointed 3lessrs. John Bratton, J. D. Pope and Zimmerian Davis as the Commi-siorers auth,orizLd by See:ion 12 >f said Act, charged with the ri-hts and in terests of the State in the phosphac rock', L , &c,phostphAatic depos!ts in the naviga ble rivers, &c., &c., of the State, a7ld a;so of levising tl:e best system of protecting the rights of the State therein. By the Act Nbis Commission is requiied to report dirt-c ly to the General Assembly, and for into mation upon this subject I respectfully refer you to this report. I also appointed Gener;:l R. H. Anderson a9 Special Agent under Section 10 of said Act. This distinguished citizen, who during his life had reflected so much honor upon himself and his State by his brilliant career in the late war between the sections and by his ever faithful and uncomplaining perfor mance of duty in whatever position lie was placed, died at Beaufort on the 26th day of June last, while in office, universally la mented. The vacancy created by his death was filled by the appointment of Mr. E. L. Roche, of Charleston. FISH COMMISSIONER. It will be seen by the renort of the Fish Comituissioi:er, Hon A. P. Vat!er, made to me under Section 3 of the Act ;uthorizing his appointment, and which report is here with transmitted, that this officer has been very active in the disch"wge of his duty. It has indeed bien a labor of love with him, as he receives no salary. Yet he has been zea! ous and diligent, and has accomp.iied much with the small sum appropriated to his use. The importauce of this enterprise 1 do not think is ful!y appieciated. The time was in the history of the past when our water! all over the State were full of valuable fishes, furnishing abundantly at certain acasons of the veair cheap and most healthful food to numbers of our people. The supp!y, how ever, has been exhausted for some years, and you rarely: meet now above tide water fishes of any value. It has been demonstrated by actual ex periment elsewhere that rivers and streams. thns- exhausted may be restocked and in a few years made to abound with a new and more extensive supply than formerly. This is no speculative opin:ou, but the teaching of actual experiment, aul in - several of the States the people are now reaping the rich fruits of their efforts in this direction by a constant and -never-failing suppW of thii most invigorating food, which they find free to their hands, crowding-all their streams afid rivers. I recommend a careful consideration of the Fish Commissioner's report and the establishment of this enterprise upon a-wider and firmer foundation. PENITENTIARY. It will be seen from the report of the Su perintendent of the Penitentiary that the convicts number 640; of these 350 have been hired out to private individuals and to rail roads and other corporations, leaving about 290 constantly confined in the Penitentiary. With these convicts not hired out, under the supervision .of the Superintendent, whose zeal and faithfulness in the discharge of his various duties cannot be too highly com mended, the Penitentiary grounds and pro perty have been greatly improved-the wall extended 870 feet and several large necessary and commnodioug.buildings eetgd, ** large amount of briclk'manf'actured and other in dustries inaugurated. The money value of these improvements and buildings cannot be less than $16.000, besides other work done on State House grounds and elsewhere. The discipline of the institution is without objection, and the health of the convicts better :han it has been for years, and is now as-good's-:that, of anyv other poftion of the people in-th~e- same com munity. T1he practice of b 4ing out the convicts to any and all parties for any and all purposes, as anthorized under recent legislation, has not been int operation long enough to enable us to form a correct opinion as to the wisdom of this policy. Elsewhere this practice has given great dis saritlection, and I understand that in some of our sister States the laws permitting it, after trial, have been repealed. In some of the Counties in which the convicts have been hired in this State complaints have een made, and the grand juries in one or more of these Counties have presented the practice as an evil. It has been objected to on .the. ground that the convicts have not been sufficiently guarded and that their labor comes in competition with'the labor of jthe country.' In my last Messiige I recommended that this labor or a portion of it should be utilized outside of the Penitentiary walls in works of a quasi-public nature and in the development of our resources; and while due consideration should be given to the opinion of the grand juries referred to, I must say that I have seen as yet no sufficient -reasQn to change my opinion on th'at subject, and before this policy is abandoned I think it should be given a thorough trial. The evils complained of, growing ,gut of the absence of properj guardinlg, can be-rem edied, and I do niot think that. th.e labor of, the coun try is:soabundap,t,as,toUe serio.sly affected by the competiton referred to. At all events, these convicts should be made in some way to support themselves, and the people thereby atnd to that extent relieved from taxation. And until some remunera tig industries can be established inside of the Penitentiary in which all the convicts can be employed, the alternative is presented either to hire a portion of them out or to sup - ply them in idleness from the public treasu - ry, which would require an-annual appropria tion nearly double that at present made. Of the two, the former course in my judgment, is the best. Tne reports of the Board of Directors, the Superintendent and others connected with the institudion will be before you, and to ,hese'i-eorts I refer you for further informa ion,ealling your attention especially to the wants'of this institution stted and the re commendations mvde there.n. In addition, Lwould recommend that the-law in rehtfon to hiring convicts be amended so as to make it a criminal -offense,: with e-pppatti suffi :iently high to.enforcepraeompanee, !or any contractor to refuse to return convicts to the Penitentiary upon the termination of the con tract and upon the order of the Board. ['his is important, so as to give the Board ;hat complete control over the convicts, which their proper protection and proper se trtty demands. It is also important to en ible the Board to meet that rrsponsibility hich their relation 'to this institution im oses upon them and which is expected at -heir hands. There will be found attached to this Mfes sage a short communication from the Rev. Villiam Eartin, of this.-city, bringing to my ittention the destitute condition of the in nates of the Penitentiary in a religions.-poitt f view. It is hereto appended,- because it resents the necessities of the institution on hat subject as fully and within as' short a ompass as can be done, and under the hope hat, presented in this way, it will more cer-I ainly attract attention and receive at your ands the needful legislation. LUNATIC ASYLUM. The report of the Regents will give yon all he information neessary in reference to.. his noble~institution. It.s work and design Qf a character which meets the warm sym tathy of each and every one, and its man gement, both general and in all its details, eems to be as near perfect as can be accom dished, and I most cordially commend it to Our continued fostering care. HOMESTEAD. The Constitution, Section 32, Article 2, af r providing for a homestead in the lands it a debtor, goes on to say: "To secure the all enjoytment of said homestead exemnp ion to the person entitled thereto or the ead of any f'amily, the personal property f such person of the following character, > wit. household furnitui-e, bed s and bed ig, family library, arms, carts; watgons, trmg implements, tools, neat cattle, rork animals, swite, goats and sheep, not :> exceed the value in the aggregate of five undred ;dollar-s, shall be exempt as the omestaa,*&c. The Legislature in 1s72, by Act, extended us exemption to other personal property esies that mentioned in the Constitution, mbracing corn, cotton, provisions and ther necessary articles, as a matter of jus Ce to those who were not entitled to the Kemptionls undler the Constitution, not wning land and the personal property urein mentioned. rhe Su,reme ourt has recentlv decided ry, I would suggest that the proper steps be Laken at this session by the passage of aL Joint Resolution looking to such amend inent. And it should be remembered that tlie party now in power is not responsible for this evil, but it results from the want. of proper foresight and care in framining the Constitution. CONTINGENT FUND. The contingent fund appropriated for the use of the Governor during the last iscal year was $5,M00; of this suin $2,170.34 has ieeni expended. leaving a balance of $2, s2,.A. There may be one or two chainsstill -t anding against this fund; and inasinuch as, under the present law on this subject, the ind1 of one fiscal year cannot be ap pli<l t o t he payment of claims of a preced ing year. I reconmen<l that out of this bal anc( , may be-permitted to pay these clainis when p resented. There are also one or two simaill c:Liiis ciaigeaible to the contingent fund of my predecessor, which were left unpaid. and which ought to be paid, and a part of this balance might be used for this purpose if authorized. EXECUTIVE MANSION. The Executive Mansion and grounds need soMe repair-s. improvements and certain fixtures for the preservation of the proper ty and for itt more comfortable habitation. I r-vonitnend that a sinall appropriation of $600 or $,-x be niade for this purpose, to be expended, or so much as may be necessary, under the supervision of the Secretarv of State. CONCLUSION. If this General Assembly would promptly p:iss the supply mnd appropriation Acts, ex t- .; ti:e stock law to such Counties as way I iure and demand it, mature a wiser and tuL. ju(icious road system. provide better meanis for the couifortable support of the poor ot each County. cutup root and branch the:practice of carrying concealed wetpons, establish a bureau of agricultural. mineral ogical and geological statistics, foster and encoirage the labors of the Fish Commis sioner, provide for the other matters herein aI hwe'*nggested, and lay the foundations of the State University broad and deep, so that as time rolls on story after story can be built thereon, as the educational wants of the peop e may demand, until it could stand forth amid the educational structures of the world grand and majestic in all its propor tions, it might then adjourn. And leaving the rest to the people themselves., it would adjourn with the pleasing assurance on the part of its members that generations yet unborn would rise up and call them blessed. W. D. SIMPSON, Governor. CoL A;'October24.1r79. (30 FINOR W. D. SMPSoN: DEAR SI-Having been appointed-by the South Carolina Conference, M. E. Church South, at its last session, to look after the waste places of Columbia, and to inquire into the spiritual condition andi wants of destitute nieigborhood', especially of those renote from the churches, and of persons so ciremustanced as not-to be able to attend religious services at any of the regular houses of worship, among other places, at an 4a . p.eigd:o$ theyear, I vsited the Sta tP itehtgry. Aerei found a mssof human beings, averaging nearly four lin dred so.uls. jlot any Jeglm.0e2n& of gace.btit such as-onlctbe turnished by the Young Men's Christian Association, send ing a layman, or occasionally a minister, if one .can be f6tnd disengaged. :This. how ever. is only voluntary work, and confined to Sabbath ministrations, while the hospi tals, with an 'Lrge of froo tweI4e to thirty, and sometimes even more, sick and dying, are without any religious.instruction or advice. In view of the d'stitute condi tion in.this respect of these people, I have done what'I could for them by visiting these hospitals once a week and ministering to the spiritual necessities of their inmates. Now, as the object it eslablis,hing.this prison was'not only to]punish, but also to reform the transgressors of the law, it pear to me that the State should provi e for the moral and religious wants of these convicts. and also for those-whose dutyit is to take care and watch over them; regular religions serviies-by theemployfriet ~bf a; chaplain, or in any .otber way that-your judgment may suggest or the-Legislature may determine. Respectfully, --WM.XMARTIN. One Experientle from Many. "I had been sick and mniserable.Ao long. and. liad easeed ahusbandas 'ii * -h trouble adn#k, no fleLe to knoi~ what aled me, that I was completely disheartened and discour aged. In this frame of mind I got a bottle of flop Bitters and used themi unknown to my family. I soon~ b.e gan to jieand gaindiso fatha my husband and family thought it strange -i'nd- ~enatefel, -biNifieir"I told th.em what had helped we,. they said " Hurrah for Hop Bitters ! long may they prosper, for they have made mother well and us happy.-Thie Mother. Thaetie-O fde of 198i. ' Washingfonr Post. The great pivotal State of the Union, New York; havinig no ranged itself in the Democratic column, we have complete data upon .which to . base a.ealculation as to the manner in which the Electoral vote of 188.0 irill be east. This is our table: DEMOCRATIC sTATEs. Alabama.........10.Missouri. ...-4...... 15 Arkansas...... .. 6 New Jersey.......9 Ieaware ...';.... 3 New-York........35 Forida............ 4 North Carolina. . 10 Geogi..........1 outyC Hina... 7 Indiaria u.~ .l:...15 Tdstn ..2.. 1 Kentucky.......12 Texas...........8 Louisiana.......-Virgin..........1 Maryland........e8st yirginia.. Mississippi ..Gt)8 -.,' Total.....' ...-a...---....197 REPUBLICAN STATES. Coloradd. .......3 Connectieut.. .6 Inos..'.....2owa--.......-... Kansas............. 5|aine........ ..7 Massachuset~. ...... .l6 Misihgan .........11 Minnesota........5,Nebraska ........ 3 Nevada.,... ...... . 3 ewJampshire... 5 Ohio? ....--.--22fPenfylvUfnia ..:. 29 Rhode Island...4 Vermont ......... Wisconsin........10 Totat.........................-...-163 California.........6jregon...........3 Total.................--.-----.-..--. There are S69 vites in the leeto rl Colege, Qf these 1853 ire atma jority. hes amntoora tie PrEsidentia ticket will receive a vote of 197, a a jeriy of 34 over the~ Republican m bintion, and 12 wore than Are ne cesary to elect. This is :out predic tion.: One of my children was recently at tacked with a severe case of Croup, which really assumed a distressing phase; I was recommtiended to try Dr. Bull's Cough Syrup. after other iemne dies had failed. The effect was most happy and speedy, causing an entire - cure. F. ALBRECHT, 2418. Shap8St. Baltimwore. A pos&td iegultioa'which has been i;force for several months appears to bc ver,y li,xtie known. among business men, to whc.tn it is of some pecuniary interest. Under its operation an un receipted bill or "statement of ac couts" can now be mailed in an un sealed eveope at a . postage. of .one cent Td sceipt a bill or to write up on it any such words as "please remit" will, however, subject it to letter rates of pstage; but a reqmest for remit tance may be printed as part of the ed. Newspatper publishers have the right to enclose with their papers sither receipted or unreceipted bills, but tile addition of any written re uest will be treated as an infringe met of the la*. Advice of ao old nurse. The baby vould be always bright and cheerful ifan occasional dose of Dr. Bull's Ba q Sr.nn ere administered.