Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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lewis grist, proprietor.i Jfitiicpcnbcnt Jfainilg ftctosjrajjer: Jgir fjje promotion of Ijje |jolttieal, Social, Agricultural anb Commercial Interests of tjte Sontj). j TERMS?$3.00 A TEAR, EN ADVANCE. VOL. 19. YORKVILLE, S. O., THURSDAY, JANUARY 33, 1873. N"0.4. 1 i * - t i t it._ JU #rigin?I ftonr. ^ Written for the Yorkville Enquirer. THE MYSTERY OF MOSSGROVE. ? A ROMANCE OF THE 19TH CENTURY. BY MRS. HENRY DEAS. CHAPTER VII. PLOTS AND MYSTERIES. "When Lucy entered the hall, she was met, j to her surprise, by two strangers. The first was a middle-aged woman, dark, i sallow-faced and foreign-looking, shrewd and ! cunning in espresssion, and dressed in rusty I black. She wore a long white apron, and a bunch of keys dangled from her waist. The second was a boy of nine or ten years of age, with blue eyes and fair hair, and a peculiarly sweet and interesting couutenance. As the woman advanced, leading the boy hv the hand. Stanley said to his wife? ~J # - f "Allow me, ray dear, to present to you two new inmates of our house. This is Mrs. Ford, whom I have engaged to act as housekeeper, and who will, henceforth, take that troublesome business off your hands. This little fellow is my nephew, Claude Stanley, who has been sent home from boarding-school, on account of the death of his principal, and whom I have decided to keep with me for a time. He is an orphan, and you will, I am sure, permit him to find a mother in you." Lucy took the child's hands in hers, and, quite won by the expression of his soft and pleading eyes, as he raised them to hers, bent down and kissed his brow, saying tenderly? "I am sure I shall love you, my dear." But as she turned to address the new housekeeper, a strong feeling of aversion, caused by the repulsive look and air of the woman, who was regarding her with an unpleasant smile, took possession of her mind, and it was with difficulty that she could force herself to make a civil acknowledgment of the introduction. Mrs. Ford perceived her constrained manner, and was not slow in divining its cause. From that moment a mutual dislike arose in the hearts of both ; in Lucy's, augmented by suspicion and mistrust. As soon as she found herself alone with her husband, she ventured to say? "Alfred, I did not object to keepipg house; why did you bring that woman here?" "My love, I judged it best," said Stanley, in his smoothest tone. "I dislike to see you annoyed with the drudgery of domestic affairs ; and I know Mrs. Ford to be a most excellent, trustworthy person, in whom you may safely place entire confidence. I do not wish to keep you, nay Lucy, so confined to the house as you have hitherto been ; in fact, I have arranged several little excursions for you, in order to make you as cheerful as possible, and of course you could not satisfactorily partake of any amusement, unless your mind was perfectly at ease regarding all household matters." "Has there been any gaiety going on since I left home?" asked Lucy. "Why no, not that I have heard of particularly," said Stanley; "but it is easy enough to arrange these little pleasure parties, if one feela inclined to do so. Henceforth we must not lead the hermit-life we have hitherto indulged in, and which I fear may be exciting some remark among our friends. I confess it is the most congenial to my taste, but we mus; sometimes defer to the opinion of the world ; besides, I would not have people think that I kept you a prisoner. Of course, these are minor considerations, compared with the solicitude I feel for your health and enjoyment; still, they have their weight, my love? they have their weight." Lucy could not overcome her surprise, at finding how entirely Stanley's sentiments had changed since she had parted with him ; she did not, however, express this feeling, which ma/) I<-?V*f onnnrr Viim aiit; icaicu uii^ut uuuuj She soon found that he intended to carry j his resolutions into effect. The very day af- | ter her return, he signified his desire that she j should pay one or two long-owed visits, on t which he would accompany her. He was critical on the point of her dress, | and solicitous that she should appear to the | best advantage. I He also took care that their best equipage, a handsome open carriage, should be in the best order, and saw that the horses and har- [ ness were faultless in their appointments. j Lucy wondered more and more ; yet it was j with a feeling of unusual cheerfulness that J she took her place in the elegant equipage,! and drove off with her husband on their un- j accustomed mission. The delighted Melissa stood watching them : from her "Missy's" chamber window, rejoicing j that the beautiful dresses and bonnets she | owned would at last be turned to some ac-! count, and feeling more charitably inclined toward "Mas' Stanley" than she had ever done before. At the first house where they called, Stanley and his wife were received with some coolness by its owner, who conceived that they had treated them impolitely in not calling before, j Lucy's gentle and winning manner, howev-; er, appeared to mollify them. and Stanley, with all the polish and courtesy he knew so well how to display, apologized for their seeming negligence. "My dear Mrs. More," he said in his blan dest tones, "nothing has annoyed me more than that we should have so long been pre-1 vented from acknowledging your kind atten-' tion to us, but my wife's health was so delicate during the summer months that I was positively obliged to forbid her all exertion. I felt reluctant to pay any visits without her? you know, dear madam, gentlemen are a little backward on these occasions sometimes? and so waited until she should be sufficiently recovered to make this agreeable duty practicable. I was obliged to send her on a visit to her excellent mother, in Charleston, in order to renovate her health, and I am happy to say that this desirable result has been attained." "Dear me, I had no idea Mrs. Stanley had been such an invalid," said Mrs. More in a sympathizing tone, turning to Lucy, who had listened to this explanation in mute surprise, well knowing that it was all invented for the occasion, as she had never suffered from delicate health. "But you look quite blooming now," she added, which was the truth, for Lucy felt her cheeks burn with shame and embarrassment. "I hope now that you are well again, we will see a great deal more of you." i Lucy made some suitable reply; it being oi course impossible for her to contradict hei | husband's statement. So pleasant was th< j impression made upon the good lady of th< j house by her visitors, that as soon as they j were gone she exclaimed to one of her daugh 1 ters, who had been present, i "Upon my word, Jane, I think Mr. Stan I ley is one of the most agreeable and polite gentlemen I ever met; I wish your fathei would make it a point to become more sodable with him. His wife is a sweet, pretty I young thing, too ; I was quite delighted with her modest, sensible manner." At the next house they went to, the same scene was enacted, and with equally favorable results. For several succeeding days the programme thus arranged was carried out, until finally all the long-neglected acquaintances had been visited, and convinced that it was entirely the misfortune, and not the fault,of the Stanleys, fknf iV>oTT Via*-? Kitliortn QPPn SO li ttle of them. Lucy knew her husband too well to question or remonstrate with him upon the line of conduct he had seen fit to adopt, and he never touched upon the subject when alone with her, or volunteered any explanation. Her truthful and upright nature revolted at anything approaching deception ; but as Stanley treated the matter so coolly she was forced to believe that he saw no harm in the circulation of this polite fiction. Her life was now much more cheerful than formerly, as she began to receive and return visits, and her husband eucouraged her to drive out frequently, appearing as anxious now to get her out of doors as he had formerly been to keep her in the house. When at home, the society of little Claude was a great pleasure to her. He was an afoiable and affectionate boy, intelligent beyond his years, but with a slight tinge of melancholy in his nature, that made him more silent and thoughtful than children of his age usually are. Her first impression of Mrs. Ford was not softened by a farther acquaintance with her. It was true that she saw her but seldom, for 1 a 3 ...!*.!? /lupins noil?1 Itt wnen doc engageu wim nei uuu? ou& ujuuuj retired to her own apartment in the "west wing," in the vicinity of the disused and boarded-up apartment. Whenever they did come in contact, however, she was more than ever repelled by the woman's whole appearance aud manner. Her stealthy, cat-like way of moving?her soft, deceitful voice?her sly, uncandid glances, and above all, her peculiar smile, invariably gave Lucy the sensation of having a snake or some such loathsome reptile, come across her path, and made her desirous of escaping, as quickly as possible, from her vicinity. Occasionally she was forced to give her directions in the way of housekeeping, which she always hurried over as briefly as she could, while the housekeeper would listen with a deferential air, answering in the smoothest and softest monosyllables, and glancing up, from time to time, with a sly gleam in her narrow greenish-gray eyes, as if experiencing a malignant pleasure in the disagreeable sensations she knew Lucy was enduring from her presence. Stanley, on the contrary, appeared to entertain the highest opinion of the woman, to whom he always spoke in the most courteous and considerate way, and whose good qualities he was never weary of praising and commenting on to his wife. Lucy was surprised to find them occasionally holding an interview in some entry or outof-the-way room, engaged apparently in conversation of a most absorbing nature. Stanley always accounted for these interviews, ' '?- Anfl*T mftir f Ko f 'Olfl liuwuver, uy SHJlUg, iu an cuojr Wttj, uiiub ?v was consulting with Mrs. Ford about the necessity of an additional closet in the housekeeper's room," or "he was asking Mrs. Ford to speak to the cook about her way of preparing a certain dish," or giving some other reason equally plausible nnd trifling. Lucy, however, could not divest herself of a certain feeling of suspicion in regard to the matter, and more than once, when meeting them thus unexpectedly together, she detected the semblance of a flush on Mrs. Ford's sallow face, or an uneasy expression on her husband's, which led her to believe that there was some mystery afloat of which they were cognizant, and which they did not desire to reveal to her. Her suspicions being thus aroused, she became more watchful; but apparently they had been groundless, or else both her husband and the housekeeper were on their guard, for after one or two surprises of this nature she never met them in conversation with each other again. One day when her husband was out, and she was preparing for a drive, little Claude came to her, and in a low tone said, "Please, aunt Lucy, may I go with you ?" "Certainly, my dear, if you wish it," she replied. "You can accompany me any time you like, if it gives you pleasure." "Mrs. Ford said I must not ask," he continued in the same tone ; "but I thought you would not mind." "Of course not," said Lucy. "Mrs. Ford has nothing to do with your going out with me." The little boy ran off for his cap, and was returning with it iu his hand wheu the housekeeper suddenly made her appearance in the entry, aud inquired in a sharp tone where lie was going. "I am going in the carriage with aunt Lucy," he replied. "Did your uncle say you might?" she asked "I didn't ask uncle," said the boy in a timid I voice, twisting his cap irresolutely in his hand : as he spoke. "Aunt Lucy said?" "Boy, you are left in my charge," said the housekeeper harshly, laying her hand 011 his ! shoulder a3 she spoke; "and without youi ! uncle's permission you cannot go out." At this moment Lucy advanced from liei ! room, and with an air of greater decisior I than she often wore, said, while an indignant 1 flush rose to her face? "Mrs. Ford, excuse me, but I do not thinli 1 you have any right to interfere in this matter j It is my wish to take Claude with me, and 1 j see no reason why I should not do so." "Oh ! certainly, Mrs. Stanley, if it is youi | wish," said the woman, instantly changing [ her tone to one of smooth politeness and de ference. "I have nothing to say against that, 0 i course. I thought it was entirely the little i boy's own fancy ; and as he hasn't said any 0: his tasks yet, which Mr. Stanley desires m< i always to help him with, I thought perhapi I he had better stay in-doors. Just as yoi f please, ma'am, certainly. I beg pardon for r interfering." 3 "Come, Claude," said Lucy quietly ; and 3 without taking any farther notice of Mrs. r Ford she swept with unusual dignity out of the front door, and entered the carriage. The housekeeper watched her with a ma lignant expression, and when she was out of 3 sight, turned back townrd her own room raur: muring with a sardonic smile? "I'll be even with you, my lady, yet." The next morning Stanley said to his wife i with an affectionate air? "It is a lovely morning, my dear; do you ! propose driving out to-day?" "I thought of doing so," said Lucy. "Is there anything else you wish me to do, in? stead?" "Oh ! no, my love! You know I like you i to be as much as possible in the open air; you . are looking so much better since you have , taken constant exercise. I merely wanted to assure myself that such was your intention. I am only sorry you have to go alone, for it ' is impossible for me to accompany you." "Oh 1" said Lucy, unsuspectingly, "I will take Claude with me. He went yesterday, and he seemed to enjoy it so much." "Claude ! By the way, that reminds me," said Stanley, "of what I had nearly forgotten : to say to you. Claude went with you yester-1 ; day, and the result was that in the evening I found him very imperfect in his lessons? quite unprepared, in fact. It is best, I think, ray love, for Claude not to go out in the mor, nings. He can ride with me, in the afteri noons." "But Alfred," said Lucy, timidly, "if you will let him go, I will promise you to help i him prepare his lessons, when we come home." "Oh! I could not think of it, my dear Lucy. You turn school mistress! No, indeed, I would not subject you to such drudge, ry. Not a word," he continued, playfully tapping her lips with his hand, as she was about to speak, "I thank you for your good intention, my love, but the plan does not meet with ray approbation. Claude will remain at home." The tone in which the concluding sentence was uttered admitted of no opposition to his decree, and Lucy was, most unwillingly, obliged to submit. Her regret would have been augmented, and her indignation excited, could she have seen what transpired after she set out on her drive that day. Claude was locked up in his chamber with his books, and left there, a solitary prisoner, until the usual hour for his aunt's return, when he was allowed to come out No one came near him, or assisted him in any way with his tasks, though the housekeeper had informed Lucy that it was a duty required of her daily to so. She had, in fact, a far different occupation assigned her, and one with which she allowed nothing else to interfere. When Mrs. Stanley was absent, and Claude thus securely confined, she feared no surveillance over her actions, and could in safety accomplish her duty. There was one spy over her actions, however, whom it did not occur to her to mistrust. This individual, in addition to an unbounded fund of curiosity, possessed no small share of cunning, and was, therefore, a dangerous enemy, especially as she entertained an ardent hatred and contempt for the housekeeper herself. This person was Melissa, Lucy's maid. Melissa had her suspicions regarding certain movements of the housekeeper's, and was resolved, if possible, to satisfy herself in respect to them. She was shrewd enough, however, to keep out of sight and hearing, knowing that if she was once suspected of a desire to pry, she would lose all opportunity of doing so. She had so far discovered nothing, but was a^ much on the alert as ever. "Dere'ssoraethin' wrong bout that woman," she soliloquized. "I ain't got no 'pinion 'bout such low. no 'count white trash anyhow, and this one is the meanest one I seen yet. She's too 'ceitful and underhanded to suit me. And didn't she call me a nigger, the other day ? Nigger, indeed! A respectable nigger's a heap better than a poor buckra, any way. She'd better not insult me, I can tell her, or I'll show her that Melissa Johnson ain't a goin' to take none of her sass." To Claude she was very partial, constantly offering him presents of corn-bread and other delicacies of her own making, which the boy duly appreciated as marks of friendship, and was grateful for accordingly. Claude stood in dread of the housekeeper, who by some means had acquired unbounded influence over him. In the presence of the family she was kind enough in her manner to him, but when removed from this restraint was harsh, rude and overbearing. He was afraid to complain, since she told him that if he rebelled against her authority, or ever uttered a word about her conduct, to his aunt or any of the servants, he would be visited with some mysterious and terrible punishment. He, therefore, submitted to his daily incarceration, and many other grievances without venturing a word of either remonstrance or appeal. His uncle appeared perfectly satisfied with ' the general state of affairs in the household, ' and Lucy, though her uneasiness and anxiety were often excited, was obliged to remain passive, being afraid in any way to interfere. Claude only appeared happy when permit ted to be with his aunt, for whom he had con' ceived a warm affection. A certain similarity ' in their positions drew them closely together, and had it been allowed them, they could 5 have been constantly happy in each others' J society. But from some unexplained motive, Stanley did not desire this to be the case. Either from the feelings of jealousy he had ' always experienced in regard to any object of i I i.:~, onnm'nl nntioo or oafnom nr for annrip. 11 Id W11C O uvvivu v* v* ?w. HVWHV ; other cause, he managed that the boy should be as little as possible with Lucy, while never : making it apparent that this was the result of any arrangement on his part. Lucy had never been in the "west wing" since the boarding up of the vacant chamber, ; and Mrs. Ford's establishment in the one ad; joining it. This portion of the building overlooked a thick shrubbery, which was seldom frequeutf ed, and where no one ever went after dark. 3 One night, Mr. Stanley having not yet ref turned from a business errand to Unionville, 3 Melissa came into her mistress'chamber, with s staring eyes and trembling limbs, panting < with distress or affright. "Missy! Missy!" she gasped, sinking on the nearest chair; "there's a light burnin' in : the shut up room." "Nonsense, Melissa!" said Lucy increduI lously. "How is that possible, when no one ! can get into the room ? You must be' dreatui ? ing. "Missy, I seen it with my eyes," said Melissa. "Sure as the Lord is in Heaven, I seen a candle shinin' from the winder." "It must have been fj$ra Mrs. Ford's window," said Lucy. * "No, ma'am, not so. Miss Ford's winder ain't even on that side of the house. Missy, if you don't believe me, come out now to the shrubbery and I'll show you that very light. Do, missy, come. I don't want you to take me for a fool." Lucy hesitated. Her own nerves were too far from strong to allow the prospect of a visit to the dark shrubbery, especially with the object of discovering the cause of a mysterious and apparently supernatural occurrence, to be at all an agreeable one; but Melissa's importunity, and a feeling of curiosity on her own part, finally induced her to consent. Throwing a shawl around h' , she made her exit with Melissa, by a back door, and mistress and maid wended their way together to the scene of observation. Lucy trembled in spite of herself, and clung to Melissa's arm, as they approached the shrubbery. Involuntarily, as they drew near the spot whence the "haunted room" could be seen, she cast down her eyes, afraid of what might meet her gaze. "Suddenly, Melissa exclaimed, in a whisper of mingled relief and disappointment? "Now jes'look if that light ain'tgone out! Missy, it was there, sure as I stand here this blessed minnit; but it's done gone out now." "I knew you must be mistaken," said Lucy, now looking up with a sigh of relief. "You see, Melissa, it was only fancy on your part." Melissa protested, as they hurried noiselessly back to her mistress's room, that she was telling the Lord's truth, and that she had actually and uuraistakeably seen a light in that very chamber?a light that it was impossible could proceed from anywhere else. Lucy could not believe that she was telling the truth, yet in spite of her own conviction that such an occurrence was impossible, the thought of it inspired her with a feeling of fear, and she was more careful than ever to avoid that portion of the house. As for Melissa, she paid no more visits to the shrubbery after dark. The light in the haunted room remained, therefore, a complete mystery. [to be continued next weer .] Jfate Jtffairs. GOVERNOR MOSES' MESSAGE, The "Annual Message" of Governor Moses to the General Assembly of South Carolina, was transmitted to that body on the 14th instant. It is a lengthy paper, exhaustively treating the various subjects embraced, which are discussed in an earnest, candid and straight-forward manner. Frankness compels us to admit that the message evinces ability and discernment on the part of its author; and we are gratified that it is conceived in a kindly spirit toward all parties and all classes of citizens, being free from the rancorous or partisan spirit which may have been engendered by the exciting and bitter canvass so recently terminated, and professing an earnest desire for the growth, advancement and perpetual prosperity of the State. Considerable space is devoted to the relations of the State to the Federal Government, which are stated to be of the most cordial character, and the people are congratulated ? - * . l 1 1 upon tne tact tnat quiet ana gooa oruer prevail throughout all sections of the State. In transmitting the annual report of the State Superintendent of Education, the exhibit is made that the scholastic population for the year 1871 exceeds that of 1869, by 12,197, there being a total in the former year of 197,179, and in the latter year a total of 209,376. Of this population, embracing both sexes between the ages of six and sixteen years, in 1869, 85,196 were whites, and 114,983 were blacks; in 1871 the whites numbered 84,204, and the blacks 125,172. The scholastic population for the year 1871 amounts to nearly thirty per cent, of the total population of the State. As a comparison of the attendance at school, it is shown that the attendance of 1872 exceeds that of 1871 by 10,266 pupils, showing that not more than thirty-six per cent, of the scholastic population of the State are in attendance on the public schools, which leaves sixty-four per cent, of the children of scholastic age, who are being taught in private institutions, or are being left entirely destitute of mental instruction. As the latter is most probably the case, the fact is deplored by the Governor, and as a preventive of the evil consequences attending a state of ignorance, a system of compulsory legislation is recom; mended. TheState Orphan Asylum has 140 inmates, of whom 74 are boys, and 69 girls. The unpaid liabilities of the institution amount to ?62,015.65, and the balance of the appropriation for the past fiscal year, remaining unpaid, is 875,043.54, of which sum 820,214.11 have been anticipated by the sale of the Comptroller-General's warrants, drawn upon the appropriation, leaving the actual balance of the appropriation 854,829.42. The State Penitentiary has cost more for its maintenance during the present year than at any former period, from the fact that the appropriations for its support were, and still are unpaid, and nearly all the necessary supplies were compelled to be obtained on credit at greatly enhanced rates. The resources of the institution for the past fiscal year were from appropriations, 880,000; and from the ' ? ^ p.. oinArcn I lure 01 convict iauur, saies, etc., e-*,iu.uv, making a total of 884,717.69, while the expenditures for the same period were 874,699.43. This leaves an actual deficiency of 87,436.86, for which a special appropriation is recommended. It is estimated that in its erectiou the penitentiary cost 81000 per cell. At the instance of the Board of Directors, the Governor recommends that a sum of money be appropriated for the purchase of a tract of land of easy access to the penitentiary, to be used as a farm for the prison. The number j of convicts in the penitentiary on the 1st day of October, 1871, was 309; the number now in confinement is 218, showing a reduction of 91 during the year, many of whom were pardoned when near the close of their terms. In noticing the report of the Health Officer of the port of Charleston, and the suggestions of that officer, the Governor earnestly recommends that the General Assembly will, without delay, provide a law for a compulso! ry system of vaccination, in order to avert from our people the ravages of small pox, which loathsome disease is raging in various sections of the country. The total royalty received by the State from tho Phosphate Companies, for the past three years, amounts to only 850,911.89, which is regarded as an inconsiderable income from such valuable franchises, and measures are recommended to guard more closely the interest of the State in the premises. The subject of inviting immigration to the State is discussed at length, and to the end that it may be fostered and encouraged, the Governor recommends the enactment of a law providing that all persons who immigrate | to this State prior to the 1st of March, 1875, and engage in the cultivation of the soil, shall receive from the State Treasury a bonus in money equal in amount to the State and county taxes assessed upon their cultivated lands and farm buildings; such bonus to be paid annually, aud to be continued for two years after the cultivation of such lands shall have been commenced. The South Carolina Universitv is represent* J?*! 1J I eel as Deing in as prosperous conaiuon as couiu i be expected under the circumstances. Neces- 1 sary appropriation for maintaining the insti- I tution is asked, and the Governor announces i his readiness to make appointments of one i beneficiary from each county for the present i year, whenever called upon pursuant to law. < The Code of Procedure and the Revised 1 Statutes claim the attention of the Governor, who cites a few of the many palpable defects 1 they contain, and recommends the appoint- 1 ment of a commission whose duty it shall be } to revise and simplify the Code of Procedure 1 and the General Statutes, and render them 1 more in accord with the wants of our people than they are at present. \ With a view to encourage manufactories of t cotton and wool in this State, the passage of < a law is recommended, providing that all such manufactories that may be established within 1 the limits of this State on or before the 1st of i November, 1875, shall receive from theTreas- ( ury of the State, a bonus equal to the State i tax assessed upon the necessary property of t the same, such bonus to be paid annually and i to continue for five years. ? He recommends that the office of the Re- c corder of the city of Charleston be at once 1 abolished, as a palpable sinecure for which t there is no necessity. f The subject of the fence law is discussed at length, and the following reasons are given in s support of his recommendation for the repeal 1 of the existing laws: e "1st. The building of a fence, including the splitting and hauling of the rails, is a tax c upon the capital and labor of the farmer, t equal, it is estimated, to at least one-third of t the market value of our average cotton lands. The money and work thus expended, would, f if applied to the cultivation of the land, in- i crease by a very large per centage, both the f nrpa nnlfivAtari nnd the nrnduction thereof. C 2d. Vast bodies of arable land, that are 1 now untilled far want of fencing timber, and for which, on that account, there is no sale, t would then find ready purchasers among our q agricultural laborers, and be yielding plenti- v ful harvests, the cheapening the necessaries of t life, and adding to the wealth of the State. 3d. To require the farmer to fence out his s neighbor's stock, instead of requiring the c owner of the stock to fence it in, is a palpa- t ble act of injustice and a monstrous instance s of folly, in a State whose wealth is agricultu- c ral, and depends almost entirely on tillage, v and not on pasturage. s Why should I be required to build a fence p around my farm, at a heavy cost, in order to t keep i ly neighbor's cow out of my growing p crop, hen I derive no benefit from that cow ? a Why should his property, consisting of a r few roving animals, be more sacred in the eye c of the law, than the few acres, from which, i by industrious toil, I derive my daily bread ? t Is it not just and fair, that every man f should be required to exercise reasonable care 1 for his own property, and not subject his t neighbor to any cost to prevent that property from becoming the means of injury to any c />1nnn rvMAnAwf *T 9 | f) UWICl I'JOSd Ul jUV|JGIl/jr 4 4th. The fences themselves occupy a consid- I erable portion of the cleared land, thus redu- f cing the cultivated area. 8 5th. In proportion as the demand for fencing timber exhausts the supply of trees in u that locality, the price of wood for fuel in- f creases, which is a consideration of great moment, in a country where there is no develop- fc raent of strata of coal. c 6th. Science and experience unite to prove c that, in regions where the forests are being t exhausted, the fall of rain is proportionally p lessened, and the lands are parched by long t droughts, that not only destroy vegetation, a but, from the failure of water, prove fatal to p stock of all kinds that are permitted to run at u large. I have read that this is notably the c case in the prairie belt of Texas and New e Mexico; and I have been reliably informed n that it is strikingly exhibited in those sections f of Virginia where, in the late war, the trees 1: were destroyed for fuel and other purposes, e along the lines of military encampments. v 7th. Cattle and other stock can be fenced 1 in more cheaply and securely than they can h be fenced out. t 8th. The system of fencing in stock, while h it lessens the original expense of establishing a a farm, will tend to increase the yield per 6 acre, by preserving a large quantity of the ii natural manures, for application to the tilled o soil. a 9th. Enclosed pastures will tend to incite t among our agriculturists the cultivation of t improved grasses, and also to an improvement r in the breed of stock ; in both of which par- t ticulars South Carolina is far behind most of o her sister States. s "IfWU moir Kn Vioffnr t.: Villi# V/ U1 ^U1 ILIVIO IUUJ UU uuiibV* vuMUivu w to rest their lands, by cultivating several r tracts in rotation, without the necessity of t fencing each, thus recuperating soils that are s< threatened with total exhaustion by continu- v ous cultivation, unaided by proper fertilizers, p 11th. The fence law repels the agricultural li immigrants of the Northern States, whose p cultivated industry and thrifty modes of farm- o ing are so much needed in this State, where a there are three acres of arable land lying fal- v low for every acre there is that is tilled. That a most valuable class of laborers shrink from d coming into a country or State, in which, be- n fore they can safely run a furrow in a fifty e acre field, they must expend in some cases, b more money and labor to build a fence, than are required to build a house wherein to live, p 12th. It is not only cheaper to fence cattle p in than to fence them out, but it is far safer I for the farmer, rendering his crop less liable a to damage from the inroads of stock running tl at large. Many vexatious law-suits, and the li killing and wounding of hundreds of head of a cattle that make breaches through the fences, e to the great injury of growing crops, can thus n surely be prevented. a 13th. The danger to life and property on a our railroads is greatly increased by stock a running at large. ti In answer to these reasons given above, d which are by no means exhaustive of the ar- b gumentin favor of the abolition of the fence tl law, it is alleged, by the advocates of the fence p system : 1st. That there are many poor persons who 1< own a few head of cattle, and do not own a p sufficient quantity of land to pasture them on, t( and that such small landholders, if the fence a loro To ronpnlpfl will he coinDelled to sell their i? cattle for what they will bring, or let them starve; and that this alternative must surely q occur to the large number who own stock, a but have no land at all. tl 2d. That there are large tracts of land, such ti as our pine barrens and wet bottoms, that are fi fit only for grazing, and that, if the fence law ci is repealed, cannot be utilized as at present. 3d. That many small landed proprietors If cannot keep their necessary stock enclosed in pastures, for want of localities supplied with ivater, and that such must be greatly injured f obliged by law to maintain close pastures. The answer to the first objection may be found in the following legitimate deduction Torn the principle which it seems to be based : Suppose that ten persons settle in a secluled portion of the State, and that nine of them proceed to level the forests, and break up the soil, to open farms, and determine to enclose ind feed their necessary farm stock, while the ienth locates in their vicinity, and being the )wner of twenty head of cows, prefers making Dutter or raising beef cattle, to tilling the soil; and as he owns but five acres of land, he s opposed to repealing.the fence law, desiring lis stock to range at will. The cows are worth ive hundred dollars for the lot, but the cost jf fences on the supposed farms would at least ;reble or quadruple that sum. According to ;he theory of this objection, the two or three ;housand dollars' worth of fences must be built, ind that amount of the money of the nine far tiers must be locked up as so much dead captal, in order to protect the fruits of their industry against destruction by their neighbor's ive hundred dollars' worth of cattle. Indeed, the same expense of fencing would je required if the neighbor owned but one lead of roving stock; and thus nine farmers .vould have to expend at least a thousand dolars each to build a fence to keep out from ;heir crop one twenty-five dollar cow. This fair and simple statement of the theory mderlying the fence law seems to me sufficient .0 demonstrate its injustice and impolicy in iur agricultural community. That the consequences to the small landlolder, who is obliged to enclose his stock, vill not be as injurious as is asserted in that ibjection, is evidenced by the fact, that this rery class of cattle-owners are, I have been old, notably prosperous on the sea coast slands in our State, which regions, though of jreat extent, and containing an abundance >f winter pasturage for outlying stock, have >een for many years exempt from the operaions of the fence laws, and now contain but ew enclosed farms. She second objection can be met by having i sufficient area of the wet bottoms and pine larrens enclosed for pastures, the proprietors tharging a small fee per annum. The third objection would be obviated by Iriving the cattle to water, or taking the waer to the stock; or by having a well and a rough in the pasture ground. The sura of the whole argument against our >resent disastrous fence system is, that all armers are compelled to build and keep up ences which they do not need, because some :attle-owners desire to graze their stock on and which they do not own. I should add that provender for stock would le greatly increased in product, and conse[uently cheapened, by the greater area that /ill surely be cultivated, should all fencing ?e dispensed with. I have thus dwelt at length upon the reaons which should operate in favor of the abilition of our fence laws,?first?because I lelieve that such abolition would be the first tep taken by South Carolina in the adoption if a progressive system of agriculture, in zhich we are signally behind the age?and econd?because it has heretofore been the >opular, but erroneous doctrine in this State, hat our present fence law is adapted to the >rotection of the poor farmer or cattle-owner .gainst the landed proprietor or wealthy farner. So far is this doctrine from being founled on fact, or even deduciblo by reasonable nference, that in many other States where he "no-fence law" is of force, the small and >oor farmers are the very class who most loudy protest against any change in their laws ou his subject. T? iUlrt T rt fllr TTAI1 ? A Ar\OI ^ OVO f mn JLL1 LUia UUUUCUUUU X OOIV. JUUI V/Uuoiugi UIIW11 if the following extract from the presentment if the Grand Jury of Fairfield county, at the )ecember term of the"Court, which has been orwarded to me by the Clerk of the Court of aid county: It will be seen thereby, that the grand jury inanimously recommend the repeal of the ence law in that county : "The grand jury unanimously present to the lonorable Court, that the existing fence laws, if force in this State, are an evil and an enumbrance to the country. Whatever utility hese laws may have subserved in a former >eriod of our country, it is certain that now hey constitute a system unnecessary, unjust, ,nd burthensome to all, and especially to the >oor and humble tillers of the soil, and are inknown to the most enlightened agricultural oun tries in the world. By statistics collectd from the report of the agricultural departtient for 1871, it appears that the value of encing in this State suras up twenty-one railions, one hundred and thirty-six thousand ight hundred and ninety-six dollars. The alue of cattle in this State suras up two railions four hundred and one thousand two lundred and fifty-two dollars. Apportioning he former value pro rata to this county, we lave a value of fencing in this county, mounting to six hundred and forty thousand lollars ; while the total value of cattle fenced n by this system of fencing in this county, is ne hundred and nine thousand nine hundred nd five dollars, disclosing the astounding fact hat we employ six dollars' worth of fencing o restrain one dollar's worth of cattle. In eference to the relative effect of the repeal of hese laws upon the rich and the poor men f the country, the grand jury quotes from aid report: "There is also inequality in the ax which fencing bears upon the farmers, the ate of which increases with the decrease of he area. For example, a farmer enclosing a ection of land of six hundred and forty acres nth a cheap fence, costing about one dollar er rod, pays twelve hundred and eighty dolars for as many rods of land, or two dollars er acre; another, with a quarter section of ne hundred and sixty acres, pays six hundred nd forty dollars, or four dollars J)er acre; rhile a third, who is only able to hold forty cres, must pay three hundred and twenty | ollars, or eight dollars per acre?the poor lan, in this case, being burdened with an xtra mortgage of six dollars per acre, which is richer neighbor is not compelled to pay." An act repealing the fence laws may be iroperly passed, designating the counties, or arts of counties, to which it shall apply. Lll objections that are at all reasonable, it ppears to me, may be fully met by providing hat employers contracting with agricultural iborers shall be required to furnish pastur- 1 ge for not exceeding three head of cattle for ( ach one of the laborers employed. Persons ] iay also be authorized to enclose' pastures, nd to charge not exceeding one dollar per , ? ?1_ i?J nnura ior eacn neau ui came ps^uicu auu ttended to thereon ; the owner of such pas- ; jre to be held responsible for any damage one, or any loss to the owner of such cattle, i y their escaping from the enclosed pasture ] irough any fault or negligence of the pro- j rietor thereof. 1 And it should be further provided that the itting down, or the attempt to let down, any i asture fence, with a view to allow the cattle ! ) escape from such pasture, shall be declared 1 misdemeanor, and punishable with fine and 1 nprisonraent. Municipal corporations should also be re- | uired to keep a public pasture enclosed witbin < mile or two of the corporation limits, for ' le convenience of residents in the corpora- ' on, who may be charged a reasonable sum ; >r the requisite care and pasturage of their i attle." i He recommends that the existing militia iws remain untouched, and says that the limited numoer 01 arms 1U lue pusoeaaiuu ui the State will not permit of the arming of the whole of the National Guards at present, which is neither necessary nor expedient in a time of peace. The protection of the insect-destroying birds is urged, by recommending the passage of a law making it punishable by fine and imprisonment to kill, at any time, or to destroy the nests of certain insectivorous birds,?among which are enumerated the sparrow, robin, bluebird, martin, thrush, mocking-bird, swallow, meadow lark, finch, Ac. Statistics and lengthy arguments are adduced to show that these birds are the farmers' friends, and save annually millions of dollars' worth of crops from the ravages of worms and insects. A repeal of the jury law is recommended, providiug that the Board of Jury Commis sioners shall prepare jury lists and draw the jurors whenever it shall be necessary for the holding of any regular or special term of the Court of General Session or Common Pleas, in their respective counties. . A repeal of the agricultural lien laws is recommended as follows: "A celebrated writer upon governmental science made the remark, fouuded upon wide observation, that "the true art of government consists in governing as little as possible." This is no doubt, true, and was designed to enforce the correct principle that legislative enactment should not unnecessarily trammel individual enterprise or independence in the ordinary business relations of the citizen. The State, however, while it may not properly dictate in this particular, can, as a matter of public policy, wisely foster that system of private contracts that will, in the judgment of the Legislator, tend to advance the greatest good of the largest number of the people. In this view, and in the common interest of the agricultural laborer and the land owner, I earnestly recommend a speedy change in our existing agricultural lien laws. We are now working chiefly on the share system in the raising of crops. This is known as the Italian plan of "cropping," and it has kept the agricultural laborers of Italy poor for the past three centuries, and has greatly aided in making that country the symbol of a retrograde civilization. This mode of working lands breeds discontent among both employers and laborers, tends to frauds upon both, and multiplies litigation, while under it the laborer receives but little, if any, surplus from his labor. We should foster the English or "tenantry" system, which consists in the owner of the land renting his land, annually, or for a longer period, at a stipulated yearly rental. At present, this manifestly good system is not encouraged among us, as we have no statute making the rent for the land a lien upon any part of the tenant's crop. Thus landholders are afforded a good reason on which, in most instances, they refuse to rent their land to thoee who have nothing but their labor to depend upon. The lien law only secures those who advance supplies to carry on and make the crop, and these advances may cover the entire product of the land. This, too, should be corrected. The laborer, or tenant and his family, should be guarded against his own improvidence by statutory enactment, limiting the proportion of the crop that the lien for farm supplies shall cover. I, therefore, trust that, before the close of your present session, a lien law will be passed providing that the charge for the rental of ha land rmranant te t.hfi terms of the lease. shall constitute a preferred lien upon the crops raised thereon, during the continuance of such lease: Provided, That the lien for the yearly rent shall not cover more than onefourth of the annual crops. The lien for supplies advanced to carry on the farm should be restricted to one-half of the entire crop on which such advances are made." The Deaf, Dumb and Blind Asylum is alluded to in general terms. The number admitted during the fiscal year ending Octo31st, 1872, was forty-one, who, it is stated, are well cared for by an able, diligent and faithful corps of officers. On the subject of the State finances, the message holds the following language: "My sense of duty to your honorable bodies, and to those whom you represent, will not allow me to make any recommendation in regard to the debt of the State until I have amply fortified myself, by the judgment and approval of those whose efforts have been directed, for a long time past, to a discovery of a path of safety for the State from out of the labyrvnth of danger in which she is involved. I am unwilling to enter upon this grave and momentous subject until I can see my way clearly to the end. Haste to utter an opinion never proves its wisdom. Let us ask a patient waiting on the part of the people, and a temporary pacification of all their hopes and fears." The document concludes in the following language: "The present administration has entered upon the duties assigned it under the organic law and the statutes of the State, with a bankrupt treasury, and a shattered State credit. Its advent has been heralded by loud asseverations, on the part of political opponents, that it would doom the commonwealth to still deeper financial disaster, and enlarge the burdens of the people. These forecastings of coming evils to the State, although impelled originally by individual or party prejudice, also expressed the honest fears and sincere convictions of many good and estimable citizens. Happily those who urged them with malevolence were as devoid of the prescience of the prophet as they are of his charity. The Athenians built a column, and inscribed upon it the words "To time, who vindicates." It is for us to determine the irreversible decree of history as to whether our accusers have justly charged us. If we faithfully perform our duties to the State, we can, in this matter, safely repose our vindication upon the public judgment and the public conscience, which eventually are right; rarely, if ever, wrong. The passions that were heated in the fierce crucible of political antagonism ar$ now rapidly cooling, and men are temperately viewing the situation as it is. I ask only for this administration that it shall be judged by its work, and that its work shall be measured by the real difficulties that environ it Those difficulties are not insurmountable. The elements of material prosperity are being everywhere combined and developed in the State. It is for us to take care that no act of the State administration shall check this progressive movement. Our trust?which we hold solely for the benefit of the people?can be best discharged by enacting such legislation as will give additional impulse to all the useful industries and beneficial enterprises already in motion, and by a faithful and economical application of the public revenues to the objects defined by law. To this end, fellow-citizens of the Senate ind the House, my efforts, and those of the State officers who surround me, will not be wanting, and I am fully persuaded that yours will not be denied. I trust that your counsels for the common good of the whole people of the State will be constantly enlightened and fortified by the wisdom of the Omnipotent Ruler of the Universe, and that whatever may be the adverse judgment of men, each legislator will deserve and receive the approving sanction of his Dwn conscience in all his public actions. F. f. MOSES, Jr., Governor of South Carolina."