Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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?HOTT & 00., Proprietors. ANDERSON C. H., S. O, THURSDAY MORNING, JANUARY 8, 1874. VOLUME IX.?NO. 26. Acts of the Legislature. AH* ACT to punish persons for the re? moval or secreting of personal prop? erty levied on by the sheriff or other officers. Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina, now met and sitting in General As? sembly, and by the authority of the same: Section 2. That whoever, with intent to de? fraud, removes or secretes personal property, which has been attached or levied on by the Sheriff, or any other officer, authorized by law to make such attachment or levy, shall be held guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a period of not less than sixty days, nor more than one year, or by fine of not less than one hundred dollars, nor more than two hundred: Provided, That the person whose property is attached or levied upon shall have been duly served with a copy of the writ of attachment. Approved November 19, A. D. 1873. AN ACT to raise supplies for the fiscal year commencing november 1ST, 1873, and to alter and amend the law in relation to the collection of taxes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina, now met and setting in General Assembly, and by the authority of the same: Section 1. That a tax of one and a quarter mills upon every dollar of the value of all taxable property in this State be, and the same is hereby levied to meet appropriations to pay the salaries of the executive and judicial offi? cers, of the State, the clerks and contingent expenses of the executive and judicial depart? ments of the government, for the fiscal year commencing November 1, 1873. Section 2. That a tax of one and one quarter (1}) mills upon every dollar of the value of all the taxable property in this State be, and the same is hereby, levied to meet appropriations for the support and maintenance of the penal, charitable and educational institutions of the State, exclusive of common schools, for the fiscal year commencing November 1, 1873. Section 3. That a tax of two (2) mills upon every dollar of the value of all taxable proper? ty in this State be, and the same is hereby, levied to meet appropriations for the support and maintenance of public schools for the fiscal year commencing November. 1, 8173: Provided, That the amount raised by the levy in this section in excess of three hundred thou? sand dollars be apportioned among the several | counties, as the free school fund is now appor? tioned, to be applied to the payment of teach? ers' claims in said counties, and pro rota upon said claims. Section 4. That a tax of one and a half (H) mills upon every dollar of the value of all taxable property in this State be, and the same is hereby, levied to meet appropriations to de? fray the expenses of the General Assembly for the extra session of 1873, and the regular ses? sion commencing November 25, 1873. Section 5. That a tax of one mill upon every dollar of the value of all taxable property iu this State be, and the same is hereby, levied to meet appropriations for public printing for the fiscal year commencing November 1, 1873. Section 6. That a tax of three and one-quar? ter mills upon every dollar of the value of all taxable property in this State be, and the same is hereby, levied to pay the deficiency or un? paid appropriations of the fiscal year which commenced November 1, 1872; and a tax of three-quarters of a mill is hereby levied to pay the claim of the South Carolina Banking and Trust Company, now held by Hardy Solomon, Esq., or as much thereof as may be neces? sary. Section 7. That a tax of one mill on every dollar of the taxable property of this State be, and the same is hereby, levied to pay the half yearly interest upon the public "debt of this State, (as adjusted at the present session,) due and payable on the 1st of July, 1874. ?Section 8. That a tax not to exceed three (3) mills upon every dollar of the value of all tax? able property in each of the several counties of this State be, and the same is hereby, levied for county purposes for the fiscal year com? mencing November 1, 1873, the rate to be fixed by the county commissioners of each county, and by them certified to the county auditor thereof, except the counties of Greenville and Pickens, in which the county commissioners shall levy a tax of five (5) mills, two mills of which shall be devoted exclusively to the pay? ment of the past indebtedness of said county ; and Spartanburg county four (4) mills, one (1) mill of which shall be used exclusively for the liquidation of past due indebtedness for the building of bridges: Provided, That the re? strictions of this section shall not apply to such counties as are now authorized by law to levy a tax for special purposes: Provided, further, That the county commissioners of Charleston county are hereby directed to cause to be levied and collected, in the same manner and at the same time as other county taxes are collected, a special tax of two (2) mills on the dollar on all taxable property of the county, to pay the past indebtedness of the county; the said funds so raised to be kept in the treas? ury by the treasurer, subject to the passage of an act of the General Assembly to provide for the payment of the past indebtednosss of the county; and the county commissioners and the county treasurer are prohibited from using said funds for any purpose whatsoever until the passage of the act herein contemplated ; and in the county of Oconee the county com? missioners are hereby directed to levy and col? lect an additional tax of one and one-half {V.) mills on all the taxable property of the county to pay the past indebtedness of Baid county. Section 9. That the proceeds from the taxes levied in the first seven sections of this act shall be kept by the State treasurer separate and apart from each other and from other pub? lic funds, and shall be applied to the purposes for which they are respectively levied, and none other. Section 10. That so much of section 72, of chapter 12, of title 3, of part 1, of the General Statutes as directs the State auditor on or be? fore the 15th of November, annually, to give notice to each county auditor of the rate per centum authorized by law to be levied for vari? ous State purposes be, and the same is hereby, repealed; and the county auditors and county treasurers of this State are hereby required, without further notice, to proceed, on and after ! January 1, 1874, under the supervision of the Comptroller General, to the collection of the taxes herein levied, in the manner prescribed by law; and they are hereby forbidden to col "ect, or cause to bo collected, any other tax whatever, unless hereafter expressly authorised bo to do: Provided, That nothing herein con? tained shall prevent the collection of district Bchool taxes, poll tax, railroad tax, and taxes levied for the relief of widows and orphans of persons killed because of their political opin? ions, or special tax as authorized by law for county purposes. Any State or county officers who shall offend against any of the provisions j of this act shall be deemed guilty of a felony, \ and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished j by a hue of ?ul less than one thousand dollars or more than fifty thousand dollars, and by imprisonment in the State penitentiary for a eriod of not less than one year or more than ve years. Section 11. That all taxes assessed and pay? able under this act shall be paid in the follow? ing kind of funds: United States currency, gold and silver coin, national bank notes and certificates of indebtedness authorized by this General Assembly and issued to the Republi? can Printing Company, pursuant to the act approved November 19, 1873; and on receiving any of said certificates for taxes, the county treasurers shall cancel the same, by writing the word "canceled" on the back of each cer? tificate so received, and attaching his official signature thereto ; and the State treasurer shall report to the General Assembly, at the next regular session, the total amount of such cer? tificates returned to him by the county treasur? ers respectively. Approved 22nd day of December, 1873. State of South Carolina, 1 Office Secretary of State. J I, H. E. Hayne, Secretary of State, do hereby certify, that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the original now on file in this office. H. E. Hayne, Secretary of State. Washington News and Gossip. Washington, Dec. 30,1873. The sinking of the Virginius is regarded in administration circles, not a3 an irreparable misfortune, but rather as a lucky accident, which relieves the government of the trouble and expense which otherwise it would have been called upon to meet in the final disposition of the ship. But though it is not likely now that Spain will demand the restoration to her of the Virginius as a lawful prize, Mr. Fish will have something yet to do before he can boast of a complete and satisfactory settlement of this business. It is understood here that among the claims which Spain will urge upon our government, in view of a definite settle? ment of our Spanish complications growing out of Cuban affairs, will be a demand for in? demnity for the acts of the Virginius, as a cruiser under the United Stales flag in the service of the Cuban insurgents. The ground for this demand will be that the case of the Virginius is analagous to that of the famous Anglo-rebel cruiser, the Alabama, and, in some appeal of this character, it is probable the Spanish government will propose another tri? bunal of arbitration. Unquestionably the timid temporizing course and apologizing disposition of our State Department upon all our difficulties and :ndignities suffered in our relations with the Island of Cuba during the last five years has encouraged Spaiu to hope in the end even to bind our government to the conditions of an active ally in the maintenance of her authority over the Cuban insurgeuts. The appointment of General Caleb Gushing to be the successor of Geueral Sickles as Min? ister to Spain continues to excite comment concerning the character of the inttructions he will receive from the Department of State after the confirmation of the nomination by the Senate. Although usage is opposed to an open declaration of the line of diplomacy to be pur? sued, it can be stated, with truth, that one of the subjects to which Mr. Gushing will give his attention will be the policy of political and administrative reforms in Cuba, as the best means calculated to restore peace to that island and promote its prosperity, and among those reforms is included the abolition of slavery in the Antilles. Thes" views have re? peatedly been enforced, both in the President's annual message and the official correspondence of Secretary Fish, and have been often com? municated to the Spanish Cabinet. It will be recollected that several years ago our govern? ment tendered its good offices to Spain in the hope of Cuban pacification, but they were re spectfally declined on the basis suggested. It is not improbable that a similar tender will again be made by the new Minister, as the administration will resort to every proper ex? pedient for the purpose of restoring peace and protecting American iuterests in Cuba and the adjacent waters. There can be no doubt that an effort will be made to conclude a new com? mercial treaty with Spain, the only one ever made with that power being that of 1795, which is one of friendship, limits and naviga? tion. Some persons, dissatisfied with the course of the administration respecting the Virginius, are inventing and propagating false and groundless statements, which deserve contradiction. Thus, it has been averred that Mr. Cushing wrote or dictated an article in a Washington paper criticising the opinion of Attorney General Williams. There is the best authority for say? ing that this report is utterly .destitute of a shadow of foundation. Thus it is also asserted or implied that Mr. Cushing has been the agent of the Spanish government, both under the monarchy and republic, which is also untrue. On the contrary, before going to Geneva, he was the agent of the United States against the Spanish government, and at that time and since has been counsel or agent for various citizens of the United States having claims against Spain founded on wrongs perpetrated by the Spanish authorities in Cuba, which are the only interests of any sort which he has bear? ing upon the present relations between the United States and Spaiu. The incorrect ru? mors on this subject possibly arise from the fact of his having been for several years coun? sel or agent of the Mexican Republic.?N. Y. Herald. Don't be Too Critical.?Whatever you do, never set up for a critic. We dou't mean a newspaper one, but in private life, in the do? mestic circle, in society. It will not do any one any good, and it will do you harm?if you miuu being called disagreeable. If you don't like any one's nose, or object to any one's chin, don't put your feelings into words. If any one's manners don't please you, remember your own. People are not all made to suit one taste ; recol? lect that. Take things as you find them, unless you can alter them. Even a dinner, after it is swallowed, cannot be made any better. Con? tinual fault-finding, continual criticism of the conduct of this one and the speech of that one, the dress of the other and the opinions of t'oth? er, will make home the unhappiest place under the sun. If you are never pleased with any one, no one will ever be pleased with you. And if it is known that you are hard to suit, few will take pains to suit you.?Hearth and Home. ? It is very easy to say, take things as they come, but suppose they don't come? ? A genius is popularly supposed to be one who can do anything except make a living. ? Delays are dangerous. When a marriage has been agreed upou and the day of execution fixed, it is running a great risk to postpone the ceremony on account of the weather. Four times did Mrs. Peru, of Delta, Iowa, adjourn her daughter's wedding, because, when the happy day came round, it rained. At last dawned a sweet, calm and clear morning, and nothing was wanting save the bridegroom.? Worn out.by delay, he had changed his mind and deserted the maiden Peruvian. Nationality of the Virginias?Opinion of the Attorney General. Wo present below the opinion of the Attor? ney General of the United States in relation to \ the nationality of the captured steamer Vir- j ginius. From this decision it will be seen that the Virginius was not legally entitled to fly the ; American flag. But this fact did not, in the opinion of the Attorney General, give Spain the right to capture the steamer on the high seas. The following is the full text of the Attorney General's decision: Washington, December 17,1873. Hon. Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State : Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 11th instant, sub? mitting to me a large number of documents and depositions, and asking for my opinion as to whether or not the Virginius, at the time of J her capture by the Spanish man-of-war Torna? do, was entitled to carry the flag of the United States, and whether or not she was carrying it improperly and without right at that time. This question arises under the protocol of j the 29th ultimo, between the Spanish minister and the Secretary of State, in which among other things it is agreed that on the 25th in? stant Spain shall salute the flag of the United States. But it is further provided that "If Spain should prove to die satisfaction of the United States that the Virginius was not enti? tled to carry the flag of the United States, and was carrying it at the time of the capture without right and improperly, the salute will be spontaneously dispensed with, as in such case not being nesessarily rcquirable, but the United States will expect in such case a dis? claimer of the intent of indignity to its flag in the act which was committed." Section one of the act of December 31, 1792, provides that ships or vessels registered pursu? ant to such act, "and no other, except such as shall be duly qualified, according to law, for carrying on the coasting trade, and denomina? ted and deemed ships or vessels of the United States, arc entitled to the benefits and privileg? es appertaining to such ships." Section four of the same act provides for an oath by which, among other things, to obtain the registry of a vessel, the owner is required to swear "that there is no subject or citizen of any foreign prince or State, directly or indirectly, by way of trust, confidence or otherwise, interested in such ship or vessel, or in the profits or issues thereof." Obviously, therefore, no vessel in which a foreigner is directly or indirectly in? terested is entitled to United States registry ; and if one is obtained by false oath as to that point, and the fact is that the vessel is owned or partly owned by foreigners, she cannot be deemed a vessel of the United States, or enti? tled to the benefits or privileges appertaining to such vessels. The Virginius was registered in New York on the 26th of September, 1S70, in the name of Fattcrson, who made oath, as required by law, but the depositions submitted, abundantly show that in fact Patterson was not the owner at that time, but that the vessel was the property of certain Cuban citizens in New York, who furnished the necessary funds for her purchase. J. E. Shepherd, who commanded said vessel when she left New York with a ccitificate of her register in the name of Patterson, testifies positively, that he entered into an agreement to command said vessel at an interview between Quesada, Mora, Patterson and others, at which it was distinctly understood, that the Virginius belonged to Quesada, Mora and other Cubans, and that the said Mora exhibited to him re? ceipts lor the purchase money and for the repairs and supplies upon said steamer, and explained to him how said funds were raised among the Cubans in New York. Alphonse de Varona, who was the secretary of the Cuban misssion in New York at the l time the Virginius was purchased, and after j wards sailded in her as Quesada's chief of staff, testifies that he was acquainted with all the details of the transaction, and knows that the Virginius was purchased with the funds of the Cubans and with the understanding and ar? rangement that Patterson should appear as the nominal owner, because foreigners could not obtain a United States register for the vessel. Francis Bowen, Charles Smith, Edward Greenwood, John McCann, Matthew Murphy, Ambrose Rawlings, Thomas Gallagher, John Furlong, Thomas Anderson, and George W. Waller, who were employed upon the Virgini? us in various capacities aftersne was registered in the name of Patterson, testify clearly to the effect that they were informed and understood while'they were upon the vessel that she be? longed to Quesada and the Cubans represented by him, and that he navigated, controlled and treated such vessel in all respects as though it was his property. Nothing appears to weaken the force of this testimony, though the witnesses were generally subjected to cross-examination ; but on the contrary, all the circumstances of the case tend to its corroboration. With the oath for regis? try, the statute requires a bond to be given signed by the owner, captain, and one or more sureties; but there were no sureties upon the bond given by Patterson and Shepherd. Pains have been taken to ascertain if there was any insurance on the vessel, but nothing of the kind has been found. And Quesada, Varona and the other Cubans who took passage upon the Virginius, instead of going ou board at the wharf in the usual way ; went aboard off a tug after the vessel had left the harbor of New York. I cannot do otherwise than to hold, upon this evidence, that Patterson's oath was false, and that the registry obtained in his name was a fraud upon the navigation laws of the United States. Assuming the question to be what appears to conform to the intent of the protocol, whether or not the Virginius at the time of her capture had a right, as against the United States, to carry the American flag, I am of the opinion that 6he had no such right, because she had not been registered according to law, but am also of the opinion that she was as much ex? empt from iuterferrence on the high seas by another power on that ground, as though she had been lawfully registered. Spain, no doubt, has a right to capture a vessel with an Ameri? can register and carrying tho American flag, found in her own waters, assisting, or endeav- j oring to assist, the insurrection in Cuba, but she has no right to capture such a vessel on the high seas upon an apprehension that in violation of the neutrality or navigation laws of the United States she was on her way to j assist said rebellion. Spain may defend her territory and people from the hostile attack of | what is, or appears to be, an American vessel; , but she has no jurisdiction whatever over the : question as to whether or not such vessel is on the high seas in violation of any law of the United States. Spain cannot rightfully raise j that question as to the Virginius. but the Uni- j ted States may, and, as I understand the proto col, they have agreed to do it, and governed by that agreement, and without admitting that Spain would otherwise have any interest In the question, I decide that the Virginius, at the time of her capture was without right and im? properly carrying the American flag. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, George H. Williams, i Attorney General. The Southern Historical Society. GENERAL WADE HAMPTON'S CIRCULAR. To the Editors of the Baltimore Gazette: As it is impracticable to approach all who take an interest in the Southern Historical Society by correspondence or personal application, it seems to me that the best course to present the claims of tli 13 institution to our people is through the agency of such people as are fa? vorable to the enterprise. The attention of those most interested will thus be called to it, and zeal in its behalf will be aroused. The Society was organized in New Orleans in 1869, with the Parent Society in that city, and a Vice-President was appointed in each Southern State, the Rev. B. M. Palmer, a distinguished divine, being President of the whole organiza? tion. The object of the society was to collect and preserve, in an enduring form, the rich and abundant materials of history scattered throughout the South, but which are fast per? ishing for want of the proper care to their pre? servation. It was proposed "that this collec? tion of the raw material of history should, as rapidly as gathered, be collated and digested, and should form the basis of a thorough, truth? ful, and, as far as possible, a documentary his? tory of our people and of our times. * * * The work itself is too noble, too patriotic, too necessary to be abandoned ; and the thought is intolerable of leaving the vindication of our principles and of our brave and martyred dead to the honesty of some chance antiquarian of the future who may mourn over the loss of re? cords which it should be our business to pre? serve." Dr. Palmer, whose language is quoted in the extract above, goes on to say why the society has not met with the success desired, and giving as two reasons?-1st, the location of the Parent Society in New Orleans, which, "situated at the edge of our common country, is almost entirely commercial in its pursuits, with a population less stable than elsewhere; with fewer men of cultivated leisure, and above all, in a State so heavily borne down by its political troubles, that whatever of public spirit exists, is absorbed with the difficulties of a peculiarly oppressed condition. In the second place, the experience of the past few years has demonstrated that no reliance can be placed on a voluntary and diffuse agency, even for the collection of the materials which lie in such abundance around us. The work is one of too much detail, and the men who are competent to the task are too much engrossed with their private business to warrant the expectation of its being accomplished by this means. It must be made the special duty and sole occupation of some one party to go about from State to State and gather this scattered material wher? ever he could find it." In addition to these reasons, so cogently expressed by the President of the society, which have militated against its success, there was one other equally grave. No provision was made by the society for the pub? lication of its records, and our people could not feel that vital interest in this enterprise they would have done had the important and raluable papers collected by the society been regularly placed before them. All these diffi? culties which beset the path of our young soci? ety have been removed ; two of them?the first and last?with complete success, for the domi? cile of the parent society has been established in Richmond, and it has been arranged that all records collected shall be regularly published in the Southern Magazine, of Baltimore, one of the ablest periodicals of the country. The Executive Committee of the Society have endeavored to overcome the second obsta? cle in the way of success by doing me the honor to ask that I would undertake the task of col? lecting the material for our future history, and thus aiding the society by placing in its posses? sion the best vindication of our people which cau be bequeathed to our posterity. This task appeals so strongly to my patriotism and seems so vital to the welfare, the safety, the honor of the South, that I have accepted it, in the hope that though my efforts to accomplish it may fall far short of the success the work itself deserves, they will not be totally unavailing. In this hope, I appeal to every man, and to every wpman of the South, who has a pride in our past glory or our future honor; who wishes to place upon the record for all time to come the vindication of our. people; who desires to see the whole truth laid before the august tri? bunal of History; who cherishes amid all these evil times love and reverence for our heroic dead, or who hopes that our children shall not denounce their fathers as rebels and traitors, to aid this sacred work. To insure the success of the society, it will be necessary to obtaiu a large membership, so that the unavoidable expenses incident to its work may be met. A subscription of seven dollars per annum makes one a member, and entitles the subscriber?male or female?to re? ceive all the publications of the society; to? gether with the Southern Magazine for one year. A subscription of fifty dollars consti? tutes a life member with all the privileges. All who may wish to assist the Society can com? municate with me, care of Messrs. Trumbull Brothers, No. 8 North Charles street, Balti? more, or can enroll themselves as members by application to the State and local agents, who will be appointed. Commending the praise? worthy and patriotic work contemplated by the Society to the good will and support of our people, I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Wade Hampton, General Agent S. H. S. Encouraging to Young Men.?The Staun ton Vindicator gives the annexed striking illus? tration of what energy will accomplish, when well directed: In ISO") a poor young man without friends,lcft Staunton for the West. He hadn't 50 ecnts in change in his pocket, and made the first day's journey, nearly seven miles, with only one meal, and that consisted of but a few buckwheat cakes, so hot he could hardly eat them, and a single partridge and some oysters that some one had taken the shells off. His frank manner and close attention to business gained his employer's confidence aud he married his daughter.? When he came back last week to visit the scenes of his youth he said he was doing finely. He had nine children, a salary of two hundred dollars a year as brakesman of a leading rail? road, and didn't owe a cent in the world, having taken the bankrupt law. It is such examples as these that show what energy in a young man may do, and that friends and money are not al? ways the most desirable things in this cold world. ? "What do you sell those fowls for?" in? quired a person of a man attempting to dispose of some chickens of questionable appearance. "I sell them for profits," was the answer. "Thank you for the information that they are prophets," responded the querist; "I took them to be patriarchs !" ? Sixteen men have the same mother-in-law in Iowa. She is probably equal to the emer? gency. ? American steels are said to bo fully equal (o English steels, hut American steals are cer? tainly far ahead of anything in the world. From the Southern Watchman. The Chicago and Sonth Atlantic Railroad. Franklin, N. C, Dec. 1st, 1873. Dear Sir: I do not often trouble newspaper editors with long tirades about common mat? ters, but there is one question so vital to all Eesteru Georgia as well as Western North Carolina, that I beg of you to allow me to pre? sent a few suggestions through your paper to the people interested in it. I attended, with other delegates, the railroad convention which met at Chicago on the 9th of October last, the object of which was to con? sider the practicability of constructing a great trunk railway from the North-eastern Lakes to the Southern seaboard. The project is certain? ly one of much interest to both sections, be? cause it involves the development of mutual interests and mutual resources. I think I see in it the dawning of a better day both to the South and to the West. At Feast the facts so present it to my miod. The people of the great agricultural States of the West are constantly subjected to ruinous revenues levied, by middle men and specula? tors, upon their products. These levies, in some instances, amount to as much as two hundred per cent. Of this the consumers of the South pay a large part. This enormous sum goes to build up Northern and Eastern monopolies, and only tends to weaken and im? poverish the West and the South. Justice, as well as self-protection, demand a remedy for these evils; aud direct commercial relations, by the shortest and cheapest route, between the immense grain depots of the West and the principal planting region of the South, would in a great measure relieve both sections from this oppressive extortion. It would also fortify these two sections against the monetary and stock gambling which so often derange and oppress our commercial transactions. As things now stand, these stock jobbers and money gamblers control and ship all the gold from the country, and at their will drive the currency from circulation. By such policy as this they frequently force a good deal of cot? ton upon the market at one-half or one-third its intrinsic value, while their agents buy it in and amass immense fortunes in asingle season. Such is at least the result. To prevent the frequent recurrence of evils so fatal to Southern commerce strong, practical measures ought to be adopted by the planters of the South and the fanners of the West; and if they apply themselves with a hearty good-will to this groat railroad scheme they can accomplish it. There is another point in this subject worthy of serious consideration. The West and the South once united by strong commercial inter? ests, aud freed from the burdens imposed upon them by the North and the East, would be able to establish, on a firm basis, direct export and import trade with foreign countries. Our cot? ton, which must always command gold, would bring that gold to the South and the West, where it would enter into legitimate commer? cial transactions instead of Wall street gamb? ling. This would render these Southern and Western sections independent of New York and New England speculations. So long, how? ever, as we remain in this state of subjection to soulless monopolies we never can rise to that commercial and social status which our natural and productive resources would, under other circumstances, warrant. There is another view of this question full of significance. The present low price of cotton is uot due to any fulling off in the demand for it. There is not such supply in excess of the demand either in Europe or in this country as to depreciate its value. Nor have cotton fabrics so diminished in price as to require a reduction in the value of raw cotton. It is the result of stock and commercial gambling by an insolent and inflated monopoly. It is in? deed, one of the means resorted to to sustain the waning fortunes of New England manu? facturers, and supply them with cheap stock for their mills for a year to come. And to me it seems a significant fact that on the heels of this jugglery a cry is raised for specie pay? ment. This is a very cool and bold stroke of policy wielding two fatal clubs?the one to secure cheap cotton for home consumption, and the other to absorb the gold whicli the re- | mainder brings into the country. By disabling the Southern planter it affects tho Western producer, and they are made mutual victims of an unholy passion for gain. This view of the question suggests the promptness with which we should unite and strike for commer? cial independence in direct exportation. I know of nothing so well calculated to emanci? pate the South and West from this ruinous monopoly and establish uniformity in the price of cotton and Western products, as this union of commercial interests by a grand trunk rail? way, and through the power of combined cap? ital establish an overwhelming direct trade with foreign nations. There is yet another point in this question vital to the future prosperity of the Southern and Western States. I hope you will bear with me while I allude to it. The day is not very far distant when a large portion of our staple must and will be manufactured in the sections where it is produced. While there is rapid progress in the arts, there is also rapid progress in the knowledge and development of the laws of physical science. There are certain physi? cal laws to which our cotton staple owes its superiority; and observation as well as investi-1 gation have long since convinced me that the same causes which produce this superiority arc essential to the highest perfection in its manu? facture. These natural forces will necessitate large manufacturing establishments all over the cotton growing region of the South. We shall then be able to furnish the West with superior yarns and domestic fabrics, and on better terms than they can be furnished by New England. It must then be the manifest interest of the North-west to bring their pro- ; ducts to our doors, and take our cotton and manufactured goods in exchange. I have scarcely a doubt that our yarns will also be in demand in European markets, and will enter largely into our list of exports. The considerations I have stated, I think, are all directly connected with this grand pa? triotic scheme for building a railway from Chicago to some good liarbor upon the Atlantic 1 seaboard. In order to make the enterprise a success, a good harbor must be secured and reached by , the shortest and cheapest route, and one that will insure the greatest number of valuable I connections, no that these connections shall be | both cumulative and distributive to the main line. These can only be secured through Ra bun Gap. I have been accustomed to look upon Au? gusta and Savannah as objective poiuts in this enterprize, and am much surprised that they manifest so little interest in it. They certainly ! have interests which could be subserved by it, i and it seems to me that they should take de- : cided action, and take it at once. In conclusion, allow me to say that I have ? written in this free manner because 1 believe j the agitation of questions so pregnant with the future weal of the South ana West will ulti- j mately ripen into matured plans and material measures for their consummation. Very truly your.*, C. D. Smith. The Tax-Payers' Convention. At a meeting of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, held on the 29th of December, Capt F. W. Dawson introduced the following resolution: Resolved, That in the opinion of this Cham? ber it is expedient that the Taxpayers' Conven? tion, which adjourned subject to the call of the president and executive committee, should be called together, at an early day, to take into consideration the present condition of the tax? payers of the State; and that the president of I the Chamber be requested to communicate this resolution to the president of the convention. In support of the resolution, Capt. Dawson showed briefly the circumstances which, at this time, urged the taxpayers of the State to do something to arrest the increase of taxa \ tion and the public plundering which were fast < driving the people to ruin. He called the at? tention of the Chamber to the fact that the amount of taxation was higher this year than ever before, and that there was scarcely a piece of property in the State which was not assessed for taxation at a higher price than it would bring if offered for sale in the market. He urged, too, that there was a better chance now of accomplishing practical results thau ever before, and that, as the movement which led to the Taxpayers' Convention originated in the Chamber of Commerce, the call for its re? assembling would most properly come from this body. The Funding bill, that compound of confiscation of property and of guilty con? fession, was in evidence to prove that the Radical officials had fraudulently issued five million dollars of State bonds. The whole country, from New York to San Francisco, was now convinced that the government of South Carolina was a monstrous abortion, and that many of its officers were little, if any, better than common thieves. The whole country was ready to lend its support to any non-polit? ical movement on the part of the honest people of the State. The rings were demoralized; their promises had been broken. The Mo9es administration was as profligate as its predeces? sor. This was the momem to move and keep on moving, until every dishonest public servant should be driven into the penitentiary or out of the State. He sincerely hoped the resolu? tion would meet with the approval of the Chamber. The resolution was .?econdecr by Col. Rich? ard Lathers, who gave a brief sketch of the work that had been done by the convention in 1871. He said that the convention then had been hoodwinked by Scott and his officials into making what would have been a white? washing report, had it not been for the fact that the committee had inserted in their report i that the statements were based upon the docu? ments furnished the committee bv the State officials, which they (the committee) would not vouch for. After the adjournment of the convention, he said, the frauds became more glaring than before. He had great confidence in the good results that would ensue from the reassembling of the convention at this time. He believed that the people in the North, and even the Republican members of the national government, sympathized with the honest peo? ple of the South ; but the people must first make an effort to help themselves before they could expect help from outside sources. He thought that the arrest of some of the robbers at Columbia would do much good. If the convention went to Columbia it would be joined by the honest men of both branches of the General Assembly. He hoped the resolution would pass and that the convention would as? semble speedily. He anticipated the best re suite. The resolution was unanimously adeptcd. The Tide of Immigration. The Charleston News and Courier says that Maj. Franz Melchers has received, during the past week, more than a hundred letters from farmers in the interior of the State, who are anxious to obtaiu white laborers or to settle white immigrants on their farms. Fifty immi? grants will arrive in Charleston on Friday, and sixty more will soon follow. One of the upper counties calls for a thousand immigrants, who can be had as soon as arrangements are made for the payment of the passage money and traveling expenses. The immigrants are near? ly destitute of means. What little money they brought with them from Europe has been con? sumed in New York. In all cases, therefore, the means of paying for the passage of the im? migrants from New York to their destination must be provided. This can be done either by the farmers who call for the immigrants, or by the citizens generally. A subscription of five thousand dollars would enable a body of four hundred hale and hearty immigrants to be sent to any county in the State. Major Melchers gives some important infor? mation on the subject of immigration in the following circular letter, which the Conserva? tive newspapers throughout the State are re? spectfully requested to copy: Charleston, December 23,1873. To the Citizens of South Carolina : In answer to numerous inquiries, I would most respectfully inform those citizens who kindly offered land gratis, in alternate sections, or who will sell their lauds at low rates, on a long credit, to immigrant?, that their offers have been filed in the office, and will be con? sidered when such immigrants as can make use of these offers arrive here. At present, there are about one thousand immigrants in New York who have spent their last dollar for board, and are not able to pay their passage to Charleston. If those could be secured for our State, a lasting benefit would be the result. The passage money, amounting to about thirty dollars for a family, may be sent to the undersigned at the time the laborers are ordered, and the immigrant would afterwards repay the same from his earnings. F. Melchers. ? To save money and amass a fortune, if it is done with a proper motive, is not only a lau? dable ambition, but a duty. It is duty to one's self, one's family and the community in which one lives. It is providing for old age, for calam? ity in business or sickness, for the means of helping the poor and relieving the oppressed. There can be no better instruction given a young man than that which impresses a true appreciation of the worth of money. ? Goldsmith's "Deserted Village" finds a counterpart in Middleford, Sussex county, Del. With the best water power in the State, it used to contain flourishing mills, and ship flour and corn meal to Europe. The machinery has lon? been idle, and the thirty houses have for years been given over to bats and owls. ? All the members of the Kentucky Legis? lature pay their fares on the railroads this season, at the suggestion of the railroad com? panies. _The man who would shine in conversa? tion must possess original ideas and stronjr sympathies?be ab'e both to to nmunicatc ar.d to listen. ? A gentleman writing a letter concluded it as follows: "Give Everybody's love to Every? body, so that Nobody may be aggrieved by Anybody being forgotten by Somebody."