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Special Courts have bern petitioned t^r and ordered under this Act. In thc absence of any other available fund I have paid the salary and expenses ot the special judge as provided by this Act out of my contingent fund, lt seems to me that if these Special Courts are necessary, and arc to be held, that the G'.neral Assembly should provide a fund out of which thc salary and expenses of the special judge should be paid. 'l here is no doubt that there is need for relief, for in many of the Counties the business of the Courts is very much congested, and thc delays which are occasioned in thc termination pf suits very often cause parties to compromise and settle rather than go into thc Courts. I know that it is frequently argued that the present ma chinery is ample, and that the delays are caused by thc judges not pressing cases to trial, and on account of lawyers not being ready; but we should remember that the number of Counties has been in creased. Causes which are of sufficient importance to be carried into Court should Le considered with deliberation, and without undue haste, so that justice may bc administered. In Spartanburg County ahme there are now provided by law five regular terms of the Common Picas Court and six terms of the Sessions Court. Th?.: is an average of nearly one Court to the month for this County alone. It seems lo mc that it would bc in thc interest of economy and of thc dispatch of the business of thc Courts to increase the number pf circuits rather than to bc holding these extra and special terms. The addition of one or two circuits would not materially increase thc cost and would add very much to thc speedy adjudica tion of causes that are brought for trial. Under thc present arrange ment thc circuit judges arc kept on the circuit the greater portion o? their time, and have very little time left for the preparation of opinions. This is a matter which deserves and should receive your serious consideration. LOCAL LEGISLATION. In my iast Annual Message I directed the attention of the Legis lature to the inhibition contained in the Constitution against the passage of local ox special laws concerning certain subjects, and called their attention to the expense and evils of such legislation. I desire again to call your attention to this subject, and also to a recent decision of our Supreme Court, which has declared one of these local laws unconstitutional. Thc Court in delivering its opin ion on this subject in this particular case says : "In order that a law may bc general it must be of force in every County in the State, and whil? it may contain special provisions making its effect different in certain Counties, these Counties cannot be made exempt from its en tire operation." It has been the custom of the Legislature in many instances to pass a general law and then add a proviso exempting certain Counties from its operations. Almost every County in this State is an independent republic, with a separate and distinct County government law. and at almost every session of the Legislature changes and amendments arc made, so that it is difficult to know just what the law is in any County. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION. At the last session of the General Assembly two joint resolutions were passed submitting to the electors of the State two proposed amendments to thc State Constitution. The one proposed an amendment, to be known as Article I of Amendments to the Constitution, to authorize and empower the General Assembly to provide by law for thc condemnation and equitable assessment of lands for drainage purposes, to read as fol lows : "Thc General Assembly shall provide by law for the con demnation, through proper official channels, of all lands necessary for the proper draina' e of thc swamp and low lands of this State; hud shall also provide for thc equitable assessment of all lands so drained, for tho purpose of paying thc expenses of such condemna tion and drainage." The other to amend Section 7, Article VIII., of the Constitution, r elating to Municipal Bonded Indebtedness, by adding at the end thereof the following words: "Provided, That the limitation im posed by this section and by Section 5, Article IV., of this Consti tution shall not apply to bonded indebtedness incurred by the cities of Columbia, Rock Hill, Charleston and Florence, where the pro ceeds of said bonds arc applied solely for the purchase, establish ment, maintenance or increase of waterworks plant or sewerage system ; and by the city of Georgetown, when the proceeds of said bonds are applied solely for the purchase, establishment, main tenance or increase of waterworks plant, sewerage system, gas and electric light plants, where the entire revenue arising from thc operation of such plants, or systems, shall be devoted solely and ex clusively to the maintenance and operation of the same, and where thc question of incurring such indebtedness is submitted to the free holders and qualified voters of such municipality, as provided in the Constitution, upon thc question of other bonded indebtedness." Iloth of these proposed amendments were adopted by a majority of the votes cast in the general election. In thc latter there seems to have been a mistake made, and in stead of referring to Section 5, Article X., the amendment is made to refer to Section 5, Article IV., of the Constitution, which reads as follows : "Section 5. A Lieutenant Governor shall be chosen at the s'i???c." ?.??T?O it) tlftC Sttxnc i***X?*?*c** continue *** ^fl^***? ^01* X\\s sctty**^ period and be posses: :d of the same qualifications as the Governor, and shall, ex officio, be President of the Senate." 11 was thc purpose of thc amendment to have relation to Section 5 of Article X, of the Constitution, which, so far as it relates to this subject of municipal indebtedness, reads as fol'ows: "The bonded debt of any County, township, school district, municipal corporation or political division or subdivision of this State shall never exceed eight per centum of the assessed value of all the taxable property therein. And no County, township, municipal corporation or other political division of this State shall hereafter be authorized to in crease its bonded indebtedness if at the time of any proposed in crease thereof the aggregate amount of its already existing bonded debt amounts to eight per centum of the value of all taxable property therein, as ascertained by ?he valuation for State taxation. "And wherever there shall bc several political divisions or munici pal corporations covering or extending over the same territory, or portions thereof, possessing a power to levy a tax or contract a debt, then each of such political divisions or municipal corporations shall so exercise its power to increase its debt under the foregoing eight per cent, limitation that the aggregate debt over and upon any ter ritory of this State shall never exceed fifteen per centum of the value of all taxable property in such territory as valued for taxation by the State : Provided, That nothing herein shall prevent the issue of bonds for thc purpose of paying or refunding any valid municipal debt heretofore contracted in excess of eight per centum of the assessed value of ail the taxable property therein. Whether or not this error is fatal to the amendment proposed is \ matter for your consideration. I have felt it my duty to call the facts to your attention, for in order that thc proposed amendments sha?l have thc force of law they require ratification by your honorable bodies. A year ago 1 sent a Message io the Generai Assembly, trans mitting a memorial of certain citizens-Messrs. Edward McCrady, T. R. McGahan and others-in regard to thc* draining or our swamp lands. The message and memorial were referred to a special joint com mittee of the two Houses, but no action was taken directly upon the subject, because, as it was understood, it was found that under the Constitution there was no power in the Legislature to tax or assess lands for drainage purposes. Inasmuch as an amendment to the Constitution for this purpose has been approved by the people, and is now before you for final action, I earnestly recommend this matter to your consideration, and should the amendment to the Constitu tion o? which I have spoken be approved and finally enacted by you at this cession I again recommend, as I did last year, the establish ment of a commission to take the subject into consideration, to study it thoroughly and to devise- and suggest a scheme, if practicable, commensurate with its importance, to inaugurate and carry out this great work. As I said last year, the matter which has thus been broached should no longer be allowed to rest. These low lands must some day bc drained, and this area of miasma and death bc converted into a rich and healthful agricultural area, thus adding immensely to the taxable property of thc State, and affording a section which will in vite thc immigration of industrious and frugal people, who will seek it alike for the salubrity of its climate as for the fertility of its soil. I invite jour attention to the memorial upon the subject which you will find in the journals of the last General Assembly. APPORTIONMENT OF REPRESENTATION. Section 3 of Article III of the Constitution provides that, "Thc House of Representatives shaii consist ot one hundred and twenty four members, to be apportioned among the several Counties ac cording to the number of inhabitants contained in each. Each County shall constitute one election district. The enumeration of thc inhabitants for this purpose shall be ma^'e in the year 1901, and shall be made in the course of every tenth year thereafter, in such manner as shall be by law directed: Provided, That the General Assembly may at-any time in its discretion adopt the immediately preceding United States Census as a true and correct enumeration of the inhabitants of the severa! Counties, and make the apportionment of Representatives among the several Counties according to the said enumeration." Under this provision of the Constitution it becomes your duty either to order an enumeration of the people of this State for thc purpose of apportionment, or to adopt the enumeration as made by the United States last year. For your convenience I give herewith the population of each County according to the official count of the returns of the Twelfth Census, taken as of June 1, 1900, by the Uniteu States Government: Abbeville. ..33,400 Greenwood.28,343 Aiken.39,032 Hampton.23,738 Anderson.55728 Horry.23,364 Bamberg.17,296 Kershaw. 24,696 Barnwell.35,504 Lancaster. ..24,311 Beaufort.35?495 Laurens.37?382 Berkeley.30,454 Lexington.27,264 Charleston.88,006 Marion.35>i8i Cherokee.21,359 Marlboro.27,639 Chester.28,616 Newberry.30,182 Chesterfield.20,401 Oconee.23,634 Clarendon.28,184 Orangeburg.59*663 Colleton.33?452 Pickens.io?375 Darlington.32,388 Richland.45,589 Dorchester.16,294 Saluda. 18,966 Edgefield.25,478 Spartanburg.65,560 Fairfield.-..29,425 Sumter..51,237 Florence.28,474 Union..25,501 Georgetown.22,846 Williamsburg.31,685 Greenville. .. .53490 York.41,684 INSURANCE EXAMINER. In my last Annual Message I called the attention of the Legisla- . turc to the importance of an insurance: examiner. I repeat the recommendation then made. Fire and life insurance have taken deep root with our people, and thousands of dollars are paid out every year to insurance companies. These corporations obtain from the State the right to do business in the 9tate, and the State has thc right to inspect and supervise their work, and thus secure protection to the peoplevagainst bogus concerns. All Reputable companies would be glad to have such inspection. That you may have an idea of the extent of this business I desire to call your attention to the fact that there were, in 1899, 118 fire, life and accident insurance companies doing business in the State, and the license fees paid to the State amounted to $22,485.58. The total amount collected from the people in premiums amounted that year to $2,210,990.67, as you may see from the report of the Comptroller General. The figures for the past year cannot be given, inasfnuch as the report has not yet been completed ; but they will be no less, and possibly more. GEOLOGICAL STATE SURVEY. The importance and value of a good Geological Survey in connec tion with the development of any State can scarcely be overrated ; it is, indeed, indispensable to a complete utilization of all ?he natural resources of any State or country. Men are ever ready to take hold of and push forward any industry of promise that may be \icidentally or accidentally discovered. But ? the natural resources of a country are not always apparent, certainly not always on the surface-and even were they, the average man would seldom observe them. Especially is this true in the case of mineral deposits. It has been estimated that in Pennsylvania, previous to the establishment of its Geological Survey, enough money was expended in searching for coal and iron in the ordinary way of individual effort to have paid more than the entire cost of several Geological Surveys of the whole State. A thorough knowl edge of its geology has been secured ; all its mineral zones, and gas and oil belts, have been accurately mapped, and men no longer grope at random after what can now be secured by the intelligent use of the simple results of the State survey. They know definitely where to expect oil, gas, coal or iron, and the drill is not sent down as a mere experiment, nor are money and time wasted in haphazard risk and adventure. What is demanded today in the successful conduct of any business is systematized labor, and everything must proceed upon the basis of preconceived, well-studied plans. It is no less necessary to a proper development of a State's natural resources.. Thc mineral industries of this State are now receiving consider able attention, and a good Survey would undoubtedly prove of in calculable help and encouragement. The State of South Carolina is by no means deficient in mineral wealth, but just what unexplored treasures it holds can never be known unless an intelligent, vigorous, authorized survey be made. Aside from the resultant monetary value of such Survey, facts and statistics would be placed in the hands of ?he people that would enable them to recognize and utilize much natural resource not now even known to be in existence. An impetus would be given to mineralogical and geological study and work in our schools and colleges, where as yet they are considered rather insignificant and ot minor consequence ; and the coming gen ci^iiuu be prepared to take an active personal interest in the devel opment of their native State .along this line as they, now are inter ested in its mercantile, and agricultura!, and manufacturing progress. The United States Government furnishes any State as much ad ditional money toward State Surveys as such States themselves put into thc work-in most cases considerably more-and the question of State expenditures or increased State tax could not, therefore, conflict with popular desire. I submitted this matter to the last Legislature in a Special Mes sage, and the importance of the subject is such that it deserves con sideration at your hands; and if you -lo anything looking to the accomplishment of this work it will be a valuable contribution to the development o? the natural resources of the State. THE SOUTH CAROLINA INTERSTATE AND WEST IN DIAN EXPOSITION. By a concurrent resolution adopted at the iast session of the Gen eral Assembly o? this State the South Carolina Interstate and Wisc Indian Exposition was heartily endorsed, and the ad vaneen, en t of the great project was earnestly commended and urged urrori the entire people of our State. Encouraged by this spontaneous action, the projectors of the enterprise went to work with great energy, and a chartered'eorpora tion was organized, with a proposed capital stock of $250,000, of which amount nearly $200.000 has already been "'bscribecl. The Exposition has been extensively advertised throughout the United States, and the indications are that it will be largely patron ized. It has been officially noticed in the. recent Annual Messages and otherwise by the Chief Executives in several-of the States of thc Union, and it is hoped wiii receive substantial encouragement from those States. A bill appropriating $250,000 for a Government exhibit at the Exposition is now pending in the Congress of the United States, and has passed the Senate. Not only will the industries and resources of our own and neigh boring States be brought to public notice, but those of the West Indies as well. It is intended especially to afford to the agricultural and manufacturing interests of our State an opportunity such as has never before been enjoyed, of publishing to the world their extent, value and importance. A very eligible site, embracing some one hundred and fifty acres, on the shores of Ashley River, in the City of Charleston, has been secured, and the work of construction has been commenced. The plan and scope o< the undertaking has been, made so familiar to all that it is not necessary to enlarge on the same at this time. Application has been made to the State of South Carolina for an appropriation of $50,000 to assist in developing the Exposition, and I commend this appeal to your favorable consideration. The State of New York voted the sum of $300,000 in aid of the Buffalo Expo sition'; and the State of Nebraska appropriated $150,000 to the Omaha Exposition; and the State of Tennessee voted the sum of $50,000 in aid of the Nashville Exposition, and the amounts so ex pended were returned manifold to the people of the above named States in the results attained. In view of the fact that our State; has heretofore made liberal appropriations for the Expositions held at New Orleans and at Atlanta, the appeal in behalf of our own Expo sition comes with great force. MEDICAL COLL?GE. The Medical College of the State of South Carolina, though not a State institution, has again placed at the disposal of the Governor several scholarships, one from each Congressional District, which carry with them free tuition. The appointments were made by me ; and I beg to commend the liberality of this institution and the good work it is doing for the State. PHpSPHATE DEPARTMENT. The royalty received by the State from the phosphate beds is not 30 much for the past year as it was for 1899. In 1899 the State received $34,928.69. In 1900 the State received $21,331.36. This dc J not mean that there has been less rock mined, for the Inspec tor's report will show to the contrary, but is owing to the inability of the companies mining to secure transportation for the rock, . as there are now about 70,000 tons in the vicinity of Beaufort ready for shipment. There have been a number of inquiries to the Phosphate Inspector from capitalists out of the State, asking about the location of the phosphate beds, and especially of the river deposits. A map showing the State's phosphate beds might be worth a great deal to South Carolina. I would recommend that you appropriate the sum of $ i,000.00 for this purpose, to be expended under the direction of the State Board of Phosphate Commissioners, and that you appro priate the sum of $300.00 to pay the per diem and necessary expenses of the State Board of Phosphate Commissioners. For further infor mation regarding the Phosphate Department I would refer you to the full and complete report of the Phcsp: ate Inspector. SINKING F?ND. Your attention is directed to the report of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund. The following summarized statement ^hows the amount of Sinking Fund assets, and how invested: Statement of Assets of the "Ordinary Sinking Fund" on Dec. 31, 1900: Dec. 31, 1900. Loans at 5 per cent, to Counties.$35-500.00 Dec. 31, 1900. Cash Deposited in Banks, Dec. 31, ijOoo, belong to Escheated Es tates.. .. .. ._.. .......... ..$ 1,697.00 Dec. 31, 1900. Belonging .to Sinking Fund ; proper...\ '.... 13,374-83- i5?<>7i-83 Dec. 31, 1900. Amount of Assets of "Ordi nary" Sinking Fund... .. $50,571.83 Statement of assets of the "Cumulative Sinking Fund" on Dec. 31, 1900: Dec. 31, 1900. Permanent investments in S. C. 41-2 Brown and Blue Stock.. .. *. .. . .$ 35,728.56 Dec. 31, 1900. Loaned to Counties at 5 per cent, in terest. 106,942.83 Dec. 31, 1900. Loaned to Commission for completion of State House at 4 per cent.. 5.500.00 . Dec. 31, 1900. Deposited in Batiks at 4 per cent. ;n terest, payable monthly, but unse- j cured, except by the credit of the Bank wherein deposited. ... .. 241,030.84 Dec. 31, iQoo. Total amount pf assets on Dec. 31, 1900.$389,202.23 '..*.. '_. . . ) Attention is called to the manner in which the character of the Sinking Fund ??>ans have changed with the raising of the. rate of interest from 41-2 per cent. >o 5 per cent. The reports of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund from 1896 to 1900 as to the Cumulative Sinking Fund show : That on Dec. 31, 1896, there was loaned to banks, at 41-2 per cent, interest, and secured not only by the credit of the bank, but also,, by a deposit by the bank with the State.Treasurer, as collateral.se curity, Si C. Brown 4 1-2 per. cent. Bonds (of face value same as/ amount ot loan), $173,984.22, .and deposited .in .banks at only 4 per cent, interdi, unsecured, except by the credit of the bank wherever, deposited, isnly $2,816.03. On Feb. 25, 1897, the law was changed authorizing the Fund to be loaned to Counties, at 5.per cent., which: was also the rate of in terest on all loans. At the time of the passage of this Act nearly all thc Fund was loaned to banks at 4 y? per cent., secured not only b? ?SawH??aVtVv