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About Weekly chronicle & sentinel. (Augusta, Ga.) 1866-1877 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 1869)
Chronicle & Sentinel. WKDYKBDAY MOKMYG. FKBRIARV 8. The BullocS Kmbezzlement. To the exclusion of other matter wc publish this morning the correspondence between Dr. Angier and the so-called Governor, in reference to the embezzle ment of the State funds by Bullock. The tost of Legislative Clerical Services. The clerical services of the Legislature oost $45,352 at the first session of the Leg islature. Os thi- amount $20,387 were paid to the Secretary of the Senate for himself and subordinates ; $10,639 to the clerk of the House and his assistants : and $5,326 to clerks of Retrenchment and other Committees. The present clerical foroc of the Senate numbers (12) twelve clerks at nine dollars per day each. The pay of the Secretary is sl2 per day. A Confederate Reminiscence. The Washington correspondent of'the New York Timex has given the public some revelations concerning the attempt to remove Gen. Grant from the oommand of the Federal Army during the Mississippi campaign, and of a curious correspond ence between Generals Halleck and Banks pertaining to this point. It appears, ac cording to the Timet' narrative, that Hal leck had become displeased with Grant after the battle of Shiloh, and had sought hiß removal, offering the position to a Quartermaster by the name of Robert Allen, but had failed. In the Fall of 1882, the attempt was renewed by influences brought to bear on Lincoln in favor of Gen. McC'lernaad, who had been bold enough to declare that “he was tired furnishing brains for the Army of Tennessee.'' But this intrigue only resulted in assigning McClernand to an independent command. After the failure of the second assault on Vicksburg, a positive order was sent to Gen. Banks, then investing Port Hudson, to displace (Irani and assume the command of the army and operations at Vicksburg. This drew forth an expostulation from Banks against the policy of abandoning his position as the key of the Lower Mississip pi. This expostulation drew forth a re newal of the command accompanied by a sharn reprimand for previous disobedience of orders. The correspondence and in trigues were closed by the fall of Vicks burg This correspondence,it is promised, wib be published to the world. Grant has dome to the Knowledge of it, and Stanton, tired of official honors, has announced his determination to retire from public life. These revelations recall an incideut re lated to the writer by the late Confederate General, W r . H. T. Walker. About the time of the second assault on Vicksburg, a scout, attached, we believe, to Wirt Adams’ command, having duly reported, paid an evening visit to some army acquaintances. Heated in a small circle of subalterns around a camp fire of Course, he was the centre of attraction. Many incidents of adventures were told, and items concerning the news from the United States, and of operations of the “Yanks” were related. Among other things he stated that a plan had been proposed for creating a negro insurrection, with a simul taneous co-operative movement of the Federal army, but that General Grant had refused to join in carrying it out, saying that ho would inarch bis army back until the negro fighting was over; that, that was not his mode of warfare ; that this refusal had occasioned groat ill feeling toward the Federal commander ; that his removal was looked lor ; that General McClernand had come from Washington with au order in his pocket from Lincoln to assume com mand, which he had presented to Grant; hut that Grant had thrown the order into the fire, and told the General that his Di vision would move next morning at three o'clock, and advised him to go with it. It would be strange if subsequent his torical developments should prove the ex actness and faithfulness of a Confederate scout. fotlou and Resumption. The cotton crop last year (says the New York Express) will yield from 2,50Q,000 to 2,700,000 bales, which, at the prices re ceived, will exceed the income from the 5,000,000 bales produced bofore the war. Cotton, at 24 and 25 cents a pound in 1859, is a good deal more king than cotton at 10 cents a pound before the war, and especial ly when as in 1868, the South produced in food about all that the Southern people consumed. American cotton also now, as before the war, as u whole, is the best cot ton produced in the world. Its demand is unabated wherever cotton is manufactur” od, and will be just as long as it is pro duced. The income from it is as certain as the demand. On a belt of 600 miles of land there aro no such cotton lands in the world. All that is wanted is capital and labor, and it is a disgrace to the country, and especially to its mock philanthropy, that twice as much cotton was produced in a state of slavery as in a state of freedom, though this, we are sorry to say, is but a repetition of the practical freedom estab lished in Jamaica and St. Domiugo, where the cotton and sugar plantations went to ruin just as fast as the negroes obtained their freedom. But we expect different results at the South, and they would be at once apparent if the Southern people were left to regulate their own business, labor and political nc lations, as the people of the North and West are permitted to regulate theirs, and this with a much better condition of the moral, religious and educational status ot ihe negro chan we shall ever behold through Northern interference. Nobody, of course, ever expects to seo slavery re-established in the United States, and. now that the institution is clean gone, nobody even de sires it; butOoDgressioual Reconstruction in tho form of military governments at the South, the regulation of suffrage, the inter ference with State and personal rights and laws, the exclusion of white men from office and the builot, is a positive bar to real freedom, independence and prosperity, and whenever Congress consents to loosen its oppressive hold upon the South, and to leave people there as free as they are here, not only the South, but the .whole people, will feel the healthy influence of such freedom. If Congress will but con sent to let all the States regulate their own internal affairs, so far as they do not inter fere with the United States Constitution, the best results will ensue, and we now predict, if this is done, by the time tico ad ditional crops of cotton arc put upon the market, the Government will he able, with eiYn decent economy in the administration of public affairs, TO RESUME SPECIE PAY MENTS. Nino Dollars Per Day and Twenty Cent* Mileage* The following is the rote in the House of Ropreseutativesto lay on the table a bill to reduce the pay and mileage ol State Senators and Representatives: Yeas—Messrs. Allen. Ayer, Barclay. Bell. Belcher, Bennett, Bethune, Brussel, Brewster, Brinson, Brown, Burton, Cald well, Carpenter, of Hancock, Carson, Cunuinghaiu, Davis, Donaldson, Ellis, of Gilmer, Ellis, of Spalding, Franks, Goff, Greiger, Grimes, Gullatt, Hall, ol Bulloch, Hall, of Glynn, Hall, ot Meriwether, Hamilton, Darkness, Harper, of Terrell, Harrison. Hill, Hitoheock, Holden, Hooks, Hundley, Johnson, of Wilcox, LaDe, McArthur, MeComb, McCormick, McCullough,McDonold. Madden, Maxwell, Maull, Meal, Osgood, Parks, of Gwinnett, Pearson, Pepper. Phillips, Rawles, Read, Rice, Saulter, Saussey, Seale, Sisson, Smith, of Charlton, Smith, of Ware, Sparks, Taliaferro, Turnipseed, Tweedy, W arren, Wilcox, Wilcher, Zellars—Y'eas Nays Messrs. Anderson, Ballanger, Barnum, Barrett, Bradford, Bryant. Bum, Byoe, Cloud, Darnell, Drake, Erwin, Evans, Farmer, Felder, Fincannon, Fitzpatrick, Flournoy, Ford, Fowler, George, Gober, Gray, Haren, Harper of Sumter, Higdon, Hook, Hudson.Humber, Johnson ofTowns, Kellogg, Kimbrough, Kytle, Laetinger, Long, .Mathews, Mead ows, Nash, Nunn, O Neal, Paulk, Pen land, Perkins of Cherokee, Perkins of Dawson, Price, Reddish, Rainey, Rouse, Humph, Scroggins, Soon of Columbia, Scott of Floyd, Shackelford, Shumate, Smith of Macon, Smith of Coffee, Sorrell, Strickland, Snrrency, Tate, Tumlin, Yin son, Ware, Watkins, Williams of Dooly, Williams of naralsou, W illiams of Mor gan, Wilson, Zelner—73. Absent or not voting—Messrs. Adkins, I tßnchau, Carpenter of Pierce, Cham Iters. I Clarke, Cleghorn. Glower,Cobb, Crawford, Duncan, Fryer, Glover, Harris, Hillyer, Hopkins, Hughes, Kelley, Lee, Linsey, Madison, MorgatJ, Nesbit, l'agc, Powell, Parke of Greene. Prudden, Rosser. Sew ell, Smith of Telfair, Stapleton, Walthal, Wclborn—3l. Speaker voting in the affirmative. So the bill was laid on the table. The Machinery .Yeeded Tor a Cotton Fac tory and Its Cost. A Northern machinist gives the follow ing estimate of the prime cost of the ma- i chinery needed for a cotton factory of one thousand spindles with the necessary prep aration and moving machinery to run by j steam: COST OE ONE THOUSAND “RING” SPINDLES AND PREPARATION. Machinery— One Mason's whipper $ 75 One picker and lapper 350 Four double doffing cards 1000 One drawing frame, 3 heads 225 One slubber, thirty-six spindles 7 GO One fly frame, eighty-four spin- , dies 800 One thousand ring spindles, at $4 each 4000 Two reels, $35 each 70 One bundling press 50 One baling press 75 j Fixtures— * Four sets card clothing, at $60..$ 240 Cans and bobbins 200 Shafts, pulleys and belts 700 Turning lathe 50 One ten-horse power engine 1200 Extra charges for fitting up 150 Total cost of machinery and fix tures $9885 The above is a detail ot the cost of one thousand spindles and preparation, with out looms. Without going into detail, $lO per spindle is a safe calculation. Onehun dred spindles is the common estimate per horse power. Twelve looms, with accompanying ma chinery, consume ono horse power ; forty looms should be allowed to one thousand spindles for spinning medium numbers, say twenties to thirties. Looms cost $65 each. The cost of one thousand spindles with preparations and weaving machinery would be as tollows : ’Whole oost of one thousand spindles and preparation (deducting price of reels and bundling press, which are not needed for weaving) is $9,765 Forty looms, at $65 each 2,600 One dresser J 450 One warper 10Q One spooler 80 Extra charge for steam engine, say. 350 Extra charge for shafts and belts... 250 < Total. $13,595 From this detail it appears that the cost per spindle with looms is $1.3 60, but a safer calculation would be sl4 per spindle. For one hundred spindles without looms, I would recommend a one-story building one hundred feet long and fifty feet wide. If looms are added, one hundred and forty feet long and fifty feet wide. For two or three thousand spindles, let the building be two or three stories high, each story the same incapacity as above recommended. As the oost of labor and materials in different localities varies, I refrain from giving any estimate of'the cost of building a mill to contain the above machinery. Any one can do this with the capacity and cost of materials given. I would remark, how ever, that a building at the South, with the same cost of labor and material, could be erected much cheaper than one adapted to our Northern climate. The return from cotton in well managed mills is cighiy-five per cent, although many return seventy-five per cent. A loom in fair operation will produce thirty-two yards per day, running at oue hundred and ten picks per minute, and making cloth sixty-four picks or threads of weft per inch. The Matteawan Company have sent ma chitiety to the South lor a large number of mills, and could probably furnish it as cheap and at as short notice as any ma chine makers in the country ; although the best means for a Southern company to start a mill well, and in the shortest possi ble time, would be to engage a good prac tical manufacturer, and let him put the mill in operation and furnish a competent superintendent for a specified sum. This plan has been adopted, and I believe with success. Respectable persons can be found to take charge of new factories if the loca tions arc agreeable. There is a Difference Between Board ing Bold and Making Bold the Cir culating Medium. Some of our contemporaries seem to have confounded the policy of making Gold the circulating medium with hoarding Gold, and have given the public some very 1 pretty homilies upon the sins of the miser, and some very sound advice as to what tho people should invest surplus money; in all of which wc concur heartily. Neverthe less, we again urge our farmers# hold sur plus enough to cover their estimated yearly wants, and to hold that surplus in Gold ; and :o make Gold the standard of all their estimates and transactions, both for cur rent expenses and for prospective prices of coming crops. The prudent farmer can no longer conduct his operations as in other days. Formerly, raising nearly everything within himself, he relied upon his credit with his factor or merchant solely for fam ily luxuries, and for the requisite yearly supplies of iron, salt, bagging and rope, &c. The factor and merchant had ample Bank capital to support them, and extended that credit at but small cost; deriving the means for this purpose from our banks, under the ex pectation and inducement that the banks would be re-imhursed from the sale of the crop and the exchange arising therefrom. Now we have eight banks in the State of Georgia, with a capital of one million six hundred thousand dollars to move a crop worth thirty millions. The merchants can no longer rely upon banks at home for aid; and, therefore, can no loDger extend such c redits. If advances are made, it is upon Northern capital, which demands at least a greater interest than that yielded by Gov ernment securities. The farmer, therefore, now has to rely chiefly upon his own means to bear the expenses of his farm, and must keep a surplus adequate to this purpose; i or expect to pay heavy interest for advances \ which hold a lien on his crop, under which it can be forced upon the market at prices current. It is plain, there- j fore, that the farmer should keep an amount sufficient to meet farm ex- | penses at command, either in bank or in the hands of his factor. Now, in what shall this surplus be? In gold, unques tionably. Why? Because as gold rises in value nearly everything—bacon, bagging, iron, salt, coffee, &c. —rise proportionably. If this surplus is held in greenbacks the farmer has to lose their purchasing power, j marked by the advance in the price of I gold. He pays with the same money he j received for his cotton, a higher price for j the articles he requires to carry on his farm, simply because that money has depreci ated in value. Let us take for example the article of baeon. According to the i files of the Chronicle & Sentinel the price of bacon has fluctuated equally with the price of gold. We submit the follow- ; ing table as evidence : D .__ PRICE OF PRICE OF GOLD. C. SIDES. August 4, 1866 1.4? 26 cents January 7, 1867 1.32 164 “ , August 3,1867 1.42 19 “ January 3, 1567 1.34 16 “ J uly 31 1868 1.46 19 “ It must be apparent from this to every candid observer that the price of gold is lowest at that season when the farm er sells his erep, and highest at those periods at which he purchases his heaviest supplies. It cannot be denied that under the present custom of making greenbacks the standard of values, and the basis of transactions —the price of gold is always lower during that .period of the year at which the farmer sells his erop; and, consequently, he gets by so much fewer greenbacks for his crop; and high- ! cat at that season of the year at which he buys his heaviest supplies, and, consequent ly, has to pay by so much, more for the articles he purchases. But this is not the only advantage in making gold the basis of transactions, and the recognized circulating medium. Every merchant acids to the price of hts goods an amount sufficient to cover the fluctuations ; in gold. He buys upon the gold basis at a price named in gold—if he buys from the importer or first hands, and adds an amount sufficient to secure himself against loss by fluctuations. This addition the : farmer and consumer has to pay. If the transactions were based upon gold, and the farmer kept his surplus in gold, the merchant would not add, and the tanner would not lose this per centage. Green backs would be taken in payment for pur- j chases iast as the New York importer take* i them now—in if- ialcs for gold at the' market value. Further, the farmer, with gold as the recognized circulating medium and basis of transactions, would be no longer at the mercy of Northern and foreign rings and speculators. A “ring” could no longer, \ with the same facility, effect a “corner” in ! goid and raise or depress prices to the same | extent as they have done and can do now, j junr.ing prices or depressing them accord- j ing to prospective profits of' speculation, I because the farmer’s surplus would be in : gold and would advance correspondingly, j Already our Western exchanges have j sounded the note of warning as to rings being formed to force up the price of bacon and the market price is advancing. The approaching ciose of the cotton trade is the signal for an advance in sterling ex change and gold. Oar farmers will soon have the opportunity of repeating their : experience of the last three years, and of verifying the truth of our observation. Some of our contemporaries seem to be alarmed at the position which such a policy would place our National Banks and scout at the idea of demanding gold for a cotton crop requiring two hundred millions of gold. This alarm is needless. Every Southern National Bank could re sume specie payments to morrow, if re quired, because they hold exchange against cotton which is gold, for all that they could be made liable. The idea that two huo i dred millions of gold would have to be brought South to move the cotton crop is simply ridiculous. Cotton would be moved, as now, upon bills of exchange. The surplus—the balance after the farmer had paid for his supplies—would have to be provided so not more in the present crop of Georgia than ten out of thirty millions—but this would be, in a .stable medium, not in irredeemable prom ises, which fluctuates by the manipulations 1 of rings and with political events. The Report of the Senate Committee on the Exclusion of Joshua Bill, Sen ator from Beorgla. Five members of the Senate Judiciary Committee (Stewart, Edmunds, Conkling, Frelinghuysen and Rice), report against the admission of Hon. Joshua Hill as j Senator from Georgia. The grounds taken j are; Ist, that General Meade did not proper- j ly reconstruct Georgia. 2nd, that the peo- i pie of Georgia are in a condition “ unfit to ! be represented in Congress.” 3d, that no | “civil government has been established in that State." These conclusions are predicated upon the following allegations, to wit: that a number of disqualified members were al lowed to participate in the Senatorial election, making it “extremely probable that the majority received by Mr. Hill was made up of members who were disquali fied,” that colored members were subse quently excluded from the Legislature, and that the “Agents of the Freedmen's Bu reau report that there have been three hundred and thirty-six cases of murder from January 15th to November Ist, 1868, for which there has been no legal redress, and that the pretended civil government of Georgia is totally inadequate to discharge the functions with which they have been entrusted. As to the Ist ground, that Gen. Meade did not properly and fairly “reconstruct” Georgia, no one in this latitude will deny, lie has imposed upon us a Legislature that the people did not want; but anybody and everybody who would vote the Radi cal ticket, and as often as they pleased, under the supervision of details, having express orders to carry out the Recon struction programme, and excluded by the law about 20,000 of our best citizens. That all.this Reconstruction was a fraud upon the people of Georgia no one but an un successful carpet-bagger-and not he so long as he drew his nine dollars per day—will deny; but that it should receive condem- nation out of tue mouths of Radical Sena tors is a marvel, and can be only ace muted j for on the ground that some new scheme for plunder is being devised, and that there are some malcontents who are dis satisfied with the division of the spoils of half a million or so which Re construction has cost us in tan gible outlay. General Meade came from Washington to us as being “a worse Radi cal than any of them,” but it appears that he has not beeu progressive enough (al though bad enough for us, in all con science), and needs further instruction as to the proper manner of reconstructing State governments, and manipulating ballot-boxes, and forming Radical Legisla tures from Washington savans. He seems to have been governed too much by the order book, and guided too little by the demands and requirements of Radical wire-pullers. We certainly, and doubtless he did also, expected that a Radical plaudit “of well done,” would have been given ; but he has only received a rebuke. The second ground of the Committee might, with greater propriety, be reported as follows : The people of Georgia are too honest, and, therelore, unfit to be represented in the Congress the United States.” We must send among them more carpet baggers of the Bullock style, to teach them the morals of modern politics, and instruct them how “to do” public funds and public trusts with out disturbing the whole neighborhood. That no “civil government has been es tablished in the State” is probably true. That no decent one has been is put beyond doubt by the late developments of Mr. Treasurer Angier. As to the reputed re port from the Agents of the Freedmen’s Bureau that there occurred 336 murders in 287 days, beginning January 18th and end ing November Ist, we do not believe, in the first place, that any such report was made; and, in the second place, if so made, it is false, and can be easily disproved upon publication of the facts. The whole thing is gotten up to order, and has been imposed upon willing ears. We should like to see the Committee institute a comparison of the statistics of crime in Massachusetts or Indiana, or any other Northern State for the past year, with the whole catalogues embracedin official statistics and Bureau re ports for the State of Georgia in the same time, both as to number, magnitude and atrocity. We have some evidence that, in proportion to population, there would be a large margin in our favor, and that the Bureau Agents did but half their work— they should have at least doubleu the number reported, to have saved Northern ! reputation. So far as Mr. Hill is concerned he must fee! keenly his reception at the hands of his friends. So far as the admission of the State in Congress is concerned, our people j are beginning to take but little interest in the matter. Her exclusion is only strength ening day by day the opinion and influence of extremists that the North and the South are two separate people and that such is the antagonism and hatred and power of the Northern Radical element, the Southern States will never again be ; admitted nor the Union fully and eor- j dially restored. The report of the Senate's Judiciary Committee strengthens such 1 views. t The U. S. internal ReTenne. 1 The total internal revenue of the United States for the year 1868 falls below that of 1867 in the sum of $74,739,910 37. The New York Journal of Commerce has com piled the following table from official re turns, which show at a glance the particu lars of the decrease : THE INTERNAL BE\ ENUE. The internal revenue of the United States for the year 1868 was $74,739,910 . 37 below the corresponding total lor 1867. To show at a glance the particulars of this' , decrease, the “ Journal of Commerce" gives the following, which it has compiled carefully from the official returns : UNITED STATES INTERNAL REVENUE IN EACH OF THE LAST TWO TEARS. 1867. 1868. fad tired and pr^duc ton> .... .$146.&3.673 66 $100,274,5** 22 Gross receipts 7 444 ?i9 >0 i.tfSO/169 *4 4.* 14.* 75 47 4 537 9uo 33 Spec.*; uis 18,196.44* 50 5<7 2S Income 66 014.429 S4 41.455 59536 fcucceaacug. 636 57»‘19 18ft OSS Article* :: PCCe ule A 2,116,674 37 l.U*4 33d 96 Baak crcti’.iUon aad cep 2 04&55l 46 1.:66.745 55 ' Paaepcra. Ac 2831? 00 erwl 262210 75 6.030 S7 rise*. p*n. andforf* 1,496.170 60 1.356 B*l 5$ Stamp* 16,094.718 00 14832252 02 . Specie, trvjisury agents 64,262 15 **5.933,474 GY S3JIIsO 5641i The r returns for the eunent year will show a still further very important re duction. We had hoped that this Con gress would see the importance of increas ing the revenue, and would direct its at tention to this subject, instead of frittering away its time in profitless political discus sions, and the arrangement of little jobs for dividing the lessening income among its friends. If this is continued there will be a point where the income and expenses will be so wide apart that the national credit will drop between, to the manifest injury of every important material interest : Mr. Treasurer Angier ou our C. 0. D. j W c know little of the antecedents of Mr. j Treasurer Angier. We have heard, and believe, that he was so much opposed to I secession that he openly took sides against j us, and that he boldly espoused the Feder- i al cause. We know that since the war he ! has been amongst us as a Government | official, and did discharge the functions of! his office courteously and acceptably. His Atlanta neighbors speak of him as a man of probity and of high tone character. But i had we known nothing of Mr. Angier.apart from his political affiliations and his sup port of the iniquitous and abominable, and fraudulent reconstruction measures which, aside from all questions of principle, have subjected us to the government of vampires that are sucking our life’s blood, we should have reached the conclusion that whatever may be the bias of his political opinions, that, as a man. he was worthy of the opinion in which heis held by his neighbors, and that as an officer he has not merged the conscience of an honest man in the posi tion of an official. This much we deduce from his open and honest and fearless ex pose of the corruption of his superior, and that superior clothed with the supreme powers of the chief Executive of the State- In his first report Mr. Angier confines himself to a bald statement of facts. It is quite evident that Mr. Angier sought to protect his own character and save his surities—those who trusted him—from damage. His statement consist simply of bald facts. There is not one word of com ment. There is no reference to law. No expression of the demands of duty. All this is left to the judgment of superior and and deciding powers. But these lacts are stated fearlessly, and concisely, and supported by incontro vertible evidence as to their truth, by day and date and amounts and copies of the written authorizations. There is not a word of requirements of the law. There is no opinion pronounced upon either the motives or the powers of the Governor, nor a conjecture as to the disposition ot the funds. The language is strictly the language of an honest and responsible ac countant, and the discrepancies are simply j the discrepancies which have arisen be j tween the State’s Treasurer and a foreign j agent in the disbursement of public funds, | fortified by the orders upon which these j disbursements were made. That Mr. , has done right, no honest man ; will deny. It. would have l>een criru j inal in him to have kept silent. That Ihe has acted prudently his own se ! curities will surely accord. It would ! have been fraud and loss upon them had his report complicated him with the | transactions.of “the Governor” in an Opera j House speculation. Had subsequent I investigation developed that fraud by j complicity, his own name and their j purses would have suffered. Bullock’s defence is most lame and impotent, and consists in a prolix repeti tion of Angier’s first report ; a still more prolix assault upon his subordinate as to what he might have done, and how he would have conferred with him if ho had only let him, and what the little son said about why the Father had gone North for seven days, and how he ioundout thatthat the little son had secreted from him the true reason for his father’s going ; and a miserable, contemptible, malevolent whine about the contrivance of a member of his own. party to further “a partisan political movement against his administration,”* and “a malicious attempt to discredit the integrity of the Executive. ’ ’ Not one word of denial. Not a single line of justification. No part of Mr. An gier’ e report is discredited. On theeontrary, “the Governor” admits that he took the money, advanced some of it to Kimball & Cos., to complete the Opera House without authority and in open violation of the law, i to get it ready for a meeting of the General ! Assembly. The close of “the Governor’s” : report is a model of a carpet-bagger’s de i fence. He says “the credit of our State I (only owing about $3,000,000), is better than any other Southern State.” Who established that credit? That whenever “the Treasurer abandons his present mis taken position and places himself in proper official relations with the Executive,” re | ports will be made to the General Assern | bly covering the financial condition of the | State.” Transcendantlysublime! Dignity Express ! Has the General Assembly to j await his Excellency’s reconciliation wi h a | subordinate to learn what has been done with the money of the State? \Vho directs, | when, and how, and for what these funds i shall be dispensed? To whoqi are the dis j bursing agents responsible ? The Treasurer’s reply to the Governor !is clear and pointed. He states that on the 29th October, over two mouths previ ous to the time at which the report would be required,seventeen thousand dollars was paid by the NewYorkßank“without stating to whose order, to whom paid, or what for.” But not one word of explanation | from the Governor. On the 14th of De- I cember the State was charged with ten thousand dollars upon “an informal draft j sent to Washington." Nothing of advice j from his Excellency. His Excellency I j hovered between Washington and the J | Fifth avenue, and Albion for forty-two j ; days,but maintained a profound silence as to ! 1 his whereabouts, and profound indifference i as to the cares of State and the murderous j i condition of affairs at home which consigns ,346 unfortunates to an untimely grave, in a I few months, as he reports in Washing ton (as good enough Morgan for him to ' secure his provisional powers). Mr. Angier has a lofty idea of the G ov ; ern’s imagination. He says that the Gov ! ernor’s imagination must be very fruitful and greatly in error, and his vanity easily i flattered when he stated I assured him of my confidence in his integrity. Every j ' other man who reads these reports wifi i come tNa similar conclusion; that the Gov- 1 ernor’s imagination is not only fruitful, but his fingers also. It will be fortunate for the credit of the State and for the people of the State, if subsequent investi- I gation does not disclose a much larger amount than that which Mr. i Angier by chance has discovered The so-called Governor has pledged a half a million of the State bonds at New York In addition thereto, he has i given his official note for half a million more. Who knows, with this million of credit, how much has sufficed for his Ex cellency’s private Legislation ? Why does the Premium on Gold Rise? j We have repeatedly advised our farm j ers that the governing element in the price of gold was the exchange furnished by their cotton. The price of cotton in gold is regulated by supply and demand. The price of cotton in greenback currency is chiefly regulated by the demand for ex change. The Government has to supply gold for the payment of the interest on the National debt due abroad. Gold cer tificates is all that is needed for those who receive their interest at home, be cause these certificates are needed and taken by the importers of foreign goods, to pay government dudes at the Custom House. But in addition to this, the im porter must have gold to ship, or sterling exchange to pay for the prime cost of his goods, and the foreign bondholder must have exchange or have the gold ship ped to him. So long as exchange is low and plentiful, the foreign bondholder re ceives his interest in bills on England, Y\ henever exchange is scarce and higher ; than the cost of shipment, the gold is shipped. So long as the importer of foreign goods can buy exchange with greenbacks at fair rates to pay for his gold, he is out of the gold market But so soon as exchange becomes scarce he enters j the gold market and gold rises from in creased demand and competition. Nearly . two-thirds of all the foreign Exchange sold in the United States arises from the sale of the Southern farmer’s cotton. The money article of the Philadelphia Press shows clearly how dependent the Northern merchant is upon the cotton of the South ern farmer to mcot his foreign debts. It will be seen that the Press (ultra Radical, that glories in the death of “King Cotton”), j whilst admitting explicitly “the disappoint ment” to “importers and to the whole country” caused by the planters, who have been induced” “to hold rather than tell their stock," volunteers some very friendly advioe. This planters can take or not, as they choose. The point, however, is clear ly stated. The Press says: j “Gold took a start this afternoon and ran up to 136i. It is not known what caused the rise, one operator being about as blind as another. The general view of it appeared to be that the preparation for specie shipments to-morrow was the direct cause of it. The late heavy advance in cotton, and the prospective further rise, has induced the planters to hold instead of sen their stock. This has prevented the supply ol cotton bills, on which many relied to save coin shipments. The disappoint ment to importers is very great, and, in deed. the whole country has cause to regret the outgo of gold at this time. It is very ; evident that a heavy cotton speculation is progressing, and our Southern friends should be realizing the high prices of the By holding off they, may miss the I plden opportunity and will harve to accept j lower figures and so limit their capital. Let the cotton go and keep the gold here, i should be the motto of those who look to i the advancement of the best business in | terests of the country.” FROM WASHIYGTO.Y. BPECIAL WaRESPONDKNCK CHECNICLX A BEXTIXXL. Washington, Jan. 26,1869. Mr. Pafye, of Wisconsin, who, yester day, offered a long preamble and resolu tion, requitW the Reconstruction Com mittee to inquire aud report whether any farther acton ought to be taken by this Congress rejecting the representation of Georgia in he House, had sufficient as surances that he will be sustained to war rant him in pitting it forward for the ben efit of his party, although some of the prominent Radicals do not agree with him The disposition certainly is in both Houses not to tdmit representatives even from Georgia airing the present session. However, Gram has spoken, and said that he is anxious allthe States should be ad mitted before t»e commencement of his administration. Whether Congress will have any regard for his wishes ou that score is yet to l* proveu. But Radical members cannot git over their hatred for Southern people. The real Northern rep resentatives hate Kpresentative Southern men, even as muct as a “carpet-bagger” does his eonstituerts, and arc very loth to acknowledge any State excepting those who will not be projerly represented, when thev are allowed aciuission. Mr. Prince, from the Augusta district, representing (?) Georgia, in the face of his political colleague, Paine s resolution that the State is not entitled to representation, and the practical acquiescence of the ma ■ jority in the House, to the same effect, takes occasion to introduce a bill to incor porate the Southern Uxpress Company, which, after two readings, went to the Committee on Commerce, and was ordered to be printed. The bill provides for the following incorporators : 11. B. Plant, R. B. Bullock, W. B Ifinsaiore, A. M. Shoe maker, M. J. O’Biien, C. S. Plank, J. F. Gibson, 11. Dempsey, I Shuters, aud all other persons wlio may be associated with them as the body corporate and politic. Among the disabilties bills which have been presented, is one for the relief of James U. .Martin, a citizen of South Carolina. The Radicals of tie Boutwell and Sum ner stamp are deteimined that the ques tion of suffrage shal not go by default, and ii will probably tie presented again to the different Stats in the form of an amendment to the Constitution. Several membeis will make daborate speeches on the topic. Thus tht time demanded tor the consideration of financial measures is ! frittered away, and ichemes for party life made paramount. It is fair to presume, that tiuse Slates wKch have already re jected amendments to their Stale Consti tutions recognizing suffrage without re gard to race and calor, will not be very apt to adopt a United States Constitution al amendment lookiig to that end. The reception given to General Grant by the corporate authorities of Baltimore, and where the whde population of the city was represented, is not in the highest degree pleasing to tie Radicals here, who assert that he might have received them when he first returned to Washington af ter his election as Prisident, but which he saw fit to peremptory decline. The fact is, General Grant is itnpres l ed with a wholesome dislike cf being run down by the “ contrabands ” who are here in im mense numbers, andwho, “knowiug their rights, dare maintan” tlern. It is for the same rcason'he refuses to go to an in auguration ball. Srant has expressed himself as highly ddighted with his recent visit to the neighboung city of Baltimore. J. C. WashNgton, January 27. Abstract of the c latterly reports of the i National Banks in toe United States, show ing their conditionon the first Monday of the present month before the commence ment of business: RESOURCES. Loans and Discouhs $64.3,095,736 84 Overdrafts 1,705,138 34 U.S. Bonds to secuncircu lation 338,399,950 U. S. Bonds to secue De posits 34,428,350 U. S. Bonds and Sectrities on baud 34,990,800 Other Stocks, Bone and Mortgages £0,098,052 33 Duo from Approve lte deeming Agents 65,692,412 64 Due from National links. 36,021,869 68 Due from other Banls and Bankers 7,768,655 65 Real Estate, Furuitue and Fixtures , 23,208,991 6S Current Expenses 3,257,627 36 ! Premiums \ 1,645,359 52 ! Cheeks and other Cash j Items 142,405,590 15 Bills of National Balks 14,665,932 Bills of other Banks 168,225 Fractional Currency 2,278,773 39 Specie 29,590,960 80 Legal-Tender Notes 87,980,726 Compound Interest fotes. 125,810 3 per cent. Certificate 52,075,0( 0 $1,539,669,921 38 LIABILITIES. Capital Stock $ 48,858,931 Surplus Fund 81,159,930 52 Undivided Profits ; 35,273,719 89 National Bank Notetout standing i 294,332,907 State Bank Notes mt standng 2,734,669 Individual Deposits.. 568,333,184 63 U. S. Deposits 13,143,021 37 Deposits of U. S. Dishrs ing Officers 3,381,046 71 Due to National Banks..... 95,440,899 52 Duo to other Banks tnd Bankers 26,984,945 74 $1,539,669,921 38 J. C. GEORGIA CORRSPOJIIIE.VCE. On the Wing. ! Editors Chronicle & Sttinel: In passing through Warren county, a few days ago, I heard erious complaints among the farmers of awant of laborers. The negroes, true to aeir migratory in -1 stincts, have left the centry and gone off, | some to South Carona and others to work on railroads, and rge farms are re ported almost entirely destitute. This I j regard a calamity of'noiiner consequence. ; The agriculture of te country is the i foundation for all otbr enterprises and the intrinsic source of val prosperity, and in proportion as this lepartment suffers | will all others suffer acordingly. A revision and rigid mforcement of the vagrant laws, and uch other enact ments as the wisio-i of the Legis ; lature may deen proper for the , I protection of the fining interests, are I earnestly invoked by tie planters. The! popular feeling and sat ment of the people I is against loaferism. ill must go to work in a manner legitimate to their sphere and i ability. The negroe are too much in -1 dined to take advanlge of the idleness of ! i the whites, and for te sake of example to j them and to the rislg generation, every j man ought to do southing. Passing over the Jetrgia Railroad to- | day I saw white meiwth their coats off i and sleeves up, cleans and plowing up the soil, preparing f<J mother crop. What a noble example ! Every man need mt do this kind of ; work, but still there s 9mething that he ' can do. One mai ays: “he wants to dignify manual abor,” but I think | it has already bem dignified, and in a manner superior o any he can give I it. Jehovah’s wore lys, that “by the sweat of the brov sail man eat his 1 bread,” and the fact tbs the world’s Re- j deemer was the son of carpenter, ought j to satisfy all of its disapprobation, and I put to shame those whlook upon it as an indignity. The most prosperous nd powerful na tions on earth are those tat foster and en courage industrial punits. We have been talking about imngration into the j country ever since the lose of the war, and what amounts haveeen expended for its encouragement, andiuccess attained, I cannot tell, but am riier inclined to think it has been an uffiill business. I think we have ialligence, ener gy, and nerve sufficiei, with proper appplication, to male this one of the most flourishing countries on the face of the earth, at, with this noble machinery in motion, i a few years we may be about as anxiot to check as we are now to encourage migration. I hear some complain among farmers about spurious phosphats. One gentle man says he purchased tree hundred dol lars’ worth, which done is crop no more good than so much sand. He seemed per- j fectly outraged at the hubug, and I guess 1 will be, like all others o|ht to, cautious in the future. The Legislature ough to pass a law making the venders rejonsible for the land specifics offered to tl public. Farm ers are not chemists, ar more confiding than other men, and sh4d be protected against such impositions. All hands say they inDd to proportion their crops the they did the past year, which I shad consider the wisest and only safe plaribr them and the country. Traveller, 10YERX0R BILLOfK'S REPLY TO THE REPORT OF THE TREASURER AND The Treasurer's Rejoinder. The Honorable Chairman and Members of the Finance Committee of the House of Representatives: * Gentlemen :—I have found the enclosed Report of the Treasurer published in the newspapers, and I am advised by the pub lished proceedings of the House, that this Report was referred to your committee: Treasurer’s Office, 1 Atlanta, January 21, 1869. j To the Honorable House of Representatives of the State of Georgia : In response to your resolution of yester day as foilows: “Resolved that N. L. An -1 gier, Treasurer of this State, be, and he is s hereby requested to communicate to this ! House, as early as practicable, what amount 1 of State bonds have been issued since he ■ came into offioe, and whether or not the i same have been sold or hypothecated for j money borrowed, what amount of bonds ; have been sold, and at what price, what amount has been hypothecated, and where; | how much money has been borrowed by i the State on hypothecated bonds, how much money has been drawn upon the faith of the hypothecated bonds of this i State, and by whom; what portion of the amount so drawn has been received into the Treasury of this State; what is the State of i the accounts at this time with the State of | Georgia.and the party or parties with whom I the State bonds have been hypothecated; j giving a full and clear statement of all mat , ters in this resolution referred to,” I have ! the honor to report that on the 21st day of | September, 1868, his Excellency Governor I Bullock and myself delivered to the agent ! of the Fourth National Bank of New York, a contract to place in their possession one hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($150,- 000) of the seven per cent, bonds of the State on or before the 15th day of Novem ber, 1 S6B,upoo which contracts as collateral security, said bank advanced us one hun dred thousand dollars($100,000) cash. On the 6th October, 1868, similar contracts to the amount of sixty thousand dollars were executed and delivered to the agent of the same bank, upon which security said bank advanced us forty thousand dollars ($40,- 000) cash. On the 17th day of November, 1868, there was prepared and forwarded from this office, six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000,) new seven per cent, bonds of the State of Georgia, dated November Ist, 1808, signed Rufus B. Bullock, Gov ernor, David G. Cotting, Secretary of State, coupons signed by the Treasurer, to the Fourth National Bank, to carry out the terms of the contracts made to them September 21st, and October 6th, 1868, and to be hypothecated for further sums of money, to meet the interest on the public debt fallen and tailing due, and for other purposes. November 9th, 1868, we received by ex press $25 000 as an advance on said bonds; November 12th, S2S,TWO by express: No vember 2uth, $25,000- on draft of Govern or Bullock; November 21st, $25,000 on draft of Governor Bullock; December 7th, $25,000 by express; December 12th, $25,- 000 by express, and December 26th, $25,000 by express, all of which amounts V, ere received into the Treasury. On the 23d day of December, 1868, sup i posing a considerable amount of the new seven per cent, bonds had been sold, and desiring to make a report of them in my i annual report to the Governor, I wrote to the Fourth Natioual Bank, asking them to advise me what amount of the new seven per cent, bonds had been sold, and at what price, and at the same time to send me a complete statement or account current of the State with the bank. On the 9th in stant I received a full statement of the ac count, and a letter in which was stated: “None of the now seven per cent, bonds have been sold, it being considered unad visabie to do so. In consultation between our President and Gov. Bullock, it being considered by many, that the Legislature authorizing them was an illegal body.” j Besides crediting themselves in the ac count current with the various amounts named above, they also took credit for a j large amount, which I did not know any- ; thing about, and which had never reached the Treasury. Not knowing how to ac count for these credits, I immediately started, on the eve of the 10th instant, for New York, to get a full explanation of them. Having arrived in New> York, pro ceeded to the Fourth National Bank, and found that Gov. Bullock had drawn drafts to the amount of thirty-five thousand dol lars ($,'15,000), (Copy of the drafts I give below) which amount has never beeu paid in nor reported to the Treasury by Gov. Bullock : COPY OF FIRST DRAFT. No. New York, Oct. 29,1868. Fourth National Bank of the city of New York, pay to the order of— seventeen thousand dollars. (Signed) Rufus B. Bullock, $17,000 Governor of Georgia, j COPY OF SECOND DRAFT. No. ' New York, Dec. 3,1868. Fourth National Bank of the city of | New York, pay to the order of R. B. Bui- ; lock, eight thousaud dollars. Charge ac- ■ count State. (Signed) Rufus B. Bullock, SB,OOO. Governor of Georgia. COPY OP THIRD DRAFT. (Endorsed on back H. I. Kimball & Cos.) December 12, 1868. Pay to the order of 11. I. Kimball & Cos., ten thousand dollars and charge same to the account of the State of Georgia. (Signed) Rufus B. Bullock, Governor. To the Fourth National Bank, New York. By the Governor : (Signed) Eugene Davis, Secretary Executive Department. December 14th, 1868, there was sold of the 7 per cent, mortgage bonds $40,000, at 92jc.; December lOt.h, SIO,OOO at same price; December 17th, SIO,OOO at 92Jc.; December 19th, $4,000. January 6th, $31,000 were sold at 921 c. January 11th, $20,000 were sold at 90i. January loth, $50,000 were sold at 89;|c. January 16th, $74,000 at 89}c., making total amount of money realized from sale of seven per cent, mortgage bonds, two hundred and six teen thousand eight hundred and eighty dollars and sixty-nine oents ($216,880 69), out of which the Fourth National Bank has paid coupons to the amount of about one hundred and thirty thousand dollars ($130,000.) The letter accompanying the account | current, reports two notes in addition to contracts mentioned before, given by Gov ernor Bullock, both amounting to five hun dred and seventy thousand dollars ($570,- ! 000), supposed to be given as a security for money advanced and to be advanced to meet the interest of the public debt. Respectfully submitted, N. L. Angier, Treasurer. The statements made by the Honorable Treasurer are so insidious, and his course toward, and with, myself so extraordina- i ry, forouein his position, that I feel it due j to myself, as a citizen, as well as in my ! official capacity, to present to you certain ! facts which will, I think, sustain the posi- ! tion I now take, that the action of the Treasurer—a subordinate official of the I Executive Department— amounts to par- i ticipation in what would seem to be a con spiracy against the Executive. No one would go further than myself in sustaining the Treasurer in any and all measures which were necessary for the protection of the Treasury against fraud, peculation or unlawful expenditure, and of this fact the present Treasurer has had ample evidence; but I propose to submit for your consideration facts which tend to show that the course of the Treasurer is prompted by other motives. I found it necessary, in order to secure the full completion of the capitol building and public offices in time for the reoeption of the General Assembly, to make certain advances of money to the Messrs. Kam ball, and obtained the money for such ad vances from the Fourth National Bank upon my official drafts. J t)o not pro pose, however, in this communication to argue the propriety of that course, but simply to state the iact. Those amounts were charged in account j current with the State, and the bank was j requested by me to send to the Treasurer I a full statement of account up to the Ist! instant. j W >th the knowledge that such a state ment had been forwarded, I arrived in At i l.mta on Sunday morning, the 10th, pre pared to enter on Monday upon the duty of making and completing my report to ; the General Assemb y. 1 On Monday, therefore, at the usual I hour, I was at my office in the capitol, and I invited the Treasurer and Comptroller General to present their respective reports. The Comptroller General presented his able report, but the Treasurer was not I present. Upon inquiring of the Treasur er’s clerk, his son, I was informed that the Treasurer, his father, had “gone out of i | town for a day or two. ” His reply to my inquiry as to whether the Treasurer would j be back in time for the meeting of the ; Legislature, was that he “did not know.” j He further informed me that his father had | received the account current from New 1 York, and that he, the sod, was making : out a report in accordance with his father's j instructions. The report was presented to me on Tues day, and as it made no mention of the amounts charged by the bank on my \ drafts, I decided not to make.any report : upon this matter until the Treasurer’s re turn, when the accounts and vouchers could be verified. I did not learn until Friday, the loth, that he had gone to New York, and then only obtained the information by a letter from Washington, D. C., which related j some remarkable sta'ements aa having i been there made by the Treasurer. 1 then aent for his son and presented him 1 the letter, and asked why he did not tell me frankly at first that his father had "one to New lurk. He replied that “ lather Wianted it kept ! entirely secret, and did not want anv one j to kDow where he had gone. ’ ’ . 1 further asked that as his father left i Sunday night, after kuowing that I was in the city a.l day, why, if he was anxious ! tor information, he did not first come to me. The son replied that “Father had his | a P ac ked, and wanted to visit I W ashing ton on some old business of his oicn, and thought he would go any how.” About this time it was reported to me that a person occupying intimate personal relations to the Treasurer had assured some members of the Assembly, i ln a semi-confidential manner and in gen eral terms, that “if Jadjourument could be prevented Angier would bring home ample evidence for impeachment of the Govern or. Treasurer returned on Sunday, the I7th, and On Tuesday morning, the 19th, in response to my invitation, he celled on me, and in the course of the intei iew then had, after being iuformed of the facts touching the drafts, and seeing the vouch ers in my possession, and in response to my query as to why he should have taken the steps which 1 had referred to, he, after assuring me of his confidence in my integ rity, used the following language : “To be frank with you. as I desire to be with everybody, I do not think you have treat ed me with the .courtesy that is due to my r office, and, besides, I understood that you were trying to have the State put back into military government and get all the power into your own hands. I was oppos ed to this, and decided to fight you on it in way that 1 could. ’ ’ Upou my explaining to him his error as to military government, &c., &c., he ex pressed his respect, regard, &c., and the interview closed. I then decided to prepare a report of the action taken by myself in negotiating the loans, making the advances to secure the heating, lighting and furnishing of the public buildings, and submit it, together with a supplemental statement from the Treasurer, to the Genera! Assembly. On Wednesday, the 20:t, the resolution was adopted, to which the Treasurer re sponds. On the morning of the 21st, the day following, my Secretary called on the Treasurer, and in my name stated to him that I had repeatedly called tor a copy of the account current with our Bank agent in New Y ork, and desired especially to have it, and also that when he completed his report in response to the resolution, I would be pleased to see him and the re port before it was transmitted to the House, The Treasurer promised to send the account, current, but refused either to call or exhibit his report, saying: “The Governor has not treated me with proper courtesy until he finds it to his interest to do so. ’ ’ The report was sent in before 12 o’clock the same day, and the account was not handed to me until late in the afternoon at the hotel- I therefore, bad no opportuni ty either to be advised of the nature of the report or to prepare a statement to ac company it. The Treasurer states in this report, re ferring to the drafts drawn by myself: 11 Hot knoicing how to account for these credits, I,immediately started, on the eve of the 10th instant, for New Y ork, to get a full explanation of them.” As the Bank account, in at least one of the cases, states specifically that the draft was drawn by myself, and, as I was, at that time in Atlanta, with the Treasurer's knowledge, and accessible to him, he could have obtained “a full explanation” with out going to New Y’ork. The report lurther states that he “found that Governor Bullock had drawn drafts to the amount of $35,000, which amount has never been paid in or reported to the Treasury by Governor Bullock.” This statement is made on the twenty first, notwithstanding that, at the inter view on the morning of the nineteenth, the Treasurer saw my vouchers, and was entirely advised as to the whole matter. The published proceedings of the House, as given in the evening papers of the 21st, simply mention the Treasurer’s report as j having been referred to the Committee,! without publishing the report in full 1 am informed, however, that the Treasur er’s Clerk—his son—used very consider able _ exertions to cause the report to be published in full in a morning paper, thus evincing an inordinate d-sire to give the matter a publicity which ir would not have obtained in the ordinary course of official proceedings. I respectfully submit to your Committee that the course pursued by the Treasurer : as herein stated, indicates a malicious at tempt to discredit the integrity of the Ex- : ecutive, to the end that a partisan polit- i ical movement in opposition to the present administration might be advanced. I regret that the conduct of the Treas- j urer, viewed in connection with his report, j forces me to this conclusion. Had he been at his post at a time when his duty espe ; cially required it, a full exhibit could have, and would have, been made to the General j Assembly accompanying my message. Had he complied with my request and i presented to me his response to the reso- j lution, such exhibit could, and would, then ! have been made. Whenever the Treasurer abandons bis present mistakeu position, and places him self in proper official relations with the Executive, as a subordinate officer of this department of the Government, full and complete reports will be made to the Gen eral Assembly, covering the financial con dition of the State, and of the transactions whioh have been had under the authority of the acts passed at the last session. The credit of our State is better, and our Bonds sell for a higher rate than those of any other Southern State. But I respect fully submit that this credit cannot be maintained by permitting subordinate of ficials to advance their political views, or their personal opinions of what is demand ed by “courtesy,” through insidious attacks upon the integrity of the Execu tive. Rufus B. Bullock, Governor. Treasurer’s Office, i Atlanta, Ga., January. j To the Honorable Finance Commit of the House of Representatives : Your com munication of the 2Gthinst, asking aful! ex planation of my course with Governor Bul lock, received. In response to your first inquiry, why I did not communicate with him before going toNew York, on the 10th, I would state that, from statements in the account from the Fourth Natioual Bank, reoeived the day before, I considered my own protection, and that of my securities, and the interest of Georgia required iliat I should see and confer with said Bank be fore communicating with him, from the fact that there was much mystery in largo amounts drawn from said Bank, to appear ances involving the Governor in an unlaw- ! fal use of the funds of the State. This will explain my son’s retieeuce, when interro- '■ gated by the Governor, as to where I was. Ihe account was alreedy involved in a I cloud I could not penetrate and, not know | ing the hank officers, I feared there might be further mystery, should the Governor j be advised where I had gone. As an evi ! dence of a part qf the mystery, the State | of Georgia was, on the 29th of October, charged, in the money column, with seven teen thousand dollars ($17,000), without j stating to whose order, to whom paid, or what for. On the 14th of December the State was charg. and “ informal ilrrfi sent to ! Washington,” ten thousand dollars ($lO,- j 000) without stating who drew it, to whom | paid, or what for. Noticing the Governor i reported alternately in Washington and the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York, with ! his private Secretary, I felt apprehensive that this money was finding ventilation in i a way not to reach the Treasury of Geor gia, and leave the natural inference that ; the money had reached the Treasury, thus : making me and my securities responsible for what he had spent without any author ity in law. My suspicions were further arousedJ'rom the seventeen thousand '.Sol jars ($17,000), stated above, correspond ing in amount with the private account of the Governor, with a certain bank, and the fact that one of his Secretaries presented me with the bank no’ice of the maturing ! of a four thousand dollar note of the Governor, with the apparent intention cd soliciting and testing whether I would ad vance on the Governor’s private account, i These facts, in connection with the known ! extravagance of the Executive Depart ment, I considered more than ample ground for my apprehensions and depart ure without seeing the Governor. To your second inquiry “why you did not, as requested by the Governor, submit your report to him before sending it to the Legislature,” I have simply to state, that the inquiry originated in the House’ the answer involving the conduct of the Gov ernor. Under these circumstances I con sidered the rules of propriety and respect ■ required me first to report to where the ; inquiry orginated. You ‘‘Farther desire to know if the state ments ot Governor Bnllock contained in the I accompanying communication to the Com ' ml .ttee are true?” Ilisfirst charge is "con spiring against the Executive.” If he j means by this, opposition to the usurpa- I Uon of power, and unlawful expenditure . or the iuods of the State, his charge is well j sustained. The Governor should know that no one has a right to use a cent of the 1 State’s money except by appropriation I <md a warrant drawn in eouirrmity with : law. If he can use thirty-five thousand dollars, he can use five hundred thousand. Still he has the arrogance to state, “no one would go farther than myself in sustaining the Treasurer, in any and all measure*, which were necessary for the protection of the Treasury against fraud, peculation, j or unlawful expenditures, and of this fact ; the present Treasurer has had ample o\\- - deoce. ” The Govoraw knew when he penned the above that I bad made warfare on several : of his warrants, and refused payment be causa of illegality , be further knows that be urged me to pay mileage to a subordi- ! Date clerk, which he knew was “unlawful expenditure” and downright robbery.— fie has employed and paid three times as many clerks as has been customary in the Executive Department, allowing some lull, even extra pay when they were absent half the time. He issued a warrant of two thousand dollars ($2,000 00) upon an ac count running from 1858 to 1863, which Gov. Jenkins and the Legislature o! 1866 refused to pay. He advocated the paying of Messrs. Kimball, twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) rent per annum for the Opera Building, and seemed anxious I should lend my influence in that direction, which led me to infer that he was interest ed in the building, and the unauthorized use of the amouut stated above, strength ens my conjectures. I must say the Governor’s imagination was very fruitful, and greatly in error, and his vanity easily flattered, when he stated 1 assured him of my confidence in his in tegrity. His statement is overrunning with truth, that L was opposed to military govern ment unoer his dictation. Having op posed secession, and early and patriotical- T ® Dter , of Reconstruction, 1 exoeet to hght under that banner until Georgia is restored to full participation in tho General Government, and purged of all pohneal mountebanks. His fended speech at Albion Is. Y„ was a faint j hough unmistakable hght, that finally I kindled and exploded through Sumner’s i battery at Washington. The Governor must suppose me very credulous, if he presumes, under the cir cumstances, I would regard the receipt hs refers to valid, especially without any statement of account. This receipt was an after-thought after my departure, aad would never have made its appearance at the time it did but for my absence. Why did the Governor not account for the sev enteen thousand dollars ($17,000) he drew in October? He returned to Atlanta after that and occupied the same building for weeks, where he saw me daily without re- 1 porting it, and finally made his third visit ! orbing ton and New York since he : has been Governor, keeping this whole matter in profound silence, though we of- : ten conversed ou the monetary affairs of I the State. i It is presumed the different departments I of toe State should have some knowledge ; of the whereabouts of the other, but in violation of this rule the Governor has had three long intervals of absence, the last forty-two days, without the other depart ments knowing the time ol his departure, where to address him, or the expected time of his return, yet he severely censures and reproves me for an absence of only seven days, lookiug after the security of the funds and credit of the State, though the first and only absence since my office was opened. _ The Governor manifests some apprehen sion about the downfall of the administra tion. I certainly desire that he should prove himself worthy to be one ol the main pillars, yet if he should fall, I trust it will not be like Samson’s, but that the Temple of Liberty will survive. His efforts to excite the sympathy of the Republican party are so unfortunate and f'eebjly drawn, that I shall refraiu from any comment further than to state, he attaches too much importance to my partisan in fluence, and I am truly sorry he has found it necessary to resort to this weak subter fuge. Certainly it is a poor way to pro duce harmony and strength of party, to assault in suoh a spirit even a "subordi nate. His Excellency need have no doubt as my position. Having been an ardent supporter of General Grant, I be lieve his incoming administration will prove the pure patriot and able statesman, as he was the military chieftain of the Nation; destined to lead us to as signal victory in the Cabinet as he did in the field. May his arm that was successfully raised to perpetuate the Union of the States crush out very effort, come they from open foes or pretending friends, to prevent a full return of each subordinate ip the National fold. In roy answers to the resolution of in quiries from_the House, I gave simply a statement of facts to the questions as pro pounded, leaving others to make their own inferences, and draw their own deductions. If the truth hurts, no one regrets more than 1. that. His Excellency has placed himself in a, situation to feel its goadings, and his resorts to abuse and malevolence In his ef forts to sustain himseif. Such weapons are j sure to wound those who use them. If in my efforts to ward off these undignified as- ! saults of the Executive, 1 have used some j sharpness, and called to aid other develop- j inents casting a shadow upon His Excel- j i'w’i truHt t * le ( ndu^GDce of the Honor- ! able Committee will excuse the manner in ! which I have used the weapons ol' truth I called forth by your inquiries. Respectfully submitted, N. L. Anoier, Treasurer. 1 Decision of the Supreme Court of the State ou the Relief Laws,, Opinion" of (he Justieea-Jlrown iin.l Me Cay Su»‘:tlulnv-Wiirnfr Diaaemfng, Cutts & Johnson and James Sewart, plain titts in error, vs. N. A Hardee, De.end ant in error.—From Sumter Brown, C. J-While the Courts have the power, and it is their duty when a proper case is made, to declare acts of the Legislature unconstitutional and void, such acts are always presumod to be constitu tional, aud the authority of the Courts to declare them void should be exercised with great caution, and never resorted to, but in clear and urgent cases. provision oi the Constitution of the United States which denies to a State the right to pass any law itnpairing the obligation of contracts, does uot interfere with the right of a State to pass laws act ing upou the remedy. There is a plain distinction between the obligation of a contract and the remedy lor its enforcement, and while the Legisla ture may not impair the obligation of the : °£ n traet, it has the undoubted right to change, modify or vary the nature and ex- I tent , W* 5 remedy, provided a substantive j remedy is always left to the creditor; so j |uug as the State does not deny to her | Courts jurisdiction of contracts, and to 1 such rules of procedure and of j evidence, as may in its wisdom seem best suited to advance the administration of justice in the Courts. 4. Ti.at pan of the Act of the Legisia- ! ture pusscct at its late session entitled “an I Act tor the relict’of debtors, and to author- i lze the adjustment of debts upon principles ! of Equity, ’ which provides for a change of the rules of evidence (under which this ' case originated) is not unconstitutional, I though it may permit evidence to go to j the jury which has not heretofore been al- : lowed, and which the Courts may consider I irrelevant and improper. It is "the prov- I ince of the Legislature to prescribe the ! rules of evidence and of the Courts to til- ! minister them. ! 5. Dis no objection to the eonstitution ; ahty of this act, that it authorizes the jury j to reduce the amount of the debt sued for i according to the equities of the case ; as | this is done everyday in Court, iu case of • partial failure of consideration, and the ! like. This must be done, however, acoord- I to the real equities between tho parties and not according to the capriee of the jury, aud when so done, u neither impairs ; the obligation of contract nor works in justice to the parties litigant. 6. If this should be seized upon by the . jury, and mod as a pretext for reducing i the debt, other than the equities between the parties permit, it will be the duty of the Court to set aside the verdict when that fact is made plainly to appear. 7. In this ease the obligation of the contraot was not in any degree impaired by , the filing of the pleas by the defendant, to ! which objection was made, as a foundation for the introduction of evidence under the : statute, and the evidence should have been received, and if the jury made an improper use of it, or found contrary to law and evi- 1 deneo, it would then have been time enough ! for the Court to interfere and set aside the verdict. 8. Y\ hen the statute authorise* certain lacts to be given in evidence, a demurrer to a plea which lays the foundation for ?ueh evidence, should not he sustained. The old rules of pleading in such ease must yield to the statute. Judgment reversed. McCay, J. —It is not to be presumed that the Legislature intends to violate the Constitution of the United States, and when words are used in an aet, they ought to be construed, if possible, so as to make the aet consistent with that Constitution. 9, The consideration of a contract, and whether there has been a tender of the whole, or any part of a debt sued 00, and if the debt was not paid, that it was the creditor s fault, are not only in aii ea-es fit matters for proof, but are often of great importance in arriving at proper conclu sions as to the true rights of the parties in the matter* before the Court. Nor can such evidence, in any proper use of it at all, tend to impair the obligation of the contract sued on. j 3. If the property upon which the credit was given in contract has been lost or ren | dered worthless, it is competent for the Legislature to permit the defendant, when the contraot is sued upon, to show by whose fault that property was lost or destroyed aud the value of it at the time of the coo* tract and at the time of the loss. 4. That claim of the Act of the Le-da lature under discussion, which authorizes the jury in suits upon certain contracts to notice the debt, sued upon, according to’the equities of each ease, was not intended to permit them to impair the obligation of the .•uaract oi the parties. The equity and just.ee there meant, is, that fair and honest duty wuicn etmh owes to the other under the contract to be gathered from the whole transaction, as it actually occurred between them, and from the acts creating legal or equitable of legations which have happened betweeu them since the date of the con tract. 5. The obiigatiou of a eoutract cauDot be impaired by the Legislature of a State, un der the guise of changing the rules of evi- j ! ! he ,Uodc O s procedure. i orlTurv h J J 'tf !S Ur a autLon ‘ i!e a CWt ; a dj u dicate between the ! its oh l !~»tmn ontl - aC£ as - t 0 a ßer or impair 6. Consistent!v wkhTw ent - Cre - d j nto ’ ; province of this Court todcdareaVact of the Legislate void, because it permit i the introduction of evidence which in the opinion of the Court, may be irrelevant to ! the issue, and calculated to distract or mis i 'cad the minds of the Jury. i. The act ot the Legislature in 1868. so iaras tr allows the defendant in all suits upon the contracts dated before the first ot June, 1565, to give in evidence the con sideration ot the debt sued on, whether any tender has been made, and if the debt was not paid, whose fault it was, what property the credit was given upon, and if* that property has been lost, wliose fault it j was, and so far as it authorizes the jury m such cases, to reduce the debt sued on, ; according to the principles of < quity, is !!°M co r r “ eJ wording to the well estab- I hshed rules for the construction nf statutes | in violation of that clause ol the Censtitu | tionofthe United States, which prohibits | any passing a iaw impairing ! the obligation of contracts | S. Should any Court of this State give to the act in question in any ease tried 1 before it, such a construction as would im pair the obligation of the coutraet under investigation, this Court, in a proper case made, will correct the error. 9. A plea filed setting up any facts which, by express enactment oi the Legislature are permitted to be given in evidence is not demurrable. • YY arner, J., Dissenting.—This was an action brought by tbe plaintiff against the l defendants ou a promissory note for the sum of fifty two hundred and twenty-nine dol : l a ~s, dated January 22,1801,and due fortv | five day-3 after date. j . The defendant, Stewart, filed a plea, set , ting up by way of defence to the note, cer : tain facts, as provided by the provisions oi’ i s he first section of the Act of 1868. “f r ! the Relief of debters, and to authorize the : adjustment of debts upon principles of | Equity.” The plaintiff demurred to the [ defendant’s plea, aud the Court below sus j tained the demurrer and tin- defendant cx | cepted. The decision of this question necessarily involves the constitutionality of the Act of 1868. The first section oi that Act pro vides “1 hat in all suits which shall be brought for the recovery of debts, in anv of tbe Courts of this State, or upon con tracts for the payment of money made prior to the Ist of June, 1866 (except for t oe hire or sale of slaves), it shall be lawful lor the parties in all such cases, to give in evidence before the jury, i-.upj muffled to try the same, the consideration oi the debt or contract which may be tho : abject of tho suit, the amount and value of the property owned by the defendant at the time the debt was contracted or the eon tract entered into, to show upon the faith of what property, credit was given to him, aud what tender or tenders of payment be made to the creditor at any time, and that t(ie non-payment of thedebt or debts, was owing to the refusal of the creditor to re ceive the money tendered or offered to be tendered , the destruction or loss of the property upon the faith of which the cred it was given, and how and in what man ner the property was destroyed or lost, and by whose default, and in all such eases the juries which try the same shall have power to reduce the amount of the debt or debts sued for according to the Equities of v„ h case, and render such verdicts as (o them shall appear just and equitable.'' This act of the Legislature, in .my yadgment, m cessaniy impairs the obligation of the con tract as it existed under the law at the time t.ie contract was made, and it makes no difference whether that result is produced under the name of a remedy or under the pretext of regulating the admissibility of evidence. Is tho contract and the obliga tion to perform it as valuable now, under tue provisions of tbe act of 1868, as it was under the lav; applicable to the contract at the time it was made. ? This is the practical question to be an swered. In view of the obligation imposed upon me to support and maiutain the in tegrity of tbe Federal Constitution, which declares that “no State shail pass any law impairing the obligations of contracts,” and not entertaining the least doubt that the act of 1868, to the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United. States \8 & j)alpal)/e violation ot that instrument lam unwilling to embalm myselfln my own infant# upon the records of this Court as a debauched Judicial officer ; in holding that act to be Constitutional , therefore, I dis sent from the Judgment of the Court. liKORLIA LEGISLATI RK. SENATE. P a n!lin ItSI TL’, Jaßuary . 2s -. 1868. —Mr. a coull “ lUe 9 he appointed, ( composed of two members 0 f the Senate and three members of Inc House, charged with the duty ot inquiring whether, since the adjournment of the last session of the General Assembly any original acts passed by the General Assembly, have been taken from the office, and care of the Secretary ot state, and by whom taken, or by whose | direction, and what disposition was made j oi the said acts; whether any money has been drawn from the Treasury except by j a PP ro P r * a l’.tm made by law, if so, how the same Yias drawn, and the amounts so ! dn>Vn, whether any money has been drawn on Executive warrants for which j there was no authority of law, how much ; 80 drawn, and for whose benefit drawn; whether any amounts have been drawn from the Treasury to pay salaried officers of the State for services rendered in their offices more than the salaries fixed by law, if so, the authority by which the same was drawn, and in whose favor they were drawn. Whether any amounts have bee.n drawn from the Treasury under statements of incidental expenses, contingent expenses, extra service, stationery, and if so, the au thority for such drafts being made Resolved, That the committee appointed under the first resolution be directed to enter at once upon the duties specified, and in order to insure a full, faithful and satis factory investigation of the same, the com mittee have power to send for persons and papers, and after such investigation report tho same to the General Assembly. Mr. Candler—That this resolution be transmitted forthwith to the House.— Passed. The President, appointed Messrs. Candler and Merrell, committee. BILL FIRST TIME. Mr. Smith, of the <th—Authorizing' county officers in this State to yubiish notices and advertisements in the news paper or gazette having the largest circula tion, and published within sixty miles of their respective offices; and empowering the several Ordinaries of this Stare to issue cost executions against .ill executors, ad ministrators, trustees, and their securities HOUSE. I Mr. Scott, of Floyd, having the floor at the hour of adjournment, yesterday, con tinued his remarks in opposition to »he l resolution introduced by Mr. Price, which resolution referred to the investigation of lawlessness iu certain counties, end asking the appointment of a special cotumiltee lor the aforesaid purpose. Mr. Price followed Mr. Seott, in defence of his resolution, thinking that the matter should be referred to a special committee. The following i* the resolution .f Mr. Price: Whereas, Reports have been received to the effect that there exists in various localities in this State, and more especially in the counties of Taliaferro and YVarren, bodies of lawless anti reckless men, roam ing over at night, visiting the houses of peaceable citizens, threatening the lives of both whites and blacks, searching cars for individuals supposed to be obnoxious v 0 them, thus disturbing the peace and tran quility of the community; and wher there is power in the civil authority » 0 f the State sufficient, in the opinion * o f this General Assembly, to preserve order and protect individuals and proper! y be it therefore Resolved, By the Senate an J House of Representatives, tfc*t a Comw ittee of one lrorn the Senate, and two fro m the House be appointed to visit those a actions where disorder is reported, or ser.d fir persons and papers if necessary, md investigate the tacts in relation to these reported dis j turbanoes, and report tc, the General As ' sembly what prooeeduygs should be institu- I ted to suppress the same, if, j n their judgment, it should be deemed necessary and, further, J Resolved, That should said committee find the report- and f lawlessness to be true, they will report, hi- General A-embly why the power invest 4 iu the civii officer* of those counties have not been exercised to suppress the same. Mr. Shirmate spoke in favor of Mr. “rice s resolution, and called the previous which was sustained. 4he resolution was again read, the yeas and na.yg were called for, and the call sus tained—yeas 77, nays, 55. So the resolu tion was adopted. , Mr. Scott, of Floyd—A bill incorporat ing the Vann’s Valley Manufacturing Company, Ist reading; also, a bill incorpo rating the Etowah Canal and Water Works Company, Ist reading. A bill incorporating the Americas Manu facturing Company, making the capital stock one million of dollars. Passed and transmitted to the Senate. A bill for the encouragement of agricul ture in this State, giving good credit to planters and specific hens on their crops to merchants. Recommitted to the Commit tee on Judiciary. A bill ameodmg the charter of the Macon & Western Railroad, increasing its capital stock to two million dollars. Passed and transmitted to the Senate. A bill repealing an act creating liens on steam saw mill* for timber furnished. Lost. of the peace ants constables in this State, Passed and transmitted to the Senate.
