remarkably great diminution of the bank's assets through those in whose hands they were successively placed since the late war. The bank was incorporated in 1812, under an act "to establish a bank on behalf and for the benefit of the State." On September 30, 1860, it had a working capital of $7,260,612.29, its assets being regarded then as unquestionably good. By its operations and investments during the war, the bank lost above $3,700,000, the statement of its president, dated October 1, 1866, showing its assets on September 30th of that year to have been $3,500,000, which he considered as good. In April, 1869, the assets of the bank were taken out of the hands of its former officers and placed in the hands of a receiver. From his report it appears that the assets of the bank at this time were less than $800,000, or less than onefourth of their amount in October, 1866. The State and county taxes levied on property in South Carolina seem to have been so large of late years that a great number of property-owners could not pay them. It is stated, on the authority of official records, that during the year 1874, in the county of Charleston alone, more than 2,900 pieces of real estate were forfeited to the State because of the inability of their owners to pay the taxes imposed on them; and that in nineteen counties, taken together, 93,293 acres of land, equal to 146 square miles, have been sold for unpaid taxes during the current year, and 343,971 acres, equal to 547 square miles more, have been forfeited to the State, and are now held by her, for the same reason. A large number of tax-payers, several years ago, organized themselves into a body for the purpose of protecting their common interests. At a meeting of the president and the Executive Committee of this Tax-payers' Union at Charleston, on January 13, 1874, the following preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted: Whereas, The Convention of the Tax-payers of the State of South Carolina held in May, 1871, with a view to the protection of the rights of the citizens, adjourned, subject to be reassembled on the call of its president and Executive Committee; and Whereas, The necessities of the times, and a due regard for the common welfare of all interests and classes, require that the tax-payers of the State should again meet for counsel: therefore, Resolved, That the Tax-payers' Convention of this State be summoned and requested to reassemble in the city of Columbia, on Tuesday, the 17th day of February ensuing, at twelve o'clock, meridian. Resolved, That for the purpose of enlarging the said convention, the tax-payers of the State of South Carolina who are opposed to the frauds and corruptions which prevail, and who are in favor of honest government, with exact and equal justice to all, are requested to meet at the county-seats of their respective counties, on the first Monday of February, ensuing, and then and there elect or appoint additional delegates, equal to the representation of each county in the House of Representatives of the General Assembly, to represent them in the Tax-payers' Convention of the State, with a view to the security of right and the prevention of wrong. The convention met and was largely attended, delegates being present from all sections of the State; among them some white and black Republicans. The Committee on Increased Taxation reported the following resolutions, as an appeal to the State Legislature for a remedy to the evil complained of: Resolved, That in this State taxation has reached the last point of endurance, and that the tax-payers cannot continue to bear the excessive burdens im posed upon them. for organizing in every county, township, and preResolved, That the most efficient steps be taken cinct in the State a Tax-payers' Union, to membership in which each tax-payer shall be eligible, the object of which shall be the reduction of taxation to tion of the government and the honest expenditure the legitimate amount necessary for the administraof the money raised thereby. Resolved, That, among its duties, the Tax-payers' Union shall keep watch upon the acts of the State legal measures for repressing and punishing "fraud, and county officers, and shall promote all proper extravagance, and malpractice. Resolved, That this convention hereby request the General Assembly that they will amend, simplify, and abridge the tax laws of the State, especially that they will so amend the law as to secure a fair and equal assessment of property, and to enable any citizen who has been over-assessed to apply to the courts for redress before he is forced to pay the tax. The Legislature so far acted upon this appeal in regard to taxation as to pass an act to amend and reduce all the previously enacted laws concerning taxation into one act, and to provide for a reassessment of the real property of the State. An unexampled criminal suit was instituted in 1874 before one of the courts of South Carolina by the State against her Governor; the indictment making no mention of his official capacity as Governor, but designating him only by his name, Franklin J. Moses, Jr., yet arraigning him for offenses which he committed while he was Governor, because he was Governor, and which he could not have committed if he had not been the Governor. The matter was argued by counsel on both sides before Judge R. F. Graham, of the First Judicial Circuit, who decided it on June 8, 1874. The decision, beginning with a statement of the case, is as follows: "The question which the court is now called on to decide arises upon a motion made by the solicitor for a benchwarrant for the arrest of Franklin J. Moses, Jr., and upon a motion made by the counsel for Franklin J. Moses, Jr., one of the above-named defendants, to strike the case, as to said defendant, from the docket, on the general ground that this court has no jurisdiction at the present time to try the said defendant." From the constitution of the State, and reasoning from analogy, there being no legal authorities directly bearing on the case in hand, which is unprecedented, Judge Graham holds "that until after impeachment the Governor is not liable to indictment and trial in the courts of the State." He reviews and answers the points made in the solicitor's argument, declares the indictment idle as well as void, and concludes his decision with the words: "It is now, therefore, ordered and adjudged that the indictment, as to Franklin J. Moses, Jr., be quashed, and the case, as to him, be struck from the docket." 9. It advocates such modification of the present system of taxation as will prove of the largest advantage to the agricultural interests, and promises the most earnest endeavors to the enactment of such laws, and to the encouragement of such means as will most speedily develop the resources, and build up the manufacturing and industrial prosperity of South Carolina, and the construction of such new railroads as will give the largest and cheapest facil 10. It pledges protection in the truest sense to the property of the State, and to such wise, just, and humane laws as will perfect the education and elevation of the laboring-classes. principles, acknowledging the errors in the past, but 11. That, with a full faith in the justice of these feeling confident of the ability and determination to correct them, we appeal to all true Republicans to unite in bearing our candidate to victory, and we pledge to carry out in a practical administration of standard, in the interest of the whole people of the the government every principle inscribed upon the State. The political campaign of 1874 in South Car-ities to all citizens. olina was almost exclusively confined within the Republican party, yet unusually active and excited. A large body of the party, having refused to accept the nominations of candidates for Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, nominated others. The State Convention was held at Columbia, on September 8th. It was numerously attended, and continued in session six days, and its proceedings seem to have been exceedingly stormy and discordant. For the office of Governor, three candidates were put in nomination: Daniel H. Chamberlain, John T. Green, and J. Winnsmith. The result of the first ballot decided the contest, as, the whole number of votes cast being 122, Mr. Winnsmith received ten votes, Mr. Green forty, Mr. Chamberlain seventy-two. Mr. Chamberlain was declared nominated. For the office of Lieutenant-Governor R. H. Gleaves, colored, the present incumbent, was renominated. The convention adopted the following platform: 1. It reaffirms adhesion to the principles of the National Republican Convention, at Philadelphia, in 1872, as embodying the true ideas of American prog ress. 2. It maintains the authority of the General Government to interfere for the preservation of domestie tranquillity in the several States, and acknowledges with gratitude the interposition in this State. 3. It deprecates lawlessness in any form; condemns turbulent agitation in any place; deplores violence, intimidation, or obstruction of personal or political rights by any party; demands a universal respect and consideration of the elective franchise in the hands of the weakest, and declares it shall hold all men enemies to equal rights who interfere with or deny a free and lawful exercise of the ballot to any citizen of whatever party-creed. 4. It pledges to continue scrupulously to enact and enforce the financial reforms promised two years ago, and in a large measure fulfilled. In proof of which it points to the following laws, viz.: the law to levy a specific tax, the law to reduce the volume of public debt, the law to regulate the number of attachés, the law to regulate public printing, the law to regulate the disbursement of the public funds, and the law to regulate assessments. 5. It pledges to reduce the public expenses within the public revenue, and to secure the enactment of a law requiring officers who disburse moneys to give to the public monthly statements of all receipts and expenditures derivable from a moderate assessment and tax rate. 6. It earnestly entreats Congress to pass the civilrights bill, which is absolutely essential to enforce the constitutional guarantee of equal rights for all American citizens. 7. It pledges to maintain the settlement of the public debt as made last winter, and reject all claims against which there is a suspicion. 8. It holds that all franchises granted by the State should be subservient to the public good, the charges for travel and freight equitable and uniform, and no unjust discriminations should be made between through and local travel and freights. Not many hours after the adjournment, a large number of the delegates, being utterly opposed to the nominees, met together and resolved to form themselves, with others of the same sentiment, into a separate independent Republican body, and appointed an Executive Committee of six, who immediately commenced work, and a few days after published an address to the Republican voters of South Carolina, in which, after stating the reasons of their repudiating the action of the Columbia Convention, they invite their fellow-Republicans in the several counties of the State to elect delegates to an Independent Republican Convention to be held at Charleston, on Friday, October 2d, at 12 M., to nominate independent Republican candidates for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant-Governor. The new movement spread widely from the beginning, and found great favor among the Republicans throughout the State. During the session of the Republican Convention at Columbia, the County Unions of Tax-payers in South Carolina, pursuant to a call previously published, met in that city on September 10th, "for the purpose of organizing a State Union," which was soon done, and the following resolution was adopted: Resolved, That the Executive Committee of the State Tax Union be authorized and empowered, in citizens of the State in favor of honest and good the exercise of their discretion, to recommend to the government, to send delegates to a convention to assemble in Columbia, on such a day as shall be fixed by the Executive Committee, to consider the necessity of making nominations for the State officers to be elected at the approaching election. No nominations were made by the Tax-payers' organization. The Independent Republicans met in convention at Charleston, on October 2d. The proceedings of the convention were characterized by singular harmony in sentiment, determination of purpose, and enthusiasm. The final result of its work was as follows: John T. Green, of Sumter, was nominated for Governor, and Martin R. Delany, of Charleston, for Lieutenant-Governor. Mr. Delany is a full blooded negro, above sixty years of age, and seems to deservedly enjoy the esteem and confidence of blacks and whites. Both of the nominees briefly addressed the meeting. As to platform, the Independent Republican Convention adopted the identical one which had been adopted by the Republican Convention at Columbia in September, as given on a preceding page. The following resolutions were adopted by the convention shortly before its final adjourn ment: Resolved, That the Independent Republican movement is not hostile to the domination of the Republican party in South Carolina, but is designed to maintain its integrity against the corrupt rings which control it, and at the same time protect the common interests of the whole people of the State. Resolved, That while maintaining the integrity of the Republican party in South Carolina, we cordially invite the whole people of the State to support the nominees of this convention as the only means of preserving their common interests-especially requesting the Conservatives that, having persistently declared that their desire was only for good government, without regard to partisan politics, they will now attest the sincerity of their declarations by marching with us, shoulder to shoulder, for the triumphant election of Green and Delany, and the certain redemption of the State from the corrupt "rings" which have disgraced the Republican party, and trampled upon the interests of Republicans and Conservatives alike. On October 8th the Conservatives of South Carolina, in accordance with the call previously issued, assembled in State Convention at Columbia, for the purpose of considering the advisability of making nominations of candidates for State offices. The body was composed of eighty-five delegates, representing all the counties in the State, except four. Simpson Bobo, of Spartanburg, presided over the meeting, both as chairman before its permanent organization was effected, and as president afterward. The final result of the deliberations of the convention was, that the Conservative party of South Carolina should nominate at this time no candidates of their own, but support those nominated by the Independent Republican Convention at Charleston a few days before. The following resolutions were adopted: Whereas, The Republican party, being in the majority in this State, is responsible for its government, and the Conservative citizens of the State having declared that if the Republicans would nominate for Governor and Lieutenant-Governor men of their own party, of honesty, character, intellect, and competence, the Conservatives would refrain from opposition to them; And, whereas, the regular Nominating Convention of the Republican party have nominated for Governor and Lieutenant-Governor men whose antecedents show them to be unworthy of confidence, and whose success will insure the continuance of the corruption, dishonesty, and party tyranny, which have prostrated the State; and honesty, for which nominations they have asked the support of the Conservative voters of the State; And, whereas, we recognize that, in the present condition of the State, the necessity of checking corruption and procuring honest officials is paramount to all questions of party politics or affiliations, and believing the opportunity afforded us of securing such reform will be in the success of the nominees of the Independent Republican party: Resolved, That it is the sense of this convention, called to consider the necessity of making nominations for State officers in the approaching elections, that no nominations for Governor or LieutenantGovernor in the approaching election be made by the Conservative citizens of the State. Resolved, That in the opinion of this convention the Conservative citizens will best promote their interest and the welfare of the State by giving their support to the candidates for Governor and Lieutenant-Governor nominated by the Independent Republican party. Resolved, That we adopt as the platform of the Conservative party of South Carolina, "Honesty and economy in the administration of the State govern ment." The election resulted in the choice of the Republican nominees for Governor and Lieutenant-Governor, by considerable majorities over the Independent Republican. The whole number of votes cast in the State at this election was the largest polled since 1868. For Governor it was 149,217, of which Mr. Chamberlain received 80,403, Mr. Green 68,814. For Lieutenant-Governor it was 144,341, of which Mr. Gleaves had 80,073, Mr. Delany 64,248. In the next General Assembly the Repub licans have a small majority in the Senate, and an about equally small minority in the House of Representatives. In the last General As sembly the proportions were: In the SenateRepublicans 25, Conservatives 8; in the Lower House-Republicans 101, Conservatives 23. The result of the elections in the congressional districts for Congressmen was as follows: First district, J. H. Bainey, Republican, received 14,370 votes, Samuel Lee, Independent Republican, 13,563; second district, C. W. Buttz, Republican, 14,204, E. W. M. Mackey, Independent Republican, 16,742; third district, S. L. Hoge, Republican, 16,431, S. McGowan, Conservative, 12,873; fourth district, A. S. Wallace, Republican, 16,452, J. B. Kershaw, Conservative, 14,455; fifth district, Robert Smalls, Republican, 17,752, J. P. M. Epping, Independent Republican, 4,461. In the third district, an election was held to fill the seat of R. B. Elliot, who had resigned. L. C. Carpenter was elected to the place without opposition. The amendments to the State constitution were approved by a majority of the people. Upon their being ratified by a two-thirds vote of the next Legislature, they will become a part of the constitution." DANIEL HENRY CHAMBERLAIN, the GovernorAnd, whereas, the Independent wing of the Repub-elect of South Carolina, is a native of the State of lican party has declared its intention to reform the Massachusetts, and a graduate of Yale College. government of the State, and in pursuance of this intention has made nominations of men whose anteHe pursued his studies at the Cambridge Law School with distinction. Upon the outbreak cedents entitle them to confidence in their integrity of the late civil war he received a commission in the Fifth Massachusetts (colored) Cavalry, with which he served till the end. In 1865 he settled himself in South Carolina, and seems to have taken an active part in the political agitations which followed in that as in the other Southern States; was elected a member of the convention called to form a new State constitution for South Carolina; and in the administration of the government organized under the new constitution he has held the office of Attorney-General till the end of 1872. From that time to September, 1874, when he was nominated as the Republican candidate for Governor of South Carolina, he attended to the practice of his profession as a lawyer. The General Assembly met at Columbia at the end of November, 1874. Upon the organization of the House of Representatives, R. B. Elliot was elected Speaker. Governor Chamberlain states that the valuations of property for assessment made previous to the present year "have been, to a great extent, unjust and oppressive; " averring "that property has borne a valuation almost arbitrary when different localities or separate pieces of similar property are compared, and excessive in amount when tested by any reasonable standard of value." A new assessment of the real property in the State, the fourth since 1868, was made last year. From reliable information given him in reference to the result of the work, the Governor estimates that "the aggregate valuation of all the property in the State under this assessment will fall from $30,000,000 to $40,000,000 below the aggregate of the previous amount." The deficiencies of the fiscal year ending October 31, 1874, were $472,619.54; and those of the next preceding year, $540,328. they having expressly pledged themselves to maintain it. Within the five months elapsed since the funding act was put in operation, above $2,000,000 of the old bonds and stocks have been surrendered to the State by their holders, and exchanged for the new ones, as provided by the act. The common-school system for the education of youth seems to have made for several years past a considerable progress. "The number of free common schools within the State in 1870 was 769; in 1873 it was 2,017. The number of pupils in attendance in 1870 was 30,448; in 1873 it was 83,753. The number of teachers employed in 1869 was 754; in 1873 it was 2,310." The aggregate number of persons of school-age, between six and sixteen years, in South Carolina, is 230,102; so that about one-third only of the school-population attended school in 1873. The amount expended by the State for the free schools within the year ending October 31, 1874, was $298,440.91. The financial condition of the State of South Carolina, as appears from the report of her Treasurer, for the year ending October 31, 1874, submitted to the General Assembly in December, may be briefly stated as follows: Bonded debt Total...... $9,540,750 28 2,679,292 75 4,797,608 20 .$17,017,651 23 The public receipts from all sources during the same year amounted to $1,718,766.41; and the expenditures to $1,592,075.04; leaving a surplus of $126,691.37 on hand in the Treasury. SPAIN, a kingdom of Southern Europe. King, Alfonso XII., born November 28, 1857, proclaimed King December 30, 1874. Spain is divided into forty-nine provinces (for the area and population of which see the volume for 1873). The area and population of the foreign colonies were, according to the latest dates, as follows: COLONIES. By authority of the Legislature, State obligations, called "certificates of indebtedness," were issued last year by the State Treasurer to the amount of $231,996, and he was directed to issue about $340,000 more of them. The right of the General Assembly to authorize such issues was contested in the Supreme 1. AMERICA: Court of the State, from which the cases were carried, on a writ of error, to the Supreme Court of the United States, where they are now pending. The provisions of the funding act passed at the previous session, reducing certain State bonds and certificates of stocks to one-half of their nominal value, and wholly rejecting the conversion bonds, as has before been related, Governor Chamberlain regards as a final settlement, and expresses his belief that "no party, nor even any man, will hereafter dare to interpose an objection to the prompt discharge of the new obligations of the State." This settlement seems also to have been recognized as final by the people of the State generally, and in particular by both of the political parties during the late canvas in the State, Cuba... Total..... 2. ASIA AND OCEANICA: Philippines... Carolines and Palaos. Marianas.. 417 Total....... 3. AFRICA: The Guinea Islands........ 489 Total Spanish colonies... 117,209 5,610 85,000 8,093,610 = In the budget for 1872-'73, the revenue was estimated at 588,000,000 pesetas (1 peseta: 19.3 cents); the expenditures at 627,000,000 pesetas; the deficit at 39,000,000 pesetas. The public debt amounted, in May, 1873, to 7,830,150,000 pesetas. The army of Spain was reorganized in 1868, after the model of that of France. Since then the laws on the organization of the army have been repeatedly modified, and further changes were expected. The force in Spain was to number about 216,000 men. The army in Cuba consisted of about 60,000 men, namely, 54,400 active army, 4,000 reserve, 1,500 militia. The army in Porto Rico consisted of 9,400 men; that in the Philippines, of 9,000. Total number of troops in the colonies, 78,100. For military purposes, the kingdom is divided into five districts, or "capitanias generales," at the head of each of which stands a captain-general, with the rank of field-marshal. The fleet, in 1874, was composed as follows: The merchant navy in 1873 consisted of 3,069 sea-going vessels, of 678,886 tons, of which 2,867, of 540,211 tons, were sailingvessels, and 202, of 138,675 tons, were steamers. The aggregate length of the railroads in operation amounted, on January 1, 1874, to 5,426 kilometres (1 kilometre = 0.62 m.); the aggregate length of the telegraph-lines, on January 1, 1871, to 11,754 kilometres. The new year opened with another coup d'état. On January 2d the session of the Cortes was reopened, and the President of the Repubic, Señor Castelar, read his message, expressing himself favorably on the situation of the country. The message was received coldly by all parts of the House, except when an allusion to Cartagena provoked murmurs from the Left, and counter-cheers when Señor Olias, of the Right, moved a vote of thanks to the Government. A member of the left, Santamaria, moved the " previous question." President Castelar declared that the Government would immediately resign if the previous question were taken into consideration. Señor Salmeron, the President of the Cortes, bitterly upbraided Señor Castelar for this course, as endangering public order. Castelar retorted that the Government still held itself responsible for public order, and renewed the threat of resignation. Santamaria withdrew the motion, amid loud cries of "Vote! vote!" At seven the House adjourned. It met again at eleven. In reply to a new attack upon the policy of the Government by Salmeron, Castelar declared the Government policy republican in the best sense, though not democratic and socialistic. His alliance with the Radicals was necessary for protection against the Intransigentes, who destroyed republicanism by provoking reaction. He declared that, with the present Cortes, all government was impossible, and that no ministry could last eight days. The vote of thanks was nevertheless lost by 120 against 100. Castelar then presented the resignation of the cabinet, and the sitting was suspended to form a new ministry. Palanca was elected President. Suddenly the CaptainGeneral of Madrid, General Pavia, entered the Cortes with a strong military force, and sent his aide-de-camp to inform the President of the Cortes that it must disperse. For five minutes there were loud cries and protests, General Soceas and others threatening resistance, but the officers answered that the troops would fire if the deputies did not immediately retire. At this instant two shots were fired in the air by the soldiers. The House then broke up immediately in great confusion. No resistance was made by any one, consequently there was no bloodshed and no attempt at arrest. All the deputies were allowed to go quietly home. General Pavia had seized the Home-Office in order to get the control of the telegraph. He next strongly occupied with troops and artillery all the principal points, especially the Calle Toledo, the Belleville of Madrid. He rode round the town himself, inspecting the arrangements, which were so thorough that the Intransigentes had no chance of a successful resistance. An order was issued that all but the new national militia were immediately to give up their arms on pain of prosecution. The cafés and shops were at first shut, bat many afterward reopened. The day was fine, and there were large crowds in the streets. There was naturally much excitement, but little alarm. The municipal authorities of Saragossa, Barcelona, and Valencia, made an attempt to oppose the new Government, but the troops succeeded without much difficulty in crushing the movement. |