SOUTH CAROLINA. 



083 



The vast amount of ruiln>.i<l property in tlio 



. that hits chiiin.-.l . \e:uption I'mni taxa- 



iins attracted the attention of the admin- 



lon, and lias been brought to the iiotie,- 



i.f tin- Legislature. Tho value uf the property 



in tho hands of these corporations < daiming >n- 



\eniption from taxation, either State or 



municipal, is estimated in round number* at ten 



million dollars; and it is stated that at the 

 present rate of State taxation, if the.se corpora- 

 tions paid their share of taxes, those who now 

 pay taxes to the State would be relieved of the 

 burden of taxation to the extent of $50,000 

 annually, and that the tax-payers in the various 

 counties through which these roads pass would 

 be relieved of a proportionate burden. In his 

 report to the General Assembly of 1869, the 

 Auditor, in reference to this question, said, 

 " Unless the General Assembly decides other- 

 1 will feel compelled to insist upon the 

 assessment of the property of such corpora- 

 tions and the collection of the taxes levied 

 thereon in accordance with what I believe to 

 be the plain law of the case." Upon notifi- 

 cation, the Cheraw & Darlington and North- 

 eastern Railroad Companies made the return 

 as required by law, but under protest as to 

 their liability to taxation. The South Caro- 

 lina Railroad Company, having neglected to 

 make any return, the value of the road and its 

 appurtenances was fixed by the State Railroad 

 Board of Equalization, and the treasurers of the 

 counties through which the roads pass were, 

 instructed to proceed with the collection of 

 the taxes levied. These corporations, with a 

 view to avoid the taxes thus levied, procured 

 suits to be brought against themselves in the 

 Circuit Court of the United States, in order to 

 obtain the injunction of that court against the 

 tax-officers of the State. The Attorney-Gen- 

 eral has appeared for the State in all these 

 suits, and has filed answers, setting forth the 

 right of the State to impose the taxes in ques- 

 tion. The cases were pending at the close of 

 the year. 



The subject of immigration lias attracted 

 much attention throughout the State during 

 the year. In response to a call issued by the 

 South Carolina Institute for "delegations from 

 the various County Agricultural and Mechani- 

 cal and Immigration Societies throughout the 

 State, to assemble in Charleston on the first 

 Tuesday in May next (3d), to take into con- 

 sideration the questions of labor and immigra- 

 tion, and means for further development of 

 the agricultural interests of the State," dele- 

 gations from the South Carolina Institute, the 

 South Carolina Railroad Company, the various 

 county societies of the State, the Chamber of 

 Commerce, Board of Trade, and German So- 

 ciety of Charleston, and from various North 

 Carolina and Georgia societies, assembled at 

 the time and place indicated in the call. Tlio 

 convention thus composed remained in session 

 during three days. The president of the South 

 Carolina Institute, in calling the convention to 



order, referred to the necessity of immigration 

 to develop the n-soiirees and build up tho 

 wealth and prosperity of the Sr ate, and to tho 

 decrease* in the colored population of the State, 

 us -.down I iy tho State census of 1809. In con- 

 cluding his remarks, ho stated tho purposes of 

 tin ( -.'mention, and tho practical problem de- 

 manding solution from them. 



Tho Committee on Immigration, in their re- 

 port presented on tho second day, recommended 

 tho following practical measures : 



1. Tho establishment of direct steam communica- 

 tion with Europe. 



2. The establishment of rntes of railway transporta- 

 tion for immigrants from Charleston to tho extreme 

 Northwest. 



3. Tho formation in this city, and at principal 

 points along this proposed route of immigration 

 travel, of societies on the plan of the German Society 

 of South Carolina, now in existence here. 



4. Tho formation, in all the healthy counties of this 

 and other Southern States, of " County Land and Im- 

 migration Societies," having for their object tho 

 settlement of immigrants upon free farms, embodying 

 the joint-stock principle or Dr. E. B. Turnipseed. 



5. The establishment in Charleston, upon tho 

 broadest and most liberal basis, of a Board of Im- 

 migration. 



6. The encouragement of publications and of the 

 widest discussions upon immigrants and immigration, 

 to the end that our people, of all classes and occupa- 

 tions, may be fully informed as to the immense gain 

 to the whole country and to all private interests of a 

 large, increasing, industrious, and respectable popu- 

 lation. 



7. The encouragement of immigration from North- 

 ern States to this State. 



The report of the delegates from the Ger- 

 man Society recommended the establishment 

 of direct communication, " by means of good 

 steamers commanded by officers speaking tho 

 German language," between some German 

 port with which there is at present no such 

 communication and some Southern port. 

 "The present condition of our country," con- 

 tinues the report, "renders it absolutely im- 

 possible for immigrants to be induced to come 

 to this or any other Southern State as laborers. 

 The price of labor is much too low. We can- 

 not contend in this respect with tho Northern 

 and "Western States, where farm laborers of 

 the best class are paid as high as from fifteen 

 to thirty dollars per month, besides being 

 found. Moreover, it would bo impossible for 

 them to exist on the fare and in the manner in 

 which our plantation laborers are sustained." 

 The subject of Chinese labor occupied a con- 

 siderable share of the attention of the conven- 

 tion, and was referred to a special committee, 

 who reported that " the introduction of Chines j 

 labor would be of great benefit to a large por- 

 tion of South Carolina. In the lower part of 

 the State and on the islands, where rice and 

 long cotton are cultivated, and whore it is 

 supposed white labor cannot bo permanently 

 or profitably employed, it would seem to be n 

 great acquisition. The Chinaman is reported 

 to enjoy almost perfect health on the low river 

 lands in tho most? unhealthy regions of tho 

 South and Southwest." The cheapness of 



