SOUTH CAROLINA. 



705 



An act directing and requiring the publica- 

 tion of monthly statements by the State Treas- 

 urer. 



An act to provide for the enumeration of the 

 inhabitants of the State. 



An act to declare and protect the rights of 

 women and children under policies of life-insur- 

 ance taken for their benefit. 



An act to regulate the practice of dentistry, 

 and protect the people against empiricism in 

 relation thereto in the State of South Carolina. 



An act to protect and encourage stock-rais- 

 ing in South Carolina. 



A joint resolution authorizing and directing 

 the trustees of the State Orphan Asylum to re- 

 move that institution from the city of Charles- 

 ton to the city of Columbia, was passed. Also 

 a joint resolution to remove the Asylum for 

 the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind to the city 

 of Columbia. 



The members of the General Assembly met 

 together again for the regular session of 1875 

 -'76 on the 23d of November. 



The financial condition of the State is as fol- 

 lows: 



The amount of her funded debt under the 

 funding act is : 



Funded in the fiscal year ending Oct. 81, 1874. $1,987,169 05 

 Funded in the year ending October 81, 1875. . . . 5,233,343 60 



Total $7,220,512 65 



Total amount of contingent liabilities arising 



from State indorsement of railroad bonds. $4,792,603 20 



Deficiencies for the year 292,100 87 



Unpaid appropriations 864,534 08 



The receipts for the last fiscal year, under 

 the specific tax levies from all sources, amount- 

 ed to $1,305,607.78, and the expenditures for 

 all purposes, to $1,178,677.41; leaving a bal- 

 ance in the Treasury of $126,390.37. 



The aggregate value of the taxable property 

 in the State, assessed for the fiscal year ending 

 October 31, 1875, was $143,326,135, consisting 

 of $88,177,218 of real estate, $46,791,006 of 

 personal property, and $8,357,911 of railroad 

 property. 



The entire amount of the taxable property 

 possessed in 1874 was, $145,143,023, consisting 

 of $90,095,407 of real estate, and $55,047,616 

 of personal property. 



A large portion of the personal property 

 taxed in the new assessment represents prop- 

 erty which in former years has escaped taxa- 

 ation. 



Out of the $1,555,201, taxes charged by the 

 several auditors against the various county 

 treasurers for the year, there was only $12,- 

 519.47 returned nulla bona. The amount of 

 such returns in 1874 was above $40,000 ; and 

 in 1873 it exceeded $51,000. 



The appropriation for legislative expenses in 

 the last fiscal year was reduced to $150,000 

 from $190,000 in the previous year. The cost 

 of each regular session during the period be- 

 tween 1868 and 18Y3 averaged about $320,000. 

 That of 1871-'72 amounted alone to $617,234. 



Besides these legislative expenses, which 

 VOL. xv. 45 A 



might bo called ordinary, a great deal of money 

 was annually paid out of the public Treasury 

 for the Legislature under the name of contin- 

 gent expenses. The great extravagance which 

 in former years prevailed in regard to these 

 expenses is now largely reduced. 



The floating indebtedness of the State is con- 

 sidered a matter of difficult liquidation. It re- 

 quires great circumspection and judgment to 

 select and pass upon the claims of which such 

 debt is composed. 



Public instruction seems to have satisfacto- 

 rily progressed during the last scholastic year. 

 The aggregate number of youths between six 

 and sixteen years of age was 239,264, of whom 

 85,566 were white, and 153,698 colored an 

 increase since 1873 of 9,162. The total attend- 

 ance of both sexes and colors in the schools 

 numbered 110,416 : white children, 47,001 ; 

 colored, 63,415 ; an increase of 5,678 over last 

 year. 



The whole number of free common schools 

 in the State was 2,580, or 227 more than in the 

 previous year. 



The entire number of teachers was 2,855 : 

 white, 1,876 ; colored, 979 ; an increase over 

 last year of 228. 



The average length of school-time in the 

 year was four months and a half. 



The schoolhouses in the State numbered in 

 the aggregate 2,347, an increase of 119 over 

 the preceding year. 



The condition of the State University appears 

 to have been improved. The whole number 

 of students who attended it during the year 

 ending October 31, 1875, was 233, classified as 

 follows: In the preparatory department, 102 ; 

 law, 20 ; medicine, 2 ; academic schools, 107. 



The State Normal School is flourishing in all 

 respects. 



The Agricultural College and Mechanic In- 

 stitute are not in so satisfactory a condition as 

 could be desired. 



The State Orphan Asylum has been removed 

 from Charleston to Columbia. The number 

 of its inmates in November, 1875, was 84: 

 boys, 35 ; girls, 49. 



The State Asylum for the Insane is remark- 

 ably well administered, and accomplishes the 

 purpose for which it is intended. 



The State Penitentiary is under good ad- 

 ministration and discipline. The number of 

 convicts therein on October 31, 1874, was 168. 

 The number received during the year ending 

 October 31, 1875, was 321, including 9 who 

 escaped and were recaptured, making a total 

 of 489 for the year. Of this number 46 were 

 pardoned by Governor Moses within the month 

 of November, 1874, and 16 by Governor Cham- 

 berlain from that date to October 31, 1875; 

 44 were discharged by expiration of sentence, 

 4 by commutation of sentence, and 21 by the 

 effect of the regulation allowing a deduction of 

 one-twelfth from the time of sentence for good 

 behavior ; 24 have escaped ; 6 died, one of 

 these having been shot by a guard in an alter- 



