Wishing you, Senators, individually, much prosperity, and, as legisla tors, great success, I am, very respectfully yours, J. H. RAINEY.. On motion of Mr. ARNIM, the resignation was accepted. PETITIONS.. Mr. GREENE presented the petition of F. W. Klaren, of Orangeburg County, praying the General Assembly to vest the title of the State to a lot of land in the village of Orangeburg, of which Deidrich Klep. ping died seized, in the purchaser or purchasers who shall pay for the premises under a sale by decree of the Probate Court of Charleston County; and to direct the application of the proceeds of sale; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Mr. CORBIN presented the petition of the Union Bank of South Carolina, praying for an amendment of charter so as to authorize and empower the bank to allow interest on deposits, at such rates, and payable at such times and in such manner as may be deemed expedient; which was referred to the Committee on Incorporations. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. Mr. CORBIN, from the Special Committee on Unfinished Business, submitted the report of that Committee on the unfinished papers left in the hands of the Clerk from the last term of the General Assembly, with a recommendation that they be referred to the various Standing Committees of the Senate named in the report. On motion of Mr. CORBIN, the Rule was suspended, the report considered immediately, and agreed to. Mr. HAYNE, from the Special Committee appointed to wait upon the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor elect, and inquire when it would suit them to qualify, reported that the Committee had discharged the duty assigned them, and that His Excellency R. K. Scott, Governor elect, and Hon. A. J. Ransier, Lieutenant-Governor elect, would attend in the Hall of the House of Representatives, at 1 P. M. this day, to qualify. NOTICES OF BILLS. Mr. GREENE gave notice that on to-morrow, or some subsequent day, he will ask leave to introduce A Bill to renew the charter of the Orangeburg Presbyterian Church Society. Mr ARNIM gave notice that on to-morrow, or some subsequent day, he will ask leave to introduce A Bill to provide for the appointment of a Commissioner of Railroad and Telegraph Companies, and to define his duties. BILLS INTRODUCED. Mr. CORBIN asked and obtained the unanimous consent of the Senate to introduce, without previous notice, A Bill to amend and extend the charter of the Union Bank of South Carolina. The Bill received its first reading, was ordered for a second reading and consideration to-morrow, and to be printed. RESOLUTIONS. Mr. WHITTEMORE introduced the following Resolution: Whereas, the term for which Hon. T. J. Robertson was elected to represent the State of South Carolina in the Senate of the United States will expire on the 4th of March, 1871; and whereas it becomes necessary by law to proceed to an election of an United States Senator on the second Tuesday after the meeting and organization of the General Assembly of this State; and whereas to-morrow, the 29th inst., is the second Tuesday after the meeting and organization of the same; therefore, Resolved, That the Senate do, at 12 o'clock M. to-morrow, the 29th inst., proceed to vote for a person to represent the State of South Carolina in the Senate of the United States for the term of six years, commencing March 4, 1871. Mr. WHITTEMORE moved that the Rule be suspended, and the Resolution considered immediately. Objection being made, the Resolution was ordered for consideration to-morrow. Mr. MCINTYRE introduced the following: Whereas reports are in circulation that directly implicates the State Treasurer and others in a certain ninety thousand dollars land swindle; and, whereas reports of a like character, prejudicial to the integrity of our Land Commissioners and State officers are pending; therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring, That a Committee of three on the part of the Senate, and on the part of the House, be appointed, with power to investigate the accounts of Mr. Niles G. Parker, and the Land Commissioners, and send for persons and papers. Ordered for consideration to-morrow. Mr. HAYES introduced the following: Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring, That a Committee of three be appointed on the part of the Senate, and on the part of the House, whose duty it shall be to investigate the affairs of the Land Commission, past and present, and that said Committee have power to send for persons and papers. Ordered for consideration to-morrow. Mr. LESLIE introduced the following: Resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring, That the Clerk of the Senate, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, be authorized to employ the necessary clerks for engrossing the Bills, and enrolling the Acts of the General Assembly, and that they be also authorized to have the Acts of the General Assembly printed as soon as the session terminates. Ordered for consideration to-morrow. MESSAGE NO. 5 FROM HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House sent to the Senate the following message: IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Senate: The House of Representatives respectfully informs your honorable body that Messrs. Byas, Hagood and Briggs, have been appointed a Committee on the part of the House, to meet similar Committee on the part of your honorable body, to wait upon the Governor and LieutenantGovernor elect, and prepare for ceremonies of inauguration. Also, that Messrs. W. H. Jones, Miles and N. B. Myers, have been appointed a Committee on the part of the House, to meet similar Committee on the part of your honorable body, to wait upon Hon. F. J. Moses, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and attend him to the inauguration of Governor and Lieutenant-Governor elect. Very respectfully, F. J. MOSES, Jr., Speaker of the House of Representatives. The PRESIDENT appointed Messrs. Whittemore, Wimbush and Barber, Committee on the part of the Senate, to wait upon the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor elect, and Messrs. Nash, Hayne and McIntyre, Committee to wait upon Hon. F. J. Moses, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Mr. CORBIN moved that the Senate, at 12 M. to-morrow, proceed to vote for a Senator to represent the State of South Carolina in the Senate of the United States, for the term of six years, commencing March 4, 1871. Pending debate, participated in by Messrs. Leslie and Corbin, The PRESIDENT announced the SPECIAL ORDER. Inauguration of the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor elect. The Senate proceeded to the hall of the House of Representatives to attend the inauguration of the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor elect. The Governor and Lieutenant-Governor elect being conducted to the Speaker's stand by the Joint Committee of Arrangements, Prayer was offered by the Rev. Mr. Harris. Hon. C. W. MONTGOMERY, President pro tem. of the Senate, introduced to the Joint Assembly His Excellency Robert K. Scott, Governor elect of the State of South Carolina, as follows: Gentlemen of the General Assembly: It is now my pleasing office to introduce to you Robert K. Scott, Gov. ernor elect of South Carolina, and to congratulate him upon his elevation to the high station to which he has again been called, through the suffrages of the good people of the State. His Excellency Governor Scott then delivered the following INAUGURAL ADDRESS. FELLOW-CITIZENS: By a large majority of the votes of the people of the State, I have again been elected to the office of Governor. While I cannot but accept this result as an endorsement of my own administration of the affairs of government during the past two years, I am well aware that it is in a greater degree intended as an endorsement of the principles and measures of that great party of which I am simply the chosen representative. The campaign through which we have passed has been heated, and in some particulars very bitter and acrimonious. Doubtless many things have been said by the advocates of both parties which had better have been left unsaid. Of one thing the people of the State may be assured ; so far as my course as a public officer is concerned, the criminations, and recriminations of the political contest are forgotten; and while I shall not fail in allegiance to the principles of the party I represent, as Governor of the State, entrusted with the execution of its laws, I will know no party or class, but shall endeavor most earnestly to protect and secure the rights and privileges of all. The Constitution and laws of our State give to the Executive large powers, and these powers carry with them corresponding responsibilities. He would, indeed, be a bold man who, having occupied the position which it has been my lot to hold for the past two eventful years, should claim for himself freedom from mistakes, or even serious errors, in the administration of the affairs of Government. I certainly make no such claim. But I do claim that the general scope and aim of my adminis tration has been good; and that it has been measurably free from the errors incident to all human governments. A charge freely made against my administration has been that of the incompetency of its appointees to the various County and other offices. The charge is not entirely without truth. But a recurrence to the history of the two years just past will offer some justification for such appointments. When the administration just closed came into power, the citizens of the State, who by education and experience were best fitted to fill the various offices in the gift of the Executive, either openly opposed or silently, but persistently, stood aloof from the Government. Persons whose services the State would have been glad to secure, refused to qualify for the positions which were offered them; while, on the other hand, men were urged upon the Executive, whose opposition to the Government was so well known, as to make their appointment, so far as the execution of the laws was concerned, a farce. In addition, many, if not most of these appointments, had to be made immediately; the exigencies of the public service were such as to preclude the possibility of thorough investigation into the character and fitness of the persons recommended by those, upon whom the Executive was compelled to depend for information. In the nature of things, it has been, to a great degree, impracticable for him to know fully the qualifications of those who have been urged upon him for appointment. I am satisfied that, without doing injustice to the claims of any one, the large experience which we have all gained, combined with the accessions which have been made to the ranks of those who are both actively and passively friendly to the administration, will enable us to cure this evil in the future. It is not necessary to enter into an argument to show the impossibility of carrying on the affairs of Government without competency on the part of those selected to perform its duties; the thing is self-evident. It is my purpose, so far as the responsibility rests with me, to secure such competency; and, in this effort, I think I may confidently look for the support of the people of the State of all classes. Fellow citizens, our State has made great progress in all respects within the last two years. Two years ago a large class of our people were a unit almost, in their avowed determination not to recognize the validity of the Reconstruction Acts of Congress, or of the governments |