The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-11-21
H'rescntsm eslt of the Grand Jury
OF SUMTER DISTRICT, FALL TERM,
1910 5-iS.ttss =,

lhe Grand jury OF sumter District, for
Fall Term lS49, having made inquistion in
to the several matters of public interest sug-
ges,ed for their consideration, do herewith
accord in the following presentment:
From rs careful an investigation as they
could institute into the state ofpublc offices
of the District they have every reason to be
grMifed with the manner and condition in
which the Records are kept, tho business
been transacted, and the requirement of Law
and duty been met. If there has been any
unusual sirngency complained of in the prac-
ticc or proceedings of "eithcr" Of our ''public
Offices" they have certainly not Lecn of a
character violative of Law or Duiy; nor such
as properly come within the province Of this
inquest to reprehend. TO this general approba-
ton OF the condition Of our Public Offices, a
slight exception might possibly be taken to
the police of the Jail, which although much
1n,prored Gas the Grand Jury are induced to
beieve) from its former condition, some years
since, OF greater neglect, is nevertheless (!ike
most institutions of the kind) still of char
acter not exactly in accordance with other
benevolent improvements of the age As the
result howevero OF all their inquiries, the Grand
Jury believe, that they may safely congratu-
OF the "Public Offices" and fidelity, ctcicn-
cy and intelligence in those who occupy them
unsurpassed, as they believe, either in ON,
0'on experience, or in any other portion of the
State. While directing their views to subjects
of tocal interest. the Grand Jury would Incl
dcntally bring to the notice of the proper au-
thorities, our system Of woodworking gcncr-
aliy-oppresSirc, 0t,erous and unjust as it is
60 the planting interest particularly in
perfectly and lily attended to, in practice
neglected crrry Uhcrc, and fotaNyinadcquaic
to the purposes for which it was instituted.
But they would more especially invoke the
attention of the State, TO the present condi-
ton OF the R00a ''0croSs Tanccx S,camp"
dcrolrcd asi has been, by Resolution OF the
last Legislature, on small portion only OF
the people Of Clarendon to keep in repair, nj
an expense to them of not less than Third of
the amount of Taxes no,c paid by the whole
county, into the treasury Of the State. The
impossibiity OF meeting such an expense, not
merely in tabor, but in the cash, required to
supply timber, and reconstruct Bridges 10 saw
nothing Of the Injustice Of the imposition it.
selD must necessarily cause a tota! neglect
and abandonment of the Road, with all the
expensive improvements eli II; and thus de-
privc also large portion Of the citizens of that
county, of their only convenient access to a
public mart.
Agreivance so obvious, and arising as it has
done, out OF tho action Of the Legislature il
sell, III closing up the old road and max ing
such improvements on the ncis CAS- were in
themselves injudicious and c.dravagan) and
which arc certainly not within the compcten-
cy OF that portion of,hc county to keep in pre-
scrvatlon ought in the opinion OF the Grand
Jury to be Instantly redrcsscd.
AS another matter also, of deep interest to
the District, they would alidc TO the condition
Of \Nrighl's Bluff; believed to have been
marked and designated by tho authorities OF
the State as "puhic Landing" and a right
to which was supposed TO have been vested in
the People by Legislative sanction as well as
accrued from prcscriptivc use; but which has
lately been claimed and mcasureahy oprropri-
ated as private property As perhaps one o.
the largest and most convenient Pubc Land
Ings in the District, aud from which as many
rs ten thousand bales in single season have
been shipped, any obstruction 10 the use OF it
would cause rciux Of a large portion of our
produce, att considerable cost and sacrifice
to more remote and distant Dcpo.s, both from
Our homes and market. The Grand Jury
would therefore earnestly invite tic attention
OF the several "Boards of Commissioners Of
Roads," the Court, the Solicitor, and the Leg
lslature to abatc an evil Of such import and
magnitude.
III the two last years our Local Taxes
have Collectively very nearly cqralled the
amount paid by this District during the
samcpcrlod) into the state these,
the Tax for the repair and Improvement OF
Public Buildings, has probably formed the
heaviest and most considerable itcn-Inv view
oi burden SO often recurring, so nconvcn!en:
ly torn, and so evidently liable TO abuse, the
Grand Jury would respectfully recommend
(without intending, however, any reflection on
the pasD that the commissioners OF Public
buildings should be appointed under grcG,c, re.
sponsibility to tho will and n;crcs, Of the pco-
ple-As illustrative OF the necessity oi some
change in our present system of repairing
and improving tho Public Buildings of the
District, tho Grand Jury would rclnark-that
Notwithstanding the heavy taxation and cx-
pendItHrc OF the last few years, The .Iail and
all lis appurtnanccs, are for the most part in
rimous, dlapidatca--lnd aImos. loa,hsomc
,adtion--the Sheriii's office sil! needing the
additions and repair recommended BY tic
Grand Jury at the last spring term, the Court
liouse, although directed by the presiding
Judge yet remaining uncarpetcl--and the
Grand Jury Room unprovidcd even with
seats for the accommodation Of the Jurors.
These defects the Grand Jar, would CON
cur with their predecessors, in recommend
hng, to be instantly remcdicd--Imprisonment
lin common jail for the liquidation OF militia.
.ry fines, the Grand Jury would respectfully
represent as harsh and hnmiliu;inr punish.
mcnt; dcrogatory both to The pride ofthc citi-
zen and the spirit Of the solder. commu-
tation of this penalty to crra rooA or any
other public duty--where there was an OBJ
Vlous inability TO pay the linc--would seem
to be more consistent. and perhaps quite as
adequate a remedy for Tho default
There is certainly no portion OF our State
organization that the Grand Jury would be
more unwilling to dcpreciatc, or attached n
higher value TO than our Militia System But
instances OF Tho character 0Nuled to, have
sometimes occurred (and in our own District
20 show the necessity OF some such modiiica-
tion Of the Law in this respect.