Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-05-11
VOL. XIX..--NO. IL.

D ants: which hdrdships deter Numbers of people
from, becoming inhabitants of The Prorince mho
justice could be obtained tSits greater ease and
expedition and less expense than at present. asatld
De thereby induced to settle and iinprore na',y
large and raluable tracts Of land 1chich no,c lay
!, uncuhirated, and would not only contribute
largely to tile revenue of the Ctown and sup
port OF GoVerDncnt. but asa greatly increase
tae trade of Great Britain and of this Province"
This Preamble is perhaps the best argument
= against large Judicial Districts that could be
written in the same number Of words, and the
reas ons assigned by it, for dividing the monster
District that comprised the whole State in 1868,
are now proportionally applicable to reduction
of Edgefield, BarnwelI, Beaufort, Colleton,
Sumter, Lexington and other Districts. The
entire State of South garolna had population
of about $4,000 inhabitants in the wear l76S,
yet seven Judicial Districts Were then establish
cd, with an average population of but 5,4as
souls each. It may be conjectured' with reason-
able certainty that Edgefcld at this moment
has m"re than three times az many Inhabitants
ns the whole District Of Niuety-Six conaincdin
I!7Gs, The population of our District is still
increasing every year, mostly because the lower
portion OF it is engaging extensively in ma,n-
fac:urcs. ltis probable that ElgefcId will have
other manufacturing towns than Ganitevillc,
vaucluse and Bath at tho taking of the next
Census
= It is ridiculous TO oppose tho reduction of
Edseheld, Barnwell, or Of any other large Dis.
trlct upon the ground that the fees Of either the
old, or new Districts, would be inadequate to
The maintenance Of police More than half
the fees which our officers collect, now are not
enjoyed by those officers but they are paid to
Deputies for doing the very work which the in.
cumbents themselves perform in small Districts m i
Deputy in Edgefeld must receive the same
wages for which he would be willing to act as
Sheriff, Clerk Ordinary, &c. Hence, The fees of,
our District support in reality, two Or three set,
OF police now. If three or four new Districts
were formed, say out of portions Of AbbeyiIIr,
Edgefeld and Barnwell, sincerely believe That
the police at the old Court Houses would real
Ize more clear profits from their offices than thew
do at the present time The incumbcnts of our
Offices rarely make any thing but a support Ly
them, because they cannot avoid losing mucl,
money. lst. BY presents, loans, suretyshfp,
subscriptions, hotel bills, &C. to win theIr crc.
tons. 3D. By emitting to collect many Of their
lees, that they may become more popular. and
be more easily reelected. Sd. BY having To
hire numerous Deputies. The police in tho
small Districts Of Newberry Union, Laurens,
Nc., doubtless derive as much clear profit from
heir offices. as the police of Edgoficld and
Barnwell do from theirs
have desigredly selected 1000 inhabitants
Is the minimum population for new District,
because would have every police so we'll re-. !,
nuneraled, as that they could devote tlieir ex.
lusive attention totheir Offices But Soury Or
llnary and Commissioner III Equity arc required -
o De IN their Offices even now only two days ir
he Week, and why not let tha Clerk and Sheriff.
ave the same privilege, But grant that nm
Ulcer should be at his post all tho while, what
to prevent our police from engaging In Mer,
anilc, Mechanical, Manufacturing or some other
Llsncss at the same time that they carry on their
ilices! How many Post Masters in this coun-
y rely exclusively upon their commissions for
support! Yet are there any vacant Post Oil
es in the United States, worth from two hun
red to four hundred dollars a yoar! Why
l"uId not the same man be Merchant and SIicr.
!, as Well lis Merchant and Post Master?
IN see no good reason therefore why some new
lstrcts could not support n police with less
ian 1000 inhabitants. In the poor pine SEQ.
ons OF the State, the Legislature might further
'tabsh convenient Court Houses, and support
police at each, by abolishing the Ordinary and
oroners office, and by dividing the duties. as
ell rs the fees Of those offices among The other
ads OF police. 1t might also assign to the
lerlt the performance Of all the ministerial
tiles OF the Commissioner in Equity. That
If Legislature i'll its anxiety to establish Dis
els OF convenient extent and maintain n po.
e in each, has from time to time, consolidated
. or three offices into one Is apparent. Who
er Will study the organization and analizc the
tles OF our District offices, can quickly per-
We tiat each OF them wholly, or in part, per-
ms Tile dulles and apprcpriates the fees of
gand, and formerly existed here to soma
Il. Our Clerk discharges the functions of
lr distinct offices, which are: lst Clerk of
mmon Pleas. I'd. Clerk of Sessions Sd. Rrr.
sr of Mesne Convcyances 4th. Commission.
of Locations. He also has considerable iu-
laI power and executes in part the duties of
er distinct offices known to tho English law.
c Commissioner in Esapily In South Carroll
likewise combines many offices in his per-
. He is in many respects Master, Register
Receiver, which are three separate Offices in
gland. He, the Clerk and Ordinary also d.
y among themselves the dnlies and fees of
other Offices which exist in England. Our
riff, Ordinary and Tax-gatherer arc all COM
md offices, or such US consolidate the duties
profits of several offices in England and
tr States of the Union, whero population
cry dense, and where wealth has vastly ac-
lulatcd, The Legislature having united m
offices into ono, the better to support po-
in small Judicial Districts should now either
'rats them, or divide the District, that both
labor and the profits of our police may bc
ened. HARPER.