Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-10-30
Presentment.

10 Ills Honor, John Bolton O'Ncall,
presiding Judge of the Court of General
Sessions, for Pickens District, at Fall Term,
1858.
The Grapd Jurors for the said Term,
respectfully beg leave to report, that they
have carefully considered the various mat
tors which they have supposed to be with
in their supervision, and submit the follow
ing prcscntmcnts and recommendations
thCrcupon.
The bridges over Little River and Con
cross Creek, upon the road leading from
Pickens Court House to Bachelors Re
treat, are in bad condition, and require i'm
mediate attention, we recommend that meas
urcs be taken to have them put in good re-
pair forthwith. I
The public Jail requires the repairing of
sill on the Northwest end of the building,
and when this is done shelter should be
constructed over the door at this point, to
prevent future damage to the sill. There
is breach in one of the prisoners rooms,
which also requires attention and repair.
One of the cases in the Clerks Office in
the Court House, should be repaired, or re-
placed by a new one, with lining or back
to prevent injury to the public records of
the district, from their exposure to dust
and dampncss.
The brick floor of the Coroncrs Office
should be replaced with one of plank, as
the present flooring is uuwholcsome and
productive of dampncss and dust. The
outer room of this Office should be pastercd,
and suitable case for deposting the re-
cords of the office, should be provided
Wcthink that frc-proofiron safe should
be furnished to the office of the Commits
sioner ia Equity, for the safe keeping ofthc
funds, bonds and other valuable papers
which are necessarily in the custody ofthat
officer.
We have examined the annual reports of
the various boards of the district, and find
them all correctly stated and vouchcd. The
only irrcgularity which VIC have discovered
is in the report of the Commissioners of
Roads for the Fifth Regiment, which is not
endorsed or signed by the proper officers
With this exception, all of the said reports
are fully approved.
We are not aware of any irrcgnlarity or
official misconduct on the part ofany of the
public officers of the District
We are crcdibly informed and believe
that mau named Thomas A. White, who
lives above Pickcns Court House, upon the
road to Choohce or Jocasscc, is in the habit
of keeping disorderly house, selling spir.
itous liquors by retail without license, and
OF violating the peace and sanctity of the
SABBATH day, by scenes Of drunkenness and
rcYelry upon his premises, to the great an
noyancc Of the well-disposed portion of the
community, and in violation of the laws of
the land. We understand that his conyic-
tlon can be procured upon the testimony of
the following witnesses, viz: Francis Neigh
bors, Warren Calhoun, Martin Hopkins.
Miles Wilson, Miles Moss, John Ross aud
Iadock Skclton and we recommend that
immediate measures be taken to suppress
the nuisance, and bring the offender to ius
tice.
We regard the present law of the State
which gives two days for the general cleo
tons, as an unwlse one, and calculated to
promote idlcness and dissipation, and to
afford facilities for corruption in elections,
by means of false reports, single-shot bal
lots, and VARIOUS @her means familiar to
those who take great interest iu such mat
tcrs. We recommend that the law be so
altered as to give but ono dry for the gen
cral elections
Wercgard it to be an unnecessary ex.
pense to the State, and great inconvcn-
icnce to the citizens thereof to hold Coro-
nor's inquests oyer bodies who're the proof
Is abundant as to the cause and manner of
the death, and whore it has occurred other
wise than by violence. The frequency of
these occasions in eur District has become
annoying TO oar citizens, and we xccommond
tiIat the evil be remcdied, whether it ex-
| ist in the custom or in the law.
Weregard the present yolun,inous, con-
fused and conflicting state Of our Stasate
law, and of the Reports Of our courts Of
Law and Equity, to he a great and unnec-
essary evil, and one which cries out loudly
for immediate reform AS our laws stand
at present, they are scaled book to the
common people Of the State, and as We are
informed, it is with great dificulEy and not
without uncertainty that attorneys can IN
struct their clients, OF judges and Chan
cellors adminstcrjustice in tic present de-
fcctiye state Of our Statutes and Reports,
Such state ofthings ought not to be. 1t
is grievance to the people, and disgrace