The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1860-12-13
The LEGISLATURE.

Ing discussion took place on bin from the
House to establish Board of Ordnance
and Ordnance Bureau:
Mr.. FicLling moved to strike out the
words appointed by the Governor" and
went on tog''e his reasons for making the
motion. He was opposed to making the
the Governor the appointing power, and
thereby virtually making him the Ord
nance Bureau. He desired to be under
stood as not expressing any fear as regards
the action of the gentleman who now fills
or who may be selected to fill the Exccu-
tive Chair during the coming two years
AS the bill now stood, the Governor ap.
pointed the Board, and the Board, with
the Governor. the ordnance officer, and he
really thought that if the Board was select
cd by the Legislature, there would be Il bet
ter chance of getting gentlemen of wisdom
and intelligence. Should the bill pas. as
reported, we, of course, make the Governor
the Ordnance Board.
Mr.. Mazyck said the Ordnance officer
was not ye, provided for lie would SUI
gest to the gentlemen from 81 lakes NJ
Fckling) that if the word three were
stricken out in the fifth line, and one in
serted, the difficulty would be overcome.
The Governor then would have only one
mcuber of the Board 20 appoint This
change would also have the ,pl effect oi'
reJs,elng the number of the Board. ~ a
number of Senators think six entirely too
large number to compose the Board
When constituted, the Board would be an
executive and not deliberative body, and
the less number Of persons composing it
the better.
Mr.. Aston moved to amend so as to
make the three members Of the Board ap-
pointed by the Governor and Adjutant
General
MIR. Moses asked how it would be if the
Governor and Adjutant General cou Il not
agree.
Mr. Cannon moved that the bll be re.
committed to the Military Committee. We
were drifting into the same difficulty cx-
pcricnced when this bill was under ounsid-
Grafton last week. At every step matters
appeared to become more tangled.
Mr. Rhett hoped the friends of the bill
would make stand and pass it ut once.
1t these continue motions to postpone, to
amend, or to adjourn were to bc sprung on
every occasion, the friends OF the measure
had better give up at once. 'ihc obj,c-
tlons raised to portions oi the bill were
captious, and should not have the effect OF
swerving its friends for Il moment This
is no time for trihing. 1t becomes us to
prepare for the coming crisis After 9TH
er amendments fail now we have one cvi.
IDENTITY intended to veto the Governor bv
the vote of the Adjutant General He
then referred to the action of the LcgiSla-
ture in 1891, an asked Senators to only en-
quire how it was that the State had now so
many caunoa-how was 1t that there were
guns of such large calibre now ia Charles
ton harbur? They were procured by the
very aet of 1891, which gave the Govern
or the assistance and advice OF the very
best men in the State. What could posi-
bly, be the objection to the Governor hav-
ing three gentlemen to help him He
could not see why the number should be 50
small. As far as he was concerned, he
would prefer to have five gentlemen ap-
pointed to assist the Governor in doing
the work. He appealed to Senators to
cease their endeavors to amend the bill.
He desired to see the State put IN ii prop.
GER stctc of defence at once, and he was ready
to take the bill us it come from the House,
and pass 1t through this body without al
1tering line.
MIR. Fickling desired to be understood
rs Offering no captious opposition to the
bill. lie was as earnestly in favor of it as
any gentleman in the Senate, and would
also vote for it without altering u word or
q letter; but when bill like this comes
before us, it is our duty as Legislators to
perfect it as much as possible. HIS amend
ment had been made iii good faith, and for
no other purpose than to allow other Sena-
tors the opportunity to participate in per
tecting the bill. He had not the least
objection to making the Governor the en-
tire Ordnance Department, but it had
never been the policy Of the State to put
the power OF appointment in the hands of
she Governor, and he could see no reason
Why it should " done now. by making
.the appointments the I.e- e-islature holds Il
wholesome restraint OF Tho oliiCcrs; we
have checks and balances on them. u
these gentlemen are to be appointed mere
1y as advisers of the Governor, cannot that
tunctionary call OH every gentleman in the
State for advice and if so, why make she
board SO large. The result oi the bill AZ il
now stands, was to make the Governor the
Board, and for this reason he would Ike TO
see it changed, but not at the hazard Of
defeating the bill He was perfectly vii
ling that the word = three should be
stricken out, and to have the Board consist
of the Governor, Adjuant General, aud
Ordnance officer
Mr.. Cannon said that, at the risk Of be-
ing considered captIous, be intended to
speak his mud on the subject. lie was
opposed to this haste-this passage of i'm
portant bills without having them duly
considered. 1t was better, far better, to
pass no bills whatever, than to pass meas
ures that will have to be reconsdere ON
account OF their imperfectness. lie was