Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-10-06
Acts CT tho Legislature.

On the first page will be found the amend.
cd act to put the District Courts into operation.
Also the act regulating the sittings of the
Courts.
Below, tho acts to establish Pcnitcntiary
and to define the rights Of tho freed people
appear.
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR TIE ESTABLISII-
MENT OF a. PENITENTIARY.
]. Bc it cnactcd BY the Senate and House
of Representatives Of the State Of South Car
olna, now met and sitting in General Assem-
bly,, and by the authority of the same, That for
of pcnitentiary in this State, the SUM of
twenty thousand dollars, be and is hereby, ap.
propriatcd, to be paid out Of any money in
the Treasury, and drawn nnd expended by
certain Commissioners hereinafter named.
II. That Commission, consisting of three
persons, to be styled Commissioners of tho
Pcnitcntiary, shall be appointed by His Tx
ccllcncy The Governor, whose duty it Shall be
to select and procure proper site, nt some
point, it practicable, where water power may
be made available for manufacturing purposes,
within the enclosure, on which to erect suita-
bic pcnitentiary buildings, with sufficient
space to enlarge and improve the same from
tine to time, ns may be necessary.
III. That it shall be the auly of said Com
missioncrs to erect, as soon MS practicable, a
suitable temporary CT closure aud temporary
cells, for tic safe keeping of not less than one
hundred convicts; and upon the completion
OF said enclosure and cells, or any part Of
them, to receive and lcta;n, under regulation
to be hereafter prescribed hy the Governor,
such convicts us he committed to them by sen
tcncc of any of the Judges of this State.
~. That upon notice That an enclosure
and cells are prepared for the reception Of
convicts, it shall be the duty of Ills lixcelen,
ccy the Governor, to appcinta keeper, assistant
keeper and such other officers and guards over
sccrs as shnll, from time to time, be nccoss,,,
ry' to s"bsist, govern, guard and direct the
labor OF said convicts, and to make all such
regulations MS shall bc requisite for their safe
Keeping and subsistence, and for directing
their labor, either within or without the en-
closure, to getting out material and construc-
ting, as far as practicable, the necessary per-
manent buildings and enclosures, and to such
other available branches of Industry MS will
best contribute to the support of the institu.
ton.
" That it shall be the duty of the said
Commissioners, under the advice and with tho
assistance Of His Excclcncy the Governor,
to procure plans, specifications and cstimntcs
for such permanent cp .osure and buildings
us shall be deemed necessary for early use. and
report the same. togcther Hith full account
OF their transactions under the authority here.
by conferred upon them, to tho General AS.
scmb'y, at its ensuing regular session
AN ACT TO DECLARE THE RIGHTS OF PER
SONS LATELY KNOWN AS SLAVES AND AS
FREE PERSONS OF COLOR.
BE it enacted, &C., That all persons hthcr-
to know in law in this State as slaves, or as
free persons of color, shall have the right to
make and enf"rco contracts, to sue. be sued to
be a!ilan's and give evidence, to inherit to
purchase, lease, sell, hold, convey and assign
real md pei sona property, make wills aud tcs.
taments, and to have full and equal benefit of
the rights OF personal security, personal lib.
ty and private property, and of all remedies
and proceedings for tho endorsements and
protection of the same MS white persons now
have, and shall not be subjected to any other
or different punishment, pain or penalty for
the commission of any act or offence, than
such as are prescribed for white persons com
mitting like acts or offences.
SEC 2. That all acts and parts of acts spcc
laily>rolating to persons lately slaves aud free
persons of color contrary to tho provisions of
this act, or inconsistent with any of it's provis
IONS, be, and the same arc hereby repealed :
|Tomdcd That nothing herein contained slal
DC construed to repeal so much of the Sth Sec
ton of an net, entitled can Act to establish
and regulate the domestic relations of persons
OF color, and to amend the law in relation to
paupers and vagrancy, ratified the twenty first
day OF December, in the year of our Lord,
one thousand eight hundred aud sixty-fvc, as
enacts that marriages bctwecn white pcreon
and person of color shall be illegal and void.
Icy Tho "Washington Republican," (Ad.
ministration organ) announces that the Prcsi
dent has appointed Major General John A.