The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-11-08
For tie htelligencer.
PUBLIC MEETING AT PIEREcT0wN.

PUBLIC MEETING AT PIEREcT0WN.
meeting of the citizens of Anderson District
was held at Piecetown on Friday, the I'd of No
vember, which was organized by calling DR.. e. l..
Gaillard to the Chair, and appointing G. D. Barr
Secretary Owing to the busy. season in the gath
ering of crops, the attendance was not large, but
embraced the leading influential citizens OF this
section of the District. On motion, the Senator
and Representatives of the Legislature present
were requested to give their views in reference to
the objects and purposes of the meeting, where
upon Senator Wilson entertained the audience by
giving brief account Of the action of the Legls-
lature in reference to the alimportant Debt Ques-
ton. and his own views in relation thereto. He
belieyed that the necessities of the country re-
quired legislative relief, by afording time to the
debtor; he was in favor of an Annual Court, and
believed that an Installment Law should be adop-
ted, on the North Carolina plan, requiring the
debtor to pay each year 20 per cent of his lndebt
edness, thus giving him five years in which to H.
ouidate his liabilities he was opposed to the pres
emit Inferior Court system, and thought the 'Judi-
ciary Bill" of the last session should be repealed
as too expensive to the State and calculated to in
crease litigation.
He was followed by Maj. Russell, of the Lower
House. who also advocated relief and believed that
the old Stay Law of '65 was right in principle and
policy, and defended the action of the Legislature
in this particular Stated that a Bankrupt Law
and Homestead Bill, which is recommended in cerE
tain quarters, as panacea if subjected to the
same judicial test as the Stay Law, might share
the same fate was not sanguine that the Legisla-
ture could afford any adequate relief, but present
ed for the consideration of the meeting plan re-
commended By q distinguished citizen of Georgia,
the main features of which are, that 'there shall
be no levy or sale of PROPERTY of defendants until
the first day of January, 1868, under any execu-
ton founded on any judgment, under any decree,
upon any contract or liability made or incurred
prior to the first day of June, 1866, and that the
debtors of the State may have their Indebtedness
discharged, and the demands of the creditors sat-
isfied upon complying with the following condi-
tions. to wit: The debtor shall mortgage to the
State real estate to the value of fifty cents on the
dollar, or half of his indebtedness, or any less
amount, payable nine years after the first day Of
January, 1861 and upon the completion of said
mortcare. the holder thereof shall be entitled TO
Treasury notes to the amount secured by said
mort tgage-said notes being payable ten years after
the first day of January, 1868, at the Office of the
State Treasurer, or wherever else the Governor
may direct" By the operation of this Act, the
debtor has one half of his debts Immediately can
celled, and nine years in which to pay the other
half and the creditor gets fifty cents on the dollar
of his Indebtedness, without the risk of Stay
Laws, or his debtors property not bringing one
tenth of It's value under the Sheriff's hammer.
Gen. Harrison was next called on, and vindica-
ted the wisdom of the Stay Law and the policy of
postponing the Civil Courts stated as his delibe-
rate conviction as lawyer, that had it not been
for the action of the Legislature in the extra ses
sion, in postponing the Courts, that six hundred
writs would have been issued in Anderson District
tina: the State herself had postponed the payment
of even one dollar of interest her debt until the
first of January, 1861 and could not therefore con-
sistently fail to extend the game enienoy towards
the individual debtor.
Dy request, the Chairman of the meeting and
Col. w. s. Pickens followed in few pertinent re-
marks, which we're well received by the audience.
On motion of Maj. D. ]. Barnett, committee of
seven we're appointed to draft resolutions embody-
ing the sense of the meeting, consisting of the
following named persons: Maj. D. ]. Barnett,
Chairman, Dr.. Hopkins, James Mullikin, NJ. B.
Williams, COL VIM s. Pickens, Col. Joshua Jami-
SON and Willis Watkins.
The Committee after consideration, reported for
the consideration of the meeting the following
resolutions, which we're unanimously adopted:
Rs,olued; That the impoverished condition of
the country, resulting from the effects Of the war,
the abolition Of slavery, and tire failure of crops,
impera.iyely demand relief from the Legislature,
either by the adoption of an Installment Law for
the payment of debts, or On Annual Civil Court
for the collection of debts.
ResoLued That Imprisonment for debt should be
abolished and Bankrupt Law passed.
Resolved, That if the General Assembly has not
the power to- afford the relief indicated that it Is
their duty to call Convention of the people, and
refer the matter to that body.
Resolued, That the objects sought to be attained
by the District Courts can be reached in different
and cheaper way, and whereas economy should De
our motto; therefore
Resolued, That our Representatives of the Leg
islature be memoralized, if within their province
to use their efforts to have the Act authorizing and
establishing said Courts repealed.
Rs,olued, That all Fee Bills should be revised,
and adapted to the present condition of the coun-
try.
On motion of Maj. Barnett, the proceedings of
this meeting were requested to be published in
the District papers.
|, On motion the meeting adjourned.
[ a.. C.L. GAILLARD, Ckm'n.
g.. D. BARE, Sec. ' -
MI. x,.o.;,,. Psformed Presbvterinn is the title