The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-09-22
POETRY.
Passage by the House OF I he Bill Postpou-
Ing lhe Courts Of Common Pleas Until
Spring.
TUESDAY, September lS.

The agitation of measures for the relief of
the people continued yesterday, but was ao-
comp anied with more practical results and
less evolutionary display than might have
been expected. The Bill before the House
WAS that reported by the Senate, to which
MIR. Hagood offered the following substitute
for all after the enacting clause:
a Bill to alter and fix the time of holding
the Courts Of Common Pleas in this
State.
SEC l. BE it enacted by the Senate and
louise OF Representatives, now met and sit-
ting in General Assembly, and by the au-
thority Of the same, That from and after
the ratification of this Act, the Judges Of
the Superior Courts Of Law in this State
shall hold the Courts Of Common Pleas in
the several Circuits established by law in
this State annually in the Spring of every
year at the timos and places in each District
already affixed by law.
SEC. z. That all writs and other process
of the said Courts of Common Pleas, mesne
and final, now made returnablc to the Fall
Term heretofore established, shall be re.
turnable to the annual Spring Courts, the
same as if already so directed and that the
same rules of imparlanco, and the same or
der Of proceedings now existing for the
semi.annual Courts shall bS extended to
ond apply to the Courts established by
this Act.
SEa. g. That all Acts and parts Of Acts
Of the General Assembly of the State in
conflict with provisions Of this Act be, and
the same are hereby repealed
Mr.. Hagood said: That he in common
with many others upon the floor en- ntertained
insuperable objections TO the constitution
ality Of the bill under consideration. The
amendment proposed, in his judgment, OBJ
waited these objections. He was informed
by those whose experience in tho courts en-
Titled their opinion to weight, that under
the new legislation giving large jurisdiction
and frequent sessions of the District Courts,
annual sessions would in all probability be
ample for the discharge Of the business of
the Courts Of Common Pleas. The amend
msnt proposed to shut no Courts 1t left
all the machinery of justice in full opera.
tion. II held out to the debtof~no delusive
hope OF repudiation. Writs could be sued
out at once; compromises Of debt, when ad-
iustment was possible, would take place !;
judgment and levy Of execution were alone
by the incidental operation Of the proposed
amendment postponed for short period.
This incidental operation of the amendment
IS the only objection which can be urged
against it. And this said he, Mr.. Speaker,
i must frankly confess is one Of its features
which recommends it very strongly to me.
1t is known to every member on this floor
that the majority of the planters of this
State, tho class which constitutes the bulk
of its population, will be poorer on the first
day of next January, than the last. 1t is
equally we'll known that this fact is due to
no want of industry or energy on their part.
Asa class, they have labored hopefully and
energetically with crippled resources to re-
trieve the great disaster that has befallen
their fortunes. The failure is due to unfn-
rorable seasons unprecedented in the mem.
ory of any man here. II is well known
th;n with our favored soil and climate, sea-
sons approximating the last do pot recur
once in twenty years. In all human proba-
bility the next session will be as prosperous
as the last was unfavorable.; and the action
Of tho proposed amendment in the short de.
lay Of the levy of execution will enable the
the indebted planter to bring one more crop
into market, wherowith to meet his obliga-
tions, to make one more appeal to the mer-
cies of q beniioent Providence, and if after
that the decree is unreversed, why, he must
meet his doom as he may.
Thus, Mr.. Speaker, if as think there is
upon the face Of this amendment no consti-'
tutional objection; IL the probabilities are,
that it will effect a desirable economic re.
form In the arrangement Of our courts, and
if, from its incidental operation. relief
however.meegre, comes to our distressed
|-ond impoverished people, IL oouimends itself
very strongly TO my approvt ahd upon
these grounds submit II to the oonsidera-
lion Of the House.
Mr.. Todd, Of Laurens, moved that the
at,endment Of Mr. Hagood be. laid on the
table, which was decided in the negative by
u vote Of yeas As, nays 81.
j The question now REQUIRED on the adop-
j ston of the amendment, and the question be-
q ing taken by yeas and nays it was decided
in the affirmative by q vote of yess 65
j a,nayRA6.
4 Asa mattor ofrecord %spublish .hehames
of the members voting, that the public may
\ know who are friends and opponents Of the
measure of relief proposed. y.
YEAs.--Aiken. j. r., Alsion, Anderson,
Sali, Black. Bonhapl, Bower. Browning,
{Ciyburn, Csayton. Gulbreath, Easily, Elkin,
Farmer. Flowers, Garlipgton, Gavin, Gayer,
Goodwyn, Hagood, Hammett, Hay, Hayes,
lierst, Howe, Jones, Keels, Keith, Keitt
Landrum, Lipsey, Manigaplt, Melchers,