Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-01-09

Commanding General, in conformity with the Re-
construction acts These are the source Of the au-
thority of the convention, and they define clearly
what duties that body shall perform. The supple
mentary oct says that the convention shall frame
o constitution and civil government. This will be
the one great work of the. convention and there
is no limitation as to the character of the "consti
tuition and civil government" except that they shall
be in conformity with the Constitution of the Uni
ted States But when the constitution is framed
it has no immediate force. 1t must be ratified by
the registered voters in the State, and it must be
submitted to and approved by Congress, before it
has any binding power whatever.
The convention cannot legislate it can change
no laws; it can make no removals it can make no
appointments beyond those Of officers of its own
body; it cannot levy taxes except tor the one pur-
pose of paying the salaries of its delegates officers,
and agents it can only frame constitution, which
constitution will not in any way change our condi-
ton, or affect our position, until it has been duly
accepted by Congress.
These are the powers of the convention under
existing orders and laws and unless these orders
and laws are modified or changed, the convention
cannot 70 beyond the limits which have been mark
ed out for it by the acts Of Congress which govern
reconstruction. ..... ......
Attempt to Assassinate Judge Busted.
On Saturday, of last week, in Mobile, an at
tempt was made by L. V.-B. Martin, the U. S.
District Attorney, for Alabama, to murder Judge
Busted, Of the q. S. District Court. The Mobile
Aduertse gives the following account of the affair
"About halfpast nine yesterday morning Judge
Busted, %Hdee of United States District Court,
crossed the street directly from the Battle House
towards the Customhouse. Mr. L. V. B. Martin,
the United States District Attorney, was standing
in front of one of the granite blocks ut the southern
entrance to the Cusomhouse, facing the street. and
as Judge Busted placed his foot upon the curb
stone Of the sidewalk, Martin levelled revolver
and fired at him, the ball striking just below the
breastbone and knockinghim down. Hefell back
ward, outside of the pavement with one foot there,
on, and Martin then advanced and deliberately fired
two more shots, one of them striking the right leg
below the knee and passing up into the thigh, sew
eral inches above the knee, whence it was after
wards extracted by the surgeons"
The ADVERTISER in the issue of the next day,
gives the following as the reasons for the assault
ut is a matter Of public notoriety that the grand
Jury Of the last term presented Mr. Martin III nu-
erous casesor extortion from citizens under cover
of fgoyernmentlibe and other suits; and it is known
by Judge Busted friends that Mr.. Martin owed
it to him that he was not criminally indicted for
these outrages and official offences instead Of being
prosecuted. The grand jury now in session (com-
posed of picked men of the Mobile community it
is also known, have found ten or more true
bills against the District Attorney for similar Of
fences These indictments had to be disposed OF
at this term, and pending motion for an order to
compel the District Attorney to refund certain por-
tons of his extortionate gains, Judge Busteed ex:
pressed himself from the bench very strongly and
harshly OH the conduct of Mr.. Martin, public OF.
Geer in his court. Mr. Martin took his hat and
left the court, and next morning at nine o'clock,
meeting the Judge on the corner of Royal and st.
Francis streets, on his way to open his court, he
opened fire upon him with a revolver, without word
or warning, and continued to fire at him, even after
he fell, until he was stopped by the bystanders.
Late advices are to the effect that Judge Bus,
teed's wounds are healing and his recovery is now
considered certain. His physicians think that he
will necessarily be confined to his room for some
weeks The advertiser in commenting upon the
affair, says:
"Judge Busted has many friends here, and the
entire public has lately felt its gratitude strongly
stirred for him by several acts of distinguished ser
vice on the bench MIR. Martin is an Aabamiar
by birth and raising, and that is all He belongs
to the Radical sect Of politicians, and although Of
Confederate aHinities during the war, he took the
ironclad oath of office when he was appointed U
nited States Attorney. This, in addition to the
notorious belief in the public mind that he had
under color and power of his Office preyed upon
the pockets of citizens in shameless extortions, has
made the man unpopular and Stunned in this conf
munity, and tits due to the community that these
facts and the status of Martin should be known,
lest we hear the howl from Northern Jacobir
sources that United States Judge has been mur
dered by rebel Ifmurdered, ut all, he has beer
murdered by style of man that the true South
ern rebel most thoroughly despises-a native, rem
egade Radical.