Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-07-17

payers and the State, and examine an
countersign the necessary drafts upo
the County Treasurers.
| DIVISION OF THE COUNTIES.
respectfully recommend that you will
provide at your present session for the di
vision OF the larger counties Of the State
According to the United States cepsus o
1860, South Carolina has an area Of TWEEN
tytour thousand five hundred (24,5Oo'
square miles, with population of sever
hundred and three thousand seven hun
dred and eight go s,7os), or near ifteer
Q5) persons to the square mile. AS the
State is divided into thirty one (3l) couu,
ties, these figures show that the average
ara OF our counties is about eight hun
dred (soo) )square miles, while several oil
them actually embrace an area of more
than Ell shteen hundred (lsOo) square mi
leg. ln the present condition of our pub
lie roads, with many of the streams uu-
bridged, and with the few facilities for
travelling possessed by the most of our
people, the great distance of the county
seat and records, from those living upon
The border of one Of those large counties,
entails tho most serious Inconvenience
upon them.
In view of the necessity Of a new geo.
graphical subdivision of the State, article
,. section 3, OF the Constitution, provides
that the General Assembly shall have the
power Mt any time to organize new coun-
tics b' changing the boundaries of any OF
the old ones: but no new county shall be
hereafter formed Of less extent than six
hundred and twenty five square miles !;
nor shall any existing counties be reduced
to less extent than six hundred and
twenty. square miles. Each county shall
constitute one election district" sup-
gost that six hundred and twenty-five (G25)
square miles, or twenty (2o) townships,
be made the maximum area Of any new
county that may be hereafter formed.
PUBLIC ROADS AND BRIDGES.
In view of tue very bad condition Of
our public roads and bridges, I rec commend
that the General Assembly will provide
t'y law for the subdivision Of each county
into road districts, and for the appoint
ment OF competent porsons as supervisors
OF such districts, under the direction of
the county commissioners. TLese super
visors of roads should receive reasonable
per diem when actually employed, and the
county commissioners should be empow-
cred to require that each able-bodied citi-
zen' between, the ages of twenty -one l2l)
and fifty five (55) shall give his labor q
reasonable number of days in the year, to
be fixed by law, for working the public
roads, or shall pay in lieu thereof certain
sum.
1t shonld also be provided, that the
County Commissioners may be held re-
'ponsible in damages for any injury to
persons or property that may accrue to
any citizen because Of their failure 10 kerp
the roads aud bridges in good and safe
repair.
JUDICIARY.
Article 4, of our constitution, provides
for the reorganization of the Judicial de-
partment Of the State, and defines the
Jurisdiction of the several courts, 10 be
organized in persuance of the same. This
immortal subject, SO vital to the protec-
tion of the person and property Of tue
citizen, demands, and will doubtless, re
ceive your early and most serious atten.
tion. recommend that the jurisdiction OF
Justices Of the Peace be extended, SO that
they may render judgment in petty cases,
involving the liberty Of the accused, sub .
ject OF course to an appeal. The State
wilt thereby be saved the cost of supper.
ting many prisoners in the jaiIs, charged
with small offences, but unable to give
bonds for their appearance at the gener.
al term of the court, while the commit
ting Justice has no authority to pass sen.
tence upon them. l would also recon-
mend that Justices of the Peace should
be vested with the power to discharge
from the arrest in any case where there is
not probable cause or reasonable grounds
for believed the accused guilty. This
would not debar the Grand Jury from in
vestigatiog the case of person so dis
charged, and finding bill of Indictment
against him, should the facts warrant it ;
while it would prevent much hardship to
innocent persons, and expense to the
State, by the laws delay.
In this connection, I would urge thai
the fees of justices of the peace clerks
Of courts, sherifs, cons,ablsa, and othel
officers who may be entitled to reoeiy,
fees, should bs strictly regulated by stat-
ute.
REVISION OF CODE AND CHANGE o,
PLEADIEGS. I
Invite your ssruest attention to-. sso-
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