The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-08-19


our new legislators make laws. Members had
somehow got it into their heads that the
State was bankrupt; that -- Co.
| had refused to make loan Of even twenty-five
thousand dollars; that the hands Of the Cover
nor were consequently tied, snd the treasury
locked and barred. In this extremity they very
sagaciously determined to pass the bill "to
provide for the assessment and taxation OF
property" True, it contained one hundred
and forty-nine sections, covered sixty-seven
printed pages, and more than half Of it was at
the printers. True they had not thought much
about the matter before, but it had received
the formal consideration Of the Committee of
WAYS and Means. and been submitted for en-:
dorsement to the educated eye and brain OF
the model Comptroller General It, therefore,
must be correct.
80, at an early hour Of the morning they
commenced work; House full members all
attention; the Clerk read glibly, and the
Speaker with mechanical e1actness ratified of
"Allthosenfavripas ssinthissectiont ontothirdreadin-
g1l say, I-i-i-e-thosoppo pposedssynotheii heiisaveitan
thebilltoprovideforth essmentta1ationspa
tsthirdreadinR." One hundred and twenty
seven times between twelve O'Clock noon, and
three o'clock, P. NJ, was this formula or some
thing like it repeated. Now and then men,
Der would make motion concerning subject
which he fully comprehended, as for instance,
s'dogs." When this department was under
treatment it was suggested that one to fami-
" should be exempted from taxation. When
'smusical instruments" were named, MEM
ber considerably mentioned jewsharps, an
other flutes, and third fi,ldles as proper sub
jects for exemption, because 'they didn't pos
sess any appreciable value" The very Rever'
end William E. johnson, Of Sumter, even went
30 far as to desire that ''neck ties and umbre-
las" should be omitted from the category, on
the ground that he had proprietary interest
in stock Of these articles himself
80 the day wore on. A few kept steady
watch and ward over the several sections OF
the bill as with lightning haste they were
rushed through. A few went to sleep satisfied
that the others were on the lookout, but not
On amendment was offered which changed the
face or shape Of the bulky bill in the slightest
degree.
At three the House took recess until half
past five, when the work Of reading Was re-
sumed. By this time the reading clerk was
clean broken down, and Elliott was called upon
to take his place. Later, when the gas was
lighted, the room presented beggarly array
Of empty seats, with q parti-colored fringe Of
spectators in the rear Of the hall looking on
with dumb wonderment. The adjournment did
not take place till eight o'clock.
One of the most intelligent colored members
remarked to me: 1.-THE whole thing seems Like
a farce. There are not ten men in the House
who know what they are doing, and this is the
most important bill Of the session." We shall
have another dose Of the same kind on the re-
turn Of the bill from the Senate, when it will
be put upon its passage; and still further in
Fiction Of the Military bill, which is another
specimen brick Of the long-winded species Of
legislation which we have to endure.
An outline OF the other work done by the
House was furnished by telegraph. 1t has no
general interest, because not perfected. The
members are painfully impressed by the sb-
sence Of the wherewithal to meet the board
and laundry bills, and every day or two has Of
late witnessed an attempt to secure the an1-
iousIy expected per diem and mileage. The
nearest approach to success in this Line is the
bill introduced by Whipper, that the State
Treasurer be authorized to cash the pay certi-
fcates Of members at the rate OF seventy cents
on the dollar in bills receivable. The object
ionable feature OF this plan, however, is that
the Legislature which pretends to be seeking
to elevate the credit of the State is the first to
depreciate the only currency it possesses, be-
cause the members will not patriotically re-
ceive less than six dollars per day, nor trust a
very uncertain future.
Accompanying Whipper's bill was another,
offered by DeLarge, from the Committee of
Ways and Means authorizing the Governor to
make q loan Of five hundred thousand dollars,
for the purpose Of redeeming the bills receiv-
able, and to issue coupon bonds therefor, at
si1 per cent. interest, payable in twenty years.
Speaking Of finance, the Governor asserts
that If the Legislature will carry out his plans,
the bonds OF the State will, on the first Of Janu-
ary be worth ninety cents on the dollar, and