Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1868-07-24

hereof certain sum. ~
II should also hc provided, that tho Coun- DC
" Commissioners may be held responsible III th M
la,nogos for any injury to persons OF pfopei:y ~
that may aooruo to any citizens boonuac OF thei,
failure to keep tho roods and bridges IN gooa sI
and safo repair. ~
Article 4, of our Constitution, provides fof *
tho reorganization of tho Judicial Departme"ss Vi
of the State and defines the lurlsd''1'o. ~ p
tho &c, cral courts, to be organized IN Pursu'
ancc of the same. This important subject, b
90 vital to tho production of tho person ana m G
rroncrtv of tho citizen, demands, ana WILL @
daonhtlcSs, receive your carly and most serious u
ottrntion' | recommend that the Jurisdiction t
of Justices of tho Peace be extended, so t
thot thcy may render judgment in petty ca =
scs involving the liberty of the accused, sup,
;cct Of course to an appeal. The State ""i
tthorclv be saved the cost Of supporting many
Mr;soncrs in tho jails, charged with small ot-
tences but unable to give bonds Tor thcir "p-
ncaroncc at tho general term OF the coure'
while the committing Justice has no autho'i-
ty to pass sentence upon them. "oul" "'so
recommend that Justicca OF the feaco shou'u
hc vcsca with the power, to discharge from
.rrcst in any casc where there is not probable
cause or reasonable grounds for believing .hc
occuscd guilty. This would not debar the
Grand Jury from Investigating the case OF
j, ,or.,n so discharged, and finding bill OF in
d;c,mcpt against him, should the facts war
, rant it while it would prevent much hard
, shin 10 innocent persons, and expense to the
State, BY the laws delay. :,
Tn this connection, would urge that the
II rccs of justices of the peace, clerks OF courts,
!, sbcr;Es' constablcs, and other OH ers who may
}, be entitled to receive fees, should bo strictly
}, regulated by statute
y REVISION op CODE AND CHANCE OF PLEAD
JSGs.
"a | invite your earnest attention to Section
n. 3, Article 5, of tho Constitution, providing
!. thnt "thc General Assembly at its first scs-
= sion after the adoption Of this Constitution,
-. shall make provision to revise, digest, and ar
range under proper hoads the body OF our laws,
\. civil and criminal, and form penal code
al founded upon principle OF reformation Ihls
ms section also provides that the General Assem-
tco s peadPnss and sAs Che eours naw
use in this State. 4 well digestcd code of it
Public Laws, with full and cloar index, will ri
be Of great value to all classes Of our pcople, n
professional or other wise. Such a code 70
South Carolina has never possessed. The G,
Comitteo appointed for this purpose should be I'll
composed of men of the highest legal ability, I'll
and should bo empowered to omit from tho I'll
code such statutes as arc no longor in accord Ia
with our Constitution, or that conflict ,vith ~.
the changes ia our political and civil aystams all
Especially sh6al the plea Of Benefit of Clar- nc
gy," which has SO long diSgraccd the judicial IA
systcm of Che State, be no longer recognized fr,
by our cou,,s. ] rust that the General As- M
scmbly will make an appropriation sufficient. ed
ly liberal, to giyo fair compensation to the lie
of that Commission for thoir neccs- as
sary arduous labors. ii,
2 STATUTES OF FRAUDS. an
Section 20, Article l, of tho Constitution, 'h
having provided that "no porson shall be i'm
prisoned for dobt, except in oasos of fra.( vi
[ recommend that tho General Assembly on
shall, at an early doy onaotaS Statute of Frauds, tn
ng the rights, romcdios, and liabilities Of crcd- of
tors and debtors. I'll
EIECTIoNs va
invite your attention to Section s. Arti,ic tn
), Of tho Constitution, which provides that m;
lit shall be tho duty Of tho General Assem-. tat
by to provide from timo to time for tho reg. all
straton of all electors"
1t is important to tho safety Of che State po
hat the rights Of its electors aud the purity of I'M
hc ballot box should bo rigdy guarded. / too
therefore, recommend that you will pass strin- I'LL
,cnt laws prescribing the duties of registrars tn
md judges of elections, with appropriate tet
and providing also for the punish Is
nent of bribery and corruption at public cloc. pn
ions. ba
REMOVAL. OF-toLITlCAL DIsA ADILLITIEs Sfr
| would earnestly recommend that your ,ln
honorable body will, at an carly period, mo, m l;a
norializc Congress to rclicyc ovory citizen of sus
'outh Carolina from all political disabilities. am
make this Recommendation the moro readily wl
rom the fact that there are4belicved to be mo
lone Of that class in tho State who havo COM IN
nittcd infamous offences against the laws of inc
var H.
The statute of disfranchiscmcnt was doubt. nr
oss wise and proper at the earlier stage of re- dn
obstruction, and justly marked the nations am
bhorroncc of those who, having been the crr
rustcd leaders of tho people, had led them Th
nto rebellion against tho benign government wa
f their country Yet tho continuance Of Sc
uch disfranchiscment woald be an anomaly too
ndcr orr Republican system, based upon the In,
octrlno of universal suffrage. Let us hopo orc
hat such an act Of magnanimity will not bo an,
nistakcn BY tho GLASS disfranohiscd, while to ety
eny it will tond to mako thom objects of sym. val
'athy, and will be, as it woro, to keep q knife on,
tickingi in an open wound. tho