Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-02-27
was Immediately at the front. The thirty-ffth1
Section is the one relating to homestead law, and


SEC 81. There shall be exempt from execution
or other final process of any court, issued tor the
collection of any debt, homestead in the country
consisting Of one hundred acres, and the dwelling
and appurtenances thereon, to be selected by the
owner thereof. And in city, town or village in
lieu thereof, lot with the dwelling and appurten-
ances thereon provided that such homestead eth
er in city, town, village or country, shall not eI,
ceed in value two thousand dollars. Ihere snai1
also be exempt from such execution or other hnal
process of any courts issued for the collection OF
any debt the necessary articles OF furniture, appa
rel, subsistence and implements OF husbandry,
trade or other employment to the value OF hve hun
dred dollars But no property shall be exempt
from sales for taxes or for the payment OF obiga-
tions contracted for the purchase OF said home
stead, or for the erection OF improvement thereon
1t shall be the duty of the Legislature, at Its next
session. to pass such laws as may be necessary to
carry this provision into effect
T. J. Robertson, Of Richland, fired the hrst
gun and it exploded squarely in the enemy s camp.
He moved the following amendment:
"No homestead shall be exempt from any Just
debt contracted at the time of the passage OF this
Constitution
Insupporting that amendment he said that while
he was willing to give man twenty hundred
dollars worth Of property as homestead IN the
future, he would never vote In favor OF Ietrospee
tive legislation, especially in behalf OF those VINO
made the war, t'bet their all on secession, did
not care whose property was sacrificed, and drove
men like cattle into the slaughter pen. -,
r. G. DeIarge hoped that the section would be
adopted in its present shape. It was measure
of relief to all, was aptly framed to effect this OBJ
ect, and, he believed, represented fairly the dspo
sition of the convention. DeLarge told the truth.
Then followed Langley with specimen OF GreeS
fire. in the shape of proposition IN not to exempt
any property whatever from sale ,fSr debts &C con,
tracted for labor" Whipper and Cardoza rallied
to the support of the right wing when vigorous
assault was made on the centre by j: NJ. Rutland,
who took broad constitutional grounds that such an
ordinance, as the one proposed, was not worth the
paper on which it was written. The courts would
not sustain it; class legislation was involved IN the
measure, and the creditors would cry out 'lpJus-
tice and reputation. -.
G. P. Leslie met the doughty warrior from Far
field with a whole battery of artillery, besides
bringing up ''horse, foot and dragons. % He saa
he had in his youth read great deal OF old;faSh-
ioned law, such as Kent's commentaries and the
like, but this was the first time ne had studied
Rutland on the Constitution, and, from present ap
pearances preferred to stick to first principles. He
noticed that wheneverthe question of relief up,
the delegates from Fairfield and Richland (Rutland
and Robertson always hunted in couples. If a.
ship should be wrecked at sea, the passengers on
which were their Debtors and those passengers
had lost all their baggage, probably the trst thing
done by these gentlemen, on her ARRIVAL IN port,
would be to 20 on board, rush up to the group OF
sufferers, shivering in theirsnight shirts on the
poop deck, and say, ''Look here, want you to
pay up that little debt you owe and / want 1t
now 70 They wouldn't care for scanty wardrobe
or ANYTHING else At least that spirit would fairly
illustrate their opposition to the homestead bill.
This section proposed to leave some covering to
the debtor, to afford him respite from the claims
of law, to let him enjoy what little he may possess
to the extent named, and then 60 to work reJol-
cingly., 1.cro
an enisode occurred which shows how zone touch
of nature makes the whole world kin" lie was
speaking of the probable ratification of the Con
sttution. should it accord with the wishes OF the
people of the benefits that would accrue to them
from the exhibition of just and liberal spirit, and
depicting the eagerness of the contented throngs
who would make their way to the polls to deposit
their votes in favor of the new constitution. Ina
low tone, and amid silence which would have
made the drop of pin audible, he was describing
ali these things, when he spoke ipcidentallyof my
people in BarnweL." The words were scarcely
out of his mouth, when, overcome by emotion,
with face flushed and eyes filed with tears he was
Obliged to resume his seat utterly unable to pro-
ceed
From the humorous to the pathetic is but a step.
The audience, which but d moment before was so
noisy with merriment, hushed in an Instant and
although few could understand the cause for so un-
usual a display of feeling, it was very apparent
that this species of untaught eloquence found a
responsible throb in every heart
Strange to say, Langley did notcal the delegate
from Barnwill to order, for doing something con,
tr,rv to the rules of the house. lie did proceed
to make a speech, however, favoring his amend
ment, and was followed by Mr.. B. F. Whittemore
in opposition to the section. The hour of adjourn
ment arrived while he was speaking, and the con-
Yention dissolved, to meet at the usual hour.