The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1868-09-09
PROCEEDINGS
or TIE
SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE
PRO TEN.
FlFTIETH. DAY,

| N'h AAIi II hhI
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The Chairman Of the Committee on
interpretations made favorable reports
on bill to establish the Office Of County
Treasurer; a bill to incorporate the
Home Insurance Company Of Charles
ton a bill to incorporate the Columbia
! Educational Society.
Turner (Dcmocrnt) offered rcsolu-
ilon proposing that the Legislature ad-
, lonrn for the special session, on the llth
inst, at 3 O'clock p. m. Ordered for
consideration tomorrow.
| Whipper introduced bill to provide
Tor the organization OF the Supreme
Court.
le also gave notice ola bill to abolish
corporal and capital punishment.
"A resolution proposing that no bill or
resolution, having the forcc Of law.
should be Introduced after the 7th prox-
lmo, was passed.
The following message was received
from the Governor:
| herewith return to your honorable.
body can Act TO amend an Act to alter
and amend the charter OF the city of
Charleston" and for other purposes, to-
gethcr with the reasons for my disap.
proval Ct the same. 1t is not only in
consistent with The genius Of Rrpubli-
can form Of Government, bnt with the
spirit ot our own Constitution recently
adopted, tina, valuable interests OF a
community shall be unnecessarily placed
IN jeopardy by Legislation, however well
it may be intended. Hence the Act is
Objectionable. It does not throw around
the ballot box that protection against
fraud, which it is unqucstonably the
duty of the Legislature TO secure, and
which people have right to expect
While the Constitution is definite as to
the qualifications Of a County voter, the
| intent OF that instrument has not been
carried out by the General Assembly,
| nasmuch as the Act should provide
that every elcctor shall have fixed res
ldcncc, without any present intention of
changng The same in the ward or poll
ing precinct where he claims the right
TO vote Otherwise, abuses OF the cleo.
tive franchise must occur, and the ballot.
oox will cease to be the medium for a
fair and impartial expression of the will
OF the people.
temporary residence constitutes the
only claim Of voter to exercise that
right how easy would it be for interest
ed parties to secure tho presence IN any
part OF one County of persons from an
other locality in the same county, and
control the election, thus thw,rting tho
honest purposes Of those who are most
vitality concerned in the result. AS n
part OF your Legislation, therefore, it is
desirable that q stringent law be passed,
defining beyond pcradventure, the char.
acter of residence, so that nero So
lourner in am locality shall not be al.
lowed 10 exercise elective privileges
which appertain to citizen, and thus
force upon that community officials who
may be Objectionable, or measures that
may be oppressive, while he will not
himself be affected by the misfortunes
which will be brought upon others.
In the second place, disapprove Of
the Act, because itmakes a special .x-
ception, in favor Of Charleston, to tho
general necessity, which demands an
election OF officers throughout the State.
AS Yet, no law has been PASSED, in re-.
gard 70 the election of district attorneys
and lu:,ices ofthe peace--each class
OF vital Importance to the people-r-ror
has any law been passed which will .np-
ply 70 all State, County and municipal
elections. To exhibit partiaity in favor
Of Charleston, therefore, when lhore IS
no pressing need Of immediate change,
because all officers provided for by Tho
charter are dscharging their duties at
this time, is to establish precedent on
which similar Legislation may be special.
ly demanded by any municipality in the
State. In the third place, Il a, in nv
Judgment, impolitic to hold Il municipal
election, in Charleston or elsewhere, an.
terror TO the general election, to be held
on the Sd Of November. If thore wore
no other considerations Of ofaigraver char
aotersto besurged, the facts that the
public mind is. already deeply, excited J;
business and labor will he necessarily
interrupted, additional expenses will be
entailed on citizens by special rcgistra,
ton and election, thereby giving inst
cause Of complaint on tho part of those
affected by the Act; that IN reality,
nothing would be gained by holding the
municipal election thirty days in advance
Of the general election, would themsel YES