The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-12-09
aaS2rsoll yatelligeaeer.
TIE aoYaRNoR,s MESSAGE.

As some of the most interesting Pof-
tioas of this document did not appear last
week-owing to the defective manner IN
which it was published by the daily pa
pers-we append such passages as are most
worthy of perusal.
A change is demanded in the system of
selecting juries. As at present managed,
i is liable, and perverted, to great abuse,
on account of the character &C the per-
sons placed upon them Men have been
appointed on Grand and Petit juries who
were at the time, and are now, under
heavy bail on charges of completely with
murder; and in olie case, when one OF
these accused individuals was foreman
ef the Grand Jury, bills for murder sub
mitted to them. by the Solicitor Oft, OF the
Circuit were Ignored and thrown ont,
notwithstanding the oaths Of witnesses
who identified the accused as participants
in the murder. Cases are decided, not
BY the guilt or innocence of parties, bna
in accordance with the political bias of
the iuuries.; and, from the intensity of pre-
iudice existing, it is vain to expect a bet.
ter condition Of things while the present
system of drawing juries continues. This
corruption of Justice at the fountain head
demands prompt, and efficient remedy,
which will place the jury box above the
influence of politics, and ill it with our
best and most Intelligent citizens, whose
reputation places them above reproach
aud above suspicion. G1
7a.-.,:.isaa MAGISTRATES eouKrs: ~
,,I,hsve heretofore directed your alter
tion to the subject of Magistrates Courts,
and would urgently renew my recommen-
datii5ons on the subject. The wide latitude
heretofore given tosthe discretion of Mag.
istrates and Courts has had the effect to
crowd our jails with petty of Offenders, at q
heavy expense to the, State, much of
which could be avoided by giving final
iurisdiction to. Magistrates Courts, with
right of appeal, OF all minor offences, such
as petit larceny, simple assault and bate
ry. and other misdemeanors OF similar
grade, with power to determine the ques-
tiion Of guilt, and its extent, aud to infict
penalties by fine This would obviate the
necessity of good deal of Sessions busi-
ness, and the cost of witnesses fees and
expenses. A fair and reasonable fee bill
should be established, az there is much
complaint that Magistrates and Constables
are guilty of making extortionate exac-
tions from the poor and ignorant. Many
cases have been so manipulated as to in
ivolyes the largest amount of costs, and
others again have been instituted for ma,
licious purposes. frequently from political!
motives Or political objects. When such
cases have been substantiated, have
promptly removed the offenders, and
many of them, in my opinion, deserved a
more rigorous punishment have been
apprised of cases where Magistrates have
attempted to interfere with the State
Constables while in the discharge of their
duty, and recommend that adequate pun
ishments be provided for such offences.
Severe penalties should also be provided
for carrying concealed deadly weapons, q
cowardly practice, which has become en-
tirely TOO prevalent.
AGRICULTURE.
The agriculture of the State is the fun
2amental basis of its prosperity, and yet
not one fourth of its soil has been brought
under cultivation, aud so little of labor
and skill have been devoted to it, that
were it not among the most favored re-
gions of the earth, the needless and care
less system of tillage to which it has been
subjected, would long since have exhaust
ed it. And yes in no department. of hu-
man industry can skilled labor be made
more available, or q larger or more varied
circle of scientific requirements be more
thoroughly and proftably utilized, than
IN agriculture and in no locality is.there
more extensive or more inviting field
for their exercise than in South Carolina.
The loss resulting annually to the State
from the practice of an unskilled and
careless system of husbandry, instead OF
one that is intelligent and energetic, is
hardly to be estimated. Of the nineteen
or twenty millions of acres comprised
within our limits, about one-fourth are
devoted to cultivation, the rest Is in woods
of valuable timber, and in unreclaimed
swamp, easily drained, and of inexhausti'
BILE fertility.
In 1867 there were devoted to farm pro
ducts 7l6,O4l acres of corn, 245,654 acres
to wheat, 10000 acres to oats, 1900 acres
TO hay, 9,s35 to rye, l,l66 to barley, 1890
to Irish potatoes. and 200 to tobacco. Oh
the balance, the gveater portion was de
voted to the great commercial staples ot
cotton and rice. The average yfefd pei
acre was officially reported as nine and
sfx-tenths bushels ot corn; wheat, six
bushels and four tenths oaas, ell vel
bushels and one tenth rye, FIVE basssek
and seven-tenths barley, eleven bushels
and one tenth Irish potatoes, eighty
bushels and four tenths; tobacco, five
hundred pounds; and of hay, one ton.
When it is recollected that it has been
demonstrated by actual experiment and