The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-21
frRoM our OWN connEspoyDfxr. ]

FROM OUR OWN C0RREsPONDtNI.I
COLUMBIA, S. c., January 19.-Attorncy-Gcn-.
eral D. H. Chamberlain. Esq, returned from
Abberille this evening. The trial of tho par
ties charged Us principals and accessories in
the Martin and Randolph murders las been
postponed to the Nay term of the court lor
that circuit.
The hall of the House OF Representatives
has been both tastefully and handsomely deco.
rated. Tho national ana State flags-the lattor
bearing the palmetto and the crescent-are
intcrtuined and suspended over the speakers
desk, surmounted by q golden eagle. The
flags are about six feet by four, and the eagle
about four feet. A very beautiful effect is pro-
duced, and tho Democrats are particularly
pratitied at the intermingling of the two BAN
ners.
Hon. James Augustus Block, for several
years Comptroller General Of the State, is
living seriously ill at his boarding-house in this
city, and his physicians pronounce his recovery
very doubtful. He was recently elected by the
Democratic party in Abbevilc to fill the vacan-
cy caused by the resignation Of Valentine,
member of the House OF Representatives. MIR.
Black arrived here last Saturday with his Gre
dentials, prepared to take his seat. He was
universally popular in this city, and his illness
is deeply regretted by oil classes.
During the absence Of Speaker Moses to-day
at the Senate, for the purpose OF ratifying IAN
act to establish State Orphan Asylum" the
member who was temporarily called to the
chair became so tangled up with motions,
points Of order, the calling OF the previous
question, &C., that it was found necessary to
dispatch messenger in all haste, requesting
the Speaker to return, or the House would be-
come uncomfortable. The members seemed
determined 10 test to tho fullest the parlia-
montary knowledge of the now presiding Off
Ger. and with such success as to cast entirely
in the shade the most uproarious meeting OF
"Old Tammany." On the reappearanco OF the
Speaker, his emphatic voice and use OF :ht
payel soon restored the usual quiet, with only
here and there broad grin perccp!ibic upon
the fuccs of some of the wags, who had played
ct t.lelr joke at the expense OF ther fortu-
nate Speaker pro tenapore.
Senator Leslie delivered another speech to-
day, which brought down the Senate. Lis
subject was bill to change tho county seat OF
Barnwell County from Barnv ell Courthouse TO
Blackyillc, s. q. His cainestness OF manner
in sneakine. his gestures, lis habit OF passing
his fingers through his hair, aud particularly
his cry o. intervals OF "Mr. President, were
| altogether too much for the usual gravity OF
| the senators. His speech was. however, lls-
| tened to with great pleasure. His Chief polrt
WAS that all county seats IN this age shonld be
| located at the greatest commercial centres,
along the railroad and telegraph lines, and that
tho iiay was cono By when county seats were
| to be selected simply because some wayward
| stream ran through it, or because the Indian had
once turned in that direction his quiil-adorned
moccasin. Barnwcll Courthouse, he contend
ed was established more than fifty years ago.
when there were no railroads, and the moment
the railroad was run through 5nat county Tue
whole tide of business changed its base. Barn.
we'll Courthouse, ho said, Is dried up, with not
| life enough to build chiclcn-coop. -Four
titths of all the active capital OF the county was
trans acted along the line OF the rjad, and h'in-
drcds OF persons who live 1our or i've mixes
nearer TO Darnwc! than BackviLc, AWAY
went to the latter place to trade. T!:oro Was
now no courthouse. no jill, at Barnwcii
! Courthouse. Both wcrc destroyed W sher-
mani, army. There WAS 10 hotel i'll the
place, neither had 1t Increased one EanGrcd
| intabitan,s in the last twenty Years. as iur
lis ceutla al location 1T was noV ncasiy 80 ccu,r!i
as Harkley's Creek. where some desired to
haye the couniY scat established. but " ere he
would say VII nsary the cnaS,% On.S yHisis sns s
s.bnll frons." Hc showed that hc vas not per-
sonally Interested in the change one ono. lola, "
| of the people he wanted this bill passed rc'oro
the county commissioners levied and co; ;lectcd
their taxes fer tho building OF IL courthouse.
Look at the question as they might, nc sad,
in this age it resolves itself into this
that commercial and business centres
are political centres, and where the steam el-
zinc and the telegraph are established there
Viii be the markets OF the people and In: p;;;lI
teal centres OF the surrounding country. MOI
less than six thousand bales Of cotton mad been
shipped, he said, from BackyilIe th: year l.
was about midway between al the iihrorIan.
places along the line Of railroad running
through Darnwell County. Il was trao that
there were few tiae residences at IT, BArn%si l,',:
! ed 10 the change because they thought IT
would w in]ure their property. That mi:,h' c;
nigh! 10, be, but one thing was certain thc ;ie1t
I -'''nN' ,cor,ln ani ia,