The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-25
From TIE STATE CAPITAL.
The Amendment OF the Criminal Law
The Savannah and Charleston Rail-
road Company - The Militia BILL
County Comm General Leg
islutfOn.
TFaom OUR OWN connEspoNDENT.l

~
out the discussion on this bill the proceedings
OF Frilay may be thus briefly summed us
Mr., Tinsley presented the petition of the Pres
ident and Corporators OF the Middle S1luda or
Jones Gap Road, for re-charter, which was re-
ferred. Smalls announced the presence of Mr.
George III. Wells, recently elected member OF
the House OF Representatives from Beaufort,
to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resigna-
ton of MIR. George A. Bennett.
| Mr.. Wells, who is Northerner, who settled
recently in Beaufort, aud is spoken OF as a
young man OF fine intellect, then appeared at
the Speakers desk, was qualified and took his
seat.
At12.SOP. NJ. the House won't into Commit
tee Of the Whole, and, after some dsbatc, the
| chairman reported as follows:
The Committee OF the Whole had under con-
sideration the amendment offered by the gen.
tleman from Charleston tDeLarge) to the first
section Of the bill "to alter an amend the
CRIMINAL law" to wit: Insert after the word
sinumber" in the first line, the words "rape or
burglary where The party attempts to take life
| by weapons Of any kind, or by administering
| chIoroform nr any composition from Which un-
| consciousness or death may ensue," have
agreed to report progress.
rhe House then adjourned to 49, Gday.
Ihs special order in the Senate on Friday
was the report of the Committee on Railroads
on bill to extend the provisions OF an act en-
titled SAN act for the relief OF the Charleston
| and Savannah Railroad Company to the Savan-
nah and Charleston Railroad Company" The
report was read, and, on motion OF Wright, laid
! on the table to take up the bill reported by the
committee as q substitute, TO wit: "A bill to
enable the Savannah and Charleston Railroad
| Company to complete their road"
On motion of Mr.. Hoyt, section two was
amended by striking out the following provi-
80: provided, That said bonds shall be
seyerallv guaranteed and endorsed by tho
| Northeastern Railroad Company and tho Albany
and Gulf Railroad Company"
On motion of Mr.. Hoyt, section thrce was
amended by striking out, in the sixth and
| the said original guaranteed bonds" and ia
| serting in lieu thereof the words ''in twenty
wears after the Gate thereof" also by adding to
the section, after the word guaranteed, the
words subject to the provisions OF section six
of this act"
Section six was also amended by striking out
the words sand their endorsement by the
bapy and Gulf Railroad Company"
On motion of Mr.. Corbin the bill was fur
ther amended by the addition of the following:
SECTION z. This act shall not be of force un-
til said Savannah and Charleston Railroad
Company consent to the amendment OF their
charter 80 that the property OF SAID corpora
ton shall be subject to taxation in conformity
with section OF article IL of the constitution,
and said consent be certified under the seal OF
said company to tho Comptroller-ee General and
Secretary Of State. Upon tho filing or said
consent, the said charter shall be deemed and
held to be modified in conformity with said
section of tho constitution.
n 80 lIr nh0VA 64nt10n
was amended by the addition of the following
proyiso: "TLat no tax shall be assessed OF
levied apon said road until the same shall have
been completed"
The bill as amended was then agreed to,
and ordered to be epgrossed for third read-
ing. .... p.:,u,a,
TO whom was referred the memorial Of the
Charleston Board OF Trade, and the petition OF
the citizens of Charleston relative to the re-
building and completion OF the Savannah and
Char. aston Railroad reported back the same,
with recommendation that the prayers OF tho
petitioners and memorialists be granted.
On motion of Wright, the rules were sus-
pended mad the reports considered lmmedl-
ately. !,
This question was taken on agreeing to the
repotts, and decided in the affirmative.
Swails, from tho Committee on the Military,
to whom was recommltted bill to organize
and govern the militia OF South Carolina, WITH
instructions, reported back the same, with O
recommendation that the bill do pass, with
sundry amendments.
The Senate proce 1eL to the consideration
OF bill to Increase tSa ba aries OF the Justices
of the Supreme Court ana OF The circuit
Judges, which was indefinitely postponed.
Swails moved that the vote whereby the
Senate indefinitely postponed the further con-
sidcration of the bill be rcscnded.
tO Iuv senator
from williamsburg on the table.
Pending tho consideration OF the motion OF
| the senator from Richland, the president an
nounced the hour for the consideration OF
the special order for one ?. NJ, which was
bill to authorize the renewal OF State stocks or
bonds. Tie bill WAS taken up fora second read
! ing.
Raney moved that it be postponed to the
next regular session of the General Assembly.
Pending tho consideration Of the motion to
| postpone, the president ANNOUNCED the hour
arrived for tie consideration OF the second
special order. which WAS bill to cnablc the
Savannah and Charleston Railroad Company
to complete their road.
Tho bill was th;n taken up. considered by
sections, and agreed to as previously reported.
In THE SENATE to-day Mr.. 1toyt presented
I the petition of John Z. McAlhanry, Of Co Teton,
for the removal Of his political disabilities.
MIR. Corb;n, from the Committee on the Ju-
dietary, to whom was referred bill to amend
an act entitled Gan act to define the duties aud
iuri .dction of County Commissioners, re.
commen led that 1t be laid Oh the table.
In the report on the bill the committee say
AS to section three of the proposed act, CIV
| ing County Commissioners six hundred dollars
| per annum, your committee mo2t emphatically
dissent. There seems to prevail most erro-
neous impression aS to the powors and duties
! OF County Commissioners, although these have
been most carefully defined by law. These
| officers are expected only to exercise q general
supervisory control over certain affiirs in the
county, and such control only N tho cv- mt th'-t
certain town officers neglect OF refuse to per-
form their duties. (See Section =, act to or
| ganizo townslIips.)
After the organization of townships Is COM
pleted it is difficult to see in whit their largo
| duties will consist. 1t was never expected OIL
| intended that thoy would meet daily, or oven
weekly. 1t is difficult TO sec (cxccpt, perhaps,
on extraordinary orcAsious) why lhoy SHOULD
meet oftener than once IN NTH.
The Office WAS never des Sncd TO be one o.
profit or eno!ument, but one of character and
dignity The duties attached TO it. when pro-
perlv under stood, will not ordinarily interrr'
with the engagements OF any ordinary bu,.-
ness man. The meetings of the board Cal
best be compared to the meetings III this Sill <
OF the Clucers OF municipal b,dios. w1o receive
no pay Whatever. Your committee are aWalt
that ideas widely different from these preva'
| with many of the County Commissioners OF the
State; but your committee attribute these mis-
taken notions to the TACT that the Office is nov
in the State; and, second, that so much pay
has already been allowed 10 these officers. Il
bonr n nor Gipm thny are auyiOrg IN m hot a