Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-12-02
Legislative Proceedings.
TUESDAY, November g, 1860.

On motion Of Mr.. w. j. Whippcr, the
House resolved itself into committee of the
Whole, to consider the condition Of affairs in
certain portions of the State.
benjamin Boseman was called to the chair
Mr. j. w. Whipper then addressed the
Committee, saying that hc desired to have q
general expression Of opinion on the dcplora-
bic condition of affairs in the State that
members of the Legislature were obliged to
como there by stealth, and that in EdgeGcld
and other places there was no safety of life /;
that the hope had been expressed that the
dagger might bo driven to the heart of every
one of the miscreants who pretend to govern
us; and that this work must be done in the
dark /; and that General Gary and other prom.
incnt men have used such language that
the neglect or delay of the Executive to put
a stop to the lawlcssness that exists, amour.
ted to criminality. He hoped something
would be done.
Mr.. Jones moved that the Hon. Joseph
Crews be requested TO give an account of his
experience in the disturbance at Laurens.
Mr.. Byas objected, saying that, as Mr..
Crews was momber of the House, he had a
right to address it without an invitation.
Mr. Jones replied, that Mr.. Crews was very
diffident, and needed something to draw him
out. But Mr.. Crews contradicted him by
walking up to the front of the Speakers stand
and facing the Honse, without the motion
being adopted. He there told pitiful tale
about "mc and my son." finding it necessary
to run away and hide in the woods and under
piles of cotton. He said his ''party" has a
majority there, but with tears in his eyes he
implored the Legislature to do something to
protect them. Those who troubled him, he
said, can raise 5000 men in six hours
"they ure not the trash, not the drinking
rowdies, but the most respectable men of the
country" He said he knew the men who
produced and acted in this disturbance. And
colored member asked why they were not
arrested? lie replied that the constabulary
was not able to arrest them A colored mem.
ber then asked what is the use of constabu.
larry?
Mr.. Wilkes, conservative, then addressed
the Committee, saying that lie deeply deplor.
ed the state of affairs, and asking the members
to come to the consideration of the means
of rcmcdying it, free from all party feeling,
but in the spirit of representatives of great
and noble people. The law recognizes no
such distinction as Republican or Reformist,
or white or Black, and he would recognize
none SUCH He denied that the respectable
people of the State wcrc responsible for the
disturbance at Laurens, and would advocate
any measure calculated to bring the offenders
to justice and put stop to lawlcssnees
After some remarks on the same subject
by Mr.. Boston, the Committee arose, on mo-
tion Of Mr. Whippcr. Mr.. Boseman, Chair
man Of the Committee, reported progress,
which was received as information.
THE POPULATION OF THE SOUTHERN
STATEs.-It has been assumed that the South
crn States had sustained such large losses of
population during the war, that little or no
increase was to be expected by the present
census. Tho following figures disprove this