The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-04-02


spent his whole ministerial life in South
Cnrolina, and was thoroughly identified
with our State, and his death is public
calamity. He was about ffty.four years
old. Yours, &C., J. I. B.
'.PnAcTIcAI REIED1Es. The Now
Orleans Times. in considering the impor-
tant changes that should be effected in
the present constitution Of Louisiana.
makes some suggestions not inapplicable
to this State. The Times says, speaking
OF it's own State:
It will not do for those who are so
profoundly aroused to sense of the
danger and Disgrace to this State and
people, from the fearful prevalence Of
corruption in public officers, the profit
gate waste of the public treasure, tho
corrupt transfer Of the franch ses of the
State to unscrupulous rings, and the
consequent great oppression aud grievous
burdening Of our people and property,
to exhaust their vigor and zeal in vain
and impotent demonstrations, in imprac-
ticable p!nns Of resistance, in crimina-
tions and recriminations, and in disputa-
tions upon abstract propositions. The
wrong and danger Of the present state OF
affairs are known and understood by nll.
It is the remedy which now demands our
attention and most deeply interests the
people. The theory of our Government
oompels our submission to the existing
Government and laws. We may evado
this necessity and duty of submission.
We may effect q repeal Of the obnoxious
laws. We may arouse public sentiment
! to the final ond lawful obliteration of the
men and measures that have brought us
| to our present condition. But to go
beyond this. is to engage III revolution
! and invite the interposition Of tho Fede-
raj power, which is watchful md ever
| eager for pretext to interfere in our
domestic government and coerco obcdi-
ence to onr spoilers and oppressors.
Something more practical and effective
must be done to give any promise of re-
lief from the impending ruin and dis
grace. What Of that nature has yet
been proposed? We confess. our ina
bility to answer this question satisfac-
torily. The authors of our present mis-
government and great Decentralization
are intensely practical. They con only
be successfully resisted by equally prac-
tical measures of resistance. They have
the color of legal authority; they take
care to put their schemes in forms OF
law, and in conformity to judicial de-
cisions. It must, therefore, occur to all
practical minds TINT they must be met by
changes and repeal Of the laws, and by
punitive and obstructive legislation,
which will discourage and prevent the
acts and doings. now apparently sane
toned by law and judicial authority.
Some of these changes are obvious.
They nre:
l. a provision OF tho State Constitu-
tion. excluding from oil Offices of trust,
every person who may be found guilty Of
the offence of selling or buying the votes
OF officers, of receiving any compensa-
tion beyond his lawful emoluments, for
engaging in any form Of barter or specu-
lation in political Or official patronage.
and providing more practical md facile
process Of investigating all charges of
such Offences. and obtaining duo convic-
ton thereof
9. A constitutional provision inyali-
dating all laws, grants and official acts
creating special privileges and corporate
rights and powers which can DO shown
to have beon obtained by fraud and cor
rnption.
This is done in England under pro.
cess of the nature of n quo acarranio,
which is tnkcn out in tho name Of the
| Queen, and has been found worry effect
i've modo Of quashing corporations
| which have been created by corrupt and
fraudulent means, and arc injurious to
tho public. Either this or return to
the system which existed in this State
prior to tho war, OF denying to the Le-
gislature the power of creating special
charters.
Mr.. William B. Astor's dinner service
is the handsomest in this country. It
was bought by his father, John Jacob
Astor, and used by him during his resi-
denoe in Paris and Switzerland. All
the dishes, the plates, the frnit-stands,
the epe-gnes, are of solid silver. The
dessert plates are of Sevres china, en-
bellished with portraits OF tho celebrated
beauties of the Court of Louis XIV. BY
the will of Mr.. Astor, this dinner service
descended to his oldest son, and at
the death OF it's present owner, it must
go to his son. John Jacob, Jr., md then
to the latter's son, and 80 on to the latest
generation.
Ex-Governor Leland Stanford left