The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-01


vaua uoce vote. Then Jones attempted a
speech upon the subject, but as usual lost
sight of the merits of the measure. and amused
himself by beratlng Bosemon. When Jones
had exhausted his stock of invective, the
actual discussion of the bill was begun by
Jervey, who reminded the House that they nad
once before defeated similar scheme by an
overwhelming vote, and asked If they pro-
posed to stultify themselves by voting for this
one. He protested In the name OF the Charles
ton delegation against the passage OF this
bill, which had been iully discussed and re.
jected by the special committee, composed OF
the delegation, to whom the matter was re-
ferred. He called attention 10 the fact that
the bill, while it confined its operations to
Charleston City, was introduced by member
from the swamps of Charleston County, and
supported by another gentleman from the
rural wilds of Georgetown. He poiRted out
that the bill required the proposed
commissioners to request the Mayor OF
Charleston to turn over the arms now used Dy
the police to them, and authorized them In
the event of refusal to purchase arms for their
own force. This, he said, meant the estab-
lishment of two rival forces In Charleston,
which would result in warfare. 1t meant con.
flict and bloodshed, aud he would never sup.
port bill which sought to benefit Ring at
Of his people. This scheme had been In pre-
paration ever since the last election; but the
Republicans of Charleston were asking too
much from the Assembly in seeking its pas
sage. Let them endure their present govern
ment Tor few months longer, and then, ID
the next election. regain control, II they can,
by the ballot. This scheme was devised oy
two or three men in Charleston who wanted
to be commissioners, and In whose hands the
member who introduced 1t (Hedges) was o
simple tool. The bill was drawn By one Of
those men, and designed for private political
purposes. These men would be found before
elections swearing in any number OF special
policemen to work for them, but those poor
men would never get dollar tor their SER
vices. 1t was a scheme simply to benefit q
Ring, and the poor men Of Charleston would
never get single appointment or single
dollar by means Of it's passage.
Jervey was followed by Whipper, who made
the only get speech in favor of The bill, and
whose only argument was an appeal to party
passion. 1t was strict party measure, and
as such he supported It, To the victors be-
longed the spoils, and although the ConserVa-
tives were for the time IN power In Charles
ton, he would show them that Republicans
were in power In the State and IN the General
Assembly. He would wrest this power OF
police government from Conservatives OF
Charleston Just as it had been wrested from
the Democrats Of New York City by the Re-
publicans Of that State; and he went on In this
strain at some length to show that might
makes right, and that an Intelligent minority
had no rights that an ignorant majority were
bound to respect.
Hedges got up to reply lv Vne charge that he
was the tool OF the Mackey party, and ingenu-
ous!y remarked that ii he had been made tool
no doubt Is eminently true. Referring TO the
petitions which had been sent there and the
signatures of whlchwere all in one handwrit-
ing, he ingeniously argued that this showed
that the people were all united upon the SUD-
ject. He, attempted to prove that II the
signatures had been made In different
handwritings it would have shown that
there was diversity OF feeling; and, alto
gether, without either meaning or knowing IT.,
he made very good speech against his own
Then there was little running debate by
Jones, Hunter, Dennis, Henderson and others,
aud amounting to just nothing at all, alter
which Bosemon took the floor in opposition
to the bl He Gppossds It, ne saa
oppose 1t, and he thought he knew the wishes
oi his people. The very fact that three differ
ent bills had been introduced was proof that
there was division Of feeling upon the sub.
ject, aud that It was not the united desire OF
the people. 1t was plain that.it was war OF
factions, each one attempting 10 get control OF
the police department of The city, and he
would not favor it until they showed them
selves united. It was not In the interests OF a
party. but of faction. II the Republicans of
Charleston demanded such o measure, ne
would support 1t; but 1t was askln too mucn
of the Asse nbly TO create fat offices for lew
politicians who could only make o living by
q man who had not brains enough to make
living out of office was not fit to hold an
office, and he old Eot propose to give IL TO
them. -.
The debate was continued at great length
by Greene, Mobley, Jamlson and Byas, the
latter supporting the bill, and giving, as one
of his reasons, the statement that the present
Mayor of Charleston had ordered a colored
boy to be whipped as a punishment for some
offence, which was relic OF slave lines, and
was not to be endured. Hunter replied to
this charge that the whipping referred 10 had
been done By Captain Hendricks, and without
the %pcn ess eS SG WITH 0rae eeer
speech than he often makes, giving some SEN
sible reasons why the bill should not be
passed, and, in the course Of his remarks, he
bore down with some severity upon the late
chief of police of Charleston. He afterWard
arose 10 question OF privilege, and asserted
that Captain Hendricks had made threats
against his life, and had told him he would be
shot as soon as he stepped out OF the House.
He thereupon left the House, and, reaching
the Office Of Trial Justice Nash Without acci-
dent or attack, he obtained warrant for the
arrest of Hendricks, who gave bond to pre-
serve the peace. The vote upon the motion
to strike out the enactng clause OF the bill
was reached at three o'clock, and the motion
prevailed by the decisive vote OF 76 to l6
The ways and means committee Of the House
reported upon both of the general appropria.
tion bills. The first Of these, 1t may be re-
membered, does not prescribe the rate OF tax
alion, and does not make any provision tor
the payment of interest on the public debt,
while the second, which was offered as sub
stitute, prescrbeS tax OF seventeen ana
half mills, and very amply provides for the
payment OF interest. The Gommittee now re-
port fayorably upon the original and unfavo'
rablpupon the substitute, recommending al tue
same time an amendment appr0prlailng Ten
thousand dollars for expenses of reerganizing
the State militia, and increa-ing the appropria-
ton for The Lunatlc Asylum from three to ft-
teen thousand dollars. they also reported
bill to provide for State tax OF eight mills
and county tax Of three mills on the dollar.
This was the only business of Importance
transacted In the morning, but, for q wonder,
quorum was present at the night session,
and the following very important measures
were acted upon:
The bin to provide for a general license law
was practically killed by being laid upon the
table.
The enacting clause was stricken out OF the
bills TO incorporate the South Carolina Water
Power Company, bill to incorporate the South
Carolina Real Estate, Planting and Mining
Company, and bill TO regulate the use OF scales,
weights and measures.
In the Senate to-day the proceedings were
m The only matter 0f QDy intpr-