The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-07
THE CoNGAREE DAM BILL.
A Tiresome Debate-The Proceedings OF
an UReventrul Session.
[FRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

COLUhblA, MATCH 4.
Another whole day has been spent BY the
Senate in the tlresome, frivolous, and utterly
puerile squabble upon the question of dam
ming the Congaree River to utilize the Co
lumbia Canal, and the bill has finally passed
It's second reading. The takers to-day have
been Messrs. Whiltemore, Leslie and Cardozo
in favor of the measure, and Nash, Hayna.aud
Mcintyre opposed, and the same points were
made and the same ground gone over as du-
ring the past three days. until sort OF COM
promise was effected by the adoption OF an
amendment introduced by Arnim, which pro-
vides that the Columbia Water Power Com
pany, who are the applicants for The dan,
shall pledge themselves 10 build, within five
sand spindles. Thus amended, the bill was
passed 10 Its third reading, and 1t will doubt
less 60 through the Senate and perhaps the
House In It's present shape.
The first thing to occupy the attention of the
House this morning was the discussion of bill,
introduced a long time ago, to provide for the
election Of justices OF the peace, and defining
their Jurisdiction; The bill provides that an
election shall be held on the 10th day OF April,
1872, at which shall be elected as many justices
of the peace 10 each county as there are now
trial justices appointed for the same county.
and that upon the election and qualification Of
such justices Of the peace the office OF trial
justice shall be abolished. This measure was
strenuously opposed by Mooley, Lee and
and Smart, and was finally passed to third
reading. There is but little probability, how
ever, that the bill will ever pass the two
houses, or, If 1t should get through the Leeis-
lature, that 1t will receive The approval OF the
Governor, from whom the measure proposes
to take one very Important branch OF the
appointing power. A bill very similar to this
was prepared last winter by the judiciary
committee of the House, and passed the House
with but little opposition, but, being sent to
the Senate for concurrence, 1t found very
quiet resting place in the pigeon-holes of the
Judiciary committee, and there 1t has remained.
In view Of this fact 1t Is easy to predict the
fsle, in the Senate, of the present measure
should 1t ever pass the House.
The remainder of the morning session was
occupied with the consideration Of variety
of bills on the calendar for second reading.
The most important Of these were q bill to Je-
duce all acts or parts of acts to determine and
perpetIate the homestead into one act and
to amend the same, and bill 10 amend the
act creating the County of Aiken 30 as to give
Aiken four members in the House Of Repre-
Lexington. two. and Orangeburg, five. Beth
of these bills we're passed 10 their third read
ing.
At the evening session of the House the
committee on engrOssed bills reported for q
third reading number of bills, Of which the
most important was the general approprla-
ti0n bill prepared by the ways aud means
committee. This is The bill known as the
original appropriation bill, and does not make
any provision for the payment Of interest on
the public debt. 1t received It's final passage
through the House this evening, with single
amendment, increasing the appropriation for
the penitentiary from $5ce0O to $s0, 900 by a
vote of sixty-eight to nineteen, but 1t by no
means follows that the bill will become law,
and 1t Is extremely probable that the omis-
e!on to provide for the payment Of interest
will be amply supplied by The Senate.
The joint resolution proposing constltu-
tloral amendment requiring the submission OF
the question of any further increase Of the
State debt to popular vote was also report
ed for It's third reading, and was passed by
unanimous vote oi SO to 0. It Is gratifying at
least to know that there Is one measure, and
that g sensible one, upon which the orators OF
the House are for once united, and this unani-
nous action OF the House gives good reason
for believing that this measure OF self-protec-
tion will have speedy passage through both
houses.
The other bills reported for third reading
and passed we're bill to compel members of
the House of Representatives to live In the
counties from which they are elected aud the
bill to empower certain fathers to legitlmatlze
certain children.
Some debate was caused by aresolulion to
pay Judge Thomas for holding extra courts In
Beaufort County, which was finally passed 10
Its third reading, partly by the assistance OF
the successful rival OF Judge Thomas in the
late election, Judge T. J. Mackey, who was
very industrously and generously engaged In
lobbying in favor of the resolution.
PICKET.