Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-03-13

from diptheria. The children were aged re-
spectively about two, four and six years.
EDITORIAL INKLINGs.
The Additional Compensation Bill.
- The Washington Chronicle, the admin
istration organ, speaking of the acts Of the
late Congress, refers in the following manner
to the bill increasing the compensation Of
members
"The greatest mistake committed during
the late session is that passing bill giving to
each member FIVE thousand dollars additional
compensation. Party lines were obliterated
in this proceeding. The members whose la.
bors closed with this session had no fear Of q
popular verdict before their eyes. They, with
some exceptions, rallied to the support of this
act. There were those who believed that the
compensation of members should be equalized
by the repeal of the iniquitous mileage ar.
rangement, aud who were not unwilling to
provide for such an increase as would result
from this equalization and the cutting off Of
allowances for stationery, newspapers, &c.
This would have been emihently proper. Had
the pay of members of the next Congress
been raised to six thousand dollars, without
the allowances named, the popular verdict
would have been one of approval. AS it is.
we anticipate sweeping censure. The chief
argument for an increase of pay-the expen-
siveness of living in Washington and con-
forming to its customs-is justly deemed fal-
lacious; for if we are falling into extravagant
habits here, and departing from republican
simplicity and frugality, we are under imper,
ative obligations to correct the habit by non-
conformity, even if it be necessary to form
social combinations for that purpose"
The Bankrupt Act.
- The following is the amendment to the
bankrupt law, passed by the last Congress,
which allows exemptions of homesteads in
accordance with the exemptions allowed by
the Constitutions of the respective States:
That it was the true intent and meaning oi
an Act approved June 9th, 1872, entitled can
act to amend an act entitled an act to estab'
lish uniform system of bankruptcy through
out the United States, approved March 3D.
1857" that the exemptions allowed the bank:
rupt by the said amendatory act should, and
it is hereby enacted that they shall, be the
amount allowed by the Constitution and laws
of each State respectively, as existing in the
year 1871 and that such exemptions be valid
against debts contracted before the adoption
and passage of such State Constitution and
laws, as we'll as those contracted after the
same, and against any judgment or decree of
any State, any decision Of any such court
rendered since the adoption and passage of
such Constitution and laws to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
This declaratory amendment is now law.
1t will be remembered that the bankrupt law
passed in 1867 gave an exemption of $500
and the State exemptions as existing by the
laws in force in the various States in 1864.
This was found to work very harshly upon the
southern people, whose State Constitutions,
formed before the war, and in force in 1864,
exempted but pittance, while in the North
and West the State exemptions amounted to
several thousand dollars. The facts giving
rise to the amendment, which also explain its
object and meaning, are editorially explained
by the Washington Chronicle as follows
"Hon. John F. Lewis, of Virginia, intro
duced bill in the Senate in the early part of
1872, which afterward, through the able and
energetic manner in which he pushed it, be-
came law, saving to the bankrupt of Vir.
ginia and several other southern States $4,000
and upward. This law was then declared
constitutional by the ablest lawyers in the
country, but the Court of Appeals in Virginia,
and Judge Alexander Rives, United States
District Judge, declared it unconstitutional.
/ At the commencement of this session OF Con
gress Senator Lewis and several members Of
the House of Representatives introduced bills
into both houses of Congress declaratory of
Lewis bill of 1872. A bill introduced by
Mr.. Critcher was the first gotten up, and
passed the House on motion of MIR. Platt.
when the bill was sent to the Senate, Senator
Lewis labored necessarily upon the Judiciary
Committee until he secured favorable re-
port from the committee and the passage of
the bill"
The Poll Tax.
- The following is the full text of the act
passed at the recent session of the Legislature
"to enforce the payment of the poll tax"
Section l. Be it enacted by the House of
Representatives of the State of South Carolina,
now met and sitting in General Assembly, and
by authority of the same, That there shall be
assessed on all taxable polls in the State, an
annual tax of one dollar on each poll, the pro-
ceeds of which shall be applied to educational
purposes; and if any person shall refuse or
neglect to pay said tax before the expiration
of the time fixed for the payment of all taxes,
the County Treasurer shall, within twenty
days thereafter, furnish list of all delinquent
polls to the County Commissioners of the
county; where the person so taxed, and de-
linquent, have no property to be distrained
for the payment Of said poll tax, as author
lied in the act providing for the assessment
and taxation of property, approved SePteem-
Der Is, 1868, the person or persons so delln-
quent, shall be subject to a penalty double
the amount of their poll tax, and on failing
to pay the same, when notified Of the fact,
within ten days after such notice, such person
or persons shall be required to work on the
highways or roads in their respective counties,
as the County Commissioners may direct, not
exceeding three days
Sec. 2. That the said County Commission
ers shall, after receiving the delinquent polls