The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-02-26
CLEARING THE CALENDARS.


| its passage. PICKET.
CLEARING THE CALENDARS.
A Host of Bills Slaughtered In tho House
Tho Repeal of the Blue Ridge Scrip
Tax-Statistics for Immigrants to be
Collected.
[FRoM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBIA, February "a.
The House OF Representatives to-day trans
acted an unwonted amount of business, and
succeeded In reducing the bulk of lts calendar
from ten 10 about four pages. This happy
eonsummaiion was achieved by taking up all
the bills on the calendar which had been un.
favorably reported on By the committees and
striking out the enacting clauses thereof.
About fifty five bills were thus slaughtered,
the titles whereof have already been reported
by telegraph. The next class OF bills that was
taken up by the House consisted of those
which have already passed the Senate, the
argument being that the day of adjournment
was 80 near that the bills that had not passed
the Senate were hardly worth considering by
The House. A large number OF bills OF this
class were passed to their third reading, which
Is almost equivalent 10 their final passage.
The most important Of these bills was the one
which seeks TO
REPEAL THE BLUE RIDGE SCRIP
act, or at least 80 much of 1t as authorized the
levy of an annual tax OF three mills to pay
the principal and interest OF the scrip. This
bill is entitled "a bill 10 repeal Section OF
an act 10 relieve the State OF South Carolina
of all liability for its guaranty OF the bonds
Of the Blue Ridge Railroad Company by pro-
vidlDg Tor the securing and destruction OF the
same, approved Marcn 2, 1872, and 10 repeal
go much OF Section 70. Chapter Xt, Title III,
of the General Statutes as authorizes the
State auditor 10 give notice annually to each
county auditor OF The rates per ceDtum 10 be
levied ior various State purposes.
a bitter speech against the bill was made
by Representative Robertson, his principal
argument bpiug that the scrip acI OF last year
constituted contract, which had since been
ccnsummaled both by the State and by The
par,!es of the second part, and that therefore
the Legislature could not repeal any one OF
the sections Of that act Without violating that
clause of The constitution which forbade the
Legislature to pass any law to impair the OBJ
legations of a contract.
This speech was answered by Representa-
tive Meelzs, Of Lexington. who succeeded In
showing, very concluslvely and 10 the evident
satisfaction Of the House, that the act Itself,
which was now sought 10 be repealed, was 10
the highest degree unconstitutional, and was
conceived, brought forth and surrounded on
every baud with iniqulty and fraud. He al-
legged, among other charges OF fraud aud
bad faith on the part OF the parties VINO
obtained the passage OF the &C! last WIN
ter, that whereas the act only authorized the
Issue of $1,000, 900 Of scrip, there had been
Issued and paced upon the market no leas
than S. 4O0, 900 OF scrip, one lot OF sl,SOO. .000
havicg beeu printed by the Republican Print.
ipg Company in Columbia, another lot of
sl,80O, 900 by The American Bank Note Com
pany of New York, and still another lot OF
$1,000, 900 By the Washington Chronicle Pub
lisning Company, of which the late State
treasurer Niles q. Parker, was u stockholder.
This speech was conclusive and unanswera-
BILE, and The bill was passed to It's third read.
Ing by vote of sixly-four TO eight.
THE QUESTION OF IMMIGRATION.
The House committee on immigration to-
day introduced the following concurrent reso-
lu;ioD, which will be acted upon TO- morrow:
Whereas The lime remaining OF the present
session Is not sufficient to enable the two
houses 10 develop and perfect practicable
and satisfactory plan for the encouragement
of Immigration 10 this Slate; and whereas,
the subject ls one certainly among those Oh
the first Importance 10 the best interests OF
the whole Slate, inasmnch as the innux ol
new citizens Bringing numbers and wealth TO
slrepelhen aud develop the State Is the
snrest means of restoring peace, concord and
true prosperity to all our people; aud where
as, such subject requires great research and
the patient COLLECTION, Arrangement and
statement OF The various Inducements TO I'M
migration which South Carolina affords; there
fore,
Resolued, That the clerk of the House Of
Representatives and the clerk OF the Senate
be and they are hereby empowered to collect
and arrange such Information as may be
deemed valuable aud necessary for the use Oh
the General Assembly in dealing with The sub.
jecI OF immigration, and 10 cause The same 10
oe prepared 10 suitable form tor che use Of the
General Assembly. with view OF presenting
to the world the unrivaled commercial, agrl.
cultural, manufacturing and mineral re-
sources Uf this Stale. The said clerks are
authorized 10 conduct the work herein pro-
rided Tor during the months OF the present
wear, preceding the meeting Of the General
Assembly In November next, and 10 have
their report in readiness az the commence
ment of the next session of the General AS
semDly.
THE TOWN OF MoULTRIEvILLE.
The Senate at Its evening session passed to
Its third reading The bill 10 establish Town
government for Moultrlevllle, and as The Dill
has already passed the House, 1t Is very prob
able that the bill will become law before the
close ofthe present session. PICKET.