The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-13
THE STATE CAPITAL.
TIE WORK OF THE ASSEMBLY.

TIE WORK OF THE ASSEMBLY.
The Lien Law to be hbolished-Legn
Proceedings Against the Late Admin
istration-The Charleston Water
Bill-Miscellaneous Proceedings.
[FRox OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBIA, January II.
The proceedings in the General Assembly
during the past TWO days have Included two
of the most Important debates In the Senate
that have been had during the session, and
have resulted In the flnal passage by that body
Gtwo Important measures-the repeal OF the
lien law and the conditional extension Of The
time for the payment of taxes.
THE LIEN LAW.
The discussion of The lien law came up upon
o bill to repeal Sections IS and Sc, Chapter
l2o of the General Statutes, which sections
provide that persons making advances Of
money or supplies to planters, Sc, shall have
preferred lien on their crops, and prescr'ba
the method for the enforcement Of such lien.
This bill was offered some weeks ago, bnt 1t
was only recently returned BY the judiciary
committee, and upon It's reappearance In the
Senate q determined effort was made 10 force
1t through, Its advocates consisting mainly OF
the co!ored members, who insisted that the
operation OF the law had been productive of
great hardship among the poor people. Some
curious examples OF The working Of the law
were given by Senator Nash and Others, one
case being that Of an improvident colored
man who bad given lien on his whole world
ly possessions aud expectations IN consider
Ot whiekaC
had been reduced to rags and misery thereby.
Other equally hard cases were oiled, where The
last busnel OF corn and the last streak Of bacon
had been sold out of poor mems houses
to satisfy lien, and altogether the Senate
managed to work itself up Into quite fever
Of Indignation against the lien-takers. II was
In vain that come OF the senators suggested
that those nnfCrtunales whose love for wh1s-
key was so strong as to cause them 10 be rob-
bed under the operation OF The lien law,
wculd, 10 all probability, be robbed any way,
and that to sober and Industrious laborer
the opportunities afforded by the lien law 20
obtain credit tor necessary advances were in
valuable. The majority OF the senators we're
strenuous for the repeal, and the bill was
passed 10 It's third reading BY a large vote.
It came up again for discussion to-day, and
Senator Jster offered provso to the effect
that the act should not 60 into effect until the
nrst of April. He supported this proViso on
LQ6 RTOuuQ LndI luduy PldutcIo
men were about making their contracts ior
the coming year, and the sudden abolition OF
30 important law would take them by sur
prise, and entail great confusion and loss.
The proviso, however, was voted down, and
the bill In It's original shape was put through
ate final passage and sent TO the House, Which
booy will probably concur In Its passage.
AN ,ExrESsIoN FOR TIE TA1PAYERs.
The question OF extending the time for the
payment OF the present taxes, without penalty.
has also been very earnestly debated during
The past few days, aud sort Of half way
measure OF relief for the taxpayers was passed
by the Senate to-day. II mas been admitted
on all hands that in simple justice 10 the tax
psjeIs the time should De extended, iDaSmuch
as the levy OF the tax has been delayed,
through no fault Of theirs, some Two or three
months, and In some counties lne tax collec-
tors are not ready even Yet for the reception
oftaxes. joint resolution was Introduced
by Senator Dunn two days ago 10 extend the
time for paying the tax without penalty from
the 18th Of January 10 the 10Th OF March, and
an effort was made to have this considered
at once, but q single objection being suf1-
cient TO prevent Its Immediate consideration
the resolution went over under the rules until
Friday. On Friday morning, before the joint
resolution could be reached, the finance
commiltee reported back bill which
had laln quietly in It's pigeon holes
since the I'd OF December, and which
while nomlnally providing for an extension OF
time for the taxpayers, In reality only provides
that the omplroller-general, with The ap.
provel OF the Governor, may, iI his discretion,
extend the Time ''as long as may be necessa-
ry.n Now, 1t would OF course make no differ
ence to The taxpayers whether the time OF pay
ment were extended By direct action OF the
Legislature or by the order of the State OIL
diais, but the trouble Is that there Is no possl-
bility now OF getting the present bill through
the Legislature before the day on which the
penalty attaches. The bill received lis final
passage to-day In the Senate, and will get to
The House on Monday. There 1t cannot pos
sbly receive It's ''lhree separate readings" and
be finally passed until Wednesday, and that is
the very day on which the penalty attaches.
It seems reasonably evident, therefore, that 1t
is not the intention ofthe Legislature 10 grant
apy real extension of the time, aud that the
taxpayers are to be made TO pay, by the pen
atty of twenty per cent, for the bunder ofthe
late comptroller-general in levying an uncon-
Stitutional tax.
THE TRIAL JUSTICE QUESTION.
The question Of the number of trial justices
to be allowed TO the various counlies has
proved this session 20 be one OF the most pro-
fife sources OF bills and resolutions, and there
has hardly been day when an effort has not
been made to have the number Of these off,
cIals increased in some OF the counties. The
Senats judiciary committee, therefore, has
adopted the very sensible plan OF bringing In
one general bill prescribing the number OF
trial Justices TO be appointed, and leaving
blanks for the various counties, which blanks
were filed yesterday In the Senate by euch
member specifying how many trial Justices he
considered his county was entitled 10. Un.
der this arrangement the blanks In the bill
were filed as follows, and The bill was passed
and SEM to the House: Aboevllle l3. Aiken 8,
Anderson l8, Baruweli 8, Beaufort Is, Charles
ton "a, Chester 8, Clarendon 6, Colleton 10,
Chesterfield s. Darlington 10, Edgeheld IL,
Fairfield s, Georgetown 8, Greenvie 8. Horry
10. Kershaw 9, Lancaster Z, Laurens Z, Lex
tngton 8, Marion 10, Marlboro 6, Newberry Z,
Oconee s, Orangeourg 10. Pickens 8, Richland
IL, Spartanburg IL, Sumter 10, Union 8, Will
liamsburg 10, York 10.
GOING FOR TIE POLL TAX.
Senator Whlttemore, OF Darlington, who
seems to have taken the interests Ut the free
common schools under his wing, yesterday In.
troduced bill TO provide for the more efectual
Hulleotion OF the poll tax, the hrst section
OF which provides ''that upon the non-pay-
ment. within tho time prescribed by law, OF
the poll tax, q penalty OF two dollars shall at
zach upon such poll, and the non-payment of
such penalty Is hereby declared mtsde-
meanor, punishable by thirty days imprlson-
mept In tue county Jail.n The second section
of this bill provides that the county treasur-
ers shall make, ont lists OF the delinquent
polls, as prescribed by law In the case OF The