The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-03-05
Work Of the Legislature.

The Legislature adjourned or
Wednesday last, and the Charles
ton Neus presents the following
summary Of the work of the Ses
sion:
The number of bills and Joint
resolutions considered was between
five and six hundred, about two
hundred of which have become
laws. Of these last comparatively
few are of any general interest
Let us see what has been done.
Glancing back a1 the work of th>
Session, we find that the Genera
Assembly has passed the joint reso
lutions necessary to carry into effcc
the constitutional amendments rat
flied by the people at the last elcc
ton relative to the increase Of tn
State debt and the tirne OF holdin!
the State election; it has repealed
the general Liccrse Law of las
winter, the repeal to take effect o.
the 1st of April, 1878; it has EN-
powered the City Council o
Charleston to establish House O
Refuge and Industrial School fo
young vagrants and others; it ha
directed the Acknowledgement t.
institute criminal or other necessa
Try proceedings against the lat
Commissioners Of the Sinkin!
Fund; it has provided for the NOR
efectual collection Of the poll ia:
by atfixing a penalty Of one dolla
aud sending the taxpayer to Jail il
default Of pay ment thereof; it ha
enacted a new code of fees for pro
bate judges, trial justices and clerk
of courts; it has essayed to rrotec
vcrdant spectators in real estate
by passing an "act to punish an
person or persons who shall sell an
convey any real and personal prol
erty on which a lien Of any kin
may exist, without giving notice c
the same to the burchaser;" it ha
appropriated $4,000 Of the taA
payers money to reward Messr'
Major Lewis Merrill ct al. for catch
ing Ku-Klux; it has sought to al
and encourage manufactures b.
granting a rebate OF the tax on caE
ital invested therein for ten year
from the present date (not from th
date Of Investment y it has ordere
county coroners to report their suS
picions in cases of homicide to tn
+Governor; it has altered the LAY
relating to deposits from foreig
insurance companies, so that the
may be made either in State o
United States bonds; it has abrc
gated and sunk the war debt OF til
State; it has reduced the number Q
trial justices in Charleston to five
at $1,000 per aunum each; it ha
authorized about half the countie
in the State to levy special take
varying from two to three mills Of
the dollar; and it has taken upol
itself to regulate anew the election
of Mayor and Aldermen in Charles
ton. The principal effect of thi
last measure is to fix the thir'
Wednesday in October as the da.
for holding the municipal election
and to take from the City Counci
the power of deciding conteste'
cases, vesting it instead in a boar'
Of five commissioners, to be ap
pointed by the Governor.
The most important Of the bill
that have been introduced and hay
failed to pass. are the following
The bill to require trial justices t.
give bonds; the bill to regulate til
deposit Oh Stale and county sands
the various bills seeking to abolisl
the office Of county auditor; tn
bill to repeal the fence law: the bill
to incorporate the Charleston Waite
and Canal Company; the bill to in
corporate the Pharmaceutical Asso
sociation of South Carolina; tn
general incorporation law; the bill
TO make drunkenness on the par
Of solicitors and trial justices al
indictable offence; the bill to pro
vide for an investigation Of th'
State debt and a registration of tn
bonds, stocks, coupons, &C., and tn
bill to encourage the rebuilding 0
the blrnt district Of Charleston
The rejection of this last measur
was a wanton wrong to the metrop
oils of the State, which we are at
loss whether to attribute to gros
stupidity or disappointed cupidity
TRIAL JUsTIcE.-Wm. A. Giles