The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-02-04
The legislature.


Our law makers are still at work.
We had hopes that the session would
have been over by this time, but we
are mistaken. The taxes not being
received in full, there is, as u matter
Of course, a great deal of work still to
be performed. The bill for the exten.
sion of time for the payment Of taxes
until the lst Of March bas not yet
passed. This, We think, is mis-
chievous delay, since, if it fails to pass
before the 9TH of this month it will
not accomplish the object for which it
is designed, that is, the relief of the
taxpayers, US most will have been paid
by that time. On the 30th ult. both
Houses met in General Assembly to
elect the Chief Justice Of the Supreme
Court of South Carolina, for the en-
suing six years, which resulted i'll the
choice of Hon. F. j. Moses.
On the same day the Governor re-
turned approved the following Acts ::
To empower coroners to punish for
contempt; to alter and amend Section
25 of Chapter XXY, Title VI, Part
I, of the General Statutes; to charter
the Boatmen's Phosphate River Mining
Company, and to grant to the persons
named therein, and their associates,
the right to dig and mine III the beds
of the pavigable streams of the State
for phosphate rocks and phosphate de-
posits; to require all institutions. do
ing business III leuding money and re-
ceiving deposits, under charters grant
ed by the State, to publish quarterly
statements Of their business and con-
dition.
The Committee to investigate the
charges against Judge Carpenter for
discharsing a jury in Camden some
time since, reported that in answer to
their Interrogation, he said: That he
discharged the jury because they were
incompetent, and that his act was a
judicial act, and that the Legislature
of South Carolina had no jurisdiction
in the premises. These facts the com
mittce submitted without comment,
leaving to the House to judge Of their
weight. Importance and legality.
A minority report was submitted by
Mr.. Hurley justi:ying the Judges
course, but the majority report was
adopted.
A bill was introduced by Mr.. Coch-
ran to regulate the public printing of
South Carolina. which provides for the
letting out of the printing to the low
est responsible bidder, but there are
so many conditions attached that the
proposed scheme would not likely be
much better than the one now in
vogue.
In the Senate, Mr.. Whittemore, to
whom the memorial Of the Marion
taxpayers was referred, reportcd a
bill. which, according to the Ph9ni.t,
is in substance as follows: Whenever
any person or persons charged with
taxes upon the books Of any County
Treasurer shall declare in writing to
the Treasurer that he or they have
been enormously or Illegally charged
with the same, the Treasurer shall
submit to the County Auditor full
statement of the facts in the case,
which statement shall be submitted to
the inspection and recommendation of
the County Board of Equalization of
the County, and their endorsement
thereon shall be forwarded, with such
additional information added thereto,
as the Auditor may give. The Comp
tro!ler- General is authorized and d.
rected to make attachments lii taxes in
case Of erroneous or illegal assessments
before the collection of the same shall
have been made, as in his judgment
the same may demand: or the recon-
mendation Of the County Board Of
Equalization may justify.