The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-03-30
LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS.

on the 23rd inst, took recess on Friday
until the 10th of April. 1t is under
stood that the majority were actuated in
this matter by the fact that the Republi.
can State Convention meets on the 11th
of April, and as many of them expect to
receive appointments as delegates thereto,
railroad fare will be saved to them, for
the railroads issue passes which are good
only while the session continues. Hence,
if an adjournment had taken place, these
members might have been put to serious
inconvenience to find their way back to
Columbia at the appointed time, for
money is not so plentiful with them as in
former days. 1t is also conjectured that
the motive which inspired portion of
the General Assembly lies in the fact
that civil processes are awaiting them at
home, and these cannot be served until
ten days after final adjournment. The
reasons for many of them desiring to
attend the State Convention are not so
apparent, aside from their purpose of re-
tanning control of political movements in
the hands of the present leaders, unless
there is a probability that some of the
aspirants for the Republican nomination
for the Presidency are willing to advance
q modicum of national currency, in Or
der to gain control of the delegation
from South Carolina. 1t is the advance
guard in the Southern States, and may
be deemed of vast importance to Presi-
dental aspirants that they obtain a good
"send-off" from this State, which is re-
lied upon to cast its electoral vote for the
Republican candidate, under any and all
circumstances. The impecunious men,
bers of the General Assembly, therefore,
are governed in their conduct by merce-
nary motives, and are totally reckless and
Indifferent as to the consequences upon
the State Treasury, whose vaults can be
replenished by another raid upon the
despised taxpayers. A careful estimate
shows that the actual time employed in
legislative duties costs the State about
t,co dollars per minute Is it not time
that the property-holder, who defray
these enormous expenses, shall declare
that men of better capacity and more
economical proclivities are to govern the
length Of the sessions hereafter : =
THE CONVICTION OF JUDGE MOSES.
As stated last week, the trial Of Judge
Montgomery Moses, of the Seventh Cir
cult upon the articles of impeachment
preferred by the House of Representa-
tives, resulted in the conviction of the
accused, and his formal removal from the
bench. The vote was taken without de-
bate, and the articles were voted upon
separately. Thirty-two Senators were
present, and the accused was found guilty
on the second, third, fourth, fifth and
seventh articles; not guilty on the re-
naming articles. The following is
summary of the vote:
ARTICLE Undue interference with
the grand jury. Not guilty 30; guilty, 2.
The managers had offered no proof in
support of this charge.
ART. 2-Corruptly demanding money
from litigants for decisions, and from
public officers for the approval of their
pay accounts. Not guilty, L; guilty, 81.
ART. 3.-Appropriating for his own
use public money in the custody of the
officers of the court. Guilty-vote unan-
imous.
ART. Negligence and unreasonable
delay in the transaction of judicial busi-
ness. Not guilty, S; guilty, A.
ART. 5.-Refusal to sign judicial orders
to which all parties in interest consented.
Guilty-vote unanimous.
ART. 6.-Compelling public officers to
issue evidences ofpublic Indebtedness in
violation Of law. Not guilty, 9; guilty,
81.
ART. Corrupt partiality in giving
preference to certain public creditors to
the detriment of other creditors equally
entitled to payment. Not guilty, l;
guilty, 80.
ART. S.-Ofering to discharge grand
jury in order to hinder the prosecution of
a public officer. Not guilty, 81; guilty,
10.
ART. 9.-Discharging a grand jury to
prevent the indictment of certain public
officers for official misconduct. Not
guilty, %; guilty, l.
No proof was offered in support Of the
ninth article.
When the vote was closed, the Presi-
dent of the Senate pronounced the SEN
tence of removal from Office, and the i'm
parchment trial was ended. Neither
Judge Moses or any of his counsel were
present when the verdict was rendered.
ANOTHER RADICAL ESCAPES.
Some time ago a committee was ap-
pointed to investigate the official conduct
of G. w. Buttz, the Solicitor of the First
Judicial Circuit, who was charged with
using the power of his Office for the pur-
pose of blackmail, and making unlawful
combinations with offenders against the
law, whereby they might escape punish
ment. The committee consisted of w.
A. Hayne, (Rep.) John T. Sloan, jr..
(Con.) and Miller, (Rep.) Messrs.
Hayne and Sloan submitted a report
from the committee, stating that they
met with many obstacles in the discharge
of their duties, failing to secure the at
tendance of important witnesses, who
were induced to evade the summons of
the committee; still, large number of
witnesses were examined, whose testimo-
ny sustained the charges against Buttz,
and the committee recommended that he