The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-05-30
From Columbia.
LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS.

lneQL Iels
COLUMBIA, S. c., May IS.
Editor Press 0ud banner:
We arc here vet, and / fear, making
slow progress. The House often und0cS
or amends what the Senate does, and the
Senate does the same with the work Of
the House. The appropriation bill
is before the Senate, and the famous fifth
section is being holly contested. Perhaps
the Commission shall not be final, but
shall be submitted to the approval or dis
approval of the next General Assembly.
There was a hard fight in the House on
Wednesday on the bill to reduce the fees
for dieting prisoners Of County jails, and
hiring them out, but being defective, it
was finally recommitted.
David Morrow, Esq, and DR.. A.. IT.
Wideman were appointed Trustees of De
La Howe School in place of two removed,
whose anne I do not recollect.
The ratification of the Constitutional
amendment, against which only thirteen
votes were cast in Aboevllle ut the late
detection was postponed until the next
session. This amendment imposes q tax
of two mills OH all the property of the
State for educational purposes, so that II
ratified, it cannot be changed hereafter
except bv a two-thirds vote. I suppose
few of the people knew what they were
voting for. 1 confess that I did not.
A bill has passed the House requiring
teachers of public schools to swear to
their accounts, and also that no one shall
be a trustee and teacher at the same time.
The "fcnce law" created considerable
discussion on Friday and Saturday, and
was passed, finally, with amendments.
It merely submits the question OF fencing
Ibo .,t1nl. ~ tho crNps m tha CNtnrS OF
the townships, and no township in which
a majority of votes against fencing the
stock will be compelled to do 1.-THE ma
| iority of the township not carrying the
Count V, as was provided in the original
bill. This was a field day for the farmers
in the Legislature, and they brought out
their musketry, and field pieces, and
heavy ARTILLERY. Mai. Bradley spread
himself, and was at home on that subject,
lust as much as if he had been i'll g
Grange. He told them Of The six mile
lane from the mills" to Cedar Springs,
the five mile lane to Cross Roads, and the
four mile lane to Trickum-that on one
dav he counted seventeen cows in the
lane with their heads chained down to
their feet, their mournful looks as they
walked up and down the lane and looked
over the fence-that they were so poor
they would some times lean against the
rotten fence and fall ouer into the field,
Just then, as he was reaching the climax,
Reed, colored, Of Beaufort, asked him il
they were as "p0or as Jobs turkey
Eyes" said he, land you will be as poor as
Jobs turkey, if you don't adopt the fence
law This brought the house down, and
Reed too: The Major had few days be-
fore used the expression "as poor as Jobs
turkey in describing he restitution OF
our people, in a speech on the lien law.
Upon the written application of seventy
five tax payers, the County Commission
crs are to order an election between the
10th and Goth August, giving thirty days
notice, to determine whether the town
shin will adopt the law. This act requires
leach and every %employorto furnish eacl,
and every employee hired by him with
good pasturage for as many head OF stock
owned by such employee as may be
agreed upon, not exceeding two head OF
cattle to every field hand in amount
provided such employee shall perform
his part of the labor necessary to keep up
the fence.
Some of the newspapers have been
abusing the Legislature in coarse, ungen-
teel language, for appropriating too much
pay to themselves. The record Of the
most jealous advocates Of retrenchment
ut the present time, is not quite so clear on
the subject Of printing and advertising
for the State. A few years ago almost
the entire press of the State was subsidiz-
ed by advertising patronage from the
Radical State Government. 1t was a "sop
to Cerberus' upon which they fattened,
and scarcely a line was written against
this ~extravagant waste of the peoples
money. Now they, in their righteous
indignation," without proper informa-
ton, attempt to cast odium upon the
Democratic members by such express
sions as hungry Democrat" 1925 per
day." &c. This is the state Of the case,
member of the first General Assembly
shall receive six dollars per day
while in session and the further
sum of twenty cents for every
mile of tho ordinary route of travel, &C.,
after which they shall receive such fur
Their compensation as shall be fixed by
law. And when convened in extra ses-
sion they shall receive the same mileage
and per diem compensation as are fixed by
law for the regular session and none 9TH
err" In 1870 the Legislature enacted the
same compensation, and in 1872 they
enacted "that each member of the next
General Assembly shall receive an annu,,
al SALARY of six hundred dollors," land
tllS SdlIlO lIlllCdSS.J W. was SlCdliS ~
infraction of the constitution, and on 18th
March, 1877, the Legislature passed the
following act which is the last on tie sub
iect. "That each member of the General
Assembly shall hereafter receive, for each
regular session, such per diem cOmpen-
satiOn as will amount to and not exceed
the sum of six hundred dollars land
same mileage,) and when convened in
extra session each member shall receive
the same mileage and per diem compen-
sation as are fixed for the regular session
and none other: Provided, that said per
diem compensation Of the extra session
shall be determined by the per diem
compensation Of the regular session next
proceeding such extra session."
Now this is the law, whether good or
not, and you will readily see that, by it,
tho members are entitled to $500 for the
session in December, and as that was
twenty-five dollars per day, being only
t~wenty-four days, they are entitled tC
twenty-five dollars a day for this extra
session. The Radicals claim this, but the
Democrats will never consent to it, and
we have been endeavoring to compromise
on some moderate amount, such as five OF
six hundred dollars for both sessions, but
so far have not been ableto effect it. Ger
t~ificates for $500 were issued las
december ny UleaFeS, VINO was tneL
President of the Senate, to each Sen
ator, and certificates have been ISSUED
this present session by President Simp'
son for 500. This complicates matters
very much, and how we are to get out o.
the difficulty I cannot, at present, say.
Corwin Senator from Newberry, said
to-day in the Senate. II am entitled to
$1,000 by the law and Idon't see why you
wish to deprive me of my right-if any
of the Senators wish to return six hun
bred dollars to the Treasury they can dc
so but I want what is due me, and I am
only sorry that it is not more" I only
mention this to show the temper of the
radical carpet baggers. They know theil
days are numbered.
The democratic members of the House
have never received but one hundred
dollars which was paid in December,
They do not want unreasonable pay but
they are unwilling for the republicans to
receive more thar they do. Most of the
members are farmers and their attention
at home is needed, and some Of them are
, sacrificing more than they will receive
, for their services. I think they deserve
! some consideration for the hardship, and