Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1877-06-14
Legislative Proceedings,
CoLuSiB1A. hfny G. 1872


In the Senate, after the consideration of
other business, Mr.. Swails moved to recon
slider the vote rejecting tho bill to prohibit
service of State officers on boards, eto.
Agreed to, aud the bill was passed to q
third reading.
Mcssrs. Mectze, Myers and Walker wcre
appointed conference committee on tho
legislative pay bill.
MIR. Cochran moved to instruct the com
nittce to compromise on $500 for each
session.
MIR. Crittendeu proposed to instruct them
to recedc from Senate amendments.
MIR. Swails thought it best to put the
matter in the hands Of tho committee with.
out instructions.
Mr. Cannon said if positive instructions
were given to tho committee, it would be
no longer committee of conference. If
the Senate were fixed in it's determination,
it would be better to send messago to the
House.
Mr.. Cochran's motion was not adopted.
Ihe following are syuopscs of the major.
ity and minority reports:
The conference committee recommended
that tho House concur in Senate amend
ments as follows: $3.50 for the porter in
Office of Secretary of State; $1,000 for
Attorney Generals clerk; 81 900 for Clerk
of Supreme Court; $3.50 for contingent
expenses Of Supreme Court; $4,000 for
support Of Lunstic Asylum; $4,000 for
deficiencies in salaries for the fiscal year
Guiding October 81, 1876, to bo paid pro
rata; $500 for warrants of Comptroller
General issued for stationary for Senate
committee rooms and Clerks Office for
regular session of 1876; $4,000 for balance
of per diem and saIory Of members and
employees Of both houses for regular session
OF l875-76; that any bulanco of specific
levics heretofore made shull be subject to
the draft of the Attorney General, on the
approval of the Governor, TO be used in
paying deficiencies; proviso thAt this act
shall not repeal act of March 3, 1874, to
provide for past due school claims; proviso
that 20 other school tax shull be levied;
change the time of paying salaries from
quarterly to monthly; aleo, recommended
that tho Senate recede from the following
amendments: Two hundred dollars for at
tendant upon library OF Supreme Court;
$4OO each for two wutcbmen OF State House
and grounds; $1,000 for clerk of County
Auditor Of Charleston; Sl5,54325 for
professors and officers of the University;
also, thut it had been agreed between the
two committees that section be so amended
as to appropriate 100000, exclusive Of
poll tux, for public schools, and that seven
mills be the amount Of the general levy, for
the following purposes: l. For current ex-
penses. 2. For January aud July Interest
on consolidation bonds and stock which
shall be found valid by the commission and
approved by the Legislature Ut its next
session. 3. For such other Indebtedness
as said commission shall report to be valid, /,
and which may be approved ut the next
session; aud should the proceeds of the tax
be insufficient, tho Governor is authorized
to borrow 100000.
Mr.. Gary, of the conference committee
submitted minority report; that he thought
levy of five mills would be sufficient,
instead of seven; that levy of tax to pay
interest on public debt without iuvcsti..
! eating it would be to recognize its validity,
and have tho effect Of precludiDg us from
setting up plea Of it's fraudulent character;
that the raising Of commission TO invcsti..
gate the debt after recognizing its validity,
by making an appropriation to pay the
interest, would boa sham aud delusioa;
that levy without distinct statement of
the objects of the appropriation would be
unconstitutional, and the money 80 raised
could not be drawn from the treasury.
10 tho House, the following was received
from tho Senate with numerous amendments
proposed by that body: Bill to regulnte and
and fix the per di,m and mileage of mem.
bcrs, clerks, attaches ond luborers Of tho
General Assembly and tho manner of pay.
ing the same.
Mr.. Culison, Of EdgeGeld, and Mr..
Hamilton, Of Beaufort, occupied the atten.
ton of the House with debate Upon tho
valud' Of modern legislator for half M
hour, the former estimating tho real yuluc
of frat chss South Carolina statesman at
fifty cShts per day, while Mr.. Hamilton
disugteed with hihi, putting the value at So
per diem, to the general satisfaction Of thd
House, and particularly thut portion who
favor paying for extra session.
Mr.. Conncr-Tho less we discuss tho
subject Of pay to members tho better for
us. The people all over Tho State arc
beginning TO como to the conclusion that
the chief aim Of our legislation is to provide
for tho pay Of mGmbers of tho General
Assembly. This question must DO settled
by conference committee, because the
two brandRoS' Of tile Genera! Assembly
differ as to what is proper. 1t needs no
appeal to this House to convince its mem.
bers that We should not agree to tho Senate
smeDdment. What ltaa already been agreed
upon by this House is too much, but don't
know that it can be amended. We have
been advocating reform--retrenohmen'-