The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-12
FROM COLUMBIA.
OUR EDITORIAL LETTER.


ted willingness to be inaugurated, and
accordingly the President and Clerk of
the Senate, the Speaker and Clerk of the
House of Representatives, the Commit
tees from the Senate, of which Messrs.'
Seiglipg and Witherspoon were chair
men, and of the House, of which Messrs.
Miles and Murray were chairmen, which
were appointed respectively to express
the sympathy of the Legislature with
the Governor in his misfortune, and to
inform him of his reelection, in compa-
ny with Chief Justice Willard, Lieuten-
ant Governor Simpson and Col. Manning,
the Governors private Secretary, repair
ed to the Governors residence, which is
pretty and at the same time unpreten-
tious building about two miles from Co
lumbia. The drive was short one, and
when the party arrived they were met a:
the door and welcomed by Col. Wade
Hampton, Jr., and Immediately invited
into the room where the Governor lay,
with an expression of intense pain and
suffering on his countenance, though
otherwise appearing stronger and better
than we had expected to find him. As
the members of the party, which was
about fifteen in number, approached his
bedside he extended his hand, which
was white and weak from suffering, and
as,he shook the hand of each gave some
pleasant expression of pleasure at meet
ing them. As soon as the greetings were
over, Judge Willard took small bible
which was lying by the Governors bed
side and administered to him the oath of
Office as Governor of South Carolina.
Governor Hampton held his hand upon
the book, and at the conclusion raised it
and gently pressed it to his lips, after
which he signed the oath in firm and
legible hand, although lying upon his
back and suffering intense pain. Lieu
tenant Governor Simpson was then sworn
in after the same manner, at the conclu-
sion of which Governor Hampton said
to the committees that he desired them
to express to the General Assembly his
appreciation Of their expression of sym
pathy for him, and to say that he regret
ted the serious accident most because it
deprived him of seeing and counselling
with the representatives of the people
during their deliberations for the States
welfare. After having consumed ten or
fifteen minutes in the exercises above
alluded to, the committees, feeling that
it would be an unnecessary cause of ex-
citement to the Governor for them to
remain longer, withdrew, and in one hour
from the time they left the Capitol they
were back again.
THE LEGISLATURE
has been very diligent in work for the
past week, the House having acted on
about one hundred and fifteen bills and
resolutions, of which about forty have
been acted upon favorably and sent to
the Senate, while that body has also dis
posed of large amount of work, and
sent several bills to the House. Among
the Important measures before the Legis-
lature now is bill which has passed the
uo,sa oboliehino nav for
WITNESSES IN STATE CASES,
which will also probably pass the Senate,
and thus large sum of money will be
saved to every County in tire State, and
no doubt there will be an immense
diminution of the trivial criminal cases,
which cost great deal of money without
confe:ring any corresponding benefit on
the community. Neighborhood quar-
rels will not find their way into Court,
and the professional witness, who always
manages to see every ist fight and to
know little about every case that comes
along, in order to get summoned to
Court so that he can make little money
out of the State, will not be seen and
heard from in our Court Houses any
more. 1t may appear a little hard for
the State to compel witnesses to attend
Court without paying them, but it was
the rule before the war, and as we are
poor now, it is the best policy to return
10 it. The inconvenience will not be
very great, for man will not have to be
witness often, and thousands will never
be in lifetime, so the change will save
q great deal Of money without falling
heavily on any individual; and moreover
where it is necessity the citizen should
feel willing to attend Court and testify
in order to uphold the laws, which are
for his protection as much rs for any
other person.
THE PAY OF MEMBERS
of the Legislature is now before the
House, and has occasioned more diversi-
ty of opinion than was expected. There
are three propositions up. The first is
to continue the pay at five dollars per
day, which stands no chance of being
adopted. The second is to pay the men,
bers a salary of one hundred and fifty
dollars, without reference to whether the
session is long or short, and the third IS
DIR. John Wilson's bill, to pay three dol
lars per day. The vote between the sec
ond and third will be very close from
present appearances, as most of the five
dollar men will advocate the salary, be-
cause it will be equal to five dollars
day for the present session if it ends at
Christmas, and then they hope to change
hot 10