The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-01-24
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.
WEDNESDAY, January 16, 1873.

unimportant. -
In the House the Sumter election case
came up. A very lengthy report was
submitted by the Election Commissioners
of Sumter. County, in which they brought
to the attention of the House the fact
that few nights after the election had
been held persons to them unknown en-
tered the Office of the Clerk and stole
four of the ballot boxes. They, there.
fore, regarded the election as void, and
asked that the whole matter be inyestiga-
ted by the Legislature.
Mr.. Aldrich offered resolution that
Mr.. J. A. Mills be sworn in as member
| of this House from Sumter County, but
his resolution found no second. -
Mr.. Curtis then offered as substitute
that Mr.. Thomas B. Johnston be sworn
as member of this House from Sumter
County.
Mr.. Orr said he did not think either
claimant had a prin.a tacie right to his
seat, and the House should investigate
| the matter befor seating either Johnston
or Mills.
Mr.. Andrews demanded, in loud and
bitter speech, that MIR. Johnston should
be seated. He said bloodshed would re:
suit if a member who was fairly elected
should be denied his seat. a,,
Mr.. Haskell moved that the matter be-
referred to the Committee on Privileges
and Elections. a.s...s :.
Mr.. J. J. Hemphill proposed an amend.
ment that the committee be instructed to
/ roport "a early as r1ractic4ble
The original motion of Mr.. Haskell,
embracing this amendment, was put and
CARRIED. s3E ~
The following were then introduced:
Mr.. Orr-Joint resolution to authorize
the Treasurer and County Commissioners
of Anderson County to pay the past in
| debtedness of said County. with any
| money that is now in the treasury.
MI. Sloan bill to require the Judicia-
nv Committee to ascertain what Difficult
| ties are in the way of collecting taxes
due the State from the Blue Ridge Rail
road Company.
The following were called up from the
calendar and continued till tomorrow:
Bill to regulate the costs and fees of
plaintiffs, defendants, Clerks of Courts
and other officers therein mentioned |;
bill to alter and amend the school law of
South Carolina; bill to further reduce
and fix the per diem and mileage of
members of the General Assembly.
a bill to authorize the Secretary of
State TO confer with the South Carolina
Monument Association and to select
|. spot within the State House, grounds for
1.-THE erection of monument to the Con-
federate dead, and in behalf of the State.
to authorize the same, was.read q second
time and ordered for third reading.
THURSDAY, January IT,.
In the Senate the following matters of
importance we're presented: -.
Bill to grant aid to the State Agricul-
tural and Mechanical Society was referred
| to the Committee on Agriculture. =.
Report (favorable) Of Committee on,
Penitentiary on bill to allow the Green
wood and Augusta Railroad Company to.
| pay their indebtedness. to the State for
the hire of conYicts in the stock of the!
said company at par was made the special
order for tomorrow, at p. m.
"A resolution was adopted requesting.
the United States government to; restore.
to the State the Citadel Academy and
grounds in Charleston, and to pay the
State. for the use of them as garrison
post since the war. s..
In. the House Mr.. Orr submitted the.
report of the Committee on Privileges
and Elections in reference to the returns
of the Election Commissioners of Sumter
County. The report is very lengthy
one, and winds up by recommending that
Mr.. .T..B.. Johnston be seated as q mem
Der of this House.
This report was productive of a long
and animated discussion, in which Messrs.
]. J. Hemphill, Orr, Werner, Haskell and
others engaged.
During the debate as to whether the
report should be received, the chairman
of the Committee on Engrossed Bills
asked leave to. submit a report. His re-
quest was granted, and the following were
reported as properly engrossed for g third
reading, all of which were passed and
sent to the Senate. Bill to amend the
charters of the towns of Williamson,
Belton and Honea Path; joint resolution
to authorize the State Treasurer to ex-
tend the time for payment of purchase
money for lands bought of the Land
Commission; joint resolution to allow
the residents of Fort Mill the benefit of
the fence law:
The Speaker announced that the report
Of Committee on Privileges and Elections
was again before the House for consider
alton.
Mr.. Ferriter' call for the previous ques-
ton on the whole matter, which call was
sustained.
The question was then put-Shall the
report be adopted? which was carried by
a large vote.
Mr.. Simpson, of the. Ways and Means
Committee, submitted favorable report
on joint resolution to enable the County
Commissioners and Treasurer of Ander-.
son County to draw and pay the past in.
debtedness Of. said County. out of funds
now on hand; unfavorably on all the
memorials in reference to the passage of
the law imposing an additional liquor
tax. .,.
Mr.. Haskell then offered resolutions
concerning the public debt, and asked
that they be printed and laid upon the
desks of members, and: be made the spe-
cial order for next Wednesday, at 1
o'clock. They are as follows:
WHEREAS. reports and unauthorized
| statements with regard to the action of
this General Assembly in the matter of
the debt of the State have been circulated,
to the great detriment of the credit of the
State, and have weakened the faith in
the honor of her people; and whereas
the committee appointed to investigate
the public debt, with view to the detec-
tion of forgeries, duplicates, bonds issued
without authority Of law, and the report
ing of the actual Indebtedness of the
State, have, by reason Of the magnitude
of the. work, been unable to complete
their report as early as was expected;
now, for the purpose Of quieting all such