Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-02-07
[ Correspondence efMs KsoWee c0aasr.l
FROM COLUMBIA.
CoLuMp,A, February q. 187

| SSc"".D's .u"o NV bccu Ho IutoTeStlIk uuu
exciting a one as the past The matters which
have had the attention of the Legislature
have not been of so important character as
I those OF the week previous. The University
bill passed the aouse on Monday, by q vote
of5 to 81. 1t simply provides for the reors,
ganisation of tho University, but does not
propose to reopen now. The property belong.
ing to the State, invested in this institution,
has been going TO- wreck, tho libraries have
been abusod, the buildings have boen turned
into dens for washerwomsn. and the campus
suffered to 60 to ruin. Tho idea for the
organization was to take caro- Of this valuable
property and fit it for tho uses and purposes
for which it was designed. In addition to
this the property belonging to the Claflin
University, located at Orangeburg, was given
to the State in this plan of reorganization, and
thus the State made by tho passage of the bill,
some twenty-five or thirty thousand dollars
The Olai1in University was under the control
OF some'wealthy northern people, and they
gave the property to the State, upon conditions
that it was made branch of the Uni versity.
This condition is complied with in the bill,
and so the property is owned and controlled
by the State. IF this institution is to be kept
up for the colored people, it s great deal
botter that it should be under tho control and
supervision ofourown people, than under that of
Northern teachers whose judicial any social
doctrines arc not oongenial to our intitutions
and pooplo.
on last Thursday Governor Hampton sent
message to the Senate and House, relative
to lotter rho had received from tho great philan.
thropist of New York, Peter Cooper. Tho letter
was ono ofinquiry, asking tho Governor what
were the best terms upon which the State
| would receive u certain property which he
had recently bought i'll Spartanburg County.
tic has bought tho Limo Stone Springs in
Spartan5urg, and proposes, If tho State will
assist him, to establish an Orphan Asylum,
industrial schools, &c. 1t is reported that he
gave twenty-five or thirty thousand dollars for
the property. The message and letter we're
referred to tho Committee on Education
Nothing further has yet been heard from
this matter. Tho committee has made no
| report.
| The lien law which has created so much
| discussion during the sessions of the Legisla-
turo was re-cnactcd on Friday night last.
The law, as it now stands, gives the landlord
statutory lien for one.thrd of the crop,
without recording, or rather filing and index
ing, as the bill requires. With the present
lien law, rs passed, liens may be given upon
the crop, provided u contract is entered into in
writing stating the amount of supplies or
! .inonoy to be advanced and the same is fled
with tho Clerk Of tho Court, who is required
to index the liens rs filed.
The bill to reduce costs of plaintiffs and
defendants, Clerks of Courts. Judges Of Pro
| bate, Sheriffs and other officers, had rather an
eVentful career for two days in the House
1t was made q special order for Wednesday
last, and wns taken up for consideration.
The most of the day after tho morning hour
was spent upon it. The bill was originally
proposed by myself and Mr.. Sloan, with the
assistance of Mr.. Allen, of Spartnnbnrg. who
introduced it, 1t was reported by tho Judi
cinry Committee, Offering u substitute. This
did not please Mr. Allen. whn bcsnn to amend
by dividing plaintiffs and. defendants cost By
two, when this was done the members went
on dividing by two. until the hour Of a,liourn
ment. On the next morning, motion to
reconsider was made and carried The bill!
then went through precisely the same course
/ it had gone the day previous. amid great
confusion and excitement. On 1hu,sday
night after many Efforts to dispose Of it by
rccommitting it to the Committee on the
Judiciary with instructions. it was finally
committed to n special committee consisting
Of threo lawyers and four farmers, who now
have it under consideration. The bill is q
very important one.
Friday, Friday night and Saturday morn
| ing unimportant bills were considered and
considerable progress made on the Calendar.
| Tho bill which created moro attention than
| others on Saturday was one to abolish pay of
witnesses in State cases. There was great
| deal Of discussion Of this subject. and finally
a compromise was made by reducing tho pay
to fifty cents per day and mileage at five
cents per milo, ono way, provided tho Judge
certified that the witnesses were material. A
worry strong effort was made to abolish tho
pay for State witnesses, but the advocates
failed. Many contendod that the change in
our population since the war required that
they should be paid something
Tho Senate again refused to concur in the
resolution to elect tho six Judges. and passed
resolution and sent 1t to the House for con,
currenco, instructing Clerks of Courts 10
adjourn tho Courts. Tho House referred this
resolution to tho Committee on tho judiciary,
and there it rests. We can 500 no reason
why tho Senate has delayed this important
matter; for the reason which existed last week