The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-26
Audegsoa gatellige,lser.
l.. B. MURRAY, Editor.
THURSDAY MORNING, deer rs, 1873.
FROM COLUMBIA.
OUR EDITORIAL LETTER.

OUR EDITORIAL LETTER.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Dec. 23, 1878.
The pressure of business upon the Lcgis-
lature last week nccessitated long morning
and night sessions, and the afternoons were
crowded with business OF various kinds,
which prevented the preparation of our
usual weekly letter, and therefore We will
attempt in this letter to give brief resume
of the pust two weeks legislation, which
will practically close the work of the ses-
sion, us we will finally adjourn OH Tuesday
morning ut four o'clock, and thus reuch
our homes on that evening in time for the
Christina. holidays having completed the
work of the Legislature in just four weeks,
Which makes this the shortest session that
has been held since the war.
When We left OIL our last letter the dis
cu.sion Of the proprioty OF abolishing
TIE BoSD COURT
was just begun, and appeared to be quite
to tlay for about three days-N assrs. Brown,
Childs. Shaw, Cooke, Moody, r. r. Hemp
hill, W. X. Bradley and Murray adyoca-
ting its abolition, and Mcssrs. Kennedy,
Hmmbcrt, Johnstone, Scarboro, J. J. Hemp
hill, Shund, Miles, Aldricli, Buist, Simon
ton and Haskell opposing. The speeches
were warm in interest, and some Of them
quite eloquent, while some were to q GER
tein extent personal. OF this latter class
was the speech of Mr.. ]. j. Hemphill, who
was put up to using certain articles from
the ISTE.LIGENcER upon the coupon cases
before Judge Mackey to show shat Mr..
Murray approved Of the Court, aud was
therefore inconsistent in now favoring its
abolition. Mr.. Haskell furnished him the
articles, which were sent up from Charles
ton By the advocates of bondholders in that
city, Mr.. Murray replied, showing that he
had read only portions of the articles,
which, when taken rs whole, showed that
his position was at that time in favor of the
Bond Commissions report, and opposed to
the payment of the fraudulent portion of
the debt, without committing himself to
the Court. Hc also argued that the failure
to get Kimpton's testimony occurred after
the articles were written, and that if he had
favored the Court before, that would have
been enough to change his opinion. He
said that the bondholders had tried first to
break up this Court by the suits on coupons,
and that il the contract was not bindin. on
them it should not be on the State. FIe
argued that if the Bond Court decided the
question in favor of the people, the Su-
preme Court OF the State or Uf the United
States would decide it to be an uncOnstitH-
tional court, and thus the question would
return to the Legislature after all. He was
in favor of settling the question parma
nentiy, so Is to satisfy the people, and at
the same time give security To the bona fide
bondholders. When the hour for voting
arrived, tie roll was called, and the vote
stood lifty-three for abolishing the Court,
q r.
then changed his vote to the major
ity, so as to move Reconsideration, but
tic Bond Court men blocked this move by
moving to reconsider and to lay that mo-
tiun on the table, which was warmly sup
ported by Gen. McGowan, and the question
was thus finally disposed Of We will pub
lish DIR. Browns speech i'll full next week,
as he has been too busy to furnish us copy
of it up to this time. Although We failcd
TO abolish the Court, the discussion did
great deal of good by showing up the true
character of the debt, which prevented the
APPROPRIATION OF ANY INTEREST
to meet the accruing interest On the doubt
full debt of the State. 1t required very lit
tie effort to prevent this levy of interest;
and as soon rs the decision upon it was
made, Mr.. Murray offered as section Is Of
the appropriation bill proviso that enough
of the money already in the treasury which
was held to pay the interest OH the doubt
full debt. if it should be decided valid, shall
be taken to pay the interest on the valid
| and honest debt of the State for next year.
This was fought very hard by the Charlcs-
ton delegation, and Messrs. Haskell, Blue,
J. J. Hcmphil and others, but was supper
by Generals Kennedy, McGowan, r. X.
Hcnpliill and Mr.. Murray, and was adop-
ted bv n vote o. 37 to 10. There was then
Z motion made to reconsider this vote, and
tie motion was laid on the table. The
next night Mr.. Duist moved to strike out
the whole section, but his motion was laid
OIL the table by vote Of 10 to ~. Gen.
McGowan then moved to make the money
applicable to the pust due coupons OF lSIG
and 1877. Mr.. Murray opposed this. be-
cause u law had already passed providing
for funding these coupons III state bonds.
aud took the position that it would be bad
policy to pay these coupons IN money,
when the owners OF them were willing to
tuke bonds, aud showed that it would raise
the taxes to take this course, and therefore
Inc moved to lay Gen. McGowan's motion
on the table, Which was agreed to by rote
of rs to -. Dr. Brown then called the pre-.
yious question, which was sustained and
the bill passed and was sent to tie Senate,
where the section was sustained By vote
Of % too. The consequence of this was to
reduce the tax levy for next year to =
mills for State purposes, and but for the
decrease in the taxable property of the
State, owing to the agreement uf the Legis-
lature to accept the County assessments Tor
the present year, and have new assess
mcnt made next year, the amount would
have been still les.
TIE TAX FOR ANDERSON COUNTY
will be: for State purposes y mills, for conf
mon schools, mills; and for County pur-
poses, not exceeding 8 mills-so that the tax
for next year cannot be more than Il mills
for all purposes, and will be less il the Coun-
~ Commissioners can get OH with ! smaller
sum than three mills. This TAX is to he
collected in two equal :ustallmcnt.-one-
half i'll May and the other in October, with
the privilege to the taxpayer Of paying all
in the last named month by paying pen
atty of five per cent. on the first half The
cost Of advertising delinquent land sales has
also Leen reduced from one dollar TO twenty
five cents, and every consideration Which Is
| proper has been extended to the citizen.
An net has been passed requiring land
owners upon the streams i'll Anderson
County, once in each year to clear out the
logs and brush which are washed down by
ireshcts. This is measure to assist drain
gyc and health, and if properly carried out
will confer great benefits upon the owners
of bottom lands without seriously incOni-
moding any one The fence law has been
passed for Abbcvillc, Laurcns and Newber-
~. The act authorizing divorces in South
Carolina has been repealed, und it now
stands as it did before the war. Cumula-
tive voting has been abolished in the town
of Anderson. The office of Master has been
created in Anderson, Sumter and other
Counties, and law passed to accelerate
partition, which will in a considerable
measure remedy the evils likely to result
from the decision Of the Supreme Court
in reference to the jurisdiction of the Pro.
bate Courts. The bill regulating Trial
Justices in Anderson County has been
changed by bill introduced by DR.. Brown,
50 us to allow two ut Anderson with 4 sala-
ry of twenty dollars each, and one in each
township with salary of fifteen dollars
cach fer their State business, and the fees
4