Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-01-31
The General Assembly.


10 the Senate, bill for the protection of
landlords leasing lands for agricultural par
poses was read second time. The above
bill makes rent first lien on crops.
Bill to grant aid to the State Agricultu-
raj aud Mechanical Society was taken up for
consideration.
Mr.. McCutcheu moved to amend by ad-
ding the proviso that the appropriation shall
not be used to pay any past debt of such
society, which was adopted.
Mr.. Cannon moved to strike out tho word
"annual," because, he said, the Legislature
could decide each year whether the assooia
tion deserved State aid.
Mr.. Lipscomb suid that the uncertainty
of such aid would detract from it's use
fulncss.
Mr.. Cannon's amendment was not
adopted.
Mi Maxwell! moved to strike cut the
enacting clause Of the bill.
Mr. Gary opposed this motion. He said
agriculture was the basis of all the prosperity
of this State; that tho agricuturists paw
nineteen.twentieths of the taxes of the
Stute; that State aid had been granted to all
other kinds of corporations; that such
associations as this one was of great benefit
to the farmeas in advancing agriculture and
of advantage to the whole State by uniting
oil tho people, by bringing them togcher at
our fairs. He thought SO, 500 year would
DO very well expended in its aid. The fair
was in the nature of great agricultural
school aud would improve those whose pa
rents have never been able to send them to
college. Ho alluded to the social advan.
tages that accrue from these annual fairs,
ADD said that there tho beautiful belle and
the handsome beau arc in the habit of
meeting, and there matrimonial alliances
wore formed which were for the advantage
of the State; that though he bad not yet
been able to draw prize from the lottery
of matrimony, it was not from any fault Of
his. lie said the South Carolina Club was
an outgrowth Of the fair, and it had done
more to restore cur ancient refinement than
anything else.
Mr.. Kipsler also favored the passage of
the bill. He said the agricultural associa
tion had been unable to carry on its opera.
tions as it desired, on account of the hard
times and Dow it asked for the small pittance
Of $4,000 year, and DO hoped the Legis
laturc would not refsc it.
Mr.. Bowen said that il this bill should
pass the country agricultural associa tions
would expect like appropriation for their
benefit.
Mr.. Wylic moved to commit tho bill to
tho judiciary Committee.
Mr.. Gary said he was surprised to see the
bill opposed by Senate composed so large
ly Of agriculturiss. For some reason the
bol tofs ho
legislation to a lorgo extent, and clomor
had been raised against them by dema.
gogues for selfish ends. But the legal pro-
fession had always been the friend of the
agricultural interests. The men who led
the people 10 the last war, the legal profess
sion, were, and are, the friends of the true
interests Of their State, and they have the
advantage Of Being acquainted with the law
Of the land. He said that thero mover was
known before now that such provision was
incorporated in the State constitution as
the one to levy two mill tax annually to
support public schools
Mr.. Bowon said that the Democratic par
ty had pledged themselves to the two mill
tax.
Mr.. Maxwell said that tho pledge as to that
tax was not made by tho Democratic party,
but by the central committe. He had voted
against it, and did not consider the party
wao bound by this pledge made by the cen!
trail committed. He was of the opinion that
many people voted for that amendment
without knowing that it was on their tick
cts.
The motion TO reoommit was then rejeo
tod.
On striking out tho enacting clause,
Mr.. Gary called the yeas aud nays
which resulted as follows:
Yeas---Mes>s Bowen, Buck, Cannon,
Carter, Coker, Counts, Crittendon, Duncan,
Howard, deter, Livingstone, Maxwell,
iMol]all, Todd Wylio. 3,
al Mayo Mcaara. Bird. Rntlar.. Euana.