Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-12-12

commissioners to retire the bonds issued in
aid of the railroads. Mr.. Buist moved to
strike out the enacting clause of the bill. A
debate followed, in which Messrs. Cleveland,
]. j. Hemphill, Shand, Murray and Seegers
supported the bill, and Messrs Jobnstone,
Walker, Callison and Earle opposed its pass
age. The enacting clause was then stricken
out by a vote of 81 to 49. Mr.. Haskell
gave notice that he would move to reconsider.
A bill requiring a special license tax on
dogs was killed. --..-,-..-e-.-
The judiciary committee made an unfavora-
BILE report on bill to utilize the labor of pris-
oners in county jails, under sentence.
THURSDAY, December 5.
In THE SENATE, Gen. Gary's bill to repeal
joint resolution providing mode for ascer-
tanning the debt of the State, came up as the
special order. Gen. Gary obtained the floor
and harangued the Senate at some length, a
synopsis Of which is reported in the Ne,os
and Courier, as follows:
"He reviewed the debt question from its first
appearance in politics up to the present time.
'In the campaign of 1876" Gen. Gary said, "this
DOuQ question was not before Inc people. IL was
dragged before them during the last month of
the campaign. The committee Of seven took up
on themselves the authority to say to the people
of South Carolina, that they should pay all the
debts of the State, without stopping to examine
which were valid and which were fraudulent.
The next appearance of the bond question is
when Gov Hampton, in his first annual mes
sage recommends that commission should be
appointed to thoroughly investigate the indebt-
edness Of the State. When this recommendation
of the COyarnOr raachp6 the Senata took the
form of joint resolution looking to the appoint
| ment of such committee, moved to strike
out that part which said that three outsiders
should be upon the committee. knew that If
these persons were put upon the committee 1t
would be converted into q whitewashing COM
mittee." Gen. Gary next turned his attention to
Governor Hampton and repeated much that he
said OH former occasion. He said he thought
it false modesty not to allude to Governor Hamp-
toms record. ...0.
The Ne,DS and Courier was next handled very
roughly by the speaker, because it had advoca-
ted the payment of the legal debts of the State.
The most violent portion of General Gary's et-
fort however, was when he came to deal with the
Judiciary. Chief Justice Willard came in for a
large share of his abuse, He thanked God that
he had not voted for Willard THAT he had never
voted for converted Radical docking daggers
at Judge Mackey, who was an earnest listener in
the lobby; that he never would cast his vote for
one. The charges that Judge Willard had been
bribed by Morton & Bliss to render decision in
their favor, were rehearsed and enlarged upon.
In 1861 South Carolina seeded from the United
States. Our theory was that we had right to Sc
cede; those who opposed secession was that we
had no right to secede, but that once in the
Union always in the Union. The General Gov
ernment passed an act to reconstruct the South
ern States. The theory was that the sovereignty
of South Carolina had been destroyed by war;
If the sovereignty OF South Carolina had been
destroyed by War, its debts were blotted out.
Every lawyer who understands the law on cor
porati0ns knows this. convention Of the peo-
pie Of this State met and formed new constitu-
tiou, and South Carolina was again admitted. If
the sovereignty of South Carolina was destroyed,
and every one admits this, then the State does
not owe dollar of her ante bellum debts. South
Carolina was an Independent State, part of the
of the Confederacy. Now, if the Confederate
debts were wiped out by the war, were not the
debts of South Carolina also wiped out? 1t is
expecting too much of the people Of South Caro-
lima, after suffering all the horrors Of war, after
being robbed and dragged into the dust, for them
now to come forward and pay the fraudulent
debts. have been driven to the position which
1 now take. Why? Because have been perse-
cuted by the bloated bondholders ever since !
have been in this House, The fight on this bond
question has been an unequal one 1t is we'll
known fact that none of the able arguments which
are opposed to paying the fraudulent debts are
ever published in the newspapers. The papers
run in the interest of the boated bOndholders
es. Now, let ,ls 60 back to the bonds issued be-
fore the war, What we're these bonds issued for?
Were they issued to make great public improve
ments, or to build great railroads? No! If the
Legislature is to be bought up, if the Judiciary
is to be bought up, then it were better that Cham
berlan had never left. South Carolina. But /
am glad he has gone, and I don't want him to
come back. If he does come back. it will be to
be tried upon some charge of which he is inno-
cent. Why don't they bring him here and try
h nharOa which will convict him
The hands of the attorney general are tied SO that
he can do nothing. Gen. Gary then paid his
respects to various State officials, and opened the
vials of his wrath upon all persons, Governor,
Lieutenant Governor, State officers, senators,
members of the House, judges, newspapers,
preachers, and everybody else who favored the
payment of the debt of the State. His speech,
especially those parts which referred TO Governor
Hampton, and also his violent denunc'atlons OF
the Chief Justice. created decided sensation.
Mr. Crittenden, of Greenville, obtained the
floor and spoke earnestly in favor of the bill.
At the conclusion of his remarks, motion
was made and carried, that the further con.
sderation of the bill be made the special or
der for tomorrow at o'clock.
In THE HOUSE, Mr.. MCGOWAN introduced
bill to provide for the establishment of
State mineralogical bureau and mineralog-
ical survey of the State.
Mr.. Blue introduced bill requiring 25 per
cent. of all moneys received for liquor licenses
throughout the State to be paid into the State
treasury.
Mr., Anderson introduced bill to fix the
pay of members of the General Assembly.
This bill fixes the pay of members at So
day for thirty five days.
Mr.. Humbert introduced bill to amend all
act to alter and amend the law in relation to
elections. The effect of the proposed amend
ment is to completely separate the State and
County elections from the Congressional and
Presidential elections. 1t provides two box
es, one for the reception of ballots for State
and county officers, and the other for the re-
ception of ballots for Presidential Electors
and Congressman. 1t also provides that there
shall be two separate boards of State canvas.
sers, the one to pass upon the State and coun.
ty elections, and the other to pass upon the
National elections. No candidate for any
office will be eligible to membership on
either of the said boards of canvassers.
The judiciary committee, on bill to pre-.
vent and punish the intermarriage of the
races, reported a substitute, entitled bill to
prevent and punish the intermarrying Of the
races.
The committee on railroads reported favor.
ably on bill to charter the Spartanburg and
Augusta Railroad Company.
The committee on offices and officers re-
ported favorsbly on bill to provide for the
payment of the past Indebtedness of the
school districts in the counties of the State.
The bill in relation to appeals from trial
Justices courts was indefinitely postponed.
The House refused to reconsider the vote
by which the enacting words of bill for the
relief of the counties of Spartanburg, Green