Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-03-07
ing bill to re.district the State into Congress

ing bill to re.district the State into Congress.
sional Districts:
Section l. That the State of South Carolina shall
be divided into five Congressional Districts, to
wit:
The First Congressional District to be compos-
ed of the counties of Lancaster, Chesterfield,
Marlboro. Darlington, Georgetown, Marion WILL
liamsburg and Horny.
The Second Congressional District to be com,
posed of the counties of Charleston, Colleton and
Beaufort.
The Third Congressional District to he COM
posed of the counties of Oconee, Pick Ander-
son, Abbeville, Newberry, Richland, Lexington
The Fourth Congressional District to be COM
posed of the counties of Union, Spartanourg,
Greenville, York, Chester, Sumter, Kershaw and
Fairfield.
The Fifth Congressional District to be composed
of the counties of Edgefield, Aiken, Barnwell,
HAMPTON Orangeburg and Clarendon.
On motion Of Mr.. Witherspoon, the reports
of the Judiciary Committee on the bill to re,
peal the act authorizing the levy of special
tax in York and Chester counties, to retire
bonds issued in aid Of the Chester and Lenoir
Railroad, so far as the same relates to the
county of York, was laid on the table and
the bill taken up for consideration.
Mr.. Withersp poon said he was opposed to
the repeal of the retiring act of 1873. They
merely asked that this tax be suspended tor
1877 and 1878, on account of the inability OF
tax payers to meet the tax. The rights of no
one would be jeopardized. Every safeguard
was thrown around the holders of those
bonds, and he would do nothing to affect
their rights. IA
Mr.. Walker, of Chester, said there was a
large number of holders Of these bonds IN
his county. They had paid 70 cents fortheir
bonds in good faith. He read the act oi
1875, and said it was never contemplated to
suspend the collection of taxes sufficient to
meet the demands of those bonds.
Mr.. Witherspoon said he had petitions
signed by hundreds of the citizens OF his
county, asking not that an injustice should be
done the bondholders, but that the State
would do for them what she had done for
others-relieve them, for the present. of this
burden of taxation He could not vote to
thus iniure his constituents for the benefit OF
q few persons, who knew what they were do
ing when they purchased these securities.
Mr.. Wylie also spoke upon the bill, rex-
planning the circumstances under which the
bonds were issued. The Chief Justice be-
lieved that the County Commissioners had no
right, under the act of 1873, to issue bonds.
If the facts of the decision of the Supreme
Court alluded to were brought out, they would
reflect very discredtably upon the late Chief
Justice and Associate Wright, then upon the
bench. The House had passed the bill re-
pealing the retiring act, and the amendment
offered by the Senator from York simply
provided for suspension of that act for two
years, for the reasons that the matter was at
the time before the Supreme Court, and IN
order to relieve the county of this onerous
tax at present.
Gen. Gary spoke upon the bill, sustaining
the position he took in the minority report
submitted by him. Three County Commits
sioners had hound the whole county of York
after they had assembled in a meeting and
protested against the project. The whole
transaction was violation of the very fun
damental principles of American liberty.
The act of 1875 was another outrage perpe.
trated by Radical Legislature in favor OF
the courts, and an act of gross injustice to
the people of that county. The Legislature
was invoked and the Supreme Court brlbed
to perfect this fraud. The action of those
three commissioners was high.handed usur-
patton, and he was in favor of rebuking them
right now. ..-
Mr. Jeter took another view of the matter.
Third parties had innocently bought these
bonds, and the State could not impair those
contracts
The roll was called upon Mr.. Witherspoon's
amendment to suspend the collection of the
retirement tax for two years:-1S77 and 1873
instead of repeating the act. The amend.
ment was adopted by vote of IL to IL, and
the bill ordered to third reading.
In THE House, the unfinished business OF
yesterday was taken up-Mr. Hoods resolu.
tion in connection with the bond report-and
was debated by Mr.. Shaw, Of Edge6eld, }. ).
HenphilI, of Chester, and Mr.. Youmans, OF
Barnwell, until the hour for adjournment.